arXiv subjects

Elena Zucca

Publications and source records attributed to Elena Zucca.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

The 2175 Å dust feature in star-forming galaxies at $1.3\le z\le 1.8$: the dependence on stellar mass and specific star formation rate

We present direct spectroscopic measurements of the broad 2175~Å absorption feature in 505 star-forming main-sequence galaxies at $1.3\le z\le 1.8$ using individual and stacked spectra from the zCOSMOS-deep survey. Significant 2175~Å excess absorption features of moderate strength are measured, especially in the composite spectra. The excess absorption is well described by a Drude profile. The bump amplitude expressed in units of $k(λ)=A(λ)/E(B-V)$, relative to the featureless Calzetti et al. law, has a range $B_k\approx0.2\textrm{--}0.8$. The bump amplitude decreases with the specific star formation rate (sSFR), while it increases moderately with the stellar mass. However, a comparison with local "starburst" galaxies shows that the high-redshift main-sequence galaxies have stronger bump features, despite having a higher sSFR than the local sample. Plotting the bump strength against the $Δ\log\mathrm{sSFR}\equiv \log \left( \mathrm{SFR}/\mathrm{SFR_{MS}}\right)$ relative to the main sequence, however, brings the two samples into much better concordance. This may indicate that it is the recent star formation history of the galaxies that determines the bump strength through the destruction of small carbonaceous grains by supernovae and intense radiation fields coupled with the time delay of $\sim1~\mathrm{Gyr}$ in the appearance of carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch stars.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

Flexible coinductive logic programming

Recursive definitions of predicates are usually interpreted either inductively or coinductively. Recently, a more powerful approach has been proposed, called flexible coinduction, to express a variety of intermediate interpretations, necessary in some cases to get the correct meaning. We provide a detailed formal account of an extension of logic programming supporting flexible coinduction. Syntactically, programs are enriched by coclauses, clauses with a special meaning used to tune the interpretation of predicates. As usual, the declarative semantics can be expressed as a fixed point which, however, is not necessarily the least, nor the greatest one, but is determined by the coclauses. Correspondingly, the operational semantics is a combination of standard SLD resolution and coSLD resolution. We prove that the operational semantics is sound and complete with respect to declarative semantics restricted to finite comodels. This paper is under consideration for acceptance in TPLP.

cs.PL↗

arXiv2020

The ALPINE-ALMA [C II] survey: the luminosity function of serendipitous [C II] line emitters at $z\sim 5$

We present the first [CII] 158 $μ$m luminosity function (LF) at $z\sim 5$ from a sample of serendipitous lines detected in the ALMA Large Program to INvestigate [CII] at Early times (ALPINE). A search performed over the 118 ALPINE pointings revealed several serendipitous lines. Based on their fidelity, we selected 14 lines for the final catalog. According to the redshift of their counterparts, we identified 8 out of 14 detections as [CII] lines at $z\sim 5$, and two as CO transitions at lower redshifts. The remaining 4 lines have an elusive identification in the available catalogs and we considered them as [CII] candidates. We used the 8 confirmed [CII] and the 4 [CII] candidates to build one of the first [CII] LFs at $z\sim 5$. We found that 11 out of these 12 sources have a redshift very similar to that of the ALPINE target in the same pointing, suggesting the presence of overdensities around the targets. Therefore, we split the sample in two (a "clustered" and "field" sub-sample) according to their redshift separation and built two separate LFs. Our estimates suggest that there could be an evolution of the [CII] LF between $z \sim 5$ and $z \sim 0$. By converting the [CII] luminosity to star formation rate we evaluated the cosmic star formation rate density (SFRD) at $z\sim 5$. The clustered sample results in a SFRD $\sim 10$ times higher than previous measurements from UV-selected galaxies. On the other hand, from the field sample (likely representing the average galaxy population) we derived a SFRD $\sim 1.6$ higher compared to current estimates from UV surveys but compatible within the errors. Because of the large uncertainties, observations of larger samples are necessary to better constrain the SFRD at $z\sim 5$. This study represents one of the first efforts aimed at characterizing the demography of [CII] emitters at $z\sim 5$ using a mm-selection of galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

Sound Regular Corecursion in coFJ

The aim of the paper is to provide solid foundations for a programming paradigm natively supporting the creation and manipulation of cyclic data structures. To this end, we describe coFJ, a Java-like calculus where objects can be infinite and methods are equipped with a codefinition (an alternative body). We provide an abstract semantics of the calculus based on the framework of inference systems with corules. In coFJ with this semantics, FJ recursive methods on finite objects can be extended to infinite objects as well, and behave as desired by the programmer, by specifying a codefinition. We also describe an operational semantics which can be directly implemented in a programming language, and prove the soundness of such semantics with respect to the abstract one.

cs.PL↗

arXiv2020

Soundness conditions for big-step semantics

We propose a general proof technique to show that a predicate is sound, that is, prevents stuck computation, with respect to a big-step semantics. This result may look surprising, since in big-step semantics there is no difference between non-terminating and stuck computations, hence soundness cannot even be expressed. The key idea is to define constructions yielding an extended version of a given arbitrary big-step semantics, where the difference is made explicit. The extended semantics are exploited in the meta-theory, notably they are necessary to show that the proof technique works. However, they remain transparent when using the proof technique, since it consists in checking three conditions on the original rules only, as we illustrate by several examples.

cs.PL↗

arXiv2019

A Syntactic Model of Mutation and Aliasing

Traditionally, semantic models of imperative languages use an auxiliary structure which mimics memory. In this way, ownership and other encapsulation properties need to be reconstructed from the graph structure of such global memory. We present an alternative "syntactic" model where memory is encoded as part of the program rather than as a separate resource. This means that execution can be modelled by just rewriting source code terms, as in semantic models for functional programs. Formally, this is achieved by the block construct, introducing local variable declarations, which play the role of memory when their initializing expressions have been evaluated. In this way, we obtain a language semantics which directly represents at the syntactic level constraints on aliasing, allowing simpler reasoning about related properties. To illustrate this advantage, we consider the issue, widely studied in the literature, of characterizing an isolated portion of memory, which cannot be reached through external references. In the syntactic model, closed block values, called "capsules", provide a simple representation of isolated portions of memory, and capsules can be safely moved to another location in the memory, without introducing sharing, by means of "affine' variables. We prove that the syntactic model can be encoded in the conventional one, hence efficiently implemented.

cs.PL↗

arXiv2018

Semantic subtyping for non-strict languages

Semantic subtyping is an approach to define subtyping relations for type systems featuring union and intersection type connectives. It has been studied only for strict languages, and it is unsound for non-strict semantics. In this work, we study how to adapt this approach to non-strict languages: in particular, we define a type system using semantic subtyping for a functional language with a call-by-need semantics. We do so by introducing an explicit representation for divergence in the types, so that the type system distinguishes expressions that are results from those which are computations that might diverge.

cs.PL↗

arXiv2018

Tracing sharing in an imperative pure calculus (Extended Version)

We introduce a type and effect system, for an imperative object calculus, which infers "sharing" possibly introduced by the evaluation of an expression, represented as an equivalence relation among its free variables. This direct representation of sharing effects at the syntactic level allows us to express in a natural way, and to generalize, widely-used notions in literature, notably "uniqueness" and "borrowing". Moreover, the calculus is "pure" in the sense that reduction is defined on language terms only, since they directly encode store. The advantage of this non-standard execution model with respect to a behaviourally equivalent standard model using a global auxiliary structure is that reachability relations among references are partly encoded by scoping.

cs.PL↗

arXiv2018

Flexible recovery of uniqueness and immutability (Extended Version)

We present an imperative object calculus where types are annotated with qualifiers for aliasing and mutation control. There are two key novelties with respect to similar proposals. First, the type system is very expressive. Notably, it adopts the "recovery" approach, that is, using the type context to justify strengthening types, greatly improving its power by permitting to recover uniqueness and immutability properties even in presence of other references. This is achieved by rules which restrict the use of such other references in the portion of code which is recovered. Second, execution is modeled by a non standard operational model, where properties of qualifiers can be directly expressed on source terms, rather than as invariants on an auxiliary structure which mimics physical memory. Formally, this is achieved by the block construct, introducing local variable declarations, which, when evaluated, play the role of store.

cs.PL↗

arXiv2017

Extending Coinductive Logic Programming with Co-Facts

We introduce a generalized logic programming paradigm where programs, consisting of facts and rules with the usual syntax, can be enriched by co-facts, which syntactically resemble facts but have a special meaning. As in coinductive logic programming, interpretations are subsets of the complete Herbrand basis, including infinite terms. However, the intended meaning (declarative semantics) of a program is a fixed point which is not necessarily the least, nor the greatest one, but is determined by co-facts. In this way, it is possible to express predicates on non well-founded structures, such as infinite lists and graphs, for which the coinductive interpretation would be not precise enough. Moreover, this paradigm nicely subsumes standard (inductive) and coinductive logic programming, since both can be expressed by a particular choice of co-facts, hence inductive and coinductive predicates can coexist in the same program. We illustrate the paradigm by examples, and provide declarative and operational semantics, proving the correctness of the latter. Finally, we describe a prototype meta-interpreter.

cs.PL↗

arXiv2016

Hidden Starbursts and Active Galactic Nuclei at 0<z<4 from the Herschel-VVDS-CFHTLS-D1 Field: Inferences on Coevolution and Feedback

We investigate of the properties of $\sim$2000 Herschel/SPIRE-selected galaxies from $0 0.5$), the highest $L_{TIR}$ galaxies in a given redshift bin are unobserved by SPIRE at subsequently lower redshifts, a trend linked to downsizing. In conjunction with other results, this evidence is used to argue for prevalent AGN-driven quenching in starburst galaxies across cosmic time.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2016

The environment of radio sources in the VLA-COSMOS Survey field

This work studies the correlation among environmental density and radio AGN presence up to $z = 2$. Using data from the photometric COSMOS survey and its radio 1.4 GHz follow-up (VLA-COSMOS), a sample of radio AGNs has been defined. The environment was studied using the richness distributions inside a parallelepiped with base side of 1 Mpc and height proportional to the photometric redshift precision. Radio AGNs are found to be always located in environments significantly richer than those around galaxies with no radio emission. Moreover, a distinction based on radio AGN power shows that the significance of the environmental effect is only maintained for low-power radio sources. The results of this work show that denser environments play a significant role in enhancing the probability that a galaxy hosts a radio AGN and, in particular, low-power ones.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

Brightest Cluster Galaxies in the Extended GMRT radio halo cluster sample. Radio properties and cluster dynamics

Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) show exceptional properties over the whole electromagnetic spectrum. Their special location at the centres of galaxy clusters raises the question of the role of the environment on their radio properties. To decouple the effect of the galaxy mass and of the environment in their statistical radio properties, we investigate the possible dependence of the occurrence of radio loudness and of the fractional radio luminosity function on the dynamical state of the hosting cluster. We studied the radio properties of the BCGs in the Extended GMRT Radio Halo Survey (EGRHS). We obtained a statistical sample of 59 BCGs, which was divided into two classes, depending on the dynamical state of the host cluster, i.e. merging (M) and relaxed (R). Among the 59 BCGs, 28 are radio-loud, and 31 are radio--quiet. The radio-loud sources are located favourably located in relaxed clusters (71\%), while the reverse is true for the radio-quiet BCGs, mostly located in merging systems (81\%). The fractional radio luminosity function (RLF) for the BCGs is considerably higher for BCGs in relaxed clusters, where the total fraction of radio loudness reaches almost 90\%, to be compared to the $\sim$30\% in merging clusters. For relaxed clusters, we found a positive correlation between the radio power of the BCGs and the strength of the cool core, consistent with previous studies on local samples. Our study suggests that the radio loudness of the BCGs strongly depends on the cluster dynamics, their fraction being considerably higher in relaxed clusters. We compared our results with similar investigations, and briefly discussed them in the framework of AGN feedback.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

The environment of radio sources in the VLA-COSMOS Survey field

Several problems regarding the process of galaxy formation are still open. One of them is the role played by AGN phenomena in contributing to galaxy build-up and to Star Formation (SF) quenching. On the other hand, the theory of AGN formation predicts these phenomena to be correlated with the host-galaxy environment, thus opening for links between SF quenching, environment and AGN phenomena in the galaxy formation paradigm. This work is focused on the study of the correlation between environmental density and radio AGN presence. Using data from the photometric COSMOS survey and the radio 1.4GHz VLA-COSMOS, a sample of radio AGNs has been defined. The environment has been studied throughout the use of the richness distributions inside a parallelepipedon with base side of 1 Mpc and height proportional to the photometric redshift precision. Richness distributions have been compared as a function of both the redshift and the relative evolution of the stellar masses of galaxies and AGN hosts up to $z=2$. Radio AGNs are always located in environments that are significantly denser than those around galaxies in which radio emission is absent. Therefore, the environment seems to enhance the probability of a galaxy to host a radio AGN. Moreover, a distinction between high power and low power radio AGNs leads to the conclusion that the significance in the environmental effect is maintained only for low power radio sources. By studying the evolution of stellar masses it is possible to conclude that radio AGN presence is a phenomenon related to quiescent galaxies up to $z=2$, with a significant increase of the fraction of quiescent galaxies hosting a radio AGN with decreasing redshift. Hints of an environmental effect are present. The results found with this work lead to conclude that denser environments play a significant role in enhancing the probability of a galaxy to host a low power radio AGN.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

Lyman-alpha Forest Tomography from Background Galaxies: The First Megaparsec-Resolution Large-Scale Structure Map at z>2

We present the first observations of foreground Lyman-$α$ forest absorption from high-redshift galaxies, targeting 24 star-forming galaxies (SFGs) with $z\sim 2.3-2.8$ within a $5' \times 15'$ region of the COSMOS field. The transverse sightline separation is $\sim 2\,h^{-1}\mathrm{Mpc}$ comoving, allowing us to create a tomographic reconstruction of the 3D Ly$α$ forest absorption field over the redshift range $2.20\leq z\leq 2.45$. The resulting map covers $6\,h^{-1}\mathrm{Mpc} \times 14\,h^{-1}\mathrm{Mpc}$ in the transverse plane and $230\,h^{-1}\mathrm{Mpc}$ along the line-of-sight with a spatial resolution of $\approx 3.5\,h^{-1}\mathrm{Mpc}$, and is the first high-fidelity map of large-scale structure on $\sim\mathrm{Mpc}$ scales at $z>2$. Our map reveals significant structures with $\gtrsim 10\,h^{-1}\mathrm{Mpc}$ extent, including several spanning the entire transverse breadth, providing qualitative evidence for the filamentary structures predicted to exist in the high-redshift cosmic web. Simulated reconstructions with the same sightline sampling, spectral resolution, and signal-to-noise ratio recover the salient structures present in the underlying 3D absorption fields. Using data from other surveys, we identified 18 galaxies with known redshifts coeval with our map volume enabling a direct comparison to our tomographic map. This shows that galaxies preferentially occupy high-density regions, in qualitative agreement with the same comparison applied to simulations. Our results establishes the feasibility of the CLAMATO survey, which aims to obtain Ly$α$ forest spectra for $\sim 1000$ SFGs over $\sim 1 \,\mathrm{deg}^2$ of the COSMOS field, in order to map out IGM large-scale structure at $\langle z \rangle \sim 2.3$ over a large volume $(100\,h^{-1}\mathrm{Mpc})^3$.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Reconciling positional and nominal binding

We define an extension of the simply-typed lambda calculus where two different binding mechanisms, by position and by name, nicely coexist. In the former, as in standard lambda calculus, the matching between parameter and argument is done on a positional basis, hence alpha-equivalence holds, whereas in the latter it is done on a nominal basis. The two mechanisms also respectively correspond to static binding, where the existence and type compatibility of the argument are checked at compile-time, and dynamic binding, where they are checked at run-time.

cs.PL↗

arXiv2011

Intersection types for unbind and rebind

We define a type system with intersection types for an extension of lambda-calculus with unbind and rebind operators. In this calculus, a term with free variables, representing open code, can be packed into an "unbound" term, and passed around as a value. In order to execute inside code, an unbound term should be explicitly rebound at the point where it is used. Unbinding and rebinding are hierarchical, that is, the term can contain arbitrarily nested unbound terms, whose inside code can only be executed after a sequence of rebinds has been applied. Correspondingly, types are decorated with levels, and a term has type decorated with k if it needs k rebinds in order to reduce to a value. With intersection types we model the fact that a term can be used differently in contexts providing different numbers of unbinds. In particular, top-level terms, that is, terms not requiring unbinds to reduce to values, should have a value type, that is, an intersection type where at least one element has level 0. With the proposed intersection type system we get soundness under the call-by-value strategy, an issue which was not resolved by previous type systems.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2001

A study of the core of the Shapley Concentration: VI. Spectral properties of galaxies

We present the results of a study of the spectral properties of galaxies in the central part of the Shapley Concentration, covering an extremely wide range of densities, from the rich cluster cores to the underlying supercluster environment. Our sample is homogeneous, in a well defined magnitude range (17=<b_J=<18.8) and contains ~1300 spectra of galaxies at the same distance, covering an area of ~26 sq.deg. These characteristics allowed an accurate spectral classification, that we performed using a Principal Components Analysis technique. This spectral classification, together with the [OII] equivalent widths and the star formation rates, has been used to study the properties of galaxies at different densities: cluster, intercluster (i.e. galaxies in the supercluster but outside clusters) and field environment. No significant differences are present between samples at low density regimes (i.e. intercluster and field galaxies). Cluster galaxies, instead, not only have values significantly different from the field ones, but also show a dependence on the local density. Moreover, a well defined morphology-density relation is present in the cluster complexes, although these structures are known to be involved in major merging events. Also the mean equivalent width of [OII] shows a trend with the local environment, decreasing at increasing densities, even if it is probably induced by the morphology-density relation. Finally we analyzed the mean star formation rate as a function of the density, finding again a decreasing trend (at ~ 3sigma significance level). Our analysis is consistent with the claim of Balogh et al. (1998) that the star formation in clusters is depressed.

astro-ph↗