skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: The ISM in the z = 6.9 Interacting Galaxies of SPT0311-58
Abstract SPT0311-58, a system of two interacting galaxies in the Epoch of Reionization, exists in one of the rarest, most massive dark matter halos theoretically possible in that era. Studying the interstellar medium (ISM) in these galaxies can illuminate the process of galaxy formation in the early Universe. In this work, we explore the multiphase ISM in this system, using ALMA observations of the [Cii] 158, [Oi] 146, [Nii] 122, and [Oiii] 88 fine-structure lines and dust continuum. We find wide variations in line ratios between the eastern and western galaxies, as well as across the western galaxy. Continuum colors indicate that SPT0311-58 E has a higher ionization parameter ( log U 2.8 ) than SPT0311-58 W ( log U 3.1 ). The ratio of [Oiii] 88–[Nii] 122 and the ionization parameter constraints combine to demonstrate near-solar metallicity in these objects just 800 Myr after the Big Bang.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2109035 1852617
PAR ID:
10418032
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; more » ; ; « less
Publisher / Repository:
DOI PREFIX: 10.3847
Date Published:
Journal Name:
The Astrophysical Journal
Volume:
949
Issue:
2
ISSN:
0004-637X
Format(s):
Medium: X Size: Article No. 87
Size(s):
Article No. 87
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Abstract We present13CO(J= 1 → 0) observations for the EDGE-CALIFA survey, which is a mapping survey of 126 nearby galaxies at a typical spatial resolution of 1.5 kpc. Using detected12CO emission as a prior, we detect13CO in 41 galaxies via integrated line flux over the entire galaxy and in 30 galaxies via integrated line intensity in resolved synthesized beams. Incorporating our CO observations and optical IFU spectroscopy, we perform a systematic comparison between the line ratio 12 / 13 I [ 12 CO ( J = 1 0 ) ] / I [ 13 CO ( J = 1 0 ) ] and the properties of the stars and ionized gas. Higher 12 / 13 values are found in interacting galaxies compared to those in noninteracting galaxies. The global 12 / 13 slightly increases with infrared colorF60/F100but appears insensitive to other host-galaxy properties such as morphology, stellar mass, or galaxy size. We also present azimuthally averaged 12 / 13 profiles for our sample up to a galactocentric radius of 0.4r25(∼6 kpc), taking into account the13CO nondetections by spectral stacking. The radial profiles of 12 / 13 are quite flat across our sample. Within galactocentric distances of 0.2r25, the azimuthally averaged 12 / 13 increases with the star formation rate. However, Spearman rank correlation tests show the azimuthally averaged 12 / 13 does not strongly correlate with any other gas or stellar properties in general, especially beyond 0.2r25from the galaxy centers. Our findings suggest that in the complex environments in galaxy disks, 12 / 13 is not a sensitive tracer for ISM properties. Dynamical disturbances, like galaxy interactions or the presence of a bar, also have an overall impact on 12 / 13 , which further complicates the interpretations of 12 / 13 variations. 
    more » « less
  2. Abstract We combine our dynamical modeling black-hole mass measurements from the Lick AGN Monitoring Project 2016 sample with measured cross-correlation time lags and line widths to recover individual scale factors,f, used in traditional reverberation-mapping analyses. We extend our sample by including prior results from Code for AGN Reverberation and Modeling of Emission Lines (caramel) studies that have utilized our methods. Aiming to improve the precision of black-hole mass estimates, as well as uncover any regularities in the behavior of the broad-line region (BLR), we search for correlations betweenfand other AGN/BLR parameters. We find (i) evidence for a correlation between the virial coefficient log 10 ( f mean , σ ) and black-hole mass, (ii) marginal evidence for a similar correlation between log 10 ( f rms , σ ) and black-hole mass, (iii) marginal evidence for an anticorrelation of BLR disk thickness with log 10 ( f mean , FWHM ) and log 10 ( f rms , FWHM ) , and (iv) marginal evidence for an anticorrelation of inclination angle with log 10 ( f mean , FWHM ) , log 10 ( f rms , σ ) , and log 10 ( f mean , σ ) . Last, we find marginal evidence for a correlation between line-profile shape, when using the root-mean-square spectrum, log 10 ( FWHM / σ ) rms , and the virial coefficient, log 10 ( f rms , σ ) , and investigate how BLR properties might be related to line-profile shape usingcaramelmodels. 
    more » « less
  3. A theoretical analysis on crack formation and propagation was performed based on the coupling between the electrochemical process, classical elasticity, and fracture mechanics. The chemical potential of oxygen, thus oxygen partial pressure, at the oxygen electrode-electrolyte interface ( μ O 2 OE∣El ) was investigated as a function of transport properties, electrolyte thickness and operating conditions (e.g., steam concentration, constant current, and constant voltage). Our analysis shows that: a lower ionic area specific resistance (ASR), r i O E , and a higher electronic ASR ( r e O E ) of the oxygen electrode/electrolyte interface are in favor of suppressing crack formation. The μ O 2 O E E l , thus local pO2, are sensitive towards the operating parameters under galvanostatic or potentiostatic electrolysis. Constant current density electrolysis provides better robustness, especially at a high current density with a high steam content. While constant voltage electrolysis leads to greater variations of μ O 2 O E E l . Constant current electrolysis, however, is not suitable for an unstable oxygen electrode because μ O 2 O E E l can reach a very high value with a gradually increased r i O E . A crack may only occur under certain conditions when p O 2 T P B > p c r .  
    more » « less
  4. Abstract We present spatially resolved morphological properties of [CII] 158μm, [OIII] 88μm, dust, and rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) continuum emission for A1689-zD1, a strongly lensed, sub-L* galaxy atz= 7.13, by utilizing deep Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations. While the [OIII] line and UV continuum are compact, the [CII] line is extended up to a radius ofr∼ 12 kpc. Using multi-band rest-frame far-infrared continuum data ranging from 52 to 400μm, we find an average dust temperature and emissivity index of T dust = 41 14 + 17 K and β = 1.7 0.7 + 1.1 , respectively, across the galaxy. We find slight differences in the dust continuum profiles at different wavelengths, which may indicate that the dust temperature decreases with distance. We map the star formation rate (SFR) via IR and UV luminosities and determine a total SFR of 37 ± 1Myr−1with an obscured fraction of 87%. While the [OIII] line is a good tracer of the SFR, the [CII] line shows deviation from the localL[CII]-SFR relations in the outskirts of the galaxy. Finally, we observe a clear difference in the line profile between [CII] and [OIII], with significant residuals (∼5σ) in the [OIII] line spectrum after subtracting a single Gaussian model. This suggests a possible origin of the extended [CII] structure from the cooling of hot ionized outflows. The extended [CII] and high-velocity [OIII] emission may both contribute in part to the highL[OIII]/L[CII]ratios recently reported inz> 6 galaxies. 
    more » « less
  5. Abstract We present deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) photometry of the ultra-faint dwarf (UFD) galaxies Pegasus III (Peg III) and Pisces II (Psc II), two of the most distant satellites in the halo of the Milky Way (MW). We measure the structure of both galaxies, derive mass-to-light ratios with newly determined absolute magnitudes, and compare our findings to expectations from UFD-mass simulations. For Peg III, we find an elliptical half-light radius of a h = 1 .′ 88 0.33 + 0.42 ( 118 30 + 31 pc) and M V = 4.17 0.22 + 0.19 ; for Psc II, we measure a h = 1 .′ 31 0.09 + 0.10 (69 ± 8 pc) and M V = 4.28 0.16 + 0.19 . We do not find any morphological features that indicate a significant interaction between the two has occurred, despite their close separation of only ∼40 kpc. Using proper motions (PMs) from Gaia early Data Release 3, we investigate the possibility of any past association by integrating orbits for the two UFDs in an MW-only and a combined MW and Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) potential. We find that including the gravitational influence of the LMC is crucial, even for these outer-halo satellites, and that a possible orbital history exists where Peg III and Psc II experienced a close (∼10–20 kpc) passage about each other just over ∼1 Gyr ago, followed by a collective passage around the LMC (∼30–60 kpc) just under ∼1 Gyr ago. Considering the large uncertainties on the PMs and the restrictive priors imposed to derive them, improved PM measurements for Peg III and Psc II will be necessary to clarify their relationship. This would add to the rare findings of confirmed pairs of satellites within the Local Group. 
    more » « less