Total Stellar Mass Research Articles

Compact Starburst Galaxies with Fast Outflows: Central Escape Velocities and Stellar Mass Surface Densities from Multiband Hubble Space Telescope Imaging

Abstract We present multiband Hubble Space Telescope imaging that spans rest-frame near-ultraviolet through near-infrared wavelengths ( –1.1 μm) for 12 compact starburst galaxies at z = 0.4–0.8. These massive galaxies ( ) are driving very fast outflows ( –3000 km s−1), and their light profiles are dominated by an extremely compact starburst component (half-light radius ∼ 100 pc). Our goal is to constrain the physical mechanisms responsible for launching these fast outflows by measuring the physical conditions within the central kiloparsec. Based on our stellar population analysis, the central component typically contributes ≈25% of the total stellar mass, and the central escape velocities km s−1 are a factor of two smaller than the observed outflow velocities. This Requires physical mechanisms that can accelerate gas to speeds significantly beyond the central escape velocities, and it makes clear that these fast outflows are capable of traveling into the circumgalactic medium, and potentially beyond. We find central stellar densities kpc−2 comparable to theoretical estimates of the Eddington limit, and we estimate surface densities within the central kiloparsec comparable to those of compact massive galaxies at . Relative to “red nuggets” and “blue nuggets” at , we find significantly smaller r e values at a given stellar mass, which we attribute to the dominance of a young stellar component in our sample and the better physical resolution for rest-frame optical observations at versus . We compare to theoretical scenarios involving major mergers and violent disk instability, and we speculate that our galaxies are progenitors of power-law ellipticals in the local universe with prominent stellar cusps.

The Diverse Morphology, Stellar Population, and Black Hole Scaling Relations of the Host Galaxies of Nearby Quasars

Abstract We present rest-frame B and I imaging of 35 low-redshift ( ) Palomar–Green quasars using the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3. We perform multicomponent two-dimensional image decomposition to separate the host galaxy from its bright active nucleus, characterize its morphology, and measure its photometric properties. Special care is devoted to quantifying the structural parameters of the galaxy bulge, determining its B − I color, and estimating its stellar mass. Roughly half of the sample, comprising the less luminous ( ) but most high Eddington ratio quasars, reside in disk galaxies that are often barred and possess pseudo bulges. The large stellar masses, large effective radii, and faint surface brightnesses suggest that the host galaxies of the most luminous quasars are mostly ellipticals. Major mergers constitute only a small percentage (≲20%) of our sample. Our quasar sample roughly obeys the scaling relations between black hole mass and host galaxy (bulge, core, total) stellar mass. Hosts with black holes more massive than behave similarly to classical bulges and early-type galaxies, while those with less massive black holes, particularly the narrow-line Seyfert 1s, are consistent with pseudo bulges in late-type galaxies. The host galaxy bulges, irrespective of whether they are classical or pseudo, follow a relatively tight inverse relation between the effective radius and the mean effective surface brightness of inactive classical bulges and ellipticals. We argue that pseudo bulges experience recent or ongoing nuclear star formation.

Forward Modeling Populations of Flares from Tidal Disruptions of Stars by Supermassive Black Holes

Abstract Detections of the tidal disruption flares (TDFs) of stars by supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are rapidly accumulating as optical surveys improve. These detections may provide constraints on SMBH demographics, stellar dynamics, and stellar evolution in galaxies. To maximize this scientific impact, we require a better understanding of how astrophysical parameters interact with survey selection effects in setting the properties of detected flares. We develop a framework for modeling the distributions of optical TDF detections in surveys across attributes of the host galaxies and the flares themselves. This model folds in effects of the stellar disruption rate in each galaxy, the flare luminosity and temperature distributions, the effects of obscuration and reddening by dust in the host galaxy, and survey selection criteria. We directly apply this model to the sample of TDFs detected by the Zwicky Transient Facility, and find that the overall flare detection rate is in line with simple theoretical expectation. The model can also reproduce the distribution of total stellar mass and redshift of the host galaxies, but fails to match all details of the detected flares, such as their luminosity and temperature distributions. We also find that dust obscuration likely plays an important role in suppressing the TDF detection rate in star-forming galaxies. While we do not find that the unusual preference of TDFs to have hosts in post-starburst galaxies in the “green valley” can be entirely explained by selection effects, our model can help to quantify the true rate enhancement in those galaxies.

The structural evolution of isolated galaxies at low redshift in the IllustrisTNG simulation

ABSTRACT We study the structural evolution of isolated star-forming (SF) galaxies in the IllustrisTNG100-1 hydrodynamical simulation, with a focus on investigating the growth of the central core density within 2 kpc (Σ*,2 kpc) in relation to total stellar mass (M*) at z < 0.5. First, we show that several observational trends in the Σ*,2 kpc–M* plane are qualitatively reproduced in IllustrisTNG, including the distributions of active galactic nuclei (AGN), SF galaxies, quiescent galaxies, and radial profiles of stellar age, specific star formation rate (sSFR), and metallicity. We find that galaxies with dense cores evolve parallel to the Σ*,2 kpc–M* relation, while galaxies with diffuse cores evolve along shallower trajectories. We investigate possible drivers of rapid growth in Σ*,2 kpc compared to M*. Both the current sSFR gradient and the black hole (BH) accretion rate are indicators of past core growth, but are not predictors of future core growth. Major mergers (although rare in our sample; ∼10 per cent) cause steeper core growth, except for high-mass ($M_{\rm *}\gtrsim 10^{10} \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$) mergers, which are mostly dry. Disc instabilities, as measured by the fraction of mass with Toomre Q < 2, are not predictive of rapid core growth. Instead, rapid core growth results in more stable discs. The cumulative BH feedback history sets the maximum rate of core growth, preventing rapid growth in high-mass galaxies ($\gtrsim 10^{9.5} \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$). For massive galaxies, the total specific angular momentum of accreting gas is the most important predictor of future core growth. Our results suggest that the angular momentum of accreting gas controls the slope, width, and zero-point evolution of the Σ*,2 kpc–M* relation.

The star formation reference survey – IV. Stellar mass distribution of local star-forming galaxies

ABSTRACT We constrain the mass distribution in nearby, star-forming galaxies with the Star Formation Reference Survey (SFRS), a galaxy sample constructed to be representative of all known combinations of star formation rate, dust temperature, and specific star formation rate (sSFR) that exist in the Local Universe. An innovative 2D bulge/disc decomposition of the 2MASS/Ks-band images of the SFRS galaxies yields global luminosity and stellar mass functions (MFs), along with separate MFs for their bulges and discs. These accurate MFs cover the full range from dwarf galaxies to large spirals, and are representative of star-forming galaxies selected based on their infrared luminosity, unbiased by active galactic nucleus content and environment. We measure an integrated luminosity density j = 1.72 ± 0.93 × 109 L$_{\odot }\, h^{-1}$ Mpc−3 and a total stellar mass density ρM = 4.61 ± 2.40 × 108 M$_{\odot }\, h^{-1}$ Mpc−3. While the stellar mass of the average star-forming galaxy is equally distributed between its sub-components, discs globally dominate the mass density budget by a ratio 4:1 with respect to bulges. In particular, our functions suggest that recent star formation happened primarily in massive systems, where they have yielded a disc stellar mass density larger than that of bulges by more than 1 dex. Our results constitute a reference benchmark for models addressing the assembly of stellar mass on the bulges and discs of local (z = 0) star-forming galaxies.

Applying the Tremaine–Weinberg Method to Nearby Galaxies: Stellar-mass-based Pattern Speeds and Comparisons with ISM Kinematics

Abstract We apply the Tremaine–Weinberg method to 19 nearby galaxies using stellar mass surface densities and velocities derived from the PHANGS-MUSE survey, to calculate (primarily bar) pattern speeds (ΩP). After quality checks, we find that around half (10) of these stellar-mass-based measurements are reliable. For those galaxies, we find good agreement between our results and previously published pattern speeds, and we use rotation curves to calculate major resonance locations (corotation radii and Lindblad resonances). We also compare these stellar-mass-derived pattern speeds with Hα (from MUSE) and CO(J = 2 − 1) emission from the PHANGS-ALMA survey. We find that in the case of these clumpy interstellar medium (ISM) tracers, this method erroneously gives a signal that is simply the angular frequency at a representative radius set by the distribution of these clumps (Ωclump), and that this Ωclump is significantly different from ΩP (∼20% in the case of Hα, and ∼50% in the case of CO). Thus, we conclude that it is inadvisable to use “pattern speeds” derived from ISM kinematics. Finally, we compare our derived pattern speeds and corotation radii, along with bar properties, to the global parameters of these galaxies. Consistent with previous studies, we find that galaxies with a later Hubble type have a larger ratio of corotation radius to bar length, more molecular-gas-rich galaxies have higher ΩP, and more bulge-dominated galaxies have lower ΩP. Unlike earlier works, however, there are no clear trends between the bar strength and ΩP, nor between the total stellar mass surface density and the pattern speed.

The EDGE-CALIFA survey: self-regulation of star formation at kpc scales

ABSTRACT The processes that regulate star formation are essential to understand how galaxies evolve. We present the relation between star formation rate density, ΣSFR , and hydrostatic mid-plane pressure,Ph, for 4260 star-forming regions of kpc size located in 96 galaxies included in the EDGE-CALIFA survey covering a wide range of stellar masses and morphologies. We find that these two parameters are tightly correlated, showing a smaller scatter in comparison to other star-forming relations. A power law, with a slightly sublinear index, is a good representation of this relation. Its residuals show a significant anticorrelation with both stellar age and metallicity whereas the total stellar mass may also play a secondary role in shaping the ΣSFR–Ph relation. For actively star-forming regions, we find that the effective feedback momentum per unit stellar mass (p*/m*), measured from thePh/ΣSFR ratio increases withPh. The median value of this ratio for all the sampled regions is larger than the expected momentum just from supernovae explosions. Morphology of the galaxies, including bars, does not seem to have a significant impact in the ΣSFR–Ph relation. Our analysis indicates that local ΣSFR self-regulation comes mainly from momentum injection to the interstellar medium from supernovae explosions. However, other mechanisms in disc galaxies may also play a significant role in shaping the ΣSFR at kpc scales. Our results also suggest thatPh is the main parameter that modulates star formation at kpc scales, rather than individual components of the baryonic mass.

Deep extragalactic visible legacy survey (DEVILS): stellar mass growth by morphological type since z = 1

ABSTRACT Using high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope imaging data, we perform a visual morphological classification of ∼36 000 galaxies at z < 1 in the deep extragalactic visible legacy survey/cosmological evolution survey region. As the main goal of this study, we derive the stellar mass function (SMF) and stellar mass density (SMD) sub-divided by morphological types. We find that visual morphological classification using optical imaging is increasingly difficult at z > 1 as the fraction of irregular galaxies and merger systems (when observed at rest-frame UV/blue wavelengths) dramatically increases. We determine that roughly two-thirds of the total stellar mass of the Universe today was in place by z ∼ 1. Double-component galaxies dominate the SMD at all epochs and increase in their contribution to the stellar mass budget to the present day. Elliptical galaxies are the second most dominant morphological type and increase their SMD by ∼2.5 times, while by contrast, the pure-disc population significantly decreases by $\sim 85{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. According to the evolution of both high- and low-mass ends of the SMF, we find that mergers and in situ evolution in discs are both present at z < 1, and conclude that double-component galaxies are predominantly being built by the in situ evolution in discs (apparent as the growth of the low-mass end with time), while mergers are likely responsible for the growth of ellipticals (apparent as the increase of intermediate/high-mass end).

Black Hole and Galaxy Coevolution in Moderately Luminous Active Galactic Nuclei at z ∼ 1.4 in SXDF

Abstract We investigate the relation of black hole mass versus host stellar mass and that of mass accretion rate versus star formation rate (SFR) in moderately luminous ( ), X-ray selected broad-line active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at z = 1.18–1.68 in the Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Field. The far-infrared to far-ultraviolet spectral energy distributions of 85 AGNs are reproduced with the latest version of Code Investigating GALaxy Emission (CIGALE), where the AGN clumpy torus model SKIRTOR is implemented. Most of their hosts are confirmed to be main-sequence star-forming galaxies. We find that the mean ratio of the black hole mass (M BH) to the total stellar mass (M stellar) is , which is similar to the local black hole–to–bulge mass ratio. This suggests that if the host galaxies of these moderately luminous AGNs at z ∼ 1.4 are dominated by bulges, they already established the local black hole mass–bulge mass relation; if they are disk dominant, their black holes are overmassive relative to the bulges. The AGN bolometric luminosities and SFR show a good correlation with ratios higher than that expected from the local black hole-to-bulge mass relation, suggesting that these AGNs are in a SMBH-growth dominant phase.

SDSS-IV/MaNGA: Can Impulsive Gaseous Inflows Explain Steep Oxygen Abundance Profiles and Anomalously Low-Metallicity Regions?

Abstract Gaseous inflows are necessary suppliers of galaxies’ star-forming fuel, but are difficult to characterize at the survey scale. We use integral-field spectroscopic measurements of gas-phase metallicity and single-dish radio measurements of total atomic gas mass to estimate the magnitude and frequency of gaseous inflows incident on star-forming galaxies. We reveal a mutual correlation between steep oxygen abundance profiles between 0.25 and 1.5 R e , increased variability of metallicity between 1.25 and 1.75 R e , and elevated H i content at fixed total galaxy stellar mass. Employing a simple but intuitive inflow model, we find that galaxies with total stellar mass less than 1010.1 M ⊙ have local oxygen abundance profiles consistent with reinvigoration by inflows. Approximately 10%–25% of low-mass galaxies possess signatures of recent accretion, with estimated typical enhancements of approximately 10%–90% in local gas mass surface density. Higher-mass galaxies have limited evidence for such inflows. The large diversity of H i mass implies that inflow-associated gas ought to reside far from the star-forming disk. We therefore propose that a combination of high H i mass, steep metallicity profile between 0.25 and 1.5 R e , and wide metallicity distribution function between 1.25 and 1.75 R e be employed to target possible hosts of inflowing gas for high-resolution radio follow-up.

Weighing Milky Way satellites with LISA

ABSTRACT White dwarf stars are a well-established tool for studying Galactic stellar populations. Two white dwarfs in a tight binary system offer us an additional messenger – gravitational waves – for exploring the Milky Way and its immediate surroundings. Gravitational waves produced by double white dwarf (DWD) binaries can be detected by the future Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). Numerous and widespread DWDs have the potential to probe shapes, masses, and formation histories of the stellar populations in the Galactic neighbourhood. In this work we outline a method for estimating the total stellar mass of Milky Way satellite galaxies based on the number of DWDs detected by LISA. To constrain the mass we perform a Bayesian inference using binary population synthesis models and considering the number of detected DWDs associated with the satellite and the measured distance to the satellite as the only inputs. Based on a fiducial binary population synthesis model we find that for large satellites the stellar masses can be recovered to within (1) a factor 2 if the star formation history (SFH) is known and (2) an order of magnitude when marginalizing over different SFH models. For smaller satellites we can place upper limits on their stellar mass. Gravitational wave observations can provide mass measurements for large satellites that are comparable, and in some cases more precise, than standard electromagnetic observations.

The growth of intracluster light in XCS-HSC galaxy clusters from 0.1 < z < 0.5

ABSTRACT We estimate the intracluster light (ICL) component within a sample of 18 clusters detected in the XMM Cluster Survey (XCS) data using the deep (∼26.8 mag) Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Programme data release 1 i-band data. We apply a rest-frame μB = 25 mag arcsec−2 isophotal threshold to our clusters, below which we define light as the ICL within an aperture of RX,500 (X-ray estimate of R500) centred on the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG). After applying careful masking and corrections for flux losses from background subtraction, we recover ∼20 per cent of the ICL flux, approximately four times our estimate of the typical background at the same isophotal level (${\sim}5{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$). We find that the ICL makes up about ${\sim}24{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the total cluster stellar mass on average (∼41 per cent including the flux contained in the BCG within 50 kpc); this value is well matched with other observational studies and semi-analytic/numerical simulations, but is significantly smaller than results from recent hydrodynamical simulations (even when measured in an observationally consistent way). We find no evidence for any links between the amount of ICL flux with cluster mass, but find a growth rate of 2–4 for the ICL between 0.1 < z < 0.5. We conclude that the ICL is the dominant evolutionary component of stellar mass in clusters from z ∼ 1. Our work highlights the need for a consistent approach when measuring ICL alongside the need for deeper imaging, in order to unambiguously measure the ICL across as broad a redshift range as possible (e.g. 10-yr stacked imaging from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory).

Refining the mass estimate for the intermediate-mass black hole candidate in NGC 3319

Abstract Recent X-ray observations by Jiang et al. have identified an active galactic nucleus (AGN) in the bulgeless spiral galaxy NGC 3319, located just $14.3\pm 1.1$ Mpc away, and suggest the presence of an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH; $10^2\leq M_\bullet/\textrm{M}_{\odot}\leq 10^5$ ) if the Eddington ratios are as high as 3 to $3\times10^{-3}$ . In an effort to refine the black hole mass for this (currently) rare class of object, we have explored multiple black hole mass scaling relations, such as those involving the (not previously used) velocity dispersion, logarithmic spiral arm pitch angle, total galaxy stellar mass, nuclear star cluster mass, rotational velocity, and colour of NGC 3319, to obtain 10 mass estimates, of differing accuracy. We have calculated a mass of $3.14_{-2.20}^{+7.02}\times10^4\,\textrm{M}_\odot$ , with a confidence of 84% that it is $\leq $ $10^5\,\textrm{M}_\odot$ , based on the combined probability density function from seven of these individual estimates. Our conservative approach excluded two black hole mass estimates (via the nuclear star cluster mass and the fundamental plane of black hole activity—which only applies to black holes with low accretion rates) that were upper limits of ${\sim}10^5\,{\textrm M}_{\odot}$ , and it did not use the $M_\bullet$ – $L_{\textrm 2-10\,\textrm{keV}}$ relation’s prediction of $\sim$ $10^5\,{\textrm M}_{\odot}$ . This target provides an exceptional opportunity to study an IMBH in AGN mode and advance our demographic knowledge of black holes. Furthermore, we introduce our novel method of meta-analysis as a beneficial technique for identifying new IMBH candidates by quantifying the probability that a galaxy possesses an IMBH.

Recent Star Formation in a Massive Slowly Quenched Lensed Quiescent Galaxy at z = 1.88

Abstract In this Letter, we reconstruct the formation pathway of MRG-S0851, a massive, log M * / M ⊙ = 11.02 ± 0.04 , strongly lensed, red galaxy at z = 1.883 ± 0.001. While the global photometry and spatially resolved outskirts of MRG-S0851 imply an early formation scenario with a slowly decreasing or constant star formation history, a joint fit of 2D grism spectroscopy and photometry reveals a more complex scenario: MRG-S0851 is likely to be experiencing a centrally concentrated rejuvenation in the inner ∼1 kpc in the last ∼100 Myr of evolution. We estimate 0.5 ± 0.1% of the total stellar mass is formed in this phase. Rejuvenation episodes are suggested to be infrequent for massive galaxies at z ∼ 2, but as our analyses indicate, more examples of complex star formation histories may yet be hidden within existing data. By adding an FUV color criterion to the standard U–V/V–J diagnostic—thereby heightening our sensitivity to recent star formation—we show that we can select populations of galaxies with similar spectral energy distributions to that of MRG-S0851, but note that deep follow-up spectroscopic observations and/or spatially resolved analyses are necessary to robustly confirm the rejuvenation of these candidates. Using our criteria with MRG-S0851 as a prototype, we estimate that ∼1% of massive quiescent galaxies at 1 < z < 2 are potentially rejuvenating.

A prediction about the age of thick discs as a function of the stellar mass of the host galaxy

One of the suggested thick disc formation mechanisms is that they were born quickly and in situ from a turbulent clumpy disc. Subsequently, thin discs formed slowly within them from leftovers of the turbulent phase and from material accreted through cold flows and minor mergers. In this Letter, I propose an observational test to verify this hypothesis. By combining thick disc and total stellar masses of edge-on galaxies with galaxy stellar mass functions calculated in the redshift range of z ≤ 3.0, I derived a positive correlation between the age of the youngest stars in thick discs and the stellar mass of the host galaxy; galaxies with a present-day stellar mass of ℳ⋆(z = 0) < 1010 ℳ⊙ have thick disc stars as young as 4 − 6 Gyr, whereas the youngest stars in the thick discs of Milky-Way-like galaxies are ∼10 Gyr old. I tested this prediction against the scarcely available thick disc age estimates, all of them are from galaxies with ℳ⋆(z = 0) ≳ 1010 ℳ⊙, and I find that field spiral galaxies seem to follow the expectation. On the other hand, my derivation predicts ages that are too low for the thick discs in lenticular galaxies, indicating a fast early evolution for S0 galaxies. I propose the idea of conclusively testing whether thick discs formed quickly and in situ by obtaining the ages of thick discs in field galaxies with masses of ℳ⋆(z = 0) ∼ 109.5 ℳ⊙ and by checking whether they contain ∼5 Gyr-old stars.

Barred Galaxies in the IllustrisTNG Simulation

Abstract Almost two-thirds of disk galaxies in the local universe host bars, which serve as important drivers of secular evolutionary processes. While cosmological simulations are powerful tools to study the formation and evolution of galaxies, they have often struggled to generate reasonable bar populations. We measure the fraction, size, and strength of bars in 3866 disk galaxies from the TNG100 run of the advanced cosmological simulation IllustrisTNG. Consistent with observations, about 55% of disk galaxies with stellar mass are barred, and the relation between bar size and total stellar mass is similar to that found in near-infrared surveys. However, the formation of bars is suppressed in galaxies with , which may result from the difficulty TNG100 has in resolving short bars with radius . In contrast, up to 75% of massive disk galaxies with have bars, ∼10%–20% higher than observed. TNG100 overproduces relatively short bars (radius ∼1.4–3 kpc) with respect to the mass–bar size relation observed in near-infrared surveys. Tracing the progenitors of z = 0 massive galaxies we find that the bar fraction increases from 25% to 63% between z = 1 and 0. Instead if we select all disk galaxies during z = 0–1 with a constant mass cut of we find that the bar fraction is a nearly constant 60%.

Galaxy Sizes Since z = 2 from the Perspective of Stellar Mass Distribution within Galaxies

Abstract How stellar mass assembles within galaxies is still an open question. We present measurements of the stellar mass distribution on kiloparsec-scales for ∼5500 galaxies with stellar masses above up to redshift 2.0. We create stellar mass maps from Hubble Space Telescope observations by means of the pixel-by-pixel spectral energy distribution fitting method. These maps are used to derive radii encompassing 20%, 50%, and 80% (r 20, r 50, and r 80) of the total stellar mass from the best-fit Sérsic models. The reliability and limitations of the structural parameter measurements are checked extensively using a large sample (∼3000) of simulated galaxies. The size–mass relations and redshift evolution of r 20, r 50, and r 80 are explored for star-forming and quiescent galaxies. At fixed mass, the star-forming galaxies do not show significant changes in their r 20, r 50, and r 80 sizes, indicating self-similar growth. Only above the pivot stellar mass of does r 80 evolve as r 80 ∝ (1 + z)−0.85±0.20, indicating that mass builds up in the outskirts of these systems (inside-out growth). The Sérsic values also increase for the massive star-forming galaxies toward late cosmic time. Massive quiescent galaxies show stronger size evolution at all radii, in particular, the r 20 sizes. For these massive galaxies, Sérsic values remain almost constant since at least z ∼ 1.3, indicating that the strong size evolution is related to the changes in the outer parts of these galaxies. We make all the structural parameters publicly available.

Strong dependence of Type Ia supernova standardization on the local specific star formation rate

As part of an on-going effort to identify, understand and correct for astrophysics biases in the standardization of Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) for cosmology, we have statistically classified a large sample of nearby SNe Ia into those that are located in predominantly younger or older environments. This classification is based on the specific star formation rate measured within a projected distance of 1 kpc from each SN location (LsSFR). This is an important refinement compared to using the local star formation rate directly, as it provides a normalization for relative numbers of available SN progenitors and is more robust against extinction by dust. We find that the SNe Ia in predominantly younger environments are ΔY = 0.163 ± 0.029 mag (5.7σ) fainter than those in predominantly older environments after conventional light-curve standardization. This is the strongest standardized SN Ia brightness systematic connected to the host-galaxy environment measured to date. The well-established step in standardized brightnesses between SNe Ia in hosts with lower or higher total stellar masses is smaller, at ΔM = 0.119 ± 0.032 mag (4.5σ), for the same set of SNe Ia. When fit simultaneously, the environment-age offset remains very significant, with ΔY = 0.129 ± 0.032 mag (4.0σ), while the global stellar mass step is reduced to ΔM = 0.064 ± 0.029 mag (2.2σ). Thus, approximately 70% of the variance from the stellar mass step is due to an underlying dependence on environment-based progenitor age. Also, we verify that using the local star formation rate alone is not as powerful as LsSFR at sorting SNe Ia into brighter and fainter subsets. Standardization that only uses the SNe Ia in younger environments reduces the total dispersion from 0.142 ± 0.008 mag to 0.120 ± 0.010 mag. We show that as environment-ages evolve with redshift, a strong bias, especially on the measurement of the derivative of the dark energy equation of state, can develop. Fortunately, data that measure and correct for this effect using our local specific star formation rate indicator, are likely to be available for many next-generation SN Ia cosmology experiments.

Is diffuse intracluster light a good tracer of the galaxy cluster matter distribution?

ABSTRACT We explore the relation between diffuse intracluster light (central galaxy included) and the galaxy cluster (baryonic and dark) matter distribution using a sample of 528 clusters at 0.2 ≤ z ≤ 0.35 found in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Year 1 data. The surface brightness of the diffuse light shows an increasing dependence on cluster total mass at larger radius, and appears to be self-similar with a universal radial dependence after scaling by cluster radius. We also compare the diffuse light radial profiles to the cluster (baryonic and dark) matter distribution measured through weak lensing and find them to be comparable. The IllustrisTNG galaxy formation simulation, TNG300, offers further insight into the connection between diffuse stellar mass and cluster matter distributions – the simulation radial profile of the diffuse stellar component does not have a similar slope with the total cluster matter content, although that of the cluster satellite galaxies does. Regardless of the radial trends, the amount of diffuse stellar mass has a low-scatter scaling relation with cluster’s total mass in the simulation, out-performing the total stellar mass of cluster satellite galaxies. We conclude that there is no consistent evidence yet on whether or not diffuse light is a faithful radial tracer of the cluster matter distribution. Nevertheless, both observational and simulation results reveal that diffuse light is an excellent indicator of the cluster’s total mass.

The contribution of N-rich stars to the Galactic stellar halo using APOGEE red giants

ABSTRACT The contribution of dissolved globular clusters (GCs) to the stellar content of the Galactic halo is a key constraint on models for GC formation and destruction, and the mass assembly history of the Milky Way. Earlier results from APOGEE pointed to a large contribution of destroyed GCs to the stellar content of the inner halo, by as much as 25 ${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, which is an order of magnitude larger than previous estimates for more distant regions of the halo. We set out to measure the ratio between nitrogen-rich (N-rich) and normal halo field stars, as a function of distance, by performing density modelling of halo field populations in APOGEE DR16. Our results show that at 1.5 kpc from the Galactic Centre, N-rich stars contribute a much higher 16.8$^{+10.0}_{-7.0}\, {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ fraction to the total stellar halo mass budget than the 2.7$^{+1.0}_{-0.8}\, {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ ratio contributed at 10 kpc. Under the assumption that N-rich stars are former GC members that now reside in the stellar halo field, and assuming the ratio between first and second population GC stars being 1:2, we estimate a total contribution from disrupted GC stars of the order of 27.5$^{+15.4}_{-11.5}\, {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ at r = 1.5 kpc and 4.2$^{+1.5}_{-1.3}\, {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ at r = 10 kpc. Furthermore, since our methodology requires fitting a density model to the stellar halo, we integrate such density within a spherical shell from 1.5 to 15 kpc in radius, and find a total stellar mass arising from dissolved and/or evaporated GCs of MGC,total = 9.6$^{+4.0}_{-2.6}\, \times$ 107 M⊙.