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Filippo Mannucci

Publications and source records attributed to Filippo Mannucci.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Heavy elements unveil the non primordial origin of the giant HI ring in Leo

The origin and fate of the most extended extragalactic neutral cloud known in the local Universe, the Leo ring, is still debated 38 years after its discovery. Its existence is alternatively attributed to leftover primordial gas with some low level of metal pollution versus enriched gas stripped during a galaxy-galaxy encounter. Taking advantage of MUSE (Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer) operating at the VLT, we performed optical integral field spectroscopy of 3 HI clumps in the Leo ring where ultraviolet continuum emission has been found. We detected, for the first time, ionized hydrogen in the ring and identify 4 nebular regions powered by massive stars. These nebulae show several metal lines ([OIII],[NII],[SII]) which allowed reliable measures of metallicities, found to be close to or above the solar value. Given the faintness of the diffuse stellar counterparts, less than 3 percent of the observed heavy elements could have been produced locally in the main body of the ring and not much more than 15 percent in the HI clump towards M96. This inference, and the chemical homogeneity among the regions, convincingly demonstrates that the gas in the ring is not primordial, but has been pre-enriched in a galaxy disk, then later removed and shaped by tidal forces and it is forming a sparse population of stars.

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From haloes to galaxies -- II. The fundamental relations in star formation and quenching

Star formation and quenching are two of the most important processes in galaxy formation and evolution. We explore in the local Universe the interrelationships among key integrated galaxy properties, including stellar mass $M_*$, star formation rate (SFR), specific SFR (sSFR), molecular gas mass $M_{\rm H_2}$, star formation efficiency (SFE) of the molecular gas and molecular gas to stellar mass ratio $μ$. We aim to identify the most fundamental scaling relations among these key galaxy properties and their interrelationships. We show the integrated $M_{\rm H_2}$-SFR, SFR-$M_*$ and $M_{\rm H_2}$-$M_*$ relation can be simply transformed from the $μ$-sSFR, SFE-$μ$ and SFE-sSFR relation, respectively. The transformation, in principle, can increase or decrease the scatter of each relation. Interestingly, we find the latter three relations all have significantly smaller scatter than the former three corresponding relations. We show the probability to achieve the observed small scatter by accident is extremely close to zero. This suggests that the smaller scatters of the latter three relations are driven by a more fundamental physical connection among these quantities. We then show the large scatters in the former relations are due to their systematic dependence on other galaxy properties, and on star formation and quenching process. We propose the sSFR-$μ$-SFE relation as the Fundamental Formation Relation (FFR), which governs the star formation and quenching process, and provides a simple framework to study galaxy evolution. Other scaling relations, including integrated Kennicutt-Schmidt law, star-forming main sequence and molecular gas main sequence, can all be derived from the FFR.

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Phase A Science Case for MAVIS -- The Multi-conjugate Adaptive-optics Visible Imager-Spectrograph for the VLT Adaptive Optics Facility

We present the Phase A Science Case for the Multi-conjugate Adaptive-optics Visible Imager-Spectrograph (MAVIS), planned for the Adaptive Optics Facility (AOF) of the Very Large Telescope (VLT). MAVIS is a general-purpose instrument for exploiting the highest possible angular resolution of any single optical telescope available in the next decade, either on Earth or in space, and with sensitivity comparable to (or better than) larger aperture facilities. MAVIS uses two deformable mirrors in addition to the deformable secondary mirror of the AOF, providing a mean V-band Strehl ratio of >10% (goal >15%) across a relatively large (30 arc second) science field. This equates to a resolution of <20mas at 550nm - comparable to the K-band diffraction limit of the next generation of extremely large telescopes, making MAVIS a genuine optical counterpart to future IR-optimised facilities like JWST and the ELT. Moreover, MAVIS will have unprecedented sky coverage for a high-order AO system, accessing at least 50% of the sky at the Galactic Pole, making MAVIS a truly general purpose facility instrument. As such, MAVIS will have both a Nyquist-sampled imager (30x30 arcsec field), and a powerful integral field spectrograph with multiple spatial and spectral modes spanning 370-1000nm. This science case presents a distilled set of thematically linked science cases drawn from the MAVIS White Papers (www.mavis-ao.org/whitepapers), selected to illustrate the driving requirements of the instrument resulting from the recent MAVIS Phase A study.

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Space Project for Astrophysical and Cosmological Exploration (SPACE), an ESA stand-alone mission and a possible contribution to the Origins Space Telescope

We propose a new mission called Space Project for Astrophysical and Cosmological Exploration (SPACE) as part on the ESA long term planning Voyage 2050 programme. SPACE will study galaxy evolution at the earliest times, with the key goals of charting the formation of the heavy elements, measuring the evolution of the galaxy luminosity function, tracing the build-up of stellar mass in galaxies over cosmic time, and finding the first super-massive black holes (SMBHs) to form. The mission will exploit a unique region of the parameter space, between the narrow ultra-deep surveys with HST and JWST, and shallow wide-field surveys such as Roman Space Telescope and EUCLID, and should yield by far the largest sample of any current or planned mission of very high redshift galaxies at z > 10 which are sufficiently bright for detailed follow-up spectroscopy. Crucially, we propose a wide-field spectroscopic near-IR + mid-IR capability which will greatly enhance our understanding of the first galaxies by detecting and identifying a statistical sample of the first galaxies and the first SMBH, and to chart the metal enrichment history of galaxies in the early Universe - potentially finding signatures of the very first stars to form from metal-free primordial gas. The wide-field and wavelength range of SPACE will also provide us a unique opportunity to study star formation by performing a wide survey of the Milky Way in the near-IR + mid-IR. This science project can be enabled either by a stand-alone ESA-led M mission or by an instrument for an L mission (with ESA and/or NASA, JAXA and other international space agencies) with a wide-field (sub-)millimetre capability at wavelength > 500 microns.

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The KLEVER Survey: Spatially resolved metallicity maps and gradients in a sample of 1.2 < z < 2.5 lensed galaxies

We present near-infrared observations of 42 gravitationally lensed galaxies obtained in the framework of the KMOS Lensed Emission Lines and VElocity Review (KLEVER) Survey, a program aimed at investigating the spatially resolved properties of the ionised gas in 1.2 3$σ$) "inverted" gradients are also found, showing an anti-correlation between metallicity and star formation rate density on local scales, possibly suggesting recent episodes of pristine gas accretion or strong radial flows in place. Nevertheless, the individual metallicity maps are characterised by a variety of different morphologies, with flat radial gradients sometimes hiding non-axisymmetric variations on kpc scales which are washed out by azimuthal averages, especially in interacting systems or in those undergoing local episodes of recent star formation.

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The Mass-Metallicity and the Fundamental Metallicity Relation revisited on a fully Te-based abundance scale for galaxies

The relationships between stellar mass, gas-phase metallicity and star formation rate (i.e. the Mass-Metallicity, MZR, and the Fundamental Metallcity Relation, FMR) in the local Universe are revisited by fully anchoring the metallicity determination for SDSS galaxies on the Te abundance scale defined exploiting the strong-line metallicity calibrations presented in Curti et al. (2017). Self-consistent metallicity measurements allow a more unbiased assessment of the scaling relations involving M, Z and SFR, which provide powerful constraints for the chemical evolution models. We parametrise the MZR with a new functional form which allows us to better characterise the turnover mass. The slope and saturation metallicity are in good agreement with previous determinations of the MZR based on the Te method, while showing significantly lower normalisation compared to those based on photoionisation models. The Z- SFR dependence at fixed stellar mass is also investigated, being particularly evident for highly star forming galaxies, where the scatter in metallicity is reduced up to a factor of ~30%. A new parametrisation of the FMR is given by explicitly introducing the SFR-dependence of the turnover mass into the MZR. The residual scatter in metallicity for the global galaxy population around the new FMR is 0.054 dex. The new FMR presented in this work represents a useful local benchmark to compare theoretical predictions and observational studies (of both local and high-redshift galaxies) whose metallicity measurements are tied to the abundance scale defined by the Te method, hence allowing to properly assess its evolution with cosmic time.

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HST Imaging of the Ionizing Radiation from a Star-forming Galaxy at z = 3.794

We report on the HST detection of the Lyman-continuum (LyC) radiation emitted by a galaxy at redshift z=3.794, dubbed Ion1 (Vanzella et al. 2012). The LyC from Ion1 is detected at rest-frame wavelength 820$\sim$890 Åwith HST WFC3/UVIS in the F410M band ($m_{410}=27.60\pm0.36$ magnitude (AB), peak SNR = 4.17 in a circular aperture with radius r = 0.12'') and at 700$\sim$830 Åwith the VLT/VIMOS in the U-band ($m_U = 27.84\pm0.19$ magnitude (AB), peak SNR = 6.7 with a r = 0.6'' aperture). A 20-hr VLT/VIMOS spectrum shows low- and high-ionization interstellar metal absorption lines, the P-Cygni profile of CIV and Ly$α$ in absorption. The latter spectral feature differs from what observed in known LyC emitters, which show strong Ly$α$ emission. An HST far-UV color map reveals that the LyC emission escapes from a region of the galaxy that is bluer than the rest, presumably because of lower dust obscuration. The F410M image shows that the centroid of the LyC emission is offset from the centroid of the non-ionizing UV emission by 0.12''$\pm$0.03'', corresponding to 0.85$\pm$0.21 kpc (physical), and that its morphology is likely moderately resolved. These morphological characteristics favor a scenario where the LyC photons produced by massive stars escape from low HI column-density "cavities" in the ISM, possibly carved by stellar winds and/or supernova. We also collect the VIMOS U-band images of a sample of 107 Lyman-break galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts at $3.40<z<3.95$, i.e. sampling the LyC, and stack them with inverse-variance weights. No LyC emission is detected in the stacked image, resulting in a 32.5 magnitude (AB) flux limit (1$σ$) and an upper limit of absolute LyC escape fraction $f_{esc}^{abs} < 0.63\%$. LyC emitters like Ion1 are very likely at the bright-end of the LyC luminosity function.

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Nearly all Massive Quiescent Disk Galaxies have a Surprisingly Large Atomic Gas Reservoir

The massive galaxy population above the characteristic Schechter mass M*~10^10.6 Msun contributes to about half of the total stellar mass in the local Universe. These massive galaxies usually reside in hot dark matter haloes above the critical shock-heating mass ~10^12 Msun, where the external cold gas supply to these galaxies is expected to be suppressed. When galaxies run out of their cold gas reservoir, they become dead and quiescent. Therefore, massive quiescent galaxies living in hot haloes are commonly believed to be gas-poor. Based on the data from SDSS, ALFALFA, GASS and COLD GASS surveys, here we show that the vast majority of the massive, quiescent, central disk galaxies in the nearby Universe have a remarkably large amount of cold atomic hydrogen gas, surprisingly similar to star-forming galaxies. Both star-forming and quiescent disk galaxies show identical symmetric double-horn HI spectra, indicating similar regularly rotating HI disks. Relative to their star-forming counterparts, massive quiescent central disk galaxies are quenched because of their significantly reduced molecular gas content, lower dust content, and lower star formation efficiency. Our findings reveal a new picture, which clearly demonstrates the detailed star-formation quenching process in massive galaxies and provides a stringent constraint on the physical mechanism of quenching.

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First [NII]122$μ$m line detection in a QSO-SMG pair BRI 1202-0725 at $z=4.69$

We report the first detection obtained with ALMA of the [N II] 122$μ$m line emission from a galaxy group BRI 1202-0725 at $z=4.69$ consisting of a QSO and a submilimeter-bright galaxy (SMG). Combining with a detection of [N II] 205$μ$m line in both galaxies, we constrain the electron densities of the ionized gas based on the line ratio of [NII]122/205. The derived electron densities are $26^{+12}_{-11}$ and $134^{+50}_{-39}$ cm$^{-3}$ for the SMG and the QSO, respectively. The electron density of the SMG is similar to that of the Galactic Plane and to the average of the local spirals. Higher electron densities by up to a factor of three could, however, be possible for systematic uncertainties of the line flux estimates. The electron density of the QSO is comparable to high-$z$ star-forming galaxies at $z=1.5-2.3$, obtained using rest-frame optical lines and with the lower limits suggested from stacking analysis on lensed starbursts at $z=1-3.6$ using the same tracer of [NII]. Our results suggest a large scatter of electron densities in global scale at fixed star formation rates for extreme starbursts. The success of the [N II] 122$μ$m and 205$μ$m detections at $z=4.69$ demonstrates the power of future systematic surveys of extreme starbursts at $z>4$ for probing the ISM conditions and the effects on surrounding environments.

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Fundamental metallicity relation in CALIFA, SDSS-IV MaNGA and high-z galaxies

The metallicity of local galaxies is tightly related not only to stellar mass, i.e. the mass-metallicity relation, but also to the star formation rate (SFR) through the so-called fundamental metallicity relation (FMR); more active galaxies show lower metallicities at fixed mass. Interestingly, high-z galaxies up to z~2.5 follow the same relation defined by SDSS locally. However, different shapes have been proposed for local galaxies, and the existence of a FMR and the role of the SFR has been recently questioned by some authors. In this paper we first discuss the various parametrizations of this mass-metallicity-SFR relation that has appeared in the literature to understand the origin of their different shapes. We then reanalysed data from CALIFA and SDSS-IV MaNGA surveys, which were used to suggest no dependency of metallicity on the SFR in local galaxies. Contrary to those claims, we find that those datasets are instead fully consistent with the predictions, showing the expected dependency on the SFR at fixed mass. Finally, we analysed those high-z data whose consistency with the local relation was questioned. While an internal dependency on the SFR among the subsamples is difficult to detect at high-z because of the limited dynamic range sampled in the three parameters and the intrinsic scatter and uncertainties of such small samples, all these datasets are compatible with the relation defined locally by SDSS galaxies. This confirms the lack of evolution of the FMR in these data up to z~2.3.

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Deciphering an evolutionary sequence of merger stages in infrared-luminous starburst galaxies at z ~ 0.7

Based on optical/near-IR Magellan FIRE spectra of 25 starburst galaxies at 0.5 < z < 0.9, Calabrò et al.(2018) showed that their attenuation properties can be explained by a single-parameter sequence of total obscurations ranging from A(V)=2 to A(V)=30 towards the starburst core centers in a mixed stars and dust configuration. We investigate here the origin of this sequence for the same sample. We show that total attenuations anti-correlate with the starburst sizes in radio (3 GHz) with a significance larger than 5sigma and a scatter of 0.26 dex. More obscured and compact starbursts also show enhanced N2 (=[NII]/Halpha) ratios and larger line velocity widths that we attribute to an increasing shock contribution toward later merger phases, driven by deeper gravitational potential wells at the coalescence. Additionally, the attenuation is also linked to the equivalent width (EW) of hydrogen recombination lines, which is sensitive to the luminosity weighted age of the relatively unobscured stellar populations. Overall, the correlations among A(V), radio size, line width, N2 and EW of Balmer/Paschen lines converge towards suggesting an evolutionary sequence of merger stages: all of these quantities are likely to be good time-tracers of the merger phenomenon, and their large spanned range appears to be characteristic of the different merger phases. Half of our sample at higher obscurations have radio sizes approximately 3 times smaller than early type galaxies at the same redshift, suggesting that, in analogy with local Ultraluminous Infrared galaxies (ULIRGs), these cores cannot be directly forming elliptical galaxies. Finally, we detect mid-IR AGN torus for half of our sample and additional X-ray emission for 6 starbursts; intriguingly, the latter have systematically more compact sizes, suggestive of emerging AGNs towards later merger stages, possibly precursors of a later QSO phase.

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Multi-phase outflows in Mkn 848 observed with SDSS-MaNGA Integral Field Spectroscopy

The characterisation of galaxy-scale outflows in terms of their multi-phase nature, amount, and effects of flowing material is crucial to place constraints on models of galaxy evolution. This study can proceed only with the detailed investigation of individual targets. We present a spatially resolved spectroscopic optical data analysis of Mkn 848, a complex system consisting of two merging galaxies at z~0.04 that are separated 7.5 kpc (projected distance). Motivated by the presence of a multi-phase outflow in the north-west system revealed by the SDSS integrated spectrum, we analysed the publicly available MaNGA data, which cover almost the entire merging system, to study the physical properties of cool and warm gas in detail. Galaxy-wide outflowing gas in multiple phases is revealed for the first time in the two merging galaxies. We also detect spatially resolved resonant NaID emission associated with the outflows. The derived outflow energetics may be consistent with a scenario in which both winds are accelerated by stellar processes and AGN activity, although we favour an AGN origin given the high outflow velocities and the ionisation conditions observed in the outflow regions. Deeper observations are required, however, to better constrain the nature of these multi-phase outflows. Outflow energetics in the north-west system are strongly different between the ionised and atomic gas components, the latter of which is associated with mass outflow rate and kinetic and momentum powers that are 1-2 dex higher; those associated with the south-east galaxy are instead similar. Strong kp-scale outflows are revealed in an ongoing merger system, suggesting that feedback can potentially impact the host galaxy even in the early merger phases. The characterisation of the neutral and ionised gas phases has proved to be crucial for a comprehensive study of the outflow phenomena.

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The mass-metallicity relation of high-z type-2 active galactic nuclei

The mass-metallicity relation (MZR) of type-2 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at 1.2 < z < 4.0 is investigated by using high-z radio galaxies (HzRGs) and X-ray selected radio-quiet AGNs. We combine new rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) spectra of two radio-quiet type-2 AGNs obtained with FOCAS on the Subaru Telescope with existing rest-frame UV emission lines, i.e., CIV1549, HeII1640, and CIII]1909, of a sample of 16 HzRGs and 6 additional X-ray selected type-2 AGNs, whose host stellar masses have been estimated in literature. We divided our sample in three stellar mass bins and calculated averaged emission-line flux ratios of CIV1549/HeII1640 and CIII]1909/CIV1549. Comparing observed emission-line flux ratios with photoionization model predictions, we estimated narrow line region (NLR) metallicities for each mass bin. We found that there is a positive correlation between NLR metallicities and stellar masses of type-2 AGNs at z ~ 3. This is the first indication that AGN metallicities are related to their hosts, i.e., stellar mass. Since NLR metallicities and stellar masses follow a similar relation as the MZR in star-forming galaxies at similar redshifts, our results indicate that NLR metallicities are related to those of the host galaxies. This study highlights the importance of considering lower-mass X-ray selected AGNs in addition to radio galaxies to explore the metallicity properties of NLRs at high redshift.

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ERIS: revitalising an adaptive optics instrument for the VLT

ERIS is an instrument that will both extend and enhance the fundamental diffraction limited imaging and spectroscopy capability for the VLT. It will replace two instruments that are now being maintained beyond their operational lifetimes, combine their functionality on a single focus, provide a new wavefront sensing module that makes use of the facility Adaptive Optics System, and considerably improve their performance. The instrument will be competitive with respect to JWST in several regimes, and has outstanding potential for studies of the Galactic Center, exoplanets, and high redshift galaxies. ERIS had its final design review in 2017, and is expected to be on sky in 2020. This contribution describes the instrument concept, outlines its expected performance, and highlights where it will most excel.

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Near-infrared emission lines in starburst galaxies at 0.5 < z < 0.9 : Discovery of a merger sequence of extreme obscurations

We obtained optical/near-IR rest-frame Magellan FIRE spectra (including Pa$β$ and Pa$γ$) of 25 starburst galaxies at 0.5<z<0.9, with average star formation rates (SFR) x7 above the Main Sequence (MS). We find that Paschen-to-Balmer line ratios saturate around a constant value corresponding to $A_{\rm V}\sim$2-3 mag, while line to IR luminosity ratios suggest a large range of more extreme obscurations and appear to be uncorrelated to the former. This behavior is not consistent with standard attenuation laws derived for local and distant galaxies, while being remarkably consistent with observations of starburst cores in which young stars and dust are homogeneously mixed. This model implies $A_{\rm V}=$2-30 mag attenuation to the center of starburst cores, with a median of ~9 mag (a factor of 4000). X-ray hardness ratios for 6 AGNs in our sample and column densities derived from observed dust masses and radio sizes independently confirm this level of attenuation. In these conditions observed optical/near-IR emission comes from surface regions, while inner starburst cores are invisible. We thus attribute the high [NII]/H$α$ ratios to widespread shocks from accretion, turbulence and dynamic disturbances rather than to AGNs. The large range of optical depths demonstrates that substantial diversity is present within the starburst population, possibly connected to different merger phases or progenitor properties. The majority of our targets are, in fact, morphologically classified as mergers. We argue that the extreme obscuration provides in itself smoking gun evidence of their merger origin, and a powerful tool for identifying mergers at even higher redshifts.

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Ionized Gas Outflows from the MAGNUM Survey: NGC 1365 and NGC 4945

AGN feedback, acting through strong outflows accelerated in the nuclear region of AGN hosts, is invoked as a key ingredient for galaxy evolution by many models to explain the observed BH-galaxy scaling relations. Recently, some direct observational evidence of radiative mode feedback in action has been finally found in quasars at $z$>1.5. However, it is not possible to study outflows in quasars at those redshifts on small scales ($\lesssim$100 pc), as spatial information is limited by angular resolution. This is instead feasible in nearby active galaxies, which are ideal laboratories to explore outflow structure and properties, as well as the effects of AGN on their host galaxies. In this proceeding we present preliminary results from the MAGNUM survey, which comprises nearby Seyfert galaxies observed with the integral field spectrograph VLT/MUSE. We focus on two sources, NGC 1365 and NGC 4945, that exhibit double conical outflows extending on distances >1 kpc. We disentangle the dominant contributions to ionization of the various gas components observed in the central $\sim$5.3 kpc of NGC 1365. An attempt to infer outflow 3D structure in NGC 4945 is made via simple kinematic modeling, suggesting a hollow cone geometry.

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Molecular gas on large circumgalactic scales at z=3.47

We report ALMA observations of the most massive (star forming) galaxy in the redshift range 3<z<4 within the whole GOODS-S field. We detect a large elongated structure of molecular gas around the massive primeval galaxy, traced by the CO(4-3) emission, and extended over 40 kpc. We infer a mass of the large gaseous structure of Mgas~2-6x10^11 Msun. About 60% of this mass is not directly associated with either the central galaxy or its two lower mass satellites. The CO extended structure is also detected in continuum thermal emission. The kinematics of the molecular gas shows the presence of different components, which cannot be ascribed to simple rotation. Furthermore, on even larger scales, we detect nine additional CO systems within a radius of 250 kpc from the massive galaxy and mostly distributed in the same direction as the CO elongated structure found in the central 40 kpc. The stacked images of these CO systems show detections in the thermal continuum and in the X-rays, suggesting that these systems are forming stars at a rate of 30-120 Msun/yr. We suggest that the extended gas structure, combined with its kinematic properties, and the gas rich star forming systems detected on larger scales, are tracing the inner and densest regions of large scale accreting streams, feeding the central massive galaxy. These results corroborate models of galaxy formation, in which accreting streams are clumpy and undergo some star formation (hence enriching the streams with metals) even before accreting onto the central galaxy.

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A time domain experiment with Swift: monitoring of seven nearby galaxies

We aimed to detect a supernova (SN) shock breakout (SBO) with observations in time domain. The SBO marks the first escape of radiation from the blast wave that breaks through the photosphere of the star and launches the SN ejecta, and peaks in the ultraviolet and soft X-ray bands. The detection of a SBO allows determining the onset of the explosion with an accuracy from a few hours to a few seconds. Using the XRT and UVOT instruments onboard the Swift satellite we carried out a weekly cadenced, six months lasting monitoring of seven nearby (distance <50 Mpc) galaxies, namely NGC1084, NGC2207/IC2163, NGC2770, NGC4303/M61, NGC3147, NGC3690, NGC6754. We searched for variable/transient sources in the collected data. We found no evidence for a SN SBO event, but we discovered five objects located within the light of the sample galaxies that are variable in the X-ray and/or in the UV. Our sample galaxies are within the Universe volume that will be reached by the forthcoming advanced gravitational waves (GW) detectors (a-LIGO/a-Virgo), thus this work provides an example on how to carry out Swift surveys useful to detect the GW signal from SNe, and to detect counterparts to GW triggers.

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