| 1. |
- Boquien, M., et al.
(författare)
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Measuring star formation with resolved observations: the test case of M 33
- 2015
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 578
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Measuring star formation on a local scale is important to constrain star formation laws. It is not clear yet, however, whether and how the measure of star formation is affected by the spatial scale at which a galaxy is observed. Aims. We wish to understand the impact of the resolution on the determination of the spatially resolved star formation rate (SFR) and other directly associated physical parameters such as the attenuation. Methods. We carried out a multi-scale, pixel-by-pixel study of the nearby galaxy M33. Assembling FUV, H alpha, 8 mu m, 24 mu m, 70 mu m, and 100 mu m maps, we have systematically compared the emission in individual bands with various SFR estimators from a resolution of 33 pc to 2084 pc. Results. There are strong, scale-dependent, discrepancies of up to a factor 3 between monochromatic SFR estimators and H alpha + 24 mu m. The scaling factors between individual IR bands and the SFR show a strong dependence on the spatial scale and on the intensity of star formation. Finally, strong variations of the differential reddening between the nebular emission and the stellar continuum are seen, depending on the specific SFR (sSFR) and on the resolution. At the finest spatial scales, there is little differential reddening at high sSFR. The differential reddening increases with decreasing sSFR. At the coarsest spatial scales the differential reddening is compatible with the canonical value found for starburst galaxies. Conclusions. Our results confirm that monochromatic estimators of the SFR are unreliable at scales smaller than 1 kpc. Furthermore, the extension of local calibrations to high-redshift galaxies presents non-trivial challenges because the properties of these systems may be poorly known.
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| 2. |
- Braine, J., et al.
(författare)
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Cool gas and dust in M33: Results from the HERschel M33 Extended Survey (HERM33ES)
- 2010
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 518:Article Number: L69
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present an analysis of the first space-based far-IR-submm observations of M33, which measure the emission from the cool dust and resolve the giant molecular cloud complexes. With roughly half-solar abundances, M33 is a first step towards young low-metallicity galaxies where the submm may be able to provide an alternative to CO mapping to measure their H-2 content. In this Letter, we measure the dust emission cross-section sigma using SPIRE and recent CO and HI observations; a variation in s is present from a near-solar neighborhood cross-section to about half-solar with the maximum being south of the nucleus. Calculating the total H column density from the measured dust temperature and cross-section, and then subtracting the HI column, yields a morphology similar to that observed in CO. The H-2/HI mass ratio decreases from about unity to well below 10% and is about 15% averaged over the optical disk. The single most important observation to reduce the potentially large systematic errors is to complete the CO mapping of M33.
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| 3. |
- Buchbender, C., et al.
(författare)
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Dense gas in M 33 (HerM33es)
- 2013
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 549, s. 17-36
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims. We aim to better understand the emission of molecular tracers of the diffuse and dense gas in giant molecular clouds and the influence that metallicity, optical extinction, density, far-UV field, and star formation rate have on these tracers.Methods. Using the IRAM 30 m telescope, we detected HCN, HCO+, 12CO, and 13CO in six GMCs along the major axis of M 33 at a resolution of ~114 pc and out to a radial distance of 3.4 kpc. Optical, far-infrared, and submillimeter data from Herschel and other observatories complement these observations. To interpret the observed molecular line emission, we created two grids of models of photon-dominated regions, one for solar and one for M 33-type subsolar metallicity.Results. The observed HCO+/HCN line ratios range between 1.1 and 2.5. Similarly high ratios have been observed in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The HCN/CO ratio varies between 0.4% and 2.9% in the disk of M 33. The 12CO/13CO line ratio varies between 9 and 15 similar to variations found in the diffuse gas and the centers of GMCs of the Milky Way. Stacking of all spectra allowed HNC and C2H to be detected. The resulting HCO+/HNC and HCN/HNC ratios of ~8 and 6, respectively, lie at the high end of ratios observed in a large set of (ultra-)luminous infrared galaxies. HCN abundances are lower in the subsolar metallicity PDR models, while HCO+ abundances are enhanced. For HCN this effect is more pronounced at low optical extinctions. The observed HCO+/HCN and HCN/CO line ratios are naturally explained by subsolar PDR models of low optical extinctions between 4 and 10 mag and of moderate densities of n 3 × 103–3 × 104 cm-3, while the FUV field strength only has a small effect on the modeled line ratios. The line ratios are almost equally well reproduced by the solar-metallicity models, indicating that variations in metallicity only play a minor role in influencing these line ratios.
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| 4. |
- Espada, D., et al.
(författare)
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Disentangling the Circumnuclear Environs of Centaurus A. III. An Inner Molecular Ring, Nuclear Shocks, and the CO to Warm H-2 Interface
- 2017
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 1538-4357 .- 0004-637X. ; 843:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present the distribution and kinematics of the molecular gas in the circumnuclear disk (CND; 400 pc ×200 pc) of Centaurus A with resolutions of ∼5 pc (0.″3) and shed light onto the mechanism feeding the active galactic nucleus (AGN) using CO(3-2), HCO + (4-3), HCN(4-3), and CO(6-5) observations obtained with ALMA. Multiple filaments or streamers of tens to a hundred parsec scale exist within the CND, which form a ring-like structure with an unprojected diameter of 9″ ×6″ (162 pc ×108 pc) and a position angle P.A. ≃ 155°. Inside the nuclear ring, there are two leading and straight filamentary structures with lengths of about 30-60 pc at P.A. ≃ 120° on opposite sides of the AGN, with a rotational symmetry of 180° and steeper position-velocity diagrams, which are interpreted as nuclear shocks due to non-circular motions. Along the filaments, and unlike other nearby AGNs, several dense molecular clumps present low HCN/HCO + (4-3) ratios (≲0.5). The filaments abruptly end in the probed transitions at r ≃ 20 pc from the AGN, but previous near-IR H 2 (J = 1-0)S(1) maps show that they continue in an even warmer gas phase (T ∼ 1000 K), winding up in the form of nuclear spirals, and forming an inner ring structure with another set of symmetric filaments along the N-S direction and within r ≃ 10 pc. The molecular gas is governed primarily by non-circular motions, being the successive shock fronts at different scales where loss of angular momentum occurs, a mechanism that may feed efficiently powerful radio galaxies down to parsec scales.
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| 5. |
- Espada, D., et al.
(författare)
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Star Formation Efficiencies at Giant Molecular Cloud Scales in the Molecular Disk of the Elliptical Galaxy NGC 5128 (Centaurus A)
- 2019
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 1538-4357 .- 0004-637X. ; 887:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present ALMA CO (1-0) observations toward the dust lane of the nearest elliptical and radio galaxy, NGC 5128 (Centaurus A), with high angular resolution (similar to 1 '', or 18 pc), including information from large to small spatial scales and total flux. We find a total molecular gas mass of 1.6 x 10(9) M-circle dot and reveal the presence of filamentary components more extended than previously seen, up to a radius of 4 kpc. We find that the global star formation rate is similar to 1 M-circle dot yr(-1), which yields a star formation efficiency (SFE) of 0.6 Gyr(-1) (depletion time tau = 1.5 Gyr), similar to those in disk galaxies. We show the most detailed view to date (40 pc resolution) of the relation between molecular gas and star formation within the stellar component of an elliptical galaxy, from a scale of several kiloparsecs to the circumnuclear region close to the powerful radio jet. Although on average the SFEs are similar to those of spiral galaxies, the circumnuclear disk (CND) presents SFEs of 0.3 Gyr(-1), lower by a factor of 4 than the outer disk. The low SFE in the CND is in contrast to the high SFEs found in the literature for the circumnuclear regions of some nearby disk galaxies with nuclear activity, probably as a result of larger shear motions and longer active galactic nucleus feedback. The higher SFEs in the outer disk suggest that only central molecular gas or filaments with sufficient density and strong shear motions will remain in similar to 1 Gyr, which will later result in the compact molecular distributions and low SFEs usually seen in other giant ellipticals with cold gas.
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| 6. |
- Gonzalez-Alfonso, E., et al.
(författare)
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Herschel observations of water vapour in Markarian 231
- 2010
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 518:Article Number: L43
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Ultra luminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG) Mrk 231 reveals up to seven rotational lines of water (H2O) in emission, including a very high-lying (Eupper = 640 K) line detected at a 4 sigma level, within the Herschel/SPIRE wavelength range (190
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| 7. |
- Gratier, P., et al.
(författare)
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Molecular and atomic gas in the Local Group galaxy M 33
- 2010
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 522:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present high-resolution large-scale observations of the molecular and atomic gas in the Local Group galaxy M 33. The observations were carried out using the HEterodyne Receiver Array (HERA) at the 30 m IRAM telescope in the CO(2-1) line, achieving a resolution of 12 '' x 2.6 km s(-1), enabling individual giant molecular clouds (GMCs) to be resolved. The observed region is 650 square arcminutes mainly along the major axis and out to a radius of 8.5 kpc, and covers entirely the 2' x 40' radial strip observed with the HIFI and PACS Spectrometers as part of the HERM33ES Herschel key program. The achieved sensitivity in main-beam temperature is 20-50 mK at 2.6 km s(-1) velocity resolution. The CO(2-1) luminosity of the observed region is 1.7 +/- 0.1 x 10(7) K km s(-1) pc(2) and is estimated to be 2.8 +/- 0.3 x 10(7) K km s(-1) pc(2) for the entire galaxy, corresponding to H-2 masses of 1.9 x 10(8) M-circle dot and 3.3 x 10(8) M-circle dot respectively (including He), calculated with N(H-2)/ICO(1-0) twice the Galactic value due to the half-solar metallicity of M 33. The HI 21 cm VLA archive observations were reduced, and the mosaic was imaged and cleaned using the multi-scale task in the CASA software package, yielding a series of datacubes with resolutions ranging from 5 '' to 25 ''. The HI mass within a radius of 8.5 kpc is estimated to be 1.4 x 10(9) M-circle dot. The azimuthally averaged CO surface brightness decreases exponentially with a scale length of 1.9 +/- 0.1 kpc whereas the atomic gas surface density is constant at Sigma(HI) = 6 +/- 2 M-circle dot pc(-2) deprojected to face-on. For an N(H-2)/ICO(1-0) conversion factor twice that of the Milky Way, the central kiloparsec H-2 surface density is Sigma(H2) = 8.5 +/- 0.2 M-circle dot pc(-2). The star formation rate per unit molecular gas (SF efficiency, the rate of transformation of molecular gas into stars), as traced by the ratio of CO to H-alpha and FIR brightness, is constant with radius. The SFE, with a N(H-2)/ICO(1-0) factor twice galactic, appears 2-4 times greater than for large spiral galaxies. A morphological comparison of molecular and atomic gas with tracers of star formation is presented showing good agreement between these maps both in terms of peaks and holes. A few exceptions are noted. Several spectra, including those of a molecular cloud situated more than 8 kpc from the galaxy center, are presented.
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| 8. |
- Kramer, C., et al.
(författare)
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Gas and dust cooling along the major axis of M33 (HerM33es) ISO/LWS C II observations
- 2013
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 553
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims. We aim to better understand the heating of gas by observing the prominent gas cooling line [C II] at 158 mu m in the low-metallicity environment of the Local Group spiral galaxy M33 on scales of 280 pc. In particular, we describe the variation of the photoelectric heating efficiency with the galactic environment.Methods. In this study, we present [C II] observations along the major axis of M33 using the Infrared Space Observatory in combination with Herschel continuum maps, IRAM 30m CO 2-1, and VLA H I data to study the variation in velocity integrated intensities. The ratio of [C II] emission over the far-infrared continuum is used as a proxy for the heating efficiency, and models of photon-dominated regions are used to study the local physical densities, far-ultraviolet radiation fields, and average column densities of the molecular clouds.Results. The heating efficiency stays constant at 0.8% in the inner 4.5 kpc radius of the galaxy, where it increases to reach values of similar to 3% in the outskirts at about a 6 kpc radial distance. The rise of efficiency is explained in the framework of PDR models by lowered volume densities and FUV fields for optical extinctions of only a few magnitudes at constant metallicity. For the significant fraction of Hi emission stemming from PDRs and for typical pressures found in the Galactic cold neutral medium (CNM) traced by Hi emission, the CNM contributes similar to 15% to the observed [C II] emission in the inner 2 kpc radius of M33. The CNM contribution remains largely undetermined in the south, while positions between radial distances of 2 and 7.3 kpc in the north of M33 show a contribution of similar to 40% +/- 20%.
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| 9. |
- Kramer, C., et al.
(författare)
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PACS and SPIRE photometer maps of M33: First results of the HERschel M33 Extended Survey (HERM33ES)
- 2010
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 518:Article Number: L67
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Within the framework of the HERM33ES key program, we are studying the star forming interstellar medium in the nearby, metal-poor spiral galaxy M33, exploiting the high resolution and sensitivity of Herschel. Aims. We use PACS and SPIRE maps at 100, 160, 250, 350, and 500 mu m wavelength, to study the variation of the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) with galacto-centric distance. Methods. Detailed SED modeling is performed using azimuthally averaged fluxes in elliptical rings of 2 kpc width, out to 8 kpc galacto-centric distance. Simple isothermal and two-component grey body models, with fixed dust emissivity index, are fitted to the SEDs between 24 mu m and 500 mu m using also MIPS/Spitzer data, to derive first estimates of the dust physical conditions. Results. The far-infrared and submillimeter maps reveal the branched, knotted spiral structure of M33. An underlying diffuse disk is seen in all SPIRE maps (250-500 mu m). Two component fits to the SEDs agree better than isothermal models with the observed, total and radially averaged flux densities. The two component model, with beta fixed at 1.5, best fits the global and the radial SEDs. The cold dust component clearly dominates; the relative mass of the warm component is less than 0.3% for all the fits. The temperature of the warm component is not well constrained and is found to be about 60 K +/- 10 K. The temperature of the cold component drops significantly from similar to 24 K in the inner 2 kpc radius to 13 K beyond 6 kpc radial distance, for the best fitting model. The gas-to-dust ratio for beta = 1.5, averaged over the galaxy, is higher than the solar value by a factor of 1.5 and is roughly in agreement with the subsolar metallicity of M33.
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| 10. |
- McCoy, M., et al.
(författare)
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ALMA Observations of the Physical and Chemical Conditions in Centaurus A
- 2017
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 1538-4357 .- 0004-637X. ; 851:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Centaurus A, with its gas-rich elliptical host galaxy, NGC 5128, is the nearest radio galaxy at a distance of 3.8 Mpc. Its proximity allows us to study the interaction among an active galactic nucleus, radio jets, and molecular gas in great detail. We present ALMA observations of low-J transitions of three CO isotopologues, HCN, HCO+, HNC, CN, and CCH toward the inner projected 500 pc of NGC 5128. Our observations resolve physical sizes down to 40 pc. By observing multiple chemical probes, we determine the physical and chemical conditions of the nuclear interstellar medium of NGC 5128. This region contains molecular arms associated with the dust lanes and a circumnuclear disk (CND) interior to the molecular arms. The CND is approximately 400 pc by 200 pc and appears to be chemically distinct from the molecular arms. It is dominated by dense gas tracers while the molecular arms are dominated by (CO)-C-12 and its rare isotopologues. The CND has a higher temperature, elevated CN/HCN and HCN/HNC intensity ratios, and much weaker (CO)-C-13 and (CO)-O-18 emission than the molecular arms. This suggests an influence from the AGN on the CND molecular gas. There is also absorption against the AGN with a low velocity complex near the systemic velocity and a high velocity complex shifted by about 60 km s(-1). We find similar chemical properties between the CND in emission and both the low and high velocity absorption complexes, implying that both likely originate from the CND. If the HV complex does originate in the CND, then that gas would correspond to gas falling toward the supermassive black hole.
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