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Astronomy: Faculty Publications

Galaxies: evolution

Articles 1 - 22 of 22

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Detection Of A Substantial Molecular Gas Reservoir In A Brightest Cluster Galaxy At Z = 1.7, Tracy M.A. Webb, James Lowenthal, Min Yun, Allison G. Nobel, Adam Muzzin, Gillian Wilson, H.K.C. Yee, Ryan Cybulski, D. H. Hughes Aug 2017

Detection Of A Substantial Molecular Gas Reservoir In A Brightest Cluster Galaxy At Z = 1.7, Tracy M.A. Webb, James Lowenthal, Min Yun, Allison G. Nobel, Adam Muzzin, Gillian Wilson, H.K.C. Yee, Ryan Cybulski, D. H. Hughes

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We report the detection of CO(2–1) emission coincident with the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) of the high- redshift galaxy cluster SpARCS1049+56, with the Redshift Search Receiver (RSR) on the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT). We confirm a spectroscopic redshift for the gas of z = 1.7091 ± 0.0004, which is consistent with the systemic redshift of the cluster galaxies of z = 1.709. The line is well fit by a single-component Gaussian with an RSR-resolution-corrected FWHM of 569 ± 63kms−1. We see no evidence for multiple velocity components in the gas, as might be expected from the multiple image components seen …


Early Science With The Large Millimeter Telescope: Detection Of Dust Emission In Multiple Images Of A Normal Galaxy At Z > 4 Lensed By A Frontier Fields Cluster, Alexandra Pope, Alfredo Montaña, Andrew Battisti, Marceau Limousin, Danilo Marchesini, Grant W. Wilson, Stacy Alberts, Itziar Aretxaga, Vladimir Avila-Reese, José Ramón Bermejo-Climent, Gabriel Brammer, Hector Bravo-Alfaro, Daniela Calzetti, Ranga-Ram Chary, Ryan Cybulski, Mauro Giavalisco, David Hughes, Erin Kado-Fong, Erica Keller, Allison Kirkpatrick, Ivo Labbe, Daniel Lange-Vagle, James Lowenthal, Eric Murphy, Pascal Oesch, Daniel Rosa Gonzalez, David Sánchez-Argüelles, Heath Shipley, Mauro Stefanon, Olga Vega, Katherine Whitaker, Christina C. Williams, Min Yun, Jorge A. Zavala, Milagros Zeballos Apr 2017

Early Science With The Large Millimeter Telescope: Detection Of Dust Emission In Multiple Images Of A Normal Galaxy At Z > 4 Lensed By A Frontier Fields Cluster, Alexandra Pope, Alfredo Montaña, Andrew Battisti, Marceau Limousin, Danilo Marchesini, Grant W. Wilson, Stacy Alberts, Itziar Aretxaga, Vladimir Avila-Reese, José Ramón Bermejo-Climent, Gabriel Brammer, Hector Bravo-Alfaro, Daniela Calzetti, Ranga-Ram Chary, Ryan Cybulski, Mauro Giavalisco, David Hughes, Erin Kado-Fong, Erica Keller, Allison Kirkpatrick, Ivo Labbe, Daniel Lange-Vagle, James Lowenthal, Eric Murphy, Pascal Oesch, Daniel Rosa Gonzalez, David Sánchez-Argüelles, Heath Shipley, Mauro Stefanon, Olga Vega, Katherine Whitaker, Christina C. Williams, Min Yun, Jorge A. Zavala, Milagros Zeballos

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We directly detect dust emission in an optically detected, multiply imaged galaxy lensed by the Frontier Fields cluster MACSJ0717.5+3745. We detect two images of the same galaxy at 1.1 mm with the AzTEC camera on the Large Millimeter Telescope leaving no ambiguity in the counterpart identification. This galaxy, MACS0717_Az9, is at z > 4 and the strong lensing model (μ=7.5) allows us to calculate an intrinsic IR luminosity of 9.7 × 1010 Le and an obscured star formation rate of 14.6 ± 4.5 Me yr−1. The unobscured star formation rate from the UV is only 4.1 ± 0.3 Me yr−1, which …


The Source Counts Of Submillimetre Galaxies Detected At Λ= 1.1 Mm, K. S. Scott, G. W. Wilson, I. Aretxaga, J. E. Austermann, E. L. Chapin, J. S. Dunlop, H. Ezawa, M. Halpern, B. Hatsukade, D. H. Hughes, R. Kawabe, S. Kim, K. Kohno, James D. Lowenthal, A. Montaña, K. Nakanishi, T. Oshima, D. Sanders, D. Scott, N. Scoville, Y. Tamura, D. Welch, M. S. Yun, M. Zeballos Jun 2012

The Source Counts Of Submillimetre Galaxies Detected At Λ= 1.1 Mm, K. S. Scott, G. W. Wilson, I. Aretxaga, J. E. Austermann, E. L. Chapin, J. S. Dunlop, H. Ezawa, M. Halpern, B. Hatsukade, D. H. Hughes, R. Kawabe, S. Kim, K. Kohno, James D. Lowenthal, A. Montaña, K. Nakanishi, T. Oshima, D. Sanders, D. Scott, N. Scoville, Y. Tamura, D. Welch, M. S. Yun, M. Zeballos

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

The source counts of galaxies discovered at submillimetre and millimetre wavelengths provide important information on the evolution of infrared-bright galaxies. We combine the data from six blank-field surveys carried out at 1.1mm with AzTEC, totalling 1.6deg in area with root-mean-square depths ranging from 0.4 to 1.7mJy, and derive the strongest constraints to date on the 1.1 mm source counts at flux densities S = 1-12mJy. Using additional data from the AzTEC Cluster Environment Survey to extend the counts to S ∼ 20mJy, we see tentative evidence for an enhancement relative to the exponential drop in the counts at S ∼ …


Color-Magnitude Relation And Morphology Of Low-Redshift Ulirgs In Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Yuxi Chen, James D. Lowenthal, Min S. Yun Jan 2010

Color-Magnitude Relation And Morphology Of Low-Redshift Ulirgs In Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Yuxi Chen, James D. Lowenthal, Min S. Yun

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We present color-magnitude and morphological analysis of 54 low-redshift ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs; 0.018 < z < 0.265 with z = 0.151), a subset of the Infrared Astronomical Satellite 1Jy sample, in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The ULIRGs are both bright and blue: they are on average 1mag brighter in than the SDSS galaxies within the same redshift range, and 0.2mag bluer in g - r. They form a group in the color-magnitude diagram distinct from both the red sequence and the blue cloud formed by the SDSS galaxies: 24 out of the 52 unsaturated objects (46%) lie outside the 90% level number density contour of the SDSS galaxies. The majority (47, or 87%) have the colors typical of the blue cloud, and only four (7%) sources are located in the red sequence. While ULIRGs are popularly thought to be precursors to a QSO phase, we find few (three, or 6%) in the "green valley" where the majority of the X-ray- and IR-selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are found. Moreover, none of the AGN-host ULIRGs are found in the green valley. For the 14 previously spectroscopic identified AGNs (28%), we perform point-spread function subtractions and find that on average the central point sources contribute less than one-third to the total luminosity, and that their high optical luminosities and overall blue colors are apparently the result of star formation activity of the host galaxies. Visual inspection of the SDSS images reveals a wide range of morphologies including many close pairs, tidal tails, and otherwise disturbed profiles, in strong support of previous studies and the general view of ULIRGs as major mergers of gas-rich disk galaxies. A detailed morphology analysis using Gini and M coefficients shows that slightly less than one-half (42% in g band) of the ULIRGs are located in the merger region defined by morphology studies of local galaxies, while the remaining sources are located in the region of late-type and irregular galaxies. The heterogeneous distribution of ULIRGs in the G-M space is qualitatively consistent with the results found by numerical simulations of disk-disk mergers, and our study also shows that the measured morphological parameters are systematically affected by the signal-to-noise ratio and thus the merging galaxies can appear in various regions of the G-M parameter space. We briefly discuss the origins of the uncertainties and note that the morphology measurements should be implemented with caution for low physical resolution images. In general, our results reinforce the view that ULIRGs contain young stellar populations and are mergers in progress, but we do not observe the concentration of ULIRGs/AGN in the green valley as found by other studies. Our study provides a uniform comparison sample for studying dusty starbursts at higher redshifts such as Spitzer MIPS 24 μm-selected ULIRGs at z = 1-2 or submillimeter galaxies.


Aztec Half Square Degree Survey Of The Shades Fields - I. Maps, Catalogues And Source Counts, J. E. Austermann, J. S. Dunlop, T. A. Perera, K. S. Scott, G. W. Wilson, I. Aretxaga, D. H. Hughes, O. Almaini, E. L. Chapin, S. C. Chapman, M. Cirasuolo, D. L. Clements, K. E.K. Coppin, L. Dunne, S. Dye, S. A. Eales, E. Egami, D. Farrah, D. Ferrusca, S. Flynn, D. Haig, M. Halpern, E. Ibar, R. J. Ivison, E. Van Kampen, Y. Kang, S. Kim, C. Lacey, James D. Lowenthal, P. D. Mauskopf, R. J. Mclure, A. M.J. Mortier Jan 2010

Aztec Half Square Degree Survey Of The Shades Fields - I. Maps, Catalogues And Source Counts, J. E. Austermann, J. S. Dunlop, T. A. Perera, K. S. Scott, G. W. Wilson, I. Aretxaga, D. H. Hughes, O. Almaini, E. L. Chapin, S. C. Chapman, M. Cirasuolo, D. L. Clements, K. E.K. Coppin, L. Dunne, S. Dye, S. A. Eales, E. Egami, D. Farrah, D. Ferrusca, S. Flynn, D. Haig, M. Halpern, E. Ibar, R. J. Ivison, E. Van Kampen, Y. Kang, S. Kim, C. Lacey, James D. Lowenthal, P. D. Mauskopf, R. J. Mclure, A. M.J. Mortier

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We present the first results from the largest deep extragalactic mm-wavelength survey undertaken to date. These results are derived from maps covering over 0.7 deg , made at λ = 1.1 mm, using the AzTEC continuum camera mounted on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. The maps were made in the two fields originally targeted at λ = 850 μm with the Submillimetre Common-User Bolometer Array (SCUBA) in the SCUBA Half-Degree Extragalactic Survey (SHADES) project, namely the Lockman Hole East (mapped to a depth of 0.9-1.3 mJy rms) and the Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Field (mapped to a depth of 1.0-1.7 mJy rms). …


Dynamics Of Lyman Break Galaxies And Their Host Halos, James D. Lowenthal, David C. Koo, Luc Simard, Eelco Van Kampen Sep 2009

Dynamics Of Lyman Break Galaxies And Their Host Halos, James D. Lowenthal, David C. Koo, Luc Simard, Eelco Van Kampen

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We present deep two-dimensional spectra of 22 candidate and confirmed Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at redshifts 2 < z < 4 in the Hubble Deep Field (HDF) obtained at the Keck II telescope. The targets were preferentially selected with spatial extent and/or multiple knot morphologies, and we used slitmasks and individual slits tilted to optimize measurement of any spatially resolved kinematics. Our sample is more than 1 mag fainter and is at higher redshift than the kinematic LBG targets previously studied by others. The median target magnitude was I814 = 25.3, and total exposure times ranged from 10 to 50 ks. We measure redshifts, some new, ranging from z = 0.2072 to z = 4.056, including two interlopers at z < 1, and resulting in a sample of 14 LBGs with a median redshift z = 2.424. The morphologies and kinematics of the close pairs and multiple knot sources in our sample are generally inconsistent with galaxy formation scenarios postulating that LBGs occur only at the bottom of the potential wells of massive host halos; rather, they support "collisional starburst" models with significant …


Aztec Millimetre Survey Of The Cosmos Field - Ii. Source Count Overdensity And Correlations With Large-Scale Structure, J. E. Austermann, I. Aretxaga, D. H. Hughes, Y. Kang, S. Kim, James D. Lowenthal, T. A. Perera, D. B. Sanders, K. S. Scott, N. Scoville, G. W. Wilson, M. S. Yun Mar 2009

Aztec Millimetre Survey Of The Cosmos Field - Ii. Source Count Overdensity And Correlations With Large-Scale Structure, J. E. Austermann, I. Aretxaga, D. H. Hughes, Y. Kang, S. Kim, James D. Lowenthal, T. A. Perera, D. B. Sanders, K. S. Scott, N. Scoville, G. W. Wilson, M. S. Yun

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We report an overdensity of bright submillimetre galaxies (SMGs) in the 0.15 deg AzTEC/COSMOS survey and a spatial correlation between the SMGs and the optical-IR galaxy density at z ≲ 1.1. This portion of the COSMOS field shows a ∼3σ overdensity of robust SMG detections when compared to a background, or 'blank-field', population model that is consistent with SMG surveys of fields with no extragalactic bias. The SMG overdensity is most significant in the number of very bright detections (14 sources with measured fluxes S > 6 mJy), which is entirely incompatible with sample variance within our adopted blank-field number densities …


The Aztec/Sma Interferometric Imaging Survey Of Submillimeter-Selected High-Redshift Galaxies, Joshua D. Younger, Giovanni G. Fazio, Jia Sheng Huang, Min S. Yun, Grant W. Wilson, Matthew L.N. Ashby, Mark A. Gurwell, Alison B. Peck, Glen R. Petitpas, David J. Wilner, David H. Hughes, Itziar Aretxaga, Sungeun Kim, Kimberly S. Scott, Jason Austermann, Thushara Perera, James D. Lowenthal Jan 2009

The Aztec/Sma Interferometric Imaging Survey Of Submillimeter-Selected High-Redshift Galaxies, Joshua D. Younger, Giovanni G. Fazio, Jia Sheng Huang, Min S. Yun, Grant W. Wilson, Matthew L.N. Ashby, Mark A. Gurwell, Alison B. Peck, Glen R. Petitpas, David J. Wilner, David H. Hughes, Itziar Aretxaga, Sungeun Kim, Kimberly S. Scott, Jason Austermann, Thushara Perera, James D. Lowenthal

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We present results from a continuing interferometric survey of high-redshift submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) with the Submillimeter Array, including high-resolution (beam size ∼ 2 arcsec) imaging of eight additional AzTEC 1.1 mm selected sources in the COSMOS field, for which we obtain six reliable (peak signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) >5 or peak S/N >4 with multiwavelength counterparts within the beam) and two moderate significance (peak S/N >4) detections. When combined with previous detections, this yields an unbiased sample of millimeter-selected SMGs with complete interferometric follow up. With this sample in hand, we (1) empirically confirm the radio-submillimeter association, (2) examine the submillimeter …


SPitzer Irac Infrared Colours Of Submillimetre-Bright Galaxies, Min S. Yun, Itziar Aretxaga, Matthew L.N. Ashby, Jason Austermann, Giovanni G. Fazio, Mauro Giavalisco, Jia Sheng Huang, David H. Hughes, Sungeun Kim, James D. Lowenthal, Thushara Perera, Kim Scott, Grant Wilson, Joshua D. Younger Sep 2008

SPitzer Irac Infrared Colours Of Submillimetre-Bright Galaxies, Min S. Yun, Itziar Aretxaga, Matthew L.N. Ashby, Jason Austermann, Giovanni G. Fazio, Mauro Giavalisco, Jia Sheng Huang, David H. Hughes, Sungeun Kim, James D. Lowenthal, Thushara Perera, Kim Scott, Grant Wilson, Joshua D. Younger

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

High-redshift submillimetre-bright galaxies identified by blank field surveys at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths appear in the region of the Infra Red Array Camera (IRAC) colour-colour diagrams previously identified as the domain of luminous active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Our analysis using a set of empirical and theoretical dusty starburst spectral energy distribution (SED) models shows that power-law continuum sources associated with hot dust heated by young (≲100 Myr old), extreme starbursts at z > 2 also occupy the same general area as AGNs in the IRAC colour-colour plots. A detailed comparison of the IRAC colours and SEDs demonstrates that the two populations …


Evidence For A Population Of High-Redshift Submillimeter Galaxies From Interferometric Imaging, Joshua D. Younger, Giovanni G. Fazio, Jia Sheng Huang, Min S. Yun, Grant W. Wilson, Matthew L.N. Ashby, Mark A. Gurwell, Kamson Lai, Alison B. Peck, Glen R. Petitpas, David J. Wilner, Daisuke Iono, Kotaro Kohno, Ryohei Kawabe, David H. Hughes, Itziar Aretxaga, Tracy Webb, Alejo Martínez-Sansigre, Sungeun Kim, Kimberly S. Scott, Jason Austermann, Thushara Perera, James Lowenthal, Eva Schinnerer, Vernesa Smolčić Dec 2007

Evidence For A Population Of High-Redshift Submillimeter Galaxies From Interferometric Imaging, Joshua D. Younger, Giovanni G. Fazio, Jia Sheng Huang, Min S. Yun, Grant W. Wilson, Matthew L.N. Ashby, Mark A. Gurwell, Kamson Lai, Alison B. Peck, Glen R. Petitpas, David J. Wilner, Daisuke Iono, Kotaro Kohno, Ryohei Kawabe, David H. Hughes, Itziar Aretxaga, Tracy Webb, Alejo Martínez-Sansigre, Sungeun Kim, Kimberly S. Scott, Jason Austermann, Thushara Perera, James Lowenthal, Eva Schinnerer, Vernesa Smolčić

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We have used the Submillimeter Array to image a flux-limited sample of seven submillimeter galaxies, selected by the AzTEC camera on the JCMT at 1.1 mm, in the COSMOS field at 890 μm with ∼2″ resolution. All of the sources - two radio-bright and five radio-dim - are detected as single point sources at high significance (>6 σ), with positions accurate to ∼0.2″ that enable counterpart identification at other wavelengths observed with similarly high angular resolution. All seven have IRAC counterparts, but only two have secure counterparts in deep HST ACS imaging. As compared to the two radio-bright sources …


Measuring The Halo Mass Of Z ∼ 3 Damped Lyα Absorbers From The Absorber-Galaxy Cross-Correlation, Nicolas Bouché, Jeffrey P. Gardner, Neal Katz, David H. Weinberg, Romeel Davé, James D. Lowenthal Jul 2005

Measuring The Halo Mass Of Z ∼ 3 Damped Lyα Absorbers From The Absorber-Galaxy Cross-Correlation, Nicolas Bouché, Jeffrey P. Gardner, Neal Katz, David H. Weinberg, Romeel Davé, James D. Lowenthal

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We test the reliability of a method to measure the mean halo mass of absorption-line systems such as damped Lyα absorbers (DLAs). The method is based on measuring the ratio of the cross-correlation between DLAs and galaxies to the autocorrelation of the galaxies themselves, which is (in linear theory) the ratio of their bias factor b. We show that the ratio of the projected cross- and autocorrelation functions [W (r )/w (r )] is also the ratio of their bias factor, irrespective of the galaxy distribution, provided that one uses the same galaxies for w (r ) and w (r …


The Star Formation Rate-Density Relationship At Redshift 3, Nicolas Bouché, James D. Lowenthal Apr 2005

The Star Formation Rate-Density Relationship At Redshift 3, Nicolas Bouché, James D. Lowenthal

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We study the star formation rate (SFR) as a function of environment for UV-selected Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at redshift 3. From deep [μ (sky) ≃ 27.6] UBVI MOSAIC images, covering a total of 0.90 deg , we select 334 LBGs in slices 100 h Mpc (comoving) deep spanning the redshift range 2.9 < z < 3.4 based on Bayesian photometric redshifts that include the I magnitude as a prior. The slice width (100 h Mpc) corresponds to the photometric redshift accuracy (Δ ∼ 0.15). We used mock catalogs from the GIF2 cosmological simulations to show that this redshift resolution is sufficient to statistically differentiate the high-density regions from the low-density regions using ∑ , the projected density to the fifth nearest neighbor. These mock catalogs have a redshift depth of 110 h Mpc, similar to our slice width. The large area of the MOSAIC images, ∼40 × 40 Mpc (comoving) per field, allows us to measure the SFR from the dust-corrected UV continuum as a function of ∑ . In contrast to low-redshift galaxies, we find that the SFR (or UV luminosity) of LBGs at z = 3 shows no detectable dependence on environment over 2 orders of magnitude in densities. To test the significance of our result, we use Monte Carlo simulations (from the mock catalogs) and the same projected density estimators that we applied to our data. We find that we can reject the steep z = 0 SFR-density relation at the 5 σ level. We conclude that the SFR-density relation at z = 3 must be at least 3.6 times flatter than it is locally; i.e., the SFR of LBGs is significantly less dependent on environment than the SFR of local star-forming galaxies. We find that the rest-frame UV colors are also independent of environment.


Galaxies At Z = 3 Around Damped Ly-Α Clouds, N. Bouché, James D. Lowenthal Dec 2003

Galaxies At Z = 3 Around Damped Ly-Α Clouds, N. Bouché, James D. Lowenthal

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We are exploring the connection between Damped Ly-α Absorption systems and Lyman Break Galaxies using deep m (5σ)=26 m - broad band imaging (UBVI) of four wide fields (0.25deg each) obtained at the Kitt Peak 4-m telescope with MOSAIC. Each field contains a DLA at z ∼ 3. We want to address the nature of DLA at high-redshifts: (1) Are the DLAs embedded in much larger systems of galaxies? (2) How does the spatial distribution of emitters in 3D (space and redshift) correlate with the absorber? Contrary to most previous DLA studies, we are not looking for the absorber, and …


Clustering Of Galaxies At Z ∼ 3 Around The Probable Damped Lyα Absorber Toward Qso Apm 08279+5255, Nicolas Bouché, James D. Lowenthal Oct 2003

Clustering Of Galaxies At Z ∼ 3 Around The Probable Damped Lyα Absorber Toward Qso Apm 08279+5255, Nicolas Bouché, James D. Lowenthal

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We present results on the clustering of Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) around a probable damped Lyα absorption line cloud (DLA) at z = 2.974 from deep UBVI images of the field containing the quasar APM 08279+5255 (z = 3.91). The large area covered by our images, 0.31 deg or ∼40 × 40 Mpc comoving at redshift z = 3, and their depth, μ (sky) ≃ 27.6 mag arcsec , allow us to identify ∼450 LBG candidates brighter than I = 24.80 at 2. 75 < z < 3.25 both close (50 kpc) to the DLA line of sight and up to 20 Mpc (comoving) from the DLA, i.e., physically unrelated. LBG candidates were identified using photometric redshift techniques that include the I magnitude as a prior estimate in addition to the colors. The two are combined using Bayes's theorem. This helps to break the degeneracies that occur in a pure spectral template fitting scheme. The overall rms is σ ≃ 0.15 at z ∼ 3 based on our analysis of photometric redshifts in the HDF-N. From the redshift likelihood distributions, we selected LBG galaxies within a redshift slice of width W = 0.15(≃ σ ) centered on the redshift of the DLA z . Within that redshift slice, we find an enhancement of galaxies near the DLA using both the surface density (Σ/Σ ≃ 3) and an estimator of the three-dimensional spatial overdensity (n/n̄ ∼ 5 ± 3). The surface overdensity Σ/Σ is significant at the more than 95% significance level on scales 2.5 < r < 5 Mpc comoving. The overdensity cannot be related to the QSO environment since the QSO is at z = 3.91. These results imply that some DLA could reside in high-density regions. We search within 45″ from the line of sight for galaxies responsible for the DLA and find one candidate with Z = 3.03 that is 26″ (145 kpc physical) away. From its magnitude I = 24.65 ± 0.2, its luminosity is M = -21.35. Due to its large impact parameter, however, this galaxy is not a likely candidate for the absorber. abs em I,AB AB z z z abs g g g θ em phot I,AB 2 -2


Keck Spectroscopy And Imaging Of Faint Galaxies Identified As Microjansky Radio Sources, Nathan D. Roche, James D. Lowenthal, David C. Koo Feb 2002

Keck Spectroscopy And Imaging Of Faint Galaxies Identified As Microjansky Radio Sources, Nathan D. Roche, James D. Lowenthal, David C. Koo

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We investigate the nature of the faintest radio sources detected in three Very Large Array surveys, to F(8.5 GHz) ∼ 8 μJy. Using the Keck low-resolution imaging spectrograph in BRI and the near-infrared camera in K′ (2.1 μm), we image 51 radio sources, and identify probable optical counterparts for 50. With low-resolution imaging spectroscopy, we successfully acquire new redshifts for 17 sources. Combining these with nine prior redshifts, we can then analyse a sample of 26 sources with spectroscopic redshifts. Based on this sample of 26, we find the largest contribution, about 60 per cent (15), to be from disc …


Lyman-Α Imaging Of A Very Luminous Z = 2.3 Starburst Galaxy With Wfpc2, Nathan Roche, James D. Lowenthal, Bruce Woodgate Oct 2000

Lyman-Α Imaging Of A Very Luminous Z = 2.3 Starburst Galaxy With Wfpc2, Nathan Roche, James D. Lowenthal, Bruce Woodgate

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We investigate the Lyα and UV continuum morphology of one of the most luminous known Lymana emitting galaxies (the 'Coup Fourré Galaxy'), associated with a z = 2.3 damped Lyα absorption system in the spectrum of the QSO PHL 957. The galaxy is observed with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide-Field Planetary Camera 2 (HST WFPC2), through a narrow filter (F410M) corresponding to rest-frame Lyα for a total exposure time of 41.2 ks, plus shorter exposures in F555W and F814W. In all three passbands, the galaxy is resolved into a close (∼0.35 arcsec) pair of two components, CFgA and CFgB, both …


Near-Infrared Galaxy Counts To J And K ∼ 24 As A Function Of Image Size, Matthew A. Bershady, James D. Lowenthal, David C. Koo Sep 1998

Near-Infrared Galaxy Counts To J And K ∼ 24 As A Function Of Image Size, Matthew A. Bershady, James D. Lowenthal, David C. Koo

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We have used the Keck 10 m telescope to count objects as a function of image size in two high Galactic latitude Ðelds covering 1.5 arcmin2 and reaching 50% completeness depths of K \ 24 and J \ 24.5 for stellar sources. Our counts extend D1 mag deeper in K than those of surveys with other telescopes; complement other Keck surveys in the K-band that provide counts at comparable or shallower depths but that have not utilized image structure; and extend by several magnitudes the J-band counts from brighter surveys using smaller telescopes that cover larger areas. We Ðnd the …


Far-Ultraviolet Spectra Of Starburst Galaxies: Stellar Population And The Kinematics Of The Interstellar Medium, Rosa M. Gonzalez Delgado, Claus Leitherer, Timothy Heckman, James D. Lowenthal, Henry C. Ferguson, Carmelle Robert Jan 1998

Far-Ultraviolet Spectra Of Starburst Galaxies: Stellar Population And The Kinematics Of The Interstellar Medium, Rosa M. Gonzalez Delgado, Claus Leitherer, Timothy Heckman, James D. Lowenthal, Henry C. Ferguson, Carmelle Robert

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

The far-ultraviolet spectra of the four starburst galaxies NGC 6090, Mrk 66, Mrk 1267, and IRAS 0833 + 6517 were observed with the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope during the Astro-2 mission. Additional data were obtained for IRAS 0833 + 6517 with the Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) on the Hubble Space Telescope. We analyze the observations in terms of the stellar content and the kinematics of the interstellar medium, and we discuss the implications of these results for the interpretation of the ultraviolet spectra of high-redshift galaxies. Evolutionary synthesis models are used to constrain the star formation history from the absolute ultraviolet …


The Nature Of Compact Galaxies In The Hubble Deep Field. Ii. Spectroscopic Properties And Implications For The Evolution Of The Star Formation Rate Density Of The Universe, Rafael Guzmán, Jesús Gallego, David C. Koo, Andrew C. Phillips, James D. Lowenthal, S. M. Faber, Garth D. Illingworth, Nicole P. Vogt Jan 1997

The Nature Of Compact Galaxies In The Hubble Deep Field. Ii. Spectroscopic Properties And Implications For The Evolution Of The Star Formation Rate Density Of The Universe, Rafael Guzmán, Jesús Gallego, David C. Koo, Andrew C. Phillips, James D. Lowenthal, S. M. Faber, Garth D. Illingworth, Nicole P. Vogt

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We present a spectroscopic study of 51 compact field galaxies with redshifts z < 1.4 and apparent magnitudes I < 23.74 in the flanking fields of the Hubble Deep Field. These galaxies are compact in the sense that they have small apparent half-light radii (r ≤ 0″.5) and high surface brightnesses (μ ≤ 22.2 mag arcsec ). The spectra, taken at the Keck telescope, show emission lines in 88% of our sample, and only absorption lines in the remaining 12%. Emission-line profiles are roughly Gaussian with velocity widths that range from the measurement limit of σ ∼ 35 km s to 150 km s . Rest frame [O II] λ3727 equivalent widths range from 5 to 94 Å, yielding star formation rates (SFRs) of ∼0.1 to 14 M yr . The analysis of various line diagnostic diagrams reveals that ∼60% of compact emission-line galaxies have velocity widths, excitations, Hβ luminosities, SFRs, and mass-to-light ratios characteristic of young star-forming H II galaxies. The remaining 40% form a more heterogeneous class of evolved starbursts, similar to local starburst disk galaxies. We find that, although the compact galaxies at z > 0.7 have similar SFRs per unit mass to those at z < 0.7, they are on average ∼10 times more massive. Our sample implies a lower limit for the global comoving SFR density of ∼0.004 M yr Mpc at z = 0.55, and ∼0.008 M yr Mpc at z = 0.85 (assuming Salpeter IMF, H = 50 km s Mpc , and q = 0.5). These values, when compared to estimates for a sample of local compact galaxies selected in a similar fashion, support a history of the universe in which the SFR density declines by a factor ∼10 from z = 1 to today. From the comparison with the SFR densities derived for magnitude-limited samples of field galaxies, we conclude that compact emission-line galaxies, though only ∼20% of the general field population, may contribute as much as ∼45% to the global SFR of the universe at 0.4 < z < 1. © 1997. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. 814 1/2 I814 ⊙ ⊙ ⊙ 0 o -2 -1 -1 -1 -1 -3 -1 -3 -1 -1


Keck Spectroscopy Of Redshift Z ∼ 3 Galaxies In The Hubble Deep Field, James Lowenthal, David C. Koo, Rafael Guzmán, Jesús Gallego, Andrew C. Phillips, S. M. Faber, Nicole P. Vogt, Garth D. Illingworth, Caryl Gronwall Jan 1997

Keck Spectroscopy Of Redshift Z ∼ 3 Galaxies In The Hubble Deep Field, James Lowenthal, David C. Koo, Rafael Guzmán, Jesús Gallego, Andrew C. Phillips, S. M. Faber, Nicole P. Vogt, Garth D. Illingworth, Caryl Gronwall

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We have obtained spectra with the 10 m Keck telescope of a sample of 24 galaxies having colors consistent with star-forming galaxies at redshifts 2 ≲ z ≲ 4.5 in the Hubble deep field (HDF). Eleven of these galaxies are confirmed to be at high redshift (z = 3.0), one is at z = 0.5, and the other 12 have uncertain redshifts but have spectra consistent with their being at z > 2. The spectra of the confirmed high-redshift galaxies show a diversity of features, including weak Lyα emission, strong Lyα breaks or damped Lyα absorption profiles, and the stellar and …


The Nature Of Compact Galaxies In The Hubble Deep Field. I. Global Properties, Andrew C. Phillips, Rafael Guzmán, Jesús Gallego, David C. Koo, James D. Lowenthal, Nicole P. Vogt, S. M. Faber, Garth D. Illingworth Jan 1997

The Nature Of Compact Galaxies In The Hubble Deep Field. I. Global Properties, Andrew C. Phillips, Rafael Guzmán, Jesús Gallego, David C. Koo, James D. Lowenthal, Nicole P. Vogt, S. M. Faber, Garth D. Illingworth

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We present 10 m Keck spectroscopy and photometry for a sample of 61 small (r1/2 ≤ 0″.5), faint (I814 ≤ 23.74), high-surface brightness (μI814 < 22.2 mag arcsec-2) galaxies in fields flanking the Hubble Deep Field. The majority of this empirically defined sample of compact galaxies lies at redshifts 0.4 ≲ z ≲ 1 (88% completeness in redshift identifications), ruling out a large component of low-redshift galaxies. The number of such galaxies in the range 1.4 ≲ z ≲ 2.2 is also constrained to ≲ 10%. The majority of the observed galaxies are emission-line systems, while a significant fraction (23%-34%) appear to be normal ellipticals or otherwise early-type systems. One object is an active galactic nucleus, and two are at high redshift (z > 2). The Keck redshift and photometric data are combined with Hubble Space Telescope images to derive luminosities and physical sizes. We also use emission-line widths, where available, to estimate masses. About two-thirds of the emission-line galaxies, or roughly one-half the sample, are small, low-mass, relatively luminous systems with properties resembling those of local H II galaxies. We compare the properties and numbers of these galaxies to the "bursting dwarf" model of Babul & Ferguson. Our sample …


Microjansky Source Counts And Spectral Indices At 8.44 Ghz, Rogier A. Windhorst, Edward B. Fomalont, R. Bruce Partridge, James D. Lowenthal Mar 1993

Microjansky Source Counts And Spectral Indices At 8.44 Ghz, Rogier A. Windhorst, Edward B. Fomalont, R. Bruce Partridge, James D. Lowenthal

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We used the VLA to make deep images of two 7′ × 7′ fields at 8.44 GHz with 10″ resolution. With an rms noise of 3.2 and 5.1 μJy, respectively, in the two fields, we compiled a catalog of 82 sources. From the complete sample of 20 sources with S ≥ 14.5 μJy, the differential 8.44 GHz source count is dN(S)/ dS = (-4.6 ± 0.7) × S-2.3 ± 0.2 Jy-1 sr-1 in the range 14.5-1000 mJy. Analysis of statistical image fluctuations from weak sources (Fomalont et al. 1993) suggests that this slope remains unchanged at γ = 2.3 ± …