arXiv subjects

Felipe Menanteau

Publications and source records attributed to Felipe Menanteau.

77 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2005

The Morphological Demographics of galaxies in the ACS Hubble Ultra Deep Parallel Fields

We present a morphological analysis of distant field galaxies using the deep ACS images from the public parallel NICMOS observations of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field obtained in the F435W (B), F606W (V), F775W (i) and F850LP (z) filters. We morphologically segregate galaxies using a combination of visual classification and objective machine based selection. We use the Asymmetry (A) and Central Concentration (C) parameters to characterize galaxies up to z_AB<25mag. We take advantage of the multicolor dataset and estimate redshifts for our sample using the Bayesian photometric redshift (BPZ) which enables us to investigate the evolution of their morphological demographics with redshift. Using a template fitting model and a maximum likelihood approach, we compute the star-formation rate (SFR) for galaxies up to z~1.3 and its contributions from different morphological types. We report that spirals are the main providers to the total SFR. The E/S0s contribution flattens out at z~1 while the Irr/Pec populations continuously rise to match the spirals contribution at z~1.0. We use the i-z and V-i color-magnitude diagrams to constrain the galaxies' formation histories and find that E/S0s show both a population of luminous red galaxies in place at z~1.2 and a bluer and fainter population resembling those of Irr/Pec at similar redshifts.

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arXiv2004

The Nature of Blue Cores in Spheroids: a Possible Connection with AGN and Star Formation

We investigate the physical nature of blue cores in early-type galaxies through the first multi-wavelength analysis of a serendipitously discovered field blue-nucleated spheroid in the background of the deep ACS/WFC griz multicolor observations of the cluster Abell 1689. The resolved g-r, r-i and i-z color maps reveal a prominent blue core identifying this galaxy as a ``typical'' case study, exhibiting variations of 0.5-1.0 mag in color between the center and the outer regions, opposite to the expectations of reddened metallicity induced gradients in passively evolved ellipticals. From a Magellan-Clay spectrum we secure the galaxy redshift at $z=0.624$. We find a strong X-ray source coincident with the spheroid galaxy. Spectral features and a high X-ray luminosity indicate the presence of an AGN in the galaxy. However, a comparison of the X-ray luminosity to a sample derived from the Chandra Deep Field South displays Lx to be comparable to Type I/QSO galaxies while the optical flux is consistent with a normal star-forming galaxy. We conclude that the galaxy's non-thermal component dominates at high-energy wavelengths while we associate the spheroid blue light with the stellar spectrum of normal star-forming galaxies. We argue about a probable association between the presence of blue cores in spheroids and AGN activity.

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arXiv2001

The Origin of Blue Cores in Hubble Deep Fields E/S0 galaxies

In this letter we address the problem of the origin of blue cores and inverse color gradients in early-type galaxies reported in the Hubble Deep Field North and South (HDFs) by Menanteau, Abraham & Ellis 2001. We use a multi-zone single collapse model. This model accounts for the observed blue cores by adopting a broad spread in formation redshifts for ellipticals, allowing some of these galaxies begin forming no more than ~1 Gyr before the redshift of observation. The single-zone collapse model then produces cores that are bluer than the outer regions because of the increase of the local potential well toward the center which makes star-formation more extended in the central region of the galaxy. We compare the predicted V-I(r) color gradients with the observed ones using the redshift of formation ($z_F$) of the elliptical as the only free parameter. We find that the model can account with relatively good agreement for the blue cores and inverse color gradients found in many spheroidals and at the same time for the red and smooth colors profiles reported. Based on the model our analysis suggests two populations of field ellipticals, one formed recently, within $\lesssim1$Gyr and another much older formed $\gtrsim4$Gyr since the redshift of observation.

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arXiv2000

Evidence for Evolving Spheroidals in the Hubble Deep Fields North and South

We investigate the dispersion in the internal colours of faint spheroidals in the HDFs North and South. We find that a remarkably large fraction ~30% of the morphologically classified spheroidals with I<24 mag show strong variations in internal colour, which we take as evidence for recent episodes of star-formation. In most cases these colour variations manifest themselves via the presence of blue cores, an effect of opposite sign to that expected from metallicity gradients. Examining similarly-selected ellipticals in five rich clusters with 0.37<z<0.83 we find a significant lower dispersion in their internal colours. This suggests that the colour inhomogeneities have a strong environmental dependence being weakest in dense environments where spheroidal formation was presumably accelerated at early times. We use the trends defined by the cluster sample to define an empirical model based on a high-redshift of formation and estimate that at z~1 about half the field spheroidals must be undergoing recent episodes of star-formation. Using spectral synthesis models, we construct the time dependence of the density of star-formation. Although the samples are currently small, we find evidence for an increase in $ρ_{SFR}$ between z=0 to z=1. We discuss the implications of this rise in the context of that observed in the similar rise in the abundance of galaxies with irregular morphology. Regardless of whether there is a connection our results provide strong evidence for the continued formation of field spheroidals over 0<z<1.

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arXiv1996

A Catalog of Faint Interacting Galaxies in Pairs and Groups

We have carried out an extensive survey of faint galaxies in order to examine the rise in the merger rate with redshift and to study the statistical relations between close interacting galaxies and the field galaxy population. In this paper we present the catalogs of faint pairs and groups of galaxies of 46 equatorial fields taken with the CTIO 4m prime focus. The data set contains 73,988 galaxies covering a total area of 2.23~deg$^{2}$. We have found 1751 isolated pairs and 30 groups of galaxies within $19<m_{R}<22$ and $2''<θ<6''$ in this area. Our results show clearly an increase in pairs and groups of galaxies in comparison to a randomly generated catalog.

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