arXiv subjects

Chian-Chou Chen

Publications and source records attributed to Chian-Chou Chen.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2023

MAGNIF: A Tentative Lensed Rotating Disk at $z=8.34$ detected by JWST NIRCam WFSS with Dynamical Forward Modeling

We report galaxy MACS0416-Y3 behind the lensing cluster MACSJ0416.1--2403 as a tentative rotating disk at $z=8.34$ detected through its [OIII]$\lambda5007$ emission in JWST NIRCam wide-field slitless spectroscopic observations. The discovery is based on our new grism dynamical modeling methodology for JWST NIRCam slitless spectroscopy, using the data from ``Median-band Astrophysics with the Grism of NIRCam in Frontier Fields'' (MAGNIF), a JWST Cycle-2 program. The [OIII]$\lambda5007$ emission line morphology in grism data shows velocity offsets compared to the F480M direct imaging, suggestive of rotation. Assuming a geometrically thin disk model, we constrain the rotation velocity of $v_{\rm rot}=58^{+53}_{-35}$ km s$^{-1}$ via forward modeling of the two-dimensional (2D) spectrum. We obtain the kinematic ratio of $v_{\rm rot}/σ_v=1.6^{+1.9}_{-0.9}$, where $σ_v$ is the velocity dispersion, in line with a quasi-stable thin disk. The resulting dynamical mass is estimated to be $\log(M_{\rm dyn}/M_{\odot})=8.4^{+0.5}_{-0.7}$. If the rotation confirmed, our discovery suggests that rotating gaseous disks may have already existed within 600 million years after Big Bang.

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arXiv2023

Submillimetre galaxies as laboratories for dust grain coagulation

Coagulation in the dense interstellar medium (ISM) is an important process that determines the size of the largest grains. We use submillimetre galaxies (SMGs) as laboratories of grain coagulation, since some of them host the densest ISM on a galactic scale among various populations of galaxies known. We examine how large the grains can be in such dense environments based on the mean ISM density estimated from the observed typical dust mass density in SMGs. We also consider local density enhancement based on a model of supersonic turbulence, which is expected from strong stellar feedback. In the unlimited coagulation model, in which we do not impose any coagulation threshold velocity, grains as large as $\sim 30~μ$m can form under the observationally estimated mean gas density if the Mach number of turbulence is $\mathcal{M}\gtrsim 3$. We exclude this possibility since the observed emissivity index $β\simeq 2$ in the far infrared (FIR) indicates that such large grains cannot actively form in SMGs. This means that coagulation does not proceed in an unlimited way: 30-$μ$m grains should have velocities larger than the coagulation threshold. If we use a coagulation threshold (upper limit) grain velocity ($\sim 0.08$ km s$^{-1}$) taken from a theoretical study, grains likely grow only up to $μ$m size, which is small enough not to affect the FIR emissivity index. The above results indicate that SMGs can be used to constrain the physical processes relevant to coagulation.

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arXiv2023

Circumgalactic Ly$α$ emission around submillimeter-bright galaxies with different quasar contributions

We present VLT/MUSE observations targeting the extended Lyman-$α$ (Ly$α$) emission of five high-redshift ($z\sim$3-4) submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) with increasing quasar (QSO) radiation: two SMGs, two SMGs hosting a QSO, and one SMG hosting a QSO with a SMG companion (QSO+SMG). These sources should be located in dark matter halos of comparable masses (average mass of $M_{\rm DM}\sim10^{12.2}\,{\rm M}_\odot$). We quantify the luminosity and extent of the Ly$α$ emission, together with its kinematics, and examine four Ly$α$ powering mechanisms: photoionization from QSOs/star formation, shocks by galactic/QSO outflows, gravitational cooling radiation, and Ly$α$ photons resonant scattering. We find a variety of Ly$α$ luminosities and extents, with the QSO+SMG system displaying the most extended and bright nebula, followed by the SMGs hosting a QSO, and finally the undetected circumgalactic medium (CGM) of SMGs. This diversity implies that gravitational cooling is unlikely to be the main powering mechanism. We show that photoionization from the QSO and QSO outflows can contribute to power the emission for average densities $n_{\rm H}>0.5\,$cm$^{-3}$. Moreover, the observed Ly$α$ luminosities scale with the QSO's budget of Ly$α$ photons modulo the dust content in each galaxy, highlighting a possible contribution from resonant scattering of QSO's radiation in powering the nebulae. We find larger Ly$α$ linewidths (FWHM$\gtrsim 1200\,$km$\,$s$^{-1}$) than usually reported around radio-quiet systems, pointing to large-scale outflows. A statistical survey targeting similar high-redshift massive systems with known host properties is needed to confirm our findings.

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arXiv2023

JCMT/SCUBA-2 uncovers an excess of $850μ$m counts on megaparsec scales around high-redshift quasars. Characterization of the overdensities and their alignment with the quasars' Ly$α$ nebulae

We conducted a systematic survey of the environment of high-z quasars at submillimeter wavelengths to unveil and characterize the surrounding distribution of dusty submillimeter galaxies (SMGs). We took sensitive JCMT/SCUBA-2 observations for 3 enormous Lyman-alpha nebulae (ELANe) and 17 quasar fields in the redshift range 2 4 or detected in both bands at S/N>3. We ran Monte Carlo simulations to construct 850$μ$m number counts and unveil an excess of sources in 75% of the targeted fields. Overall, regions around ELANe and quasars are overabundant with respect to blank fields by a factor of $3.4\pm0.4$ and $2.5\pm0.2$, respectively. Therefore, the excess of SMGs is likely part of the Mpc-scale environment around these systems. By combining all fields and repeating the count analysis in radial apertures, we find a decrease in the overdensity factor from >3 within $\sim 2$ cMpc to $\sim2$ at the edge of the surveyed field ($\sim10$ cMpc), suggesting that the physical extent of the overdensities is larger than our maps. We computed preferred directions for the overdensities of SMGs from the positions of the sources and used them to orient and create stacked maps of source densities for the quasars' environment. This stacking unveils an elongated structure reminiscent of a large-scale filament with a scale width of $\approx 3$ cMpc. Finally, the directions of the overdensities are roughly aligned with the major axis of the Ly$α$ nebulae, suggesting that the latter trace, on hundreds of kpc, the central regions of the projected large-scale structure described by the SMGs on Mpc scales. Confirming member associations of the SMGs is required to further characterize their spatial and kinematic distribution around ELANe and quasars.

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arXiv2023

VLA Legacy Survey of Molecular Gas in Massive Star-forming Galaxies at High Redshift

We present initial results of an ongoing survey with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array targeting the CO($J$ = 1-0) transition in a sample of 30 submillimeter-selected, dusty star-forming galaxies at $z =$ 2-5 with existing mid--$J$ CO detections from ALMA and NOEMA, of which 17 have been fully observed. We detect CO(1-0) emission in 11 targets, along with three tentative ($\sim$1.5-2$σ$) detections; three galaxies are undetected. Our results yield total molecular gas masses of 6-23$\times$10$^{10}$ ($α_\mathrm{CO}$/1) M$_\odot$, with gas mass fractions, $f_\mathrm{gas}$=$M_\mathrm{mol}$/($M_*$+$M_\mathrm{mol}$), of 0.1-0.8 and a median depletion time of (140$\pm$70) Myr. We find median CO excitation ratios of $r_{31}$ = 0.75$\pm$0.39 and $r_{41}$ = 0.63$\pm$0.44, with a significant scatter. We find no significant correlation between the excitation ratio and a number of key parameters such as redshift, CO(1-0) line width or $Σ_\mathrm{SFR}$. We only find a tentative positive correlation between $r_{41}$ and the star-forming efficiency, but we are limited by our small sample size. Finally, we compare our results to predictions from the SHARK semi-analytical model, finding a good agreement between the molecular gas masses, depletion times and gas fractions of our sources and their SHARK counterparts. Our results highlight the heterogeneous nature of the most massive star-forming galaxies at high-redshift, and the importance of CO(1--0) observations to robustly constrain their total molecular gas content and ISM properties.

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arXiv2022

JWST sneaks a peek at the stellar morphology of $z\sim2$ submillimeter galaxies: Bulge formation at cosmic noon

We report morphological analyses of seven submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) at $z\sim2$ using the JWST NIRCam images taken as part of the public CEERS and PRIMER surveys. Through two-dimensional surface brightness profile fittings we find evidence of bulges in all the sample SMGs, in particular at F444W filter, suggesting an ubiquitous presence of stellar bulges. The median size of these bulges at F444W is found to be 0.7$\pm$1.0 kpc and its median Sersic index is 0.7$\pm$0.9. Structures akin to spiral arms and bars are also identified, although their asymmetric shapes, tidal features, as well as evidence of nearby galaxies at consistent redshifts as those of corresponding SMGs suggest that these SMGs are undergoing dynamical interactions, likely responsible for the triggering of their star-forming activities. Via the curve-of-growth analyses we deduce half-light radii for the NIRCam wavebands, finding that sizes are significantly smaller at longer wavelengths in all cases, in particular that the median size ratio between F444W and F150W is $0.6\pm0.1$. However, we also find that F444W sizes, roughly corresponding to rest-frame $H$-band, are not smaller than those of submillimeter continuum as measured by ALMA, contrasting recent predictions from theoretical models. Our results suggest that while stellar bulges are undergoing an active formation phase in SMGs at $z\sim2$, the total stellar masses of SMGs are still dominated by their disks, not bulges.

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arXiv2022

The Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope: Key science drivers

The Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) is a concept for a 50m class single-dish telescope that will provide high sensitivity, fast mapping of the (sub-)millimeter sky. Expected to be powered by renewable energy sources, and to be constructed in the Atacama desert in the 2030s, AtLAST's suite of up to six state-of-the-art instruments will take advantage of its large field of view and high throughput to deliver efficient continuum and spectroscopic observations of the faint, large-scale emission that eludes current facilities. Here we present the key science drivers for the telescope characteristics, and discuss constraints that the transformational science goals place on future instrumentation.

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arXiv2022

An ALMA Spectroscopic Survey of the Brightest Submillimeter Galaxies in the SCUBA-2-COSMOS field (AS2COSPEC): Survey Description and First Results

We introduce an ALMA band 3 spectroscopic survey, targeting the brightest submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) in the COSMOS field. Here we present the first results based on the 18 primary SMGs that have 870 $μ$m flux densities of $S_{870}=12.4-19.3$ mJy and are drawn from a parent sample of 260 ALMA-detected SMGs from the AS2COSMOS survey. We detect emission lines in 17 and determine their redshifts to be in the range of $z=2-5$ with a median of ${3.3\pm0.3}$. We confirm that SMGs with brighter $S_{870}$ are located at higher redshifts. The data additionally cover five fainter companion SMGs, and we obtain line detection in one. Together with previous studies, our results indicate that for SMGs that satisfy our selection, their brightest companion SMGs are physically associated with their corresponding primary SMGs in $\ge40$% of the time, suggesting that mergers play a role in the triggering of star formation. By modeling the foreground gravitational fields, $<10$% of the primary SMGs can be strongly lensed with a magnification $μ>2$. We determine that about 90\% of the primary SMGs have lines that are better described by double Gaussian profiles, and the median separation of the two Gaussian peaks is 430$\pm$40 km s$^{-1}$. This allows estimates of an average baryon mass, which together with the line dispersion measurements puts our primary SMGs on the similar mass-$σ$ correlation found on local early-type galaxies. Finally, the number density of our $z>4$ primary SMGs is found to be $1^{+0.9}_{-0.6}\times10^6$ cMpc$^{-3}$, suggesting that they can be the progenitors of $z\sim3-4$ massive quiescent galaxies.

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arXiv2021

A Multiwavelength Study of ELAN Environments (AMUSE$^2$): Ubiquitous dusty star-forming galaxies associated with enormous Ly$α$ nebulae on megaparsec scales

We have been undertaking a systematic survey at 850 $μ$m based on a sample of four prototypical $z\sim2-3$ enormous Ly$α$ nebulae (ELANe) as well as their megaparsec-scale (Mpc-scale) environments to study the physical connections between ELANe and their coeval dusty submillimeter galaxies (SMGs). By analysing the SCUBA-2 data with self-consistent Monte Carlo simulations to construct the number counts, here, we report on the overabundance of 850 $μ$m-selected submillimeter sources around all the four ELANe, by a factor of 3.6$\pm$0.6 (weighted average) compared to the blank fields. This suggests that the excessive number of submillimeter sources are likely to be part of the Mpc-scale environment around the ELANe, corroborating the co-evolution scenario for SMGs and quasars; this is a process which may be more commonly observed in the ELAN fields. If the current form of the underlying count models continues toward the fainter end, our results would suggest an excess of the 850 $μ$m extragalactic background light by a factor of between 2-10, an indication of significant background light fluctuations on the survey scales. Finally, by assuming that all the excessive submillimeter sources are associated with their corresponding ELAN environments, we estimate the SFR densities of each ELAN field, as well as a weighted average of $Σ$SFR=1200$\pm$300 $M_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-3}$, consistent with that found in the vicinity of other quasar systems or proto-clusters at similar redshifts; in addition, it is a factor of about 300 greater than the cosmic mean.

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arXiv2021

A Multiwavelength Study of ELAN Environments (AMUSE$^2$): Detection of a dusty star-forming galaxy within the enormous Lyman $α$ nebula at $z=2.3$ sheds light on its origin

We present ALMA observations on and around the radio-quiet quasar UM287 at $z=2.28$. Together with a companion quasar, UM287 is believed to play a major role in powering the surrounding enormous Ly$α$ nebula (ELAN), dubbed the Slug ELAN, that has an end-to-end size of 450 physical kpc. In addition to the quasars, we detect a new dusty star-forming galaxy (DSFG), dubbed the Slug-DSFG, in 2 mm continuum with a single emission line consistent with CO(4-3). The Slug-DSFG sits at a projected distance of 100 kpc south-east from UM287, with a systemic velocity difference of $-360\pm30$ km s$^{-1}$ with respect to UM287, suggesting it being a possible contributor to the powering of the Slug ELAN. With careful modeling of SED and dynamical analyses it is found that the Slug-DSFG and UM287 appear low in both gas fraction and gas-to-dust ratio, suggesting environmental effects due to the host massive halo. In addition, our Keck long-slit spectra reveal significant Ly$α$ emissions from the Slug-DSFG, as well as a Ly$α$ tail that starts at the location and velocity of the Slug-DSFG and extends towards the south, with a projected length of about 100 kpc. Supported by various analytical estimates we propose that the Ly$α$ tail is a result of the Slug-DSFG experiencing ram pressure stripping. The gas mass stripped is estimated to be about 10$^9$ M$_\odot$, contributing to the dense warm/cool gas reservoir that is believed to help power the exceptional Ly$α$ luminosity.

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arXiv2021

A Multiwavelength Study of ELAN Environments (AMUSE$^2$). Mass budget, satellites spin alignment and gas infall in a massive $z\sim3$ quasar host halo

The systematic targeting of extended Ly$α$ emission around high-redshift quasars resulted in the discovery of rare and bright Enormous Ly$α$ Nebulae (ELANe) associated with multiple active galactic nuclei (AGN). We here initiate "a multiwavelength study of ELAN environments" (AMUSE$^2$) focusing on the ELAN around the $z\sim3$ quasar SDSS J1040+1020, a.k.a. the Fabulous ELAN. We report on VLT/HAWK-I, APEX/LABOCA, JCMT/SCUBA-2, SMA/850$μ$m, ALMA/CO(5-4) and 2mm observations and compare them to previously published VLT/MUSE data. The continuum and line detections enable a first estimate of the star-formation rates, dust, stellar and molecular gas masses in four objects associated with the ELAN (three AGNs and one Ly$α$ emitter), confirming that the quasar host is the most star-forming (${\rm SFR}\sim500$ M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$) and massive galaxy ($M_{\rm star}\sim10^{11}$ M$_{\odot}$) in the system, and thus can be assumed as central. All four embedded objects have similar molecular gas reservoirs ($M_{\rm H_2}\sim10^{10}$ M$_{\odot}$), resulting in short depletion time scales. This fact together with the estimated total dark-matter halo mass, $M_{\rm DM}=(0.8-2)\times10^{13}$ M$_{\odot}$, implies that this ELAN will evolve into a giant elliptical galaxy. Consistently, the constraint on the baryonic mass budget for the whole system indicates that the majority of baryons should reside in a massive warm-hot reservoir (up to $10^{12}$ M$_{\odot}$), needed to complete the baryons count. Additionally, we discuss signatures of gas infall on the compact objects as traced by Ly$α$ radiative transfer effects and the evidence for the alignment between the satellites' spins and their directions to the central.

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arXiv2021

Stellar feedback in a clumpy galaxy at $z \sim$ 3.4

Giant star-forming regions (clumps) are widespread features of galaxies at $z \approx 1-4$. Theory predicts that they can play a crucial role in galaxy evolution if they survive to stellar feedback for > 50 Myr. Numerical simulations show that clumps' survival depends on the stellar feedback recipes that are adopted. Up to date, observational constraints on both clumps' outflows strength and gas removal timescale are still uncertain. In this context, we study a line-emitting galaxy at redshift $z \simeq 3.4$ lensed by the foreground galaxy cluster Abell 2895. Four compact clumps with sizes $\lesssim$ 280 pc and representative of the low-mass end of clumps' mass distribution (stellar masses $\lesssim 2\times10^8\ {\rm M}_\odot$) dominate the galaxy morphology. The clumps are likely forming stars in a starbursting mode and have a young stellar population ($\sim$ 10 Myr). The properties of the Lyman-$α$ (Ly$α$) emission and nebular far-ultraviolet absorption lines indicate the presence of ejected material with global outflowing velocities of $\sim$ 200-300 km/s. Assuming that the detected outflows are the consequence of star formation feedback, we infer an average mass loading factor ($η$) for the clumps of $\sim$ 1.8 - 2.4 consistent with results obtained from hydro-dynamical simulations of clumpy galaxies that assume relatively strong stellar feedback. Assuming no gas inflows (semi-closed box model), the estimates of $η$ suggest that the timescale over which the outflows expel the molecular gas reservoir ($\simeq 7\times 10^8\ \text{M}_\odot$) of the four detected low-mass clumps is $\lesssim$ 50 Myr.

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arXiv2021

The impact of ionised outflows from z$\sim$2.5 quasars is not through instantaneous in-situ quenching: the evidence from ALMA and VLT/SINFONI

We present high-resolution ($\sim$2.4\,kpc) ALMA band 7 observations (rest-frame $λ\sim 250μ$m) of three powerful z$\sim$2.5 quasars ($L_{\rm bol}=10^{47.3}$-$10^{47.5}$ ergs s$^{-1}$). These targets have previously been reported as showing evidence for suppressed star formation based on cavities in the narrow H$α$ emission at the location of outflows traced with [O~{\sc iii}] emission. Here we combine the ALMA observations with a re-analysis of the VLT/SINFONI data to map the rest-frame far-infrared emission, H$α$ emission, and [O~{\sc iii}] emission. In all targets we observe high velocity [O~{\sc iii}] gas (i.e., W80$\sim$1000--2000\,km\,s$^{-1}$) across the whole galaxy. We do not identify any H$α$ emission that is free from contamination from AGN-related processes; however, based on SED analyses, we show that the ALMA data contains a significant dust-obscured star formation component in two out of the three systems. This dust emission is found to be extended over $\approx$1.5--5.5\,kpc in the nuclear regions, overlaps with the previously reported H$α$ cavities and is co-spatial with the peak in surface brightness of the [O~{\sc iii}] outflows. In summary, within the resolution and sensitivity limits of the data, we do not see any evidence for a instantaneous shut down of in-situ star formation caused directly by the outflows. However, similar to the conclusions of previous studies and based on our measured star formation rates, we do not rule out that the global host galaxy star formation could be suppressed on longer timescales by the cumulative effect of quasar episodes during the growth of these massive black holes.

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arXiv2021

Revisiting the Color-Color Selection: Submillimeter and AGN Properties of NUV-r-J Selected Quiescent Galaxies

We examine the robustness of the color-color selection of quiescent galaxies (QGs) against contamination of dusty star-forming galaxies using the latest submillimeter data. We selected 18,304 QG candidates out to $z\sim$ 3 using the commonly adopted $NUV-r-J$ selection based on the high-quality multi-wavelength COSMOS2015 catalog. Using extremely deep 450 and 850 $μ$m catalogs from the latest JCMT SCUBA-2 Large Programs, S2COSMOS, and STUDIES, as well as ALMA submillimeter, VLA 3 GHz, and $Spitzer$ MIPS 24 $μ$m catalogs, we identified luminous dusty star-forming galaxies among the QG candidates. We also conducted stacking analyses in the SCUBA-2 450 and 850 $μ$m images to look for less-luminous dusty galaxies among the QG candidates. By cross-matching to the 24 $μ$m and 3 GHz data, we were able to identify a sub-group of "IR-radio-bright" QGs who possess a strong 450 and 850 $μ$m stacking signal. The potential contamination of these luminous and less-luminous dusty galaxies accounts for approximately 10% of the color-selected QG candidates. In addition, there exists a spatial correlation between the luminous star-forming galaxies and the QGs at a $\lesssim60$ kpc scale. Finally, we found a high QG fraction among radio AGNs at $z<$ 1.5. Our data show a strong correlation between QGs and radio AGNs, which may suggest a connection between the quenching process and the radio-mode AGN feedback.

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arXiv2021

An ALMA survey of the SCUBA-2 Cosmology Legacy SurveyUKIDSS/UDS Field: Halo Masses for Submillimetre Galaxies

We present an analysis of the spatial clustering of a large sample of high-resolution, interferometically identified, submillimetre galaxies (SMGs). We measure the projected cross-correlation function of ~350 SMGs in the UKIDSS Ultra Deep-Survey Field across a redshift range of $z=1.5-3$ utilising a method that incorporates the uncertainties in the redshift measurements for both the SMGs and cross-correlated galaxies through sampling their full probability distribution functions. By measuring the absolute linear bias of the SMGs we derive halo masses of $\log_{10}(M_{\rm halo}[{h^{-1}\,\rm M_{\odot}}])\sim12.8$ with no evidence of evolution in the halo masses with redshift, contrary to some previous work. From considering models of halo mass growth rates we predict that the SMGs will reside in haloes of mass $\log_{10}(M_{\rm halo}[{h^{-1}\,\rm M_{\odot}}])\sim13.2$ at $z=0$, consistent with the expectation that the majority of $z=1.5-3$ SMGs will evolve into present-day spheroidal galaxies. Finally, comparing to models of stellar-to-halo mass ratios, we show that SMGs may correspond to systems that are maximally efficient at converting their gas reservoirs into stars. We compare them to a simple model for gas cooling in halos that suggests that the unique properties of the SMG population, including their high levels of star-formation and their redshift distribution, are a result of the SMGs being the most massive galaxies that are still able to accrete cool gas from their surrounding intragalactic medium.

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arXiv2021

The Physical Drivers of the Luminosity-Weighted Dust Temperatures in High-Redshift Galaxies

The underlying distribution of galaxies' dust SEDs (i.e., their spectra re-radiated by dust from rest-frame $\sim$3$μ$m-3mm) remains relatively unconstrained due to a dearth of FIR/(sub)mm data for large samples of galaxies. It has been claimed in the literature that a galaxy's dust temperature -- observed as the wavelength where the dust SED peaks ($λ_{peak}$) -- is traced most closely by its specific star-formation rate (sSFR) or parameterized 'distance' to the SFR-M$_\star$ relation (the galaxy 'main sequence'). We present 0.24" resolved 870$μ$m ALMA dust continuum observations of seven $z=1.4-4.6$ dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) chosen to have a large range of well-constrained luminosity-weighted dust temperatures. We also draw on similar resolution dust continuum maps from a sample of ALESS submillimeter galaxies from Hodge et al. (2016). We constrain the physical scales over which the dust radiates and compare those measurements to characteristics of the integrated SED. We confirm significant correlations of $λ_{peak}$ with both L$_{IR}$ (or SFR) and $Σ_{\rm IR}$ ($\propto$SFR surface density). We investigate the correlation between $\log_{10}$($λ_{peak}$) and $\log_{10}$($Σ_{\rm IR}$) and find the relation to hold as would be expected from the Stefan-Boltzmann Law, or the effective size of an equivalent blackbody. The correlations of $λ_{peak}$ with sSFR and distance from the SFR-M$_\star$ relation are less significant than those for $Σ_{\rm IR}$ or L$_{IR}$; therefore, we conclude that the more fundamental tracer of galaxies' luminosity-weighted integrated dust temperatures are indeed their star-formation surface densities in line with local Universe results, which relate closely to the underlying geometry of dust in the ISM.

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arXiv2020

FIR-luminous [CII] emitters in the ALMA-SCUBA-2 COSMOS survey (AS2COSMOS): The nature of submillimeter galaxies in a 10 comoving Mpc-scale structure at z~4.6

We report the discovery of a 10 comoving Mpc-scale structure traced by massive submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) at z~4.6. These galaxies are selected from an emission line search of ALMA Band 7 observations targeting 184 luminous submillimeter sources ($S_{850μ{\rm m}}\geq$ 6.2 mJy) across 1.6 degrees$^2$ in the COSMOS field. We identify four [CII] emitting SMGs and two probable [CII] emitting SMG candidates at z=4.60-4.64 with velocity-integrated signal-to-noise ratio of SNR>8. Four of the six emitters are near-infrared blank SMGs. After excluding one SMG whose emission line is falling at the edge of the spectral window, all galaxies show clear velocity gradients along the major axes that are consistent with rotating gas disks. The estimated rotation velocities of the disks are 330-550 km s$^{-1}$ and the inferred host dark-matter halo masses are ~2-8 $\times$ 10$^{12}$M$_{\odot}$. From their estimated halo masses and [CII] luminosity function, we suggest that these galaxies have a high (50-100%) duty cycle and high (~0.1) baryon conversion efficiency (SFR relative to baryon accretion rate), and that they contribute $\simeq$2% to the total star-formation rate density at z=4.6. These SMGs are concentrated within just 0.3% of the full survey volume, suggesting they are strongly clustered. The extent of this structure and the individual halo masses suggest that these SMGs will likely evolve into members of a ~10$^{15}$M$_{\odot}$ cluster at z=0. This survey reveals synchronized dusty starburst in massive halos at z>4, which could be driven by mergers or fed by smooth gas accretion.

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arXiv2020

An ALMA survey of the S2CLS UDS field: Optically invisible submillimetre galaxies

We analyse a robust sample of 30 near-infrared-faint (K>25.3, 5 sigma) submillimetre galaxies selected across a 0.96 deg^2 field, to investigate their properties and the cause of their lack of detectable optical/near-infrared emission. Our analysis exploits precise identifications based on ALMA 870um continuum imaging, combined with the very deep near-infrared imaging from the UKIDSS-UDS survey. We estimate that K>25.3 submillimetre galaxies represent 15+/-2 per cent of the total population brighter than S870=3.6mJy, with an expected surface density of ~450/deg^2 above S870>1mJy. As such they pose a source of contamination in surveys for both high-redshift "quiescent" galaxies and very-high-redshift Lyman-break galaxies. We show that these K-faint submillimetre galaxies are simply the tail of the broader submillimetre population, with comparable dust and stellar masses to K<25.3 mag submillimetre galaxies, but lying at significantly higher redshifts (z=3.44+/-0.06 versus z=2.36+/-0.11) and having higher dust attenuation (Av=5.2+/-0.3 versus Av=2.9+/-0.1). We investigate the origin of the strong dust attenuation and find indications that these K-faint galaxies have smaller dust continuum sizes than the K<25.3 galaxies, as measured by ALMA, which suggests their high attenuation is related to their compact sizes. We find a correlation of dust attenuation with star-formation rate surface density (Sigma_SFR), with the K-faint submillimetre galaxies representing the higher-Sigma_SFR and highest-Av galaxies. The concentrated, intense star-formation activity in these systems is likely to be associated with the formation of spheroids in compact galaxies at high redshifts, but as a result of their high obscuration these are completely missed in UV, optical and even near-infrared surveys.

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