| 1. |
- Adamo, Angela, et al.
(författare)
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Star cluster formation and evolution in Mrk 930 : properties of a metal-poor starburst
- 2011
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 415:3, s. 2388-2406
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present the analysis of the large population of star clusters in the blue compact galaxy (BCG) Mrk 930. The study has been conducted by means of a photometric analysis of multiband data obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We have reconstructed the spectral energy distributions of the star clusters and estimated the age, mass and extinction for a representative sample. Similar to previous studies of star clusters in BCGs, we observe a very young cluster population with 70 per cent of the systems formed less than 10 Myr ago. In Mrk 930, the peak in the star cluster age distribution at 4 Myr is corroborated by the presence of Wolf-Rayet spectral features, and by the observed optical and infrared (IR) line ratios [OIII]/H beta and [Ne III]/[Ne II]. The recovered extinction in these very young clusters shows large variations, with a decrease at older ages. It is likely that our analysis is limited to the optically brightest objects (i.e. systems only partially embedded in their natal cocoons; the deeply embedded clusters being undetected). We map the extinction across the galaxy using low-resolution spectra and the H alpha-to-H beta ratio, as obtained from ground-based narrow band imaging. These results are compared with the extinction distribution recovered from the clusters. We find that the mean optical extinction derived in the starburst regions is close to the averaged value observed in the clusters [more than 80 per cent of the systems have E(B - V) <= 0.2mag], but locally, do not trace the more extinguished clusters. Previous HST studies of BCGs have revealed a population of young and extremely red super star clusters. We detect a considerable fraction of clusters affected by a red excess also in Mrk 930. The nature of the red excess, which turns up at near-IR wavelengths (I band and longwards), remains unknown. We compare the cluster formation history and the star formation history, the latter derived from the fit of spectral population synthesis models to the spectra. We find a general agreement between the two independently estimated quantities. Using the cluster properties, we perform a study of the host environmental properties. We find that the cluster formation efficiency (the fraction of star formation happening in clusters) is significantly higher, suggesting a key role of the environment for the formation of these massive objects.
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| 2. |
- Bergvall, Nils, et al.
(författare)
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Lyman continuum leaking galaxies : search strategies and local candidates
- 2013
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 554
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Star-forming dwarf galaxies may have played an important role in the reionization of the Universe, provided that some fraction of their ionizing radiation were able to escape into the intergalactic medium. Local galaxies exhibiting such Lyman-continuum (LyC) leakage could potentially shed light on the escape mechanisms involved, but only two low-redshift cases of LyC leakage have been identified so far. Here, we argue that this meager harvest may be caused by unsuitable selection criteria. Candidates for LyC leakage are normally selected by indicators of starburst activity, one of which is a high equivalent width in H alpha. Such a criterion will guarantee a high production of LyC photons but will also bias the selection in favour of a high column density in the neutral gas, effectively ruling out LyC escape. Aims. In this work we want to investigate whether the lack of local LyC emitters can be caused in part by biased selection criteria, and we present a novel method of selecting targets with high escape fractions. By applying these criteria, we assemble a sample of observation targets to study their basic properties. Methods. We introduce a new selection strategy here where the potential LyC leakers are selected by their blue colours and weak emission lines. The selection is based on data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We also take a closer look at the properties of 8 LyC leaking candidates at z similar to 0.03 which we have observed with ESO/NTT in broadband B and H alpha. Results. We find that 7 of the 8 target galaxies are involved in interaction with neighbours or show signs of mergers. In 7 cases the young stellar population is clearly displaced relative to the main body of these galaxies, often directly bordering the halo region. In about half of our targets the absorption spectra show young post-starburst signatures. Comparing the scale lengths in H alpha with those of the stellar continua shows that the scale lengths in H alpha typically are 30% smaller, which is characteristic of galaxies influenced by ram pressure stripping. We tentatively identify a few mechanisms that could improve the conditions for leakage: 1) the combined effects of ram pressure stripping with supernova winds from young stars formed in the front, 2) merger events that increase the star formation rate and displace stars from gas, 3) starbursts in the centres of post-starburst galaxies, whose previous activity has cleared channels for leakage into the intergalactic medium, and 4) a low dust content. Although our target galaxies are rare species in the local universe, we argue that related types could have played a major role in producing ionizing radiation at high redshifts.
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| 3. |
- Bergvall, Nils
(författare)
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Star Forming Dwarf Galaxies
- 2012
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Ingår i: DWARF GALAXIES. - Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer Berlin Heidelberg. - 9783642220180 ; , s. 175-194
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Star forming dwarf galaxies (SFDGs) have a high gas content and low metallicities, reminiscent of the basic entities in hierarchical galaxy formation scenarios. In the young universe they probably also played a major role in the cosmic reionization. Their abundant presence in the local volume and their youthful character make them ideal objects for detailed studies of the initial stellar mass function (IMF), fundamental star formation processes and its feedback to the interstellar medium. Occasionally we witness SFDGs involved in extreme starbursts, giving rise to strongly elevated production of super star clusters and global superwinds, mechanisms yet to be explored in more detail. SFDGs is the initial state of all dwarf galaxies and the relation to the environment provides us with a key to how different types of dwarf galaxies are emerging. In this review we will put the emphasis on the exotic starburst phase, as it seems less important for present day galaxy evolution but perhaps fundamental in the initial phase of galaxy formation.
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| 4. |
- Bergvall, Nils, et al.
(författare)
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The red haloes of SDSS low surface brightness disc galaxies
- 2010
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 405:4, s. 2697-2716
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The faint stellar haloes of galaxies contain key information about the oldest stars and the process of galaxy formation. A previous study of stacked SDSS images of disc galaxies has revealed a halo with an abnormally red r - i colour, seemingly inconsistent with our current understanding of the stellar populations inhabiting stellar haloes. Measurements of this type are, however, plagued by large uncertainties which calls for follow-up studies. Here, we investigate the statistical properties of the faint envelopes of low surface brightness disc galaxies to look for further support for a red excess. A total of 1510 nearly edge-on, bulgeless low surface brightness galaxies were selected from the SDSS Data Release 5, rescaled to the same apparent size, aligned and stacked. This procedure allows us to reach a surface brightness of mu(r) similar to 31 mag arcsec-2. After a careful assessment of instrumental light scattering effects in the stacked images, we derive median and average radial surface brightness and colour profiles in g, r and i. The sample is then divided into three subsamples according to g - r colour. All three samples exhibit a red colour excess in r - i in the thick disc/halo region. The halo colours of the full sample, g - r = 0.60 +/- 0.15 and r - i = 0.80 +/- 0.15, are found to be incompatible with the colours of any normal type of stellar population. The fact that no similar colour anomaly is seen at comparable surface brightness levels along the disc rules out a sky subtraction residual as the source of the extreme colours. A number of possible explanations for these abnormally red haloes are discussed. We find that two different scenarios - dust extinction of extragalactic background light and a stellar population with a very bottom-heavy initial mass function - appear to be broadly consistent with our observations and with similar red excesses reported in the haloes of other types of galaxies.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Leitet, Elisabet, et al.
(författare)
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Escape of Lyman continuum radiation from local galaxies : Detection of leakage from the young starburst Tol 1247-232
- 2013
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 553
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. It has been suggested that the escape fraction of hydrogen ionizing photons (f(esc)) from galaxies is evolving with time, but the picture is far from clear. While evidence for significant escape fractions has been found at high redshifts in several studies, the picture looks different in the closer universe. The lack of local detections could in principle be a combined effect of an evolving escape fraction, the low number galaxies observed, the selection criteria of these targets, and technical problems associated with the instrument best adapted for low redshift targets, the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE). Aims. In an attempt to tackle the last of these effects, we apply a new background routine developed for FUSE data to study galaxies from the archive in search of possible Lyman continuum (LyC) leakage. In the process, for the first time a stacked spectrum in the LyC has been produced for local galaxies. With this small sample, we also make a more tentative approach to looking for possible correlations between f(esc) and physical parameters, such as internal absorption E(B - V)(i), mass, H I mass, specific star formation rate (SSFR), metallicity, and Ly alpha emission. Methods. Eight star forming galaxies with redshifts z > 0.015 from the FUSE archive were re-examined. Also, a subsample of an additional four galaxies with lower redshifts were included, for which the escape fraction was estimated from residual flux in the low ionization interstellar C II lambda 1036 angstrom line. Results. Out of the eight galaxies, only one was found to have significant LyC leakage, Tol 1247-232 (S/N = 5.2). This is the second detection of a leaking galaxy in the local universe. From the first case, Haro 11, we derive an intrinsic Lyman break amplitude for starbursts at this young age of (f(1500) (angstrom)/f(900) (angstrom))(int) = 1.5(-0.5)(+0.6), which gives an absolute escape fraction for Tol 1247-232 of f(esc) = 2.4(-0.8)(+0.9) %. Tol 1247-232 exhibits an extremely blue far-UV slope reminiscent of high redshift LyC leaking galaxies, and although it does not classify as an AGN in the BPT diagram or by other available diagnostics, a minor AGN cannot be completely excluded. The stacked sample shows an excess in the LyC with f(esc) = 1.4(-0.5)(+0.6) %, but we note that there might be important selection biases involved, since the galaxies were originally handpicked for their star forming qualities. With the small sample, we suggest a possible trend toward higher f(esc) with lower mass and with enhanced SSFR. None of the galaxies with high values of E(B - V)(i) were found to show any sign of leakage.
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| 7. |
- Leitet, Elisabet
(författare)
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On the Escape of Lyman Radiation from Local Galaxies
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Cosmic reionization was most likely initiated by star forming dwarf galaxies. Little is known about the physical mechanisms allowing ionizing Lyman continuum (LyC) photons to escape from galaxies, but to learn more we can study local galaxies in detail. Until now, there has however only been one claim of a local LyC leaking galaxy, the disputed case of Haro 11.The lack of local detections could in part be a combined effect of technical problems and search strategies. Re-examining the FUSE (Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer) data of Haro 11 led us to develop a new model for the spectral reduction, by which we could confirm an escape fraction of LyC photons (fesc) of 3.3±0.7%. In addition, eight more galaxies from the FUSE archive were examined leading to a new detection, Tol 1247-232, with fesc = 2.4±0.5%. The low value derived from the stacked spectrum of the whole sample, fesc = 1.4±0.4%, could be an indication of an evolving fesc scenario and/or an effect of probing the wrong targets.Local LyC candidates are normally selected among starburst galaxies with high equivalent widths in Hα. This can however give preference to ionization bounded H II regions with low escape fractions. In an attempt to overcome this selection bias, we developed a novel method to select LyC leaking galaxies. The selection is based on a blue continuum and weak emission lines, properties that in combination can be explained only by models with very high fesc. Using these criteria, we selected a sample of leaking candidates at z≈0.03 to be observed in Hα and Johnson B filters. The sample galaxies have properties that strongly favour leakage. Among these are clear signs of mergers and interaction with neighbouring galaxies, off-centre major star forming regions and spectral properties indicating previous starburst activity.The Lyman-alpha (Lyα) line is often used as a tracer for the distant galaxies believed to have reionized the universe. Here, for the first time local face-on spiral galaxies are studied in Lyα imaging. All three galaxies are emitting Lyα photons in the polar direction far out in the spiral arms, in clear contrast to previously studied irregular galaxies where strong emission is seen from the nuclei. If the small sample studied here is representative, it will have implications for detecting Lyα galaxies at high redshifts as it would depend strongly on the viewing angle.
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| 8. |
- Marquart, Thomas
(författare)
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Star-forming Dwarf Galaxies : Internal motions and evolution
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The study of dwarf galaxies is important in order to better understand the physics of the young universe and how larger galaxies form and evolve. In this work we focus on Blue Compact Galaxies (BCGs) which havemuch enhanced star formation (starbursts), causing blue colours and strong emission line spectra.Investigating of the inner motions of BCGs provides a means for determining masses and understanding what triggered the current starburst. We have used the Very Large Telescope to perform challenging observations of the stellar motions in several BCGs, as seen in the near-infrared Ca-triplet absorption lines. By comparing these to the kinematics of the ionized interstellar medium, we were able to look into the role of feeback from stellar winds and supernova explosions, as well as further strengthen the notion that the merging of galaxies plays an important role.Spatially resolved spectroscopy can yield information about the 3D-structure of galaxies. We have used a Fabry-Perot interferometer to study the kinematics of the interstellar medium in two samples of galaxies, each containing about twenty objects. We find strong indications for ongoing galaxy mergers that correlate well with the strength of the star-formation activity. Furthermore, by estimating dynamical masses, BCGs are shown to be on average not dynamically supported by rotation.In addition, we have used data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to study the frequency of starbursts in the local universe and the connection to their descendants. We selected starbursts by the strength of emission in H-alpha, the first Balmer recombination line, and post-starbursts by the strength of absorption in H-delta. These are indicators of currently ongoing and recent, on the order of 100 Myr, star-formation, respectively. By modelling the stellar populations we derive ages and masses and can establish a link between starbursts and postbursts in a time sequence. We find that starbursts are active on a 100 Myr timescale but are rare objects in the local universe.
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| 9. |
- Mattsson, Lars, et al.
(författare)
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ESO 546-G34 : the most-metal-poor, low surface brightness galaxy?
- 2011
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925. ; 415:1, s. L54-L58
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present a re-analysis of spectroscopic data for 23 H(II) regions in 12 blue, metal-poor, low surface brightness galaxies (LSBGs), taking advantage of recent developments in calibrating strong-line methods. In doing so, we have identified a galaxy (ESO 546-G34) which may be the most-metal-poor LSBG found in the local Universe. Furthermore, we find evidence that blue, metal-poor LSBGs, together with blue compact galaxies (BCGs) and many other HII galaxies, fall outside the regular luminosity-metallicity relation. This suggests that there might be an evolutionary connection between LSBGs and BCGs. In such cases, several very metal poor LSBGs should exist in the local Universe.
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| 10. |
- Micheva, Genoveva, et al.
(författare)
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A Super-Deep Study of the Outskirts of Haro 11
- 2010
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Ingår i: Hunting for the dark: The hidden side of galaxy formation. - New York : American Institute of Physics. - 9780735407862 ; , s. 295-296
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The low surface brightness host of Haro 11 has been observed to have anomalously red optical/NIR colors of V-K = 4.2+/-0.8 [1]. Predictions from current stellar evolutionary models for any normal stellar population over a wide range of metallicities are inconsistent with this color. We present the deepest V and K band observations to date of Haro 11 and derive a new V-K color for the host galaxy. Our new data suggest a far less extreme colour of V-K = 2.3+/-0.2, which is perfectly consistent with the expectations for an old host galaxy with the same metallicity as that derived from nebular emission lines in the star-forming center.
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