Gravitational wave backgrounds and the cosmic transition from Population III to Population II stars     

Stefania Marassi  Raffaella Schneider  Valeria Ferrari 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2009,398(1):293-302

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Large-scale galactic turbulence: can self-gravity drive the observed H i velocity dispersions?     

Oscar Agertz  George Lake  Romain Teyssier  Ben Moore  Lucio Mayer  Alessandro B. Romeo 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2009,392(1):294-308

Observations of turbulent velocity dispersions in the H  i component of galactic discs show a characteristic floor in galaxies with low star formation rates and within individual galaxies the dispersion profiles decline with radius. We carry out several high-resolution adaptive mesh simulations of gaseous discs embedded within dark matter haloes to explore the roles of cooling, star formation, feedback, shearing motions and baryon fraction in driving turbulent motions. In all simulations the disc slowly cools until gravitational and thermal instabilities give rise to a multiphase medium in which a large population of dense self-gravitating cold clouds are embedded within a warm gaseous phase that forms through shock heating. The diffuse gas is highly turbulent and is an outcome of large-scale driving of global non-axisymmetric modes as well as cloud–cloud tidal interactions and merging. At low star formation rates these processes alone can explain the observed H  i velocity dispersion profiles and the characteristic value of  ∼10 km s⁻¹  observed within a wide range of disc galaxies. Supernovae feedback creates a significant hot gaseous phase and is an important driver of turbulence in galaxies with a star formation rate per unit area  ≳10⁻³ M_⊙ yr⁻¹ kpc⁻²  .  相似文献   

The STAGES view of red spirals and dusty red galaxies: mass-dependent quenching of star formation in cluster infall     

Christian Wolf  Alfonso Aragón-Salamanca  Michael Balogh  Marco Barden  Eric F. Bell  Meghan E. Gray  Chien Y. Peng  David Bacon  Fabio D. Barazza  Asmus Böhm  John A. R. Caldwell  Anna Gallazzi  Boris Häußler  Catherine Heymans  Knud Jahnke  Shardha Jogee  Eelco van Kampen  Kyle Lane  Daniel H. McIntosh  Klaus Meisenheimer  Casey Papovich  Sebastian F. Sánchez  y Taylor  Lutz Wisotzki  Xianzhong Zheng 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2009,393(4):1302-1323

We investigate the properties of optically passive spirals and dusty red galaxies in the A901/2 cluster complex at redshift ∼0.17 using rest-frame near-ultraviolet–optical spectral energy distributions, 24-μm infrared data and Hubble Space Telescope morphologies from the STAGES data set. The cluster sample is based on COMBO-17 redshifts with an rms precision of  σ _cz ≈ 2000 km s⁻¹  . We find that 'dusty red galaxies' and 'optically passive spirals' in A901/2 are largely the same phenomenon, and that they form stars at a substantial rate, which is only four times lower than that in blue spirals at fixed mass. This star formation is more obscured than in blue galaxies and its optical signatures are weak. They appear predominantly in the stellar mass range of  log  M _*/M_⊙=[10, 11]  where they constitute over half of the star-forming galaxies in the cluster; they are thus a vital ingredient for understanding the overall picture of star formation quenching in clusters. We find that the mean specific star formation rate (SFR) of star-forming galaxies in the cluster is clearly lower than in the field, in contrast to the specific SFR properties of blue galaxies alone, which appear similar in cluster and field. Such a rich red spiral population is best explained if quenching is a slow process and morphological transformation is delayed even more. At  log  M _*/M_⊙ < 10  , such galaxies are rare, suggesting that their quenching is fast and accompanied by morphological change. We note that edge-on spirals play a minor role; despite being dust reddened they form only a small fraction of spirals independent of environment.  相似文献   

Structural properties of pseudo-bulges, classical bulges and elliptical galaxies: a Sloan Digital Sky Survey perspective     

Dimitri A. Gadotti 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2009,393(4):1531-1552

We have performed 2D bulge/bar/disc decompositions using g , r and i -band images of a representative sample of nearly 1000 galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We show that the Petrosian concentration index is a better proxy for the bulge-to-total ratio than the global Sérsic index. We show that pseudo-bulges can be distinguished from classical bulges as outliers in the Kormendy relation. We provide the structural parameters and distributions of stellar masses of ellipticals, classical bulges, pseudo-bulges, discs and bars, and find that 32 per cent of the total stellar mass in massive galaxies in the local universe is contained in ellipticals, 36 per cent in discs, 25 per cent in classical bulges, 3 per cent in pseudo-bulges and 4 per cent in bars. Pseudo-bulges are currently undergoing intense star formation activity and populate the blue cloud of the colour–magnitude diagram. Most (though not all) classical bulges are quiescent and populate the red sequence of the diagram. Classical bulges follow a correlation between the bulge Sérsic index and bulge-to-total ratio, while pseudo-bulges do not. In addition, for a fixed bulge-to-total ratio, pseudo-bulges are less concentrated than classical bulges. Pseudo-bulges follow a mass–size relation similar to that followed by bars, and different from that followed by classical bulges. In the fundamental plane, pseudo-bulges occupy the same locus as discs. While these results point out different formation processes for classical and pseudo-bulges, we also find a significant overlap in their properties, indicating that the different processes might happen concomitantly. Finally, classical bulges and ellipticals follow offset mass–size relations, suggesting that high-mass bulges might not be simply high-mass ellipticals surrounded by discs.  相似文献   

A new moment method for continuum radiative transfer in cosmological re-ionization     

Kristian Finlator  Feryal Özel  Romeel Davé 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2009,393(4):1090-1106

We introduce a new code for computing time-dependent continuum radiative transfer and non-equilibrium ionization states in static density fields with periodic boundaries. Our code solves the moments of the radiative transfer equation, closed by an Eddington tensor computed using a long characteristics (LC) method. We show that traditional short characteristics and the optically thin approximation are inappropriate for computing Eddington factors for the problem of cosmological re-ionization. We evolve the non-equilibrium ionization field via an efficient and accurate (errors <1 per cent) technique that switches between fully implicit or explicit finite differencing depending on whether the local time-scales are long or short compared to the time-step. We tailor our code for the problem of cosmological re-ionization. In tests, the code conserves photons, accurately treats cosmological effects and reproduces analytic Strömgren sphere solutions. Its chief weakness is that the computation time for the LC calculation scales relatively poorly compared to other techniques  ( t _LC∝ N ^∼1.5_cells)  ; however, we mitigate this by only recomputing the Eddington tensor when the radiation field changes substantially. Our technique makes almost no physical approximations, so it provides a way to benchmark faster but more approximate techniques. It can readily be extended to evolve multiple frequencies, though we do not do so here. Finally, we note that our method is generally applicable to any problem involving the transfer of continuum radiation through a periodic volume.  相似文献   

Near-infrared bulge–disc correlations of lenticular galaxies     

Sudhanshu Barway  Yogesh Wadadekar  Ajit K. Kembhavi  Y. D. Mayya 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2009,394(4):1991-2000

We consider the luminosity and environmental dependence of structural parameters of lenticular galaxies in the near-infrared K band. Using a 2D galaxy image decomposition technique, we extract bulge and disc structural parameters for a sample of 36 lenticular galaxies observed by us in the K band. By combining data from the literature for field and cluster lenticulars with our data, we study correlations between parameters that characterize the bulge and the disc as a function of luminosity and environment. We find that scaling relations such as the Kormendy relation, photometric plane and other correlations involving bulge and disc parameters show a luminosity dependence. This dependence can be explained in terms of galaxy formation models in which faint lenticulars  ( M _T > −24.5)  formed via secular formation processes that likely formed the pseudo-bulges of late-type disc galaxies, while brighter lenticulars  ( M _T < −24.5)  formed through a different formation mechanism most likely involving major mergers. On probing variations in lenticular properties as a function of environment, we find that faint cluster lenticulars show systematic differences with respect to faint field lenticulars. These differences support the idea that the bulge and disc components fade after the galaxy falls into a cluster, while simultaneously undergoing a transformation from spiral to lenticular morphologies.  相似文献   

Radiative regulation of Population III star formation     

K. Hasegawa  M. Umemura  H. Susa 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2009,395(3):1280-1286

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Hierarchical star formation: stars and stellar clusters in the Gould Belt     

F. Elias  E. J. Alfaro  J. Cabrera-Caño 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2009,397(1):2-13

We perform a study of the spatial and kinematical distribution of young open clusters in the solar neighbourhood, discerning between bound clusters and transient stellar condensations within our sample. Then, we discriminate between Gould Belt (GB) and local Galactic disc (LGD) members, using our previous estimate of the structural parameters of both systems obtained from a sample of O-B6 Hipparcos stars. Single membership probabilities of the clusters are also calculated in the separation process. Using this classified sample, we analyse the spatial structure and the kinematic behaviour of the cluster system in the GB. The two star formation regions that dominate and give the GB its characteristic-inclined shape show a striking difference in their content of star clusters: while Ori OB1 is richly populated by open clusters, not a single one can be found within the boundaries of Sco OB2. This is mirrored in the velocity space, translating again into an abundance of clusters in the region of the kinematic space populated by the members of Ori OB1, and a marginal number of them associated with Sco OB2. We interpret all these differences by characterizing the Orion region as a cluster complex typically surrounded by a stellar halo, and the Sco-Cen region as an OB association in the outskirts of the complex. In the light of these results, we study the nature of the GB with respect to the optical segment of the Orion Arm, and we propose that the different content of star clusters, the different heights over the Galactic plane and the different residual velocities of Ori OB1 and Sco OB2 can be explained in terms of their relative position to the density maximum of the Local Arm in the solar neighbourhood. Although morphologically intriguing, the GB appears to be the result of our local and biased view of a larger star cluster complex in the Local Arm, that could be explained by the internal dynamics of the Galactic disc.  相似文献   

Dry mergers: a crucial test for galaxy formation     

S. Khochfar  J. Silk 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2009,397(1):506-510

We investigate the role that dry mergers play in the build-up of massive galaxies within the cold dark matter paradigm. Implementing an empirical shut-off mass scale for star formation, we find a nearly constant dry merger rate of  ∼6 × 10⁻⁵ Mpc⁻³ Gyr⁻¹  at   z ≤ 1  and a steep decline at larger z . Less than half of these mergers are between two galaxies that are morphologically classified as early-types, and the other half is mostly between an early- and late-type galaxy. Latter are prime candidates for the origin of tidal features around red elliptical galaxies. The introduction of a transition mass scale for star formation has a strong impact on the evolution of galaxies, allowing them to grow above a characteristic mass scale of   M _{*, c} ∼ 6.3 × 10¹⁰ M_⊙  by mergers only. As a consequence of this transition, we find that around   M _{*, c}   , the fraction of 1:1 mergers is enhanced with respect to unequal mass major mergers. This suggests that it is possible to detect the existence of a transition mass scale by measuring the relative contribution of equal mass mergers to unequal mass mergers as a function of galaxy mass. The evolution of the high-mass end of the luminosity function is mainly driven by dry mergers at low z . We however find that only 10–20 per cent of galaxies more massive than   M _{*, c}   experience dry major mergers within their last Gyr at any given redshift   z ≤ 1  .  相似文献   

Merging time-scales of stellar subclumps in young star-forming regions     

M. Fellhauer  M. I. Wilkinson  P. Kroupa 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2009,397(2):954-962

Recent observations and hydrodynamical simulations of star formation inside a giant molecular cloud have revealed that, within a star-forming region, stars do not form evenly distributed throughout this region, but rather in small subclumps. It is generally believed that these subclumps merge and form a young star cluster. The time-scale of this merging process is crucial for the evolution and the possible survival of the final star cluster. The key issue is whether this merging process happens faster than the time needed to remove the residual gas of the cloud. A merging time-scale shorter than the gas-removal time would enhance the survival chances of the resulting star cluster. In this paper, we show by means of numerical simulations that the time-scale of the merging is indeed very fast. Depending on the details of the initial subclump distribution, the merging may occur before the gas is expelled from the newly formed cluster via either supernovae or the winds from massive stars. Our simulations further show that the resulting merger objects have a higher effective star formation efficiency than the overall star-forming region and confirm the results that mass-segregated subclumps form mass-segregated merger objects.  相似文献