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Context.Sources that leak Lyman continuum (LyC) photons and lead to the reionisation of the universe are an object of intense study using multiple observing facilities. Recently, the Low-redshift LyC Survey (LzLCS) has presented the first large sample of LyC emitting galaxies at low redshift (z ∼ 0.3) with theHubbleSpace Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph. The LzLCS sample contains a robust estimate of the LyC escape fraction (fescLyC) for 66 galaxies, spanning a wide range offescLyCvalues. Aims.Here, we aim to study the dependence offescLyCon the radio continuum (RC) properties of LzLCS sources. Overall, RC emission can provide unique insights into the role of supernova feedback, cosmic rays (CRs), and magnetic fields from its non-thermal emission component. RC emission is also a dust-free tracer of the star formation rate (SFR) in galaxies. Methods.In this study, we present Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) RC observations of the LzLCS sources at gigahertz (GHz) frequencies. We performed VLAC(4−8 GHz) andS(2−4 GHz) band observations for a sample of 53 LzLCS sources. We also observed a sub-sample of 17 LzLCS sources in theL(1−2 GHz) band. We detected RC from bothC- andS-bands in 24 sources for which we are able to estimate their radio spectral index across 3−6 GHz, denoted asα6 GHz3 GHz. We also used the RC luminosity to estimate their SFRs. Results.The radio spectral index of LzLCS sources spans a wide range, from flat (≥ − 0.1) to very steep (≤ − 1.0). They have a steeper meanα6 GHz3 GHz(≈ − 0.92) compared to that expected for normal star-forming galaxies (α6 GHz3 GHz ≈ −0.64). They also show a larger scatter inα6 GHz3 GHz(∼0.71) compared to that of normal star-forming galaxies (∼0.15). The strongest leakers in our sample show flatα6 GHz3 GHz, weak leakers haveα6 GHz3 GHzclose to normal star-forming galaxies and non-leakers are characterized by steepα6 GHz3 GHz. We argue that a combination of young ages, free-free absorption, and a flat cosmic-ray energy spectrum can altogether lead to a flatα6 GHz3 GHzfor strong leakers. Non-leakers are characterized by steep spectra which can arise due to break or cutoff at high frequencies. Such a cutoff in the spectrum can arise in a single injection model of CRs characteristic of galaxies which have recently stopped star-formation. The dependence offescLyConα6 GHz3 GHz(which is orientation-independent) suggests that the escape of LyC photons is not highly direction-dependent at least to the first order. The radio-based SFRs (SFRRC) of LzLCS sources show a large offset (∼0.59 dex) from the standard SFRRCcalibration. We find that addingα6 GHz3 GHzas a second parameter helps us to calibrate the SFRRCwith SFRUVand SFRHβwithin a scatter of ∼0.21 dex. Conclusions.For the first time, we have found a relation betweenα6 GHz3 GHzandfescLyC. This hints at the interesting role of supernovae feedback, CRs, and magnetic fields in facilitating the escape (alternatively, and/or the lack) of LyC photons.more » « less
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ABSTRACT Around 400 Myr after the big bang, the ultraviolet emission from star-forming galaxies reionized the Universe. Ionizing radiation (Lyman continuum, LyC) is absorbed by cold neutral hydrogen gas (H i) within galaxies, hindering the escape of LyC photons. Since the H i reservoir of LyC emitters has never been mapped, major uncertainties remain on how LyC photons escape galaxies and ionize the intergalactic medium. We have directly imaged the neutral gas in the nearby reionization-era analogue galaxy Haro 11 with the 21 cm line to identify the mechanism enabling ionizing radiation escape. We find that merger-driven interactions have caused a bulk offset of the neutral gas by about $$6\,$$ kpc from the centre of the galaxy, where LyC emission production sites are located. This could facilitate the escape of ionizing radiation into our line of sight. Galaxy interactions can cause both elevated LyC production and large-scale displacement of H i from the regions where these photons are produced. They could contribute to the anisotropic escape of LyC radiation from galaxies and the reionization of the Universe. We argue for a systematic assessment of the effect of environment on LyC production and escape.more » « less
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Abstract Galaxy formation and evolution are regulated by the feedback from galactic winds. Absorption lines provide the most widely available probe of winds. However, since most data only provide information integrated along the line of sight, they do not directly constrain the radial structure of the outflows. In this paper, we present a method to directly measure the gas electron density in outflows (ne), which in turn yields estimates of outflow cloud properties (e.g., density, volume filling factor, and sizes/masses). We also estimate the distance (rn) from the starburst at which the observed densities are found. We focus on 22 local star-forming galaxies primarily from the COS Legacy Archive Spectroscopic SurveY (CLASSY). In half of them, we detect absorption lines from fine-structure excited transitions of Siii(i.e., Siii*). We determinenefrom relative column densities of Siiiand Siii*, given Siii* originates from collisional excitation by free electrons. We find that the derivednecorrelates well with the galaxy’s star formation rate per unit area. From photoionization models or assuming the outflow is in pressure equilibrium with the wind fluid, we getrn∼ 1–2r*or ∼5r*, respectively, wherer*is the starburst radius. Based on comparisons to theoretical models of multiphase outflows, nearly all of the outflows have cloud sizes large enough for the clouds to survive their interaction with the hot wind fluid. Most of these measurements are the first ever for galactic winds detected in absorption lines and, thus, will provide important constraints for future models of galactic winds.more » « less
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ABSTRACT Understanding how galaxies interact with the circumgalactic medium (CGM) requires determining how galaxies’ morphological and stellar properties correlate with their CGM properties. We report an analysis of 66 well-imaged galaxies detected in Hubble Space Telescope and Very Large Telescope MUSE observations and determined to be within ±500 km s−1 of the redshifts of strong intervening quasar absorbers at 0.2 ≲ z ≲ 1.4 with H i column densities $$N_{\rm H I} \gt 10^{18}\, \rm cm^{-2}$$. We present the geometrical properties (Sérsic indices, effective radii, axis ratios, and position angles) of these galaxies determined using galfit. Using these properties along with star formation rates (SFRs, estimated using the H α or [O ii] luminosity) and stellar masses (M* estimated from spectral energy distribution fits), we examine correlations among various stellar and CGM properties. Our main findings are as follows: (1) SFR correlates well with M*, and most absorption-selected galaxies are consistent with the star formation main sequence of the global population. (2) More massive absorber counterparts are more centrally concentrated and are larger in size. (3) Galaxy sizes and normalized impact parameters correlate negatively with NHI, consistent with higher NHI absorption arising in smaller galaxies, and closer to galaxy centres. (4) Absorption and emission metallicities correlate with M* and specific SFR, implying metal-poor absorbers arise in galaxies with low past star formation and faster current gas consumption rates. (5) SFR surface densities of absorption-selected galaxies are higher than predicted by the Kennicutt–Schmidt relation for local galaxies, suggesting a higher star formation efficiency in the absorption-selected galaxies.more » « less
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ABSTRACT The flow of gas into and out of galaxies leaves traces in the circumgalactic medium which can then be studied using absorption lines towards background quasars. We analyse 27 $${{\log [N({\textrm {H}}\, {\small {I}})/\rm {cm}^{-2}]}} > 18.0$$ H i absorbers at z = 0.2 to 1.4 from the MUSE-ALMA Haloes survey with at least one galaxy counterpart within a line of sight velocity of ±500 km s−1. We perform 3D kinematic forward modelling of these associated galaxies to examine the flow of dense, neutral gas in the circumgalactic medium. From the VLT/MUSE, HST broad-band imaging, and VLT/UVES and Keck/HIRES high-resolution UV quasar spectroscopy observations, we compare the impact parameters, star-formation rates, and stellar masses of the associated galaxies with the absorber properties. We find marginal evidence for a bimodal distribution in azimuthal angles for strong H i absorbers, similar to previous studies of the Mg ii and O vi absorption lines. There is no clear metallicity dependence on azimuthal angle, and we suggest a larger sample of absorbers is required to fully test the relationship predicted by cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. A case-by-case study of the absorbers reveals that ten per cent of absorbers are consistent with gas accretion, up to 30 per cent trace outflows, and the remainder trace gas in the galaxy disc, the intragroup medium, and low-mass galaxies below the MUSE detection limit. Our results highlight that the baryon cycle directly affects the dense neutral gas required for star-formation and plays a critical role in galaxy evolution.more » « less
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HolistIC: leveraging Hi–C and whole genome shotgun sequencing for double minute chromosome discoveryAbstract MotivationDouble minute (DM) chromosomes are acentric extrachromosomal DNA artifacts that are frequently observed in the cells of numerous cancers. They are highly amplified and contain oncogenes and drug-resistance genes, making their presence a challenge for effective cancer treatment. Algorithmic discovery of DM can potentially improve bench-derived therapies for cancer treatment. A hindrance to this task is that DMs evolve, yielding circular chromatin that shares segments from progenitor DMs. This creates DMs with overlapping amplicon coordinates. Existing DM discovery algorithms use whole genome shotgun sequencing (WGS) in isolation, which can potentially incorrectly classify DMs that share overlapping coordinates. ResultsIn this study, we describe an algorithm called ‘HolistIC’ that can predict DMs in tumor genomes by integrating WGS and Hi–C sequencing data. The consolidation of these sources of information resolves ambiguity in DM amplicon prediction that exists in DM prediction with WGS data used in isolation. We implemented and tested our algorithm on the tandem Hi–C and WGS datasets of three cancer datasets and a simulated dataset. Results on the cancer datasets demonstrated HolistIC’s ability to predict DMs from Hi–C and WGS data in tandem. The results on the simulated data showed the HolistIC can accurately distinguish DMs that have overlapping amplicon coordinates, an advance over methods that predict extrachromosomal amplification using WGS data in isolation. Availability and implementationOur software, named ‘HolistIC’, is available at http://www.github.com/mhayes20/HolistIC. Supplementary informationSupplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.more » « less
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Abstract The UltraViolet imaging of the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey Fields (UVCANDELS) program provides Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/UVIS F275W imaging for four CANDELS fields. We combine this UV imaging with existing HST/near-IR grism spectroscopy from 3D-HST+AGHAST to directly compare the resolved rest-frame UV and H α emission for a sample of 979 galaxies at 0.7 < z < 1.5, spanning a range in stellar mass of 10 8−11.5 M ⊙ . Using a stacking analysis, we perform a resolved comparison between homogenized maps of rest-UV and H α to compute the average UV-to-H α luminosity ratio (an indicator of burstiness in star formation) as a function of galactocentric radius. We find that galaxies below stellar mass of ∼10 9.5 M ⊙ , at all radii, have a UV-to-H α ratio higher than the equilibrium value expected from constant star formation, indicating a significant contribution from bursty star formation. Even for galaxies with stellar mass ≳10 9.5 M ⊙ , the UV-to-H α ratio is elevated toward their outskirts ( R / R eff > 1.5), suggesting that bursty star formation is likely prevalent in the outskirts of even the most massive galaxies, but is likely overshadowed by their brighter cores. Furthermore, we present the UV-to-H α ratio as a function of galaxy surface brightness, a proxy for stellar mass surface density, and find that regions below ∼10 7.5 M ⊙ kpc −2 are consistent with bursty star formation, regardless of their galaxy stellar mass, potentially suggesting that local star formation is independent of global galaxy properties at the smallest scales. Last, we find galaxies at z > 1.1 to have bursty star formation, regardless of radius or surface brightness.more » « less
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