Stellar Component Research Articles

Internal kinematics of Gaia DR3 wide binaries: anomalous behaviour in the low acceleration regime

ABSTRACT The Gaia eDR3 catalogue has recently been used to study statistically the internal kinematics of wide binary populations using relative velocities of the two component stars, ΔV, total binary masses, mB, and separations, s. For s ≳ 0.01 pc, these binaries probe the low-acceleration a ≲ 2a0 regime where gravitational anomalies usually attributed to dark matter are observed in the flat rotation curves of spiral galaxies, where a0 ≈ 1.2 × 10−10 m s−2 is the acceleration scale of MOND. Such experiments test the degree of generality of these anomalies, by exploring the same acceleration regime using independent astronomical systems of vastly smaller mass and size. A signal above Newtonian expectations has been observed when a ≲ 2a0, alternatively interpreted as evidence of a modification of gravity, or as due to kinematic contaminants; undetected stellar components, unbound encounters, or spurious projection effects. Here I take advantage of the enhanced DR3 Gaia catalogue to perform a more rigorous study of the internal kinematics of wide binaries than what has previously been possible. Internally determined Gaia stellar masses and estimates of binary probabilities for each star using spectroscopic information, together with a larger sample of radial velocities, allow for a significant improvement in the analysis and careful exclusion of possible kinematic contaminants. Resulting ΔV scalings accurately tracing Newtonian expectations for the high acceleration regime, but markedly inconsistent with these expectations in the low acceleration one, are obtained. A non-Newtonian low acceleration phenomenology is thus confirmed.

Infrared photometric study of dust obscured galaxies

We have collected almost all published dust obscured galaxies (DOGs) with the certain coordinate in the literature (817 DOGs in total) to investigate their infrared properties by using 2MASS (and other observations in the JHK bands), WISE, IRAS and Herschel data in this paper. Our study shows that objects with different types have different presentations for the relations between the redshift and infrared colors. It is also found that in the near infrared two-color diagram, DOGs are distributed across the blackbody line and the power law line indicative of the thermal emission from the stellar component and the star formation for some objects, and the AGN dominated for other objects in the near infrared. However, in the two-color diagrams with longer wavelengths the majority of DOGs are distributed around the power law line indicative of the central AGN dominated in the mid-infrared, far infrared, and submillimeter regions. We also compared the infrared color propertes between DOGs and ULIRGs. It is found that, statistically, ULIRGs have redder colors than that for DOGs in the near and mid- infrared region while compared with DOGs, ULIRGs are more near the blackbody line indicative of the star formation dominated in far infrared.

The ALPINE-ALMA [CII] survey: Double stellar population and active galactic nucleus activity in a galaxy at z ∼ 5.5

Context. GDS J033218.92-275302.7 (here GS-14) is a z ∼ 5.5 galaxy with unusual UV spectral features that have been interpreted as signatures of either a double stellar population or of an active galactic nucleus (AGN). GS-14 was detected in [C II] 158 μm as part of the ALPINE survey and was found to be the galaxy with the lowest molecular gas fraction (fmol = Mmolgas/(Mmolgas + M*)∼0.1) of that sample. Aims. We exploited the multiwavelength coverage of GS-14 to investigate the properties and the origin of its emission. Methods. We fit the UV-to-near-IR spectral energy distribution (SED) with a single and double stellar population and/or AGN component. We analyzed the latest release of the VIMOS spectrum, which shows highly ionized emission lines (O VI1032 Å, N V1240 Å, and N IV] 1483,1486 Å). The line equivalent widths and line ratios were compared with those observed in galaxies and AGN, as well as with the predictions from radiation transfer models for star-forming galaxies, AGN, and shocks. Results. The SED-fitting provides a total stellar mass of M* = (4 ± 1)×1010 M⊙, an age of the main stellar population of ∼ 670 Myr, and a recent (∼ 8 Myr) short burst of star formation (SF) of ∼90 M⊙ yr−1. We do not find a significant contribution from an AGN, although we do not have any coverage in the mid-IR, where the dust emission of the AGN would peak. The N V line has a characteristic P Cygni profile. Fitting it with stellar models suggests a ∼ 3 Myr old population of stars with a mass of ∼5 × 107 M⊙, consistent with a second component of young stars, as found in the SED-fitting analysis. The N V profile also shows evidence for an additional component of nebular emission. The comparison of the line ratios (N IV]/N V and O VI/N V) with theoretical models allows us to associate the emission with SF or AGN, but the strong radiation field required to ionize the O VI is more commonly related to AGN activity. Conclusions. Studying GS-14, we found evidence for an old and already evolved stellar population at z ∼ 5.5, and we show that the galaxy is experiencing a second short burst of SF. In addition, GS-14 carries signatures of obscured AGN activity. The AGN could be responsible for the short depletion time of this galaxy, thus making GS-14 one of the two ALPINE sources with indications of an active nucleus and an interesting target for future follow-ups to understand the connection between SF and AGN activity.

A unified exploration of the chronology of the Galaxy

ABSTRACT The Milky Way has distinct structural stellar components linked to its formation and subsequent evolution, but disentangling them is non-trivial. With the recent availability of high-quality data for a large numbers of stars in the Milky Way, it is a natural next step for research in the evolution of the Galaxy to perform automated explorations with unsupervised methods of the structures hidden in the combination of large-scale spectroscopic, astrometric, and asteroseismic data sets. We determine precise stellar properties for 21 076 red giants, mainly spanning 2–15 kpc in Galactocentric radii, making it the largest sample of red giants with measured asteroseismic ages available to date. We explore the nature of different stellar structures in the Galactic disc by using Gaussian mixture models as an unsupervised clustering method to find substructure in the combined chemical, kinematic, and age subspace. The best-fitting mixture model yields four distinct physical Galactic components in the stellar disc: the thin disc, the kinematically heated thin disc, the thick disc, and the stellar halo. We find hints of an age asymmetry between the Northern and Southern hemisphere, and we measure the vertical and radial age gradient of the Galactic disc using the asteroseismic ages extended to further distances than previous studies.

Near-infrared characterization of ultra-diffuse galaxies in Abell 2744 by JWST/NIRISS imaging

ABSTRACT We present a search and characterization of ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) in the Frontier Fields cluster Abell 2744 at $z$ = 0.308. We use JWST/NIRISS F200W observations, acquired as part of the GLASS-JWST Early Release Science programme, aiming to characterize morphologies of cluster UDGs and their diffuse stellar components. A total number of 22 UDGs are identified by our selection criteria using morphological parameters, down to stellar mass of ∼107 M⊙. The selected UDGs are systematically larger in effective radius in F200W than in Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/ACS F814W images, which implies that some of them would not have been identified as UDGs when selected at rest-frame optical wavelengths. In fact, we find that about one-third of the UDGs were not previously identified based on the F814W data. We observe a flat distribution of the UDGs in the stellar mass–size plane, similar to what is found for cluster quiescent galaxies at comparable mass. Our pilot study using the new JWST F200W filter showcases the efficiency of searching UDGs at cosmological distances, with 1/30 of the exposure time of the previous deep observing campaign with HST. Further studies with JWST focusing on spatially resolved properties of individual sources will provide insight into their origin.

Gas and stellar kinematic misalignment in MaNGA galaxies: What is the origin of counter-rotating gas?

Context. Kinematic misalignment between gas and stellar components is observed in a certain fraction of galaxies. It believed to be caused by the acquisition of gas from the external reservoir by, for example, major or minor mergers, accretion from cosmological filaments, or the circumgalactic medium. Aims. We aim to constrain the possible sources of the gas that forms the counter-rotating component. Methods. We derived the gas-phase oxygen abundances of 69 galaxies with a kinematic misalignment between gas and stellar components from the MaNGA DR17 survey and compared them with the metallicity expected according to the mass–metallicity relation. Results. We find that the oxygen abundance of the counter-rotating gas in our sample is higher than 8.2 dex, which rules out a significant role for the inflow of pristine gas. Meanwhile, there is a significant difference in the oxygen abundance of the counter-rotating gas between red and blue galaxies. In general, the oxygen abundance is lower than expected for the stellar mass in red galaxies but is compatible with or even higher than typical values for the stellar mass in blue galaxies. Conclusions. We show that the exchange of enriched gas between galaxies is the most plausible mechanism for explaining the metallicity of counter-rotating gas components in galaxies of all masses and colors. Meanwhile, minor mergers may play a significant role in the formation of counter-rotating gas components in red and quenched galaxies.

Zeeman Doppler imaging ofξBoo A and B

Aims.We present a magnetic-field surface map for both stellar components of the young visual binaryξBoo AB (A: G8V, B: K5V).Methods.We employed high-resolution Stokes-Vspectra obtained with the Potsdam Echelle Polarimetric and Spectroscopic Instrument (PEPSI) at the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). We inverted StokesVline profiles with ouriMAP software and compared them with previous inversions. We employed an iterative regularization scheme without the need for a penalty function and incorporated a three-component description of the surface magnetic-field vector. The spectral resolution of our data is 130 000 (0.040–0.055 Å) and we obtain a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of up to 3000 per pixel depending on wavelength. We used a singular-value decomposition (SVD) of a total of 1811 spectral lines to average Stokes-Vprofiles. Our mapping is accompanied by a residual bootstrap error analysis.Results.We constructed magnetic flux densities of the radial field component forξBoo A andξBoo B of up to plus or −115±5 G and 55±3 G, respectively. The magnetic morphology ofξBoo A is characterized by a very high latitude, nearly polar spot of negative polarity and three low-to-mid-latitude spots of positive polarity, while that ofξBoo B is characterized by four low-to-mid-latitude spots of mixed polarity. No polar magnetic field is reconstructed for the coolerξBoo B star. Both our maps are dominated by the radial field component, containing 86% and 89% of the magnetic energy ofξBoo A and B, respectively. We find only weak azimuthal and meridional field densities on both stars (plus or −15–30 G), about a factor two weaker than what was seen previously forξBoo A. The phase averaged longitudinal field component and dispersion is +4.5±1.5 G for ξ Boo A and −5.0±3.0 G forξBoo B.

Multiwavelength and astrometric study of the DBS 89−90−91 embedded clusters region

Aims. Our main aims are to improve our understanding of the main properties of the radio source G316.8−0.1 (IRAS 14416−5937) where the DBS 89−90−91 embedded clusters are located, to identify the stellar population present in this region, and to study the interaction of these stars with the interstellar medium. Methods. We analyzed some characteristics of the G316.8−0.1 radio source, consulting the SUMSS to study the radio continuum emission at 843 MHz and the H I SGPS at 21 cm. We also used photometric data at the JHK bands in the region of DBS 89−90−91 clusters obtained from the VVV survey and supplemented with the 2MASS catalogue. Our investigation of possible stars associated with the H II region was complemented with an astrometric analysis using the Gaia Early Data Release 3. To study the young stellar objects (YSOs), we consulted the mid-infrared photometric information from WISE, Spitzer−GLIMPSE Surveys, and the MSX point source catalog. Results. The photometric and astrometric research carried out in the IRAS 14416−5937 region allowed us to improve our current understanding of the DBS 89−90−91 embedded clusters and their interaction with the interstellar medium. In the case of the cluster DBS 89, we identified 9 astrophotometric candidate members and 19 photometric candidate members, whereas for DBS 90−91 clusters we found 18 candidate photometric members. We obtained a distance value for DBS 89 linked to the radio source G316.8−0.1 of 2.9 ± 0.5 kpc. We also investigated 12 Class I YSO candidates, 35 Class II YSO candidates, 2 massive young stellar objects (MYSOs), and 1 compact ionized hydrogen (CHII) region distributed throughout the IRAS 14416−5937 region. Our analysis reveals that the G316.8−0.1 radio source is optically thin at frequencies ≥0.56 GHz. The H II regions G316.8−0.1−A and G316.8−0.1−B have similar radii and ionized hydrogen masses of ∼0.5 pc and ∼35 M⊙, respectively. The ionization parameter computed with the younger spectral types of adopted members of DBS 89 and DBS 90−91 clusters shows that they are able to generate the H II regions. The flux density of the H II region G316.8−0.1−B is lower than the flux density of the H II region G316.8−0.1−A. Conclusions. We carried out a photometric and astrometric study, looking for members of the DBS 89−90−91 embedded clusters. We were able to identify the earliest stars of the clusters as the main exciting sources of the G316.8−0.1 radio source and have also estimated the main physical parameters of this source. We improve the current knowledge of the stellar components present in the Sagittarius-Carina arm of our Galaxy and its interaction with the interstellar medium.

The True Nature of the Brightest Local Triple Stellar Candidates within 100 pc in the Galaxy

We present a study of a sample of bright (V ≤ 10 mag) and close (d ≤ 100 pc) triple–stellar system candidates in the galaxy, consisting of eight systems in total. Our aim is to determine their actual multiplicity and the physical properties of each stellar component in the systems. The sample was analyzed using a complex spectrophotometric technique by Al-Wardat that utilizes ATLAS9 line-blanketed plane-parallel model atmospheres. Based on our analysis, we found that five of the systems (HIP 109951, HIP 105947, HIP 40523, HIP 35733, and HIP 23824) are indeed triples, while the remaining three systems (HIP 9642, HIP 59426, and HIP 101227) are more consistent with being quadruples. We estimated the physical properties of the individual components using the most recent parallax measurements from the GAIA Data Release 3 catalog. We also examined the applicability of the well-established Mass–Luminosity (M–L) relation for individual components of all the stellar systems that have been analyzed by the Al-Wardat technique. We found that generally, the components are in good agreement with the established relationship. This further supports the reliability of the method in determining the physical properties of multiple stellar systems. In addition, we investigated the M–L relation for each order of stellar multiplicity (i.e., binary, triple, and quadruple) by performing linear fitting to the data. It was found that the slopes for each multiplicity are consistent with each other. The relations also seem to shift down in luminosity for a given total mass, as the order of multiplicity increases from binary to quadruple.

DHOST gravity in ultra-diffuse galaxies—Part II: NGC 1052-DF4 and Dragonfly 44

Ultra-Diffuse galaxies are a family of gravitational systems with quite varied properties, counting both objects highly deficient in dark matter and others which are dark matter-dominated. Such a variety of behaviors might be a problem for both the standard dark matter paradigm and for alternative theories of gravity. Here we consider two systems, NGC1052-DF4 and Dragonfly 44, which are respectively dark matter deficient and dark matter dominated, in the context of Degenerate Higher-Order Scalar Tensor theories exhibiting a partial breaking of the Vaishtein screening mechanism for which they might have an influence not only on cosmological scales but also on astrophysical ones, thus mimicking dark matter. For NGC1052-DF4 the galaxy dynamics might be successfully described only by a stellar component and, at least at the scales which are probed, the content of dark matter is quite low. We also show that our alternative gravity model is consistent with data and is statistically equivalent to a standard General Relativity dark matter scenario, and it might even replace dark matter. On the contrary, Dragonfly 44 requires dark matter both in General Relativity and in our extended theory. When the latter is considered only as a cosmological dark energy fluid, it is statistically fully reliable and equivalent to General Relativity. But when we try to use it to substitute dark matter, although we get good fits to the data, the constraints on the theoretical parameters are in sharp contrast with those derived from more stringent probes from the stellar scales.

Non-parametric galaxy morphology from stellar and nebular emission with the CALIFA sample

Aims. We present a non-parametric morphology analysis of the stellar continuum and nebular emission lines for a sample of local galaxies. We explore the dependence of the various morphological parameters on wavelength and morphological type. Our goal is to quantify the difference in morphology between the stellar and nebular components. Methods. We derived the non-parametric morphological indicators of 364 galaxies from the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area (CALIFA) Survey. To calculate those indicators, we applied the StatMorph package on the high-quality integral field spectroscopic data cubes, as well as to the most prominent nebular emission-line maps, namely [O III]λ5007, Hα, and [N II]λ6583. Results. We show that the physical size of galaxies, M20 index, and concentration have a strong gradient from blue to red optical wavelengths. We find that the light distribution of the nebular emission is less concentrated than the stellar continuum. A comparison between the non-parametric indicators and the galaxy physical properties revealed a very strong correlation of the concentration with the specific star formation rate and morphological type. Furthermore, we explore how the galaxy inclination affects our results. We find that edge-on galaxies show a more rapid change in physical size and concentration with increasing wavelength due to the increase in the optical free path. Conclusions. We conclude that the apparent morphology of galaxies originates from the pure stellar distribution, but the morphology of the interstellar medium presents differences with respect to the morphology of the stellar component. Our analysis also highlights the importance of dust attenuation and galaxy inclination in the measurement of non-parametric morphological indicators, especially in the wavelength range 4000−5000 Å.

Clues on the presence and segregation of very massive stars in the Sunburst Lyman-continuum cluster at z = 2.37

We report the identification of very massive stars (VMS; mass > 100 M⊙) that may be segregated in the center of the young massive star cluster at z = 2.37 hosted in the lensed galaxy called Sunburst galaxy. This result is based on two pieces of evidence: (1) VLT/MUSE spectra of several multiple images of the same star cluster show key spectral signatures of VMS, such as the He IIλ1640 broad emission, N IVλ1486 emission, and an N IVλ1720 P Cygni profile. In particular, He IIλ1640 is broad (∼1610 ± 300 km s−1), with an equivalent width of 3 Å, and asymmetric profile. These features require an extremely young (∼2.5 Myr) stellar population component in which the masses of the stars exceed 100 M⊙. When a Salpeter initial mass function and BPASS models for normal massive stars are assumed, the observed spectral features require ∼400 VMS. (2) The same star cluster is detected at a signal-to-noise ratio of ∼100 in the Lyman continuum domain (λ < 900 Å). The Lyman continuum emission emerges from a region with a radius that is at least twice smaller than what is observed at 1700 Å (independently of magnification) and is located in the center of the cluster. After delensing, the effective radii in absolute scales are Reff[LyC] ∼ 4.7 ± 1.5 pc and Reff[1700] = 7.8 ± 1.4 pc. The Lyman continuum radiation is mainly produced by hot and massive stars, which implies that their spatial distribution (including that of VMS) is preferentially more confined in the central parts of the cluster. Approximately 400 VMS hosted by a cluster of ∼107 M⊙ produce ∼15% of the escaping Lyman continuum photons, and the remaining photons are produced by other massive early-type stars.

The distribution of globular clusters in kinematic spaces does not trace the accretion history of the host galaxy

Context. Reconstructing how all the stellar components of the Galaxy formed and assembled over time by studying the properties of the stars that form it is the aim of Galactic archaeology. Thanks to the launch of the ESA Gaia astrometric mission and the development of many spectroscopic surveys in recent years, we are for the first time in the position to delve into the layers of the past of the Galaxy. Globular clusters play a fundamental role in this research field since they are among the oldest stellar systems in the MW and thus bear witness to its entire past. Aims. As a natural result of galaxy formation, globular clusters did not necessarily all form in the Galaxy itself. Indeed, a fraction of them could have been formed in satellite galaxies accreted by the Milky Way over time. In recent years, there have been several attempts to constrain the nature of clusters (accreted or formed in the Milky Way itself) through the analysis of kinematic spaces, such as the E − Lz, Lperp − Lz, eccentricity − Lz, and the action space, as well as attempts to reconstruct the properties of the accretion events experienced by the Milky Way through time from this kind of analysis. This work aims to test a widely used assumption about the clustering of the accreted populations of globular clusters in the integrals of motions space. Methods. In this paper we analyse a set of dissipationless N-body simulations that reproduce the accretion of one or two satellites with their globular cluster population on a Milky Way-type galaxy. Results. Our results demonstrate that a significant overlap between accreted and ‘kinematically heated’ in situ globular clusters is expected in kinematic spaces for mergers with mass ratios of 1:10. In contrast with the standard assumptions made in the literature so far, we find that accreted globular clusters do not show dynamical coherence, that is, they do not cluster in kinematic spaces. In addition, we show that globular clusters can also be found in regions dominated by stars that have a different origin (i.e. a different progenitor). This casts doubt on the association between clusters and field stars that is generally made in the literature and is used to assign them to a common origin. By means of Gaussian mixture models, we demonstrate that the overlap of clusters is not only a projection effect on specific planes but is also found when the whole set of kinematic properties (i.e. E, Lz, Lperp, eccentricity, radial, and vertical actions) is taken into account. Overall, our findings severely question the recovered accretion history of the Milky Way based on the phase-space clustering of the globular cluster population.

The C/N ratio from FUV spectroscopy as a constraint on evolution of the dwarf nova HS 0218 + 3229

ABSTRACT White dwarfs that accrete from non-degenerate companions show anomalous carbon and nitrogen abundances in the photospheres of their stellar components have been postulated to be descendants of supersoft X-ray binaries. Measuring the carbon-to-nitrogen abundance ratio may provide constraints on their past evolution. We fit far-ultraviolet spectroscopy of the cataclysmic variable HS 0218 + 3229 taken with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods, and found the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio is about one tenth of the Solar value $(\rm{\log \mathrm{[C/N]}}=-0.56\pm 0.15)$. We also provide estimates of the silicon and aluminium abundances, and upper limits for iron and oxygen. Using the parameters we derived for HS 0218 + 3229 we reconstruct its past. We calculated a grid of mesa models and implemented Gaussian process fits in order to determine its most likely initial binary configuration. We found that an initial mass of the donor of $M_{\rm donor;i}=0.90-0.98,\rm{\mathrm{M}_{\odot }}$ and an initial orbital period of Porb; i = 2.88 d (Porb; i = 3.12–3.16 d) for an assumed initial white dwarf mass of $\rm{M_{\mathrm{WD}}}_\mathrm{;i}=0.83\, \rm{\mathrm{M}_{\odot }}$$(\rm{M_{\mathrm{WD}}}_{\rm ;i}=0.60\, \rm{\mathrm{M}_{\odot }})$ can replicate the measured parameters. The low mass ratio, $M_{\rm donor;i} / \rm{M_{\mathrm{WD}}}_{\rm ;i} =1.08-1.18\, (1.5-1.63)$, suggests that the system did not go through a phase of hydrogen-burning on the white dwarf’s surface. However, we can not exclude a phase of thermal time-scale mass transfer in the past. We predict that HS 0218 + 3229 will evolve below the ≃ 76.2 ± 1 min period minimum for normal cataclysmic variables.

The progenitor galaxies of stellar haloes as ‘failed’ Milky Ways

ABSTRACT The stellar halo of the Milky Way records the history of its interactions with dwarf galaxies, whose subsequent destruction results in the formation of an extended stellar component. Recent works have suggested that galaxies with masses comparable to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC, $M_\star \sim 10^9$ M☉) may be the primary building blocks of the stellar halo of our Galaxy. We use cosmological simulations of the Lambda cold dark matter model to investigate LMC-mass galaxies at $z$ = 1–2 using a semi-analytical model of galaxy formation. We find that LMC analogues at $z$ = 2 evolve until the present day along three distinct pathways: (i) those that are destroyed in Milky Way-mass hosts; (ii) those that are themselves the main progenitors of Milky Way-mass galaxies; and (iii) those that survive until $z$ = 0, with stellar mass ∼1.0 dex lower than typical Milky Ways. We predict that the properties of these galaxies at $z$ = 2 (stellar metallicities, sizes, gas content, etc.) are largely indistinguishable, irrespective of which of these pathways is eventually taken; a survey targeting such galaxies in this redshift range would struggle to tell apart a ‘destroyed’ stellar halo progenitor from a ‘surviving’ LMC analogue. The only factor that determines the eventual fate of these galaxies is their proximity to a neighbouring Milky Way main progenitor at $z$ = 2: while the mean separation to a ‘surviving’ galaxy is around 7 Mpc, it is only 670 kpc to a ‘destroyed’ galaxy. This suggests that old stellar populations in the Milky Way may share intrinsic (i.e. non-dynamical) properties that are essentially indistinguishable from progenitors of its stellar halo.

Catching Tidal Dwarf Galaxies at a Later Evolutionary Stage with ALFALFA

We present deep optical imaging and photometry of four objects classified as “Almost-Dark” galaxies in the Arecibo Legacy Fast Arecibo L-band Feed Array (ALFALFA) survey because of their gas-rich nature and extremely faint or missing optical emission in existing catalogs. They have H i masses of 107–109 M ⊙ and distances of ∼9–100 Mpc. Observations with the WIYN 3.5 m telescope and One Degree Imager reveal faint stellar components with central surface brightnesses of ∼24–25 in the g band. We also present the results of H i synthesis observations with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope. These Almost-Dark galaxies have been identified as possible tidal dwarf galaxies (TDGs) based on their proximity to one or more massive galaxies. We demonstrate that AGC 229398 and AGC 333576 likely have the low dark matter content and large effective radii representative of TDGs. They are located much farther from their progenitors than previously studied TDGs, suggesting they are older and more evolved. AGC 219369 is likely dark matter dominated, while AGC 123216 has a dark matter content that is unusually high for a TDG, but low for a normal dwarf galaxy. We consider possible mechanisms for the formation of the TDG candidates such as a traditional major merger scenario and gas ejection from a high-velocity flyby. Blind H i surveys like ALFALFA enable the detection of gas-rich, optically faint TDGs that can be overlooked in other surveys, thereby providing a more complete census of the low-mass galaxy population and an opportunity to study TDGs at a more advanced stage of their life cycle.

Galaxy pairs inThe Three Hundredsimulations II: studying bound ones and identifying them via machine learning

ABSTRACTUsing the data set of The Three Hundred project, i.e. 324 hydrodynamical resimulations of cluster-sized haloes and the regions of radius 15 ${{h^{-1}\, {\rm Mpc}}}$ around them, we study galaxy pairs in high-density environments. By projecting the galaxies’ 3D coordinates onto a 2D plane, we apply observational techniques to find galaxy pairs. Based on a previous theoretical study on galaxy groups in the same simulations, we are able to classify the observed pairs into ‘true’ or ‘false’, depending on whether they are gravitationally bound or not. We find that the fraction of true pairs (purity) crucially depends on the specific thresholds used to find the pairs, ranging from around 30 to more than 80 per cent in the most restrictive case. Nevertheless, in these very restrictive cases, we see that the completeness of the sample is low, failing to find a significant number of true pairs. Therefore, we train a machine learning algorithm to help us identify these true pairs based on the properties of the galaxies that constitute them. With the aid of the machine learning model trained with a set of properties of all the objects, we show that purity and completeness can be boosted significantly using the default observational thresholds. Furthermore, this machine learning model also reveals the properties that are most important when distinguishing true pairs, mainly the size and mass of the galaxies, their spin parameter, gas content, and shape of their stellar components.

Dark matter subhalo disturbance in the tidal field: Towards a new simulations accuracy

Dark matter (DM) identification is a pressing challenge for modern particle physics and cosmology. The success of this endeavor, however, is contingent on a number of parameters, some of which stem from the difficulty of predicting the DM sub-halo distribution in Milky Way-like galaxies and others from the effect of DM sub-halo signals on the gamma-ray instruments being utilized. This research compared the results of detailed simulations of individual DM sub-halos emerging in the external tidal fields with and without disc components and a baryonic bulge. The average DM particle is assumed to have a mass three times smaller than that assumed in cosmological zoom-in simulations of galaxy formation. The Via Lactea II simulation, which provides the basis for simulating the sub-haloes' tidal field in DM, was used to establish the baseline conditions for this investigation. A model of the Milky Way based on observations was used to simulate the tidal field; this model included a DM halo, a stellar bulge, and a stellar disc. When small (rp 24 kpc) percenters were included, the number of sub-haloes dropped to 39%, and the remaining sub-haloes were found to have a less dense orbital distribution. Since the total number of outer sub-haloes was only around 74% of the value anticipated by CDM, the addition of a stellar component to the tidal field had little effect on the sub-haloes with greater percenters. Previous research on the impacts of baryonic matter as mediated via the spurious disruption had reported ratios that were lower than the ones obtained in this study, suggesting that the latter's accuracy was to blame.

Lyman continuum leaker candidates among highly ionised, low-redshift dwarf galaxies selected from He II

Context. Contemporary research suggests that the reionisation of the intergalactic medium (IGM) in the early Universe was predominantly realised by star-forming (proto-)galaxies (SFGs). Due to observational constraints, our knowledge on the origins of sufficient amounts of ionising Lyman continuum (LyC) photons and the mechanisms facilitating their transport into the IGM remains sparse. Recent efforts have thus focussed on the study of local analogues to these high-redshift objects. Aims. We aim to acquire a set of very low-redshift SFGs that exhibit signs of a hard radiation field being present. A subsequent analysis of their emission line properties is intended to shed light on how the conditions prevalent in these objects compare to those predicted to be present in early SFGs that are thought to be LyC emitters (LCEs). Methods. We used archival spectroscopic SDSS DR12 data to select a sample of low-redshift He II 4686 emitters and restricted it to a set of SFGs with an emission line diagnostic sensitive to the presence of an active galactic nucleus, which serves as our only selection criterion. We performed a population spectral synthesis with FADO to reconstruct these galaxies’ star-formation histories (SFHs). Utilising the spectroscopic information at hand, we constrained the predominant ionisation mechanisms in these galaxies and inferred information on interstellar medium (ISM) conditions relevant for the escape of LyC radiation. Results. Our final sample consists of eighteen ionised, metal-poor galaxies (IMPs). These low-mass (6.2 ≤ log(M⋆/M⊙) ≤ 8.8), low-metallicity (7.54 ≤ log(O/H) + 12 ≤ 8.13) dwarf galaxies appear to be predominantly ionised by stellar sources. We find large [OIII] 5007/[OII] 3727 ratios and [SII] 6717,6731/Hα deficiencies, which provide strong indications for these galaxies to be LCEs. At least 40% of these objects are candidates for featuring cosmologically significant LyC escape fractions ≳10%. The IMPs’ SFHs exhibit strong similarities and almost all galaxies appear to contain an old (> 1 Gyr) stellar component, while also harbouring a young, two-stage (∼10 Myr and < 1 Myr) starburst, which we speculate might be related to LyC escape. Conclusions. The properties of the compact emission line galaxies presented here align well with those observed in many local LCEs. In fact, our sample may prove as an extension to the rather small catalogue of local LCEs, as the extreme ISM conditions we find are assumed to facilitate LyC leakage. Notably, all of our eighteen candidates are significantly closer (z < 0.1) than most established LCEs. If the inferred LyC photon loss is genuine, this demonstrates that selecting SFGs from He II 4686 is a powerful selection criterion in the search for LCEs.

A trail of the invisible: blue globular clusters trace the radial density distribution of the dark matter – case study of NGC 4278

ABSTRACTWe present new, deep optical observations of the early-type galaxy NGC 4278, which is located in a small loose group. We find that the galaxy lacks fine substructure, that is, it appears relaxed, out to a radius of ∼70 kpc. Our g- and i-band surface brightness profiles are uniform down to our deepest levels of ∼28 mag arcsec−2. This spans an extremely large radial range of more than 14 half-mass radii. Combined with archival globular cluster (GC) number density maps and a new analysis of the total mass distribution obtained from archival Chandra X-ray data, we find that the red GC subpopulation traces well the stellar mass density profile from 2.4 out to even 14 half-mass radii, while the blue GC subpopulation traces the total mass density profile of the galaxy over a large radial range. Our results reinforce the scenario that red GCs form mostly in situ along with the stellar component of the galaxy, while the blue GCs are more closely aligned with the total mass distribution in the halo and were accreted along with halo matter. We conclude that for galaxies where the X-ray emission from the hot halo is too faint to be properly observable and as such is not available to measure the dark matter profile, the blue GC population can be used to trace this dark matter component out to large radii.