| 1. |
- Adamo, Angela, et al.
(författare)
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Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey with The Hubble Space Telescope : Stellar Cluster Catalogs and First Insights Into Cluster Formation and Evolution in NGC 628
- 2017
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : IOP PUBLISHING LTD. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 841:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report the large effort that is producing comprehensive high-level young star cluster (YSC) catalogs for a significant fraction of galaxies observed with the Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey (LEGUS) Hubble treasury program. We present the methodology developed to extract cluster positions, verify their genuine nature, produce multiband photometry (from NUV to NIR), and derive their physical properties via spectral energy distribution fitting analyses. We use the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 628 as a test case for demonstrating the impact that LEGUS will have on our understanding of the formation and evolution of YSCs and compact stellar associations within their host galaxy. Our analysis of the cluster luminosity function from the UV to the NIR finds a steepening at the bright end and at all wavelengths suggesting a dearth of luminous clusters. The cluster mass function of NGC 628 is consistent with a power-law distribution of slopes similar to-2 and a truncation of a few times 10(5) M-circle dot. After their formation, YSCs and compact associations follow different evolutionary paths. YSCs survive for a longer time frame, confirming their being potentially bound systems. Associations disappear on timescales comparable to hierarchically organized star-forming regions, suggesting that they are expanding systems. We find massindependent cluster disruption in the inner region of NGC 628, while in the outer part of the galaxy there is little or no disruption. We observe faster disruption rates for low mass (<= 10(4) M-circle dot) clusters, suggesting that a massdependent component is necessary to fully describe the YSC disruption process in NGC 628.
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| 2. |
- Beuther, H., et al.
(författare)
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JWST Observations of Young protoStars (JOYS): Outflows and accretion in the high-mass star-forming region IRAS 23385+6053
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 673
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Understanding the earliest stages of star formation, and setting it in the context of the general cycle of matter in the interstellar medium, is a central aspect of research with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Aims. The JWST program JOYS (JWST Observations of Young protoStars) aims to characterize the physical and chemical properties of young high- and low-mass star-forming regions, in particular the unique mid-infrared diagnostics of the warmer gas and solid-state components. We present early results from the high-mass star formation region IRAS 23385+6053. Methods. The JOYS program uses the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) Medium Resolution Spectrometer (MRS) with its integral field unit (IFU) to investigate a sample of high- and low-mass star-forming protostellar systems. Results. The full 5-? 28 μm MIRI MRS spectrum of IRAS 23385+6053 shows a plethora of interesting features. While the general spectrum is typical for an embedded protostar, we see many atomic and molecular gas lines boosted by the higher spectral resolution and sensitivity compared to previous space missions. Furthermore, ice and dust absorption features are also present. Here, we focus on the continuum emission, outflow tracers such as the H2(0-? 0)S(7), [FeII](4F9/2-6D9/2), and [NeII](2P1/2-2P3/2) lines, and the potential accretion tracer Humphreys α H I(7-6). The short-wavelength MIRI data resolve two continuum sources, A and B; mid-infrared source A is associated with the main millimeter continuum peak. The combination of mid-infrared and millimeter data reveals a young cluster in the making. Combining the mid-infrared outflow tracers H2, [FeII], and [NeII] with millimeter SiO data reveals a complex interplay of at least three molecular outflows driven by protostars in the forming cluster. Furthermore, the Humphreys α line is detected at a 3-?4σ? level toward the mid-infrared sources A and B. One can roughly estimate both accretion luminosities and corresponding accretion rates to be between ∼2.6 × 10-6 and ∼0.9 × 10-4 Mo yr-1. This is discussed in the context of the observed outflow rates. Conclusions. The analysis of the MIRI MRS observations for this young high-mass star-forming region reveals connected outflow and accretion signatures, as well as the enormous potential of JWST to boost our understanding of the physical and chemical processes at play during star formation.
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| 3. |
- Cook, D. O., et al.
(författare)
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Star cluster catalogues for the LEGUS dwarf galaxies
- 2019
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 484:4, s. 4897-4919
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present the star cluster catalogues for 17 dwarf and irregular galaxies in the HST Treasury Program 'Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey' (LEGUS). Cluster identification and photometry in this sub-sample are similar to that of the entire LEGUS sample, but special methods were developed to provide robust catalogues with accurate fluxes due to low cluster statistics. The colours and ages are largely consistent for two widely used aperture corrections, but a significant fraction of the clusters are more compact than the average training cluster. However, the ensemble luminosity, mass, and age distributions are consistent suggesting that the systematics between the two methods are less than the random errors. When compared with the clusters from previous dwarf galaxy samples, we find that the LEGUS catalogues are more complete and provide more accurate total fluxes. Combining all clusters into a composite dwarf galaxy, we find that the luminosity and mass functions can be described by a power law with the canonical index of -2 independent of age and global SFR binning. The age distribution declines as a power law, with an index of approximate to -0.80 +/- 0.15, independent of cluster mass and global SFR binning. This decline of clusters is dominated by cluster disruption since the combined star formation histories and integrated-light SFRs are both approximately constant over the last few hundred Myr. Finally, we find little evidence for an upper-mass cut-off (< 2 sigma) in the composite cluster mass function, and can rule out a truncation mass below approximate to 10(4.5)M(circle dot) but cannot rule out the existence of a truncation at higher masses.
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| 4. |
- Tabone, B., et al.
(författare)
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A rich hydrocarbon chemistry and high C to O ratio in the inner disk around a very low-mass star
- 2023
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Ingår i: Nature Astronomy. - 2397-3366. ; 7:7, s. 805-814
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Carbon is an essential element for life but how much can be delivered to young planets is still an open question. The chemical characterization of planet-forming disks is a crucial step in our understanding of the diversity and habitability of exoplanets. Very low-mass stars (less than 0.2 M⊙) are interesting targets because they host a rich population of terrestrial planets. Here we present the James Webb Space Telescope detection of abundant hydrocarbons in the disk of a very low-mass star obtained as part of the Mid-InfraRed Instrument mid-INfrared Disk Survey (MINDS). In addition to very strong and broad emission from C2H2 and its 13C12CH2 isotopologue, C4H2, benzene and possibly CH4 are identified, but water, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and silicate features are weak or absent. The lack of small silicate grains indicates that we can look deep down into this disk. These detections testify to an active warm hydrocarbon chemistry with a high C/O ratio larger than unity in the inner 0.1 astronomical units (AU) of this disk, perhaps due to destruction of carbonaceous grains. The exceptionally high C2H2/CO2 and C2H2/H2O column density ratios indicate that oxygen is locked up in icy pebbles and planetesimals outside the water iceline. This, in turn, will have important consequences for the composition of forming exoplanets.
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| 5. |
- Álvarez-Márquez, J., et al.
(författare)
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Investigating the physical properties of galaxies in the Epoch of Reionization with MIRI/JWST spectroscopy
- 2019
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 629
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will provide deep imaging and spectroscopy for sources at redshifts above 6, covering the entire Epoch of Reionization (EoR, 6 < z < 10), and enabling the detailed exploration of the nature of the different sources during the first 1 Gyr of the history of the Universe. The Medium Resolution Spectrograph (MRS) of the mid-IR Instrument (MIRI) will be the only instrument on board JWST able to observe the brightest optical emission lines H alpha and [OII]0.5007 mu m at redshifts above 7 and 9, respectively, providing key insights into the physical properties of sources during the early phases of the EoR. This paper presents a study of the Ha fluxes predicted by state-of-the-art FIRSTLIGHT cosmological simulations for galaxies at redshifts of 6.5-10.5, and its detectability with MIRI. Deep (40 ks) spectroscopic integrations with MRS will be able to detect (signal-to-noise ratio > 5) EoR sources at redshifts above 7 with intrinsic star formation rates (SFR) of more than 2M(circle dot) yr(-1), and stellar masses above 4-9 x 10(7) M-circle dot. These limits cover the upper end of the SFR and stellar mass distribution at those redshifts, representing similar to 6% and similar to 1% of the predicted FIRSTLIGHT population at the 6.5-7.5 and 7.5-8.5 redshift ranges, respectively. In addition, the paper presents realistic MRS simulated observations of the expected rest-frame optical and near-infrared spectra for some spectroscopically confirmed EoR sources recently detected by ALMA as [OIII]88 mu m emitters. The MRS simulated spectra cover a wide range of low metallicities from about 0.2-0.02Z(circle dot) and different [OIII]88 mu m/[OIII]0.5007 mu m line ratios. The simulated 10 ks MRS spectra show S/N in the range of 5-90 for H beta, [OIII]0.4959,0.5007 mu m, H alpha and HeI1.083 mu m emission lines of the currently highest spectroscopically confirmed EoR (lensed) source MACS1149-JD1 at a redshift of 9.11, independent of metallicity. In addition, deep 40 ksec simulated spectra of the luminous merger candidate B14-65666 at 7.15 shows the MRS capabilities of detecting, or putting strong upper limits on, the weak [NII]0.6584 mu m. [SII]0.6717,0.6731 mu m, and [SIII] 0.9069,0.9532 mu m emission lines. These observations will provide the opportunity of deriving accurate metallicities in bright EoR sources using the full range of rest-frame optical emission lines up to 1 mu m. In summary, MRS will enable the detailed study of key physical properties such as internal extinction, instantaneous star formation, hardness of the ionizing continuum, and metallicity in bright (intrinsic or lensed) EoR sources.
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| 6. |
- Calzetti, D., et al.
(författare)
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LEGACY EXTRAGALACTIC UV SURVEY (LEGUS) WITH THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE. I. SURVEY DESCRIPTION
- 2015
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Ingår i: Astronomical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-6256 .- 1538-3881. ; 149:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey (LEGUS) is a Cycle 21 Treasury program on the Hubble Space Telescope aimed at the investigation of star formation and its relation with galactic environment in nearby galaxies, from the scales of individual stars to those of similar to kiloparsec-size clustered structures. Five-band imaging from the nearultraviolet to the I band with the Wide-Field Camera 3 (WFC3), plus parallel optical imaging with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), is being collected for selected pointings of 50 galaxies within the local 12 Mpc. The filters used for the observations with the WFC3 are F275W(lambda 2704 angstrom), F336W(lambda 3355 angstrom), F438W(lambda 4325 angstrom), F555W(lambda 5308 angstrom), and F814W(lambda 8024 angstrom); the parallel observations with the ACS use the filters F435W (lambda 4328 angstrom), F606W(lambda 5921 angstrom), and F814W(lambda 8057 angstrom). The multiband images are yielding accurate recent (less than or similar to 50 Myr) star formation histories from resolved massive stars and the extinction-corrected ages and masses of star clusters and associations. The extensive inventories of massive stars and clustered systems will be used to investigate the spatial and temporal evolution of star formation within galaxies. This will, in turn, inform theories of galaxy evolution and improve the understanding of the physical underpinning of the gas-star formation relation and the nature of star formation at high redshift. This paper describes the survey, its goals and observational strategy, and the initial scientific results. Because LEGUS will provide a reference survey and a foundation for future observations with the James Webb Space Telescope and with ALMA, a large number of data products are planned for delivery to the community.
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| 7. |
- Calzetti, D., et al.
(författare)
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THE BRIGHTEST YOUNG STAR CLUSTERS IN NGC 5253
- 2015
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 811:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The nearby dwarf starburst galaxy NGC 5253 hosts a number of young, massive star clusters, the two youngest of which are centrally concentrated and surrounded by thermal radio emission (the radio nebula). To investigate the role of these clusters in the starburst energetics, we combine new and archival Hubble Space Telescope images of NGC 5253 with wavelength coverage from 1500 angstrom 1.9 mu m in 13 filters. These include H alpha, P beta, and P alpha, and the imaging from the Hubble Treasury Program LEGUS (Legacy Extragalactic UV Survey). The extraordinarily well-sampled spectral energy distributions enable modeling with unprecedented accuracy the ages, masses, and extinctions of the nine optically brightest clusters (M-V < -8.8) and the two young radio nebula clusters. The clusters have ages similar to 1-15 Myr and masses similar to 1 x 10(4)-2.5 x 10(5) M-circle dot. The clusters' spatial location and ages indicate that star formation has become more concentrated toward the radio nebula over the last similar to 15 Myr. The most massive cluster is in the radio nebula; with a mass similar to 2.5 x 10(5) M-circle dot and an age similar to 1 Myr, it is 2-4 times less massive and younger than previously estimated. It is within a dust cloud with AV similar to 50 mag, and shows a clear near-IR excess, likely from hot dust. The second radio nebula cluster is also similar to 1 Myr old, confirming the extreme youth of the starburst region. These two clusters account for about half of the ionizing photon rate in the radio nebula, and will eventually supply about 2/3 of the mechanical energy in present-day shocks. Additional sources are required to supply the remaining ionizing radiation, and may include very massive stars.
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| 8. |
- Cook, D. O., et al.
(författare)
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Fraction of stars in clusters for the LEGUS dwarf galaxies
- 2023
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 519:3, s. 3749-3775
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We study the young star cluster populations in 23 dwarf and irregular galaxies observed by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Legacy ExtraGalactic Ultraviolet Survey (LEGUS), and examine relationships between the ensemble properties of the cluster populations and those of their host galaxies: star formation rate (SFR) density (ΣSFR). A strength of this analysis is the availability of SFRs measured from temporally resolved star formation histories that provide the means to match cluster and host galaxy properties on several time-scales (1–10, 1–100, and 10–100 Myr). Nevertheless, studies of this kind are challenging for dwarf galaxies due to the small numbers of clusters in each system. We mitigate these issues by combining the clusters across different galaxies with similar ΣSFR properties. We find good agreement with a well-established relationship (MVbrightest–SFR), but find no significant correlations between ΣSFR and the slopes of the cluster luminosity function, mass function, nor the age distribution. We also find no significant trend between the fraction of stars in bound clusters at different age ranges (Γ1–10, Γ10–100, and Γ1–100) and ΣSFR of the host galaxy. Our data show a decrease in Γ over time (from 1–10 to 10–100 Myr) suggesting early cluster dissolution, though the presence of unbound clusters in the youngest time bin makes it difficult to quantify the degree of dissolution. While our data do not exhibit strong correlations between ΣSFR and ensemble cluster properties, we cannot rule out that a weak trend might exist given the relatively large uncertainties due to low number statistics and the limited ΣSFR range probed.
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| 9. |
- Gieser, C., et al.
(författare)
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JOYS: Disentangling the warm and cold material in the high-mass IRAS 23385+6053 cluster
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 679
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. High-mass star formation occurs in a clustered mode where fragmentation is observed from an early stage onward. Young protostars can now be studied in great detail with the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Aims. We study and compare the warm (>100 K) and cold (<100 K) material toward the high-mass star-forming region (HMSFR) IRAS 23385+6053 (IRAS 23385 hereafter) combining high-angular-resolution observations in the mid-infrared (MIR) with the JWST Observations of Young protoStars (JOYS) project and with the NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) at millimeter (mm) wavelengths at angular resolutions of 0.a2 1.a0. Methods. We investigated the spatial morphology of atomic and molecular species using line-integrated intensity maps. We estimated the temperature and column density of different gas components using H2 transitions (warm and hot component) and a series of CH3CN transitions as well as 3 mm continuum emission (cold component). Results. Toward the central dense core of IRAS 23385, the material consists of relatively cold gas and dust ( 50 K), while multiple outflows create heated and/or shocked H2 and show enhanced temperatures ( 400 K) along the outflow structures. An energetic outflow with enhanced emission knots of [FeII] and [NiII] suggests J-type shocks, while two other outflows have enhanced emission of only H2 and [SI] caused by C-type shocks. The latter two outflows are also more prominent in molecular line emission at mm wavelengths (e.g., SiO, SO, H2CO, and CH3OH). Data of even higher angular resolution are needed to unambiguously identify the outflow-driving sources given the clustered nature of IRAS 23385. While most of the forbidden fine structure transitions are blueshifted, [NeII] and [NeIII] peak at the source velocity toward the MIR source A/mmA2 suggesting that the emission is originating from closer to the protostar. Conclusions. The warm and cold gas traced by MIR and mm observations, respectively, are strongly linked in IRAS 23385. The outflows traced by MIR H2 lines have molecular counterparts in the mm regime. Despite the presence of multiple powerful outflows that cause dense and hot shocks, a cold dense envelope still allows star formation to further proceed. To study and fully understand the spatially resolved MIR properties, a representative sample of low- and high-mass protostars has to be probed using JWST.
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| 10. |
- Messa, Matteo, et al.
(författare)
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The young star cluster population of M51 with LEGUS - I. A comprehensive study of cluster formation and evolution
- 2018
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 473:1, s. 996-1018
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recently acquired WFC3 UV (F275W and F336W) imaging mosaics under the Legacy Extragalactic UV Survey (LEGUS), combined with archival ACS data of M51, are used to study the young star cluster (YSC) population of this interacting system. Our newly extracted source catalogue contains 2834 cluster candidates, morphologically classified to be compact and uniform in colour, for which ages, masses and extinction are derived. In this first work we study the main properties of the YSC population of the whole galaxy, considering a mass-limited sample. Both luminosity and mass functions follow a power-law shape with slope -2, but at high luminosities and masses a dearth of sources is observed. The analysis of the mass function suggests that it is best fitted by a Schechter function with slope -2 and a truncation mass at 1.00 +/- 0.12 x 10(5) M-circle dot . Through Monte Carlo simulations, we confirm this result and link the shape of the luminosity function to the presence of a truncation in the mass function. A mass limited age function analysis, between 10 and 200 Myr, suggests that the cluster population is undergoing only moderate disruption. We observe little variation in the shape of the mass function at masses above 1 x 10(4) M-circle dot over this age range. The fraction of star formation happening in the form of bound clusters in M51 is similar to 20 per cent in the age range 10-100 Myr and little variation is observed over the whole range from 1 to 200 Myr.
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