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G. L. Granato

Publications and source records attributed to G. L. Granato.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
arXiv2008

Galaxy evolution in the infra-red: comparison of a hierarchical galaxy formation model with SPITZER data

We present predictions for the evolution of the galaxy luminosity function, number counts and redshift distributions in the IR based on the Lambda-CDM cosmological model. We use the combined GALFORM semi-analytical galaxy formation model and GRASIL spectrophotometric code to compute galaxy SEDs including the reprocessing of radiation by dust. The model, which is the same as that in Baugh et al (2005), assumes two different IMFs: a normal solar neighbourhood IMF for quiescent star formation in disks, and a very top-heavy IMF in starbursts triggered by galaxy mergers. We have shown previously that the top-heavy IMF seems to be necessary to explain the number counts of faint sub-mm galaxies. We compare the model with observational data from the SPITZER Space Telescope, with the model parameters fixed at values chosen before SPITZER data became available. We find that the model matches the observed evolution in the IR remarkably well over the whole range of wavelengths probed by SPITZER. In particular, the SPITZER data show that there is strong evolution in the mid-IR galaxy luminosity function over the redshift range z ~ 0-2, and this is reproduced by our model without requiring any adjustment of parameters. On the other hand, a model with a normal IMF in starbursts predicts far too little evolution in the mid-IR luminosity function, and is therefore excluded.

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arXiv2007

The evolution of the mass-metallicity relation at z~3

We present preliminary results of an ESO-VLT large programme (AMAZE) aimed at determining the evolution of the mass-metallicity relation at z~3 by means of deep near-IR spectroscopy. Gas metallicities and stellar masses are measured for an initial sample of nine star forming galaxies at z~3.3. When compared with previous surveys, the mass-metallicity relation inferred at z~3.3 shows an evolution significantly stronger than observed at lower redshifts. There are also some indications that the metallicity evolution of low mass galaxies is stronger relative to high mass systems, an effect which can be considered as the chemical version of the galaxy downsizing. The mass-metallicity relation observed at z~3.3 is difficult to reconcile with the predictions of some hierarchical evolutionary models. We shortly discuss the possible implications of such discrepancies.

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arXiv2007

Modelling the spectral energy distribution of ULIRGs II: The energetic environment and the dense interstellar medium

We fit the near-infrared to radio spectral energy distributions of 30 luminous and ultra-luminous infrared galaxies with pure starburst models or models that include both starburst and AGN components to determine important physical parameters for this population of objects. In particular we constrain the optical depth towards the luminosity source, the star formation rate, the star formation efficiency and the AGN fraction. We find that although about half of our sample have best-fit models that include an AGN component, only 30% have an AGN which accounts for more than 10% of the infrared luminosity, whereas all have an energetically dominant starburst. Our derived AGN fractions are generally in good agreement other measurements based in the mid-infrared line ratios measured by Spitzer IRS, but lower than those derived from PAH equivalent widths or the mid-infrared spectral slope. Our models determine the mass of dense molecular gas via the extinction required to reproduce the SED. Assuming that this mass is that traced by HCN, we reproduce the observed linear relation between HCN and infrared luminosities found by Gao & Solomon. We also find that the star formation efficiency, defined as the current star formation rate per unit of dense molecular gas mass, is enhanced in the ULIRGs phase. If the evolution of ULIRGs includes a phase in which an AGN contributes an important fraction to the infrared luminosity, this phase should last an order of magnitude less time than the starburst phase. Because the mass of dense molecular gas which we derive is consistent with observations of the HCN molecule,it should be possible to estimate the mass of dense, star-forming molecular gas in such objects when molecular line data are not available.

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arXiv2007

Modeling the spectral energy distribution of ULIRGs I: the radio spectra

As a constraint for new starburst/AGN models of IRAS bright galaxies we determine the radio spectra of 31 luminous and ultraluminous IRAS galaxies (LIRGs/ULIRGs). We construct the radio spectra using both new and archival data. From our sample of radio spectra we find that very few have a straight power-law slope. Although some sources show a flattening of the radio spectral slope at high frequencies the average spectrum shows a steepening of the radio spectrum from 1.4 to 22.5 GHz. This is unexpected because in sources with high rates of star formation we expect flat spectrum, free-free emission to make a significant contribution to the radio flux at higher radio frequencies. Despite this trend the radio spectral indices between 8.4 and 22.5 GHz are flatter for sources with higher values of the FIR-radio flux density ratio q, when this is calculated at 8.4 GHz. Therefore, sources that are deficient in radio emission relative to FIR emission (presumably younger sources) have a larger thermal component to their radio emission. However, we find no correlation between the radio spectral index between 1.4 and 4.8 GHz and q at 8.4 GHz. Because the low frequency spectral index is affected by free-free absorption, and this is a function of source size for a given mass of ionized gas, this is evidence that the ionized gas in ULIRGs shows a range of densities. The youngest LIRGs and ULIRGs are characterized by a larger contribution to their high-frequency radio spectra from free-free emission. However, the youngest sources are not those that have the greatest free-free absorption at low radio frequencies. The sources in which the effects of free-free absorption are strongest are instead the most compact sources. Although these have the warmest FIR colours, they are not necessarily the youngest sources.

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arXiv2007

The SCUBA HAlf Degree Extragalactic Survey (SHADES) -- V. Submillimetre properties of near-infrared--selected galaxies in the Subaru/XMM--Newton deep field

We have studied the submillimetre (submm) properties of the following classes of near-infrared (NIR)-selected massive galaxies at high redshifts: BzK-selected star-forming galaxies (BzKs); distant red galaxies (DRGs); and extremely red objects (EROs). We used the SCUBA HAlf Degree Extragalactic Survey (SHADES), the largest uniform submm survey to date. Partial overlap of SIRIUS/NIR images and SHADES in SXDF has allowed us to identify 4 submm-bright NIR-selected galaxies, which are detected in the mid-infrared, 24 micron, and the radio, 1.4 GHz. We find that all of our submm-bright NIR-selected galaxies satisfy the BzK selection criteria, except for one galaxy whose B-z and z-K colours are however close to the BzK colour boundary. Two of the submm-bright NIR-selected galaxies satisfy all of the selection criteria we considered, i.e. they belong to the BzK-DRG-ERO overlapping population, or `extremely red' BzKs. Although these extremely red BzKs are rare (0.25 arcmin^{-2}), up to 20 % of this population could be submm galaxies. This fraction is significantly higher than that found for other galaxy populations studied here. Via a stacking analysis, we have detected the 850 micron flux of submm-faint BzKs and EROs in our SCUBA maps. While the contribution of z~2 BzKs to the submm background is about 10--15 % and similar to that from EROs typically at z~1, BzKs have a higher fraction (~30 %) of submm flux in resolved sources compared with EROs and submm sources as a whole. From the SED fitting analysis for both submm-bright and submm-faint BzKs, we found no clear signature that submm-bright BzKs are experiencing a specifically luminous evolutionary phase, compared with submm-faint BzKs. An alternative explanation might be that submm-bright BzKs are more massive than submm-faint ones.

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arXiv2007

The Role of the Dust in Primeval Galaxies: A Simple Physical Model for Lyman Break Galaxies and Lyman Alpha Emitters

We explore the onset of star formation in the early Universe, exploiting the observations of high-redshift Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) and Lyman alpha emitters (LAEs), in the framework of the galaxy formation scenario elaborated by Granato et al. (2004) already successfully tested against the wealth of data on later evolutionary stages. Complementing the model with a simple, physically plausible, recipe for the evolution of dust attenuation in metal poor galaxies we reproduce the luminosity functions (LFs) of LBGs and of LAEs at different redshifts. This recipe yields a much faster increase with galactic age of attenuation in more massive galaxies, endowed with higher star formation rates. These objects have therefore shorter lifetimes in the LAE and LBG phases, and are more easily detected in the dusty submillimeter bright phase. The short UV bright lifetimes of massive objects strongly mitigate the effect of the fast increase of the massive halo density with decreasing redshift, thus accounting for the weaker evolution of the LBG LF, compared to that of the halo mass function, and the even weaker evolution between z~6 and z~3 of the LAE LF. LAEs are on the average expected to be younger, with lower stellar masses, and associated to less massive halos than LBGs. Finally, we show that the intergalactic medium can be completely reionized at redshift z~6-7 by massive stars shining in protogalactic spheroids with halo masses from a few 10^10 to a few 10^11 M_sun, showing up as faint LBGs with magnitude in the range -17<M_1350<-20, without resorting to any special stellar initial mass function.

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arXiv2007

Astrophysical and Cosmological Information from Large-scale sub-mm Surveys of Extragalactic Sources

We present a quantitative analysis of the astrophysical and cosmological information that can be extracted from the many important wide-area, shallow surveys that will be carried out in the next few years. Our calculations combine the predictions of the physical model by Granato et al. (2004) for the formation and evolution of spheroidal galaxies with up-to-date phenomenological models for the evolution of starburst and normal late-type galaxies and of radio sources. We compute the expected number counts and the redshift distributions of these source populations separately and then focus on proto-spheroidal galaxies. For the latter objects we predict the counts and redshift distributions of strongly lensed sources at 250, 350, 500, and 850 micron, the angular correlation function of sources detected in the surveys considered, the angular power spectra due to clustering of sources below the detection limit in Herschel and Planck surveys. An optimal survey for selecting strongly lensed proto-spheroidal galaxies is described, and it is shown how they can be easily distinguished from the other source populations. We also discuss the detectability of the imprints of the 1-halo and 2-halo regimes on angular correlation functions and clustering power spectra, as well as the constraints on cosmological parameters that can be obtained from the determinations of these quantities. The novel data relevant to derive the first sub-millimeter estimates of the local luminosity functions of starburst and late-type galaxies, and the constraints on the properties of rare source populations, such as blazars, are also briefly described.

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arXiv2007

Early Type Galaxies in the Mid Infrared: a new flavor to their stellar populations

The mid infrared emission of early type galaxies traces the presence of intermediate age stellar populations as well as even tiny amounts of ongoing star formation. Here we discuss high S/N Spitzer IRS spectra of a sample of Virgo early type galaxies, with particular reference to NGC 4435. We show that, by combining mid infrared spectroscopic observations with existing broad band fluxes, it is possible to obtain a very clean picture of the nuclear activity in this galaxy.

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arXiv2007

Early Type Galaxies in the Mid Infrared

We are performing a systematic study of the properties of early-type galaxies in the mid infrared spectral region with the Spitzer Space Telescope. We present here high S/N Spitzer IRS spectra of 17 Virgo early-type galaxies. Thirteen objects of the sample (76%) show a pronounced broad feature (above 10 microns) which is spatially extended and likely of stellar origin. We argue that this feature is (mostly) due to silicate emission from circumstellar envelopes of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. The remaining 4 objects, namely NGC 4486, NGC 4636, NGC 4550 and NGC 4435, are characterized by various levels and type of activity.

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arXiv2006

UV dust attenuation in spiral galaxies: the role of age-dependent extinction and of the IMF

We analyse the attenuation properties of a sample of UV selected galaxies, with the use of the spectrophotometric model Grasil. In particular, we focus on the relation between dust attenuation and the reddening in the UV spectral region. We show that a realistic modelling of geometrical distribution of dust and of the different population of stars can explain the UV reddening of normal spiral galaxies also with a standard Milky Way dust. Our results clearly underline that it is fundamental to take into account that younger stars suffer a higher attenuation than older stars (the age-dependent extinction) because stars are born in more-than-average dusty environments. In this work we also find that the concentration of young stars on the galactic plane of spirals has a relevant impact on the expected UV colours, impact that has not been explored before this paper. Finally, we discuss the role of IMF in shaping the relation between UV reddening and dust attenuation, and we show that a Kroupa IMF is more consistent with observed data than the classical Salpeter IMF.

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arXiv2006

A highly obscured and strongly clustered galaxy population discovered with the Spitzer Space Telescope

The ~800 optically unseen (R>25.5) 24mum-selected sources in the complete Spitzer First Look Survey sample (Fadda et al. 2006) with F[24mum]>0.35 mJy are found to be very strongly clustered. If, as indicated by several lines of circumstantial evidence, they are ultraluminous far-IR galaxies at z ~ [1.6-2.7], the amplitude of their spatial correlation function is very high. The associated comoving clustering length is estimated to be r_0=14.0_{-2.4}^{+2.1} Mpc, value which puts these sources amongst the most strongly clustered populations of our known universe. Their 8mum-24mum colours suggest that the AGN contribution dominates above F[24mum] ~ 0.8 mJy, consistent with earlier analyses. The properties of these objects (number counts, redshift distribution, clustering amplitude) are fully consistent with those of proto-spheroidal galaxies in the process of forming most of their stars and of growing their active nucleus, as described by the Granato et al. (2004) model. In particular, the inferred space density of such galaxies at z ~ 2 is much higher than what expected from most semi-analytic models. Matches of the observed projected correlation function w(θ) with models derived within the so-called Halo Occupation Scenario show that these sources have to be hosted by haloes more massive than ~10^{13.4} M_\odot. This value is significantly higher than that for the typical galactic haloes hosting massive elliptical galaxies, suggesting a duration of the starburst phase of massive high-redshift dusty galaxies of T_B ~ 0.5 Gyr.

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arXiv2006

NGC 3741: dark halo profile from the most extended rotation curve

We present new HI observations of the nearby dwarf galaxy NGC 3741. This galaxy has an extremely extended HI disk, which allows us to trace the rotation curve out to unprecedented distances in terms of the optical disk: we reach 42 B-band exponential scale lengths or about 7 kpc. The HI disk is strongly warped, but the warp is very symmetric. The distribution and kinematics are accurately derived by building model data cubes, which closely reproduce the observations. In order to account for the observed features in the data cube, radial motions of the order of 5-13 km/s are needed. They are consistent with an inner bar of several hundreds of pc and accretion of material in the outer regions. The observed rotation curve was decomposed into its stellar, gaseous and dark components. The Burkert dark halo (with a central constant density core) provides very good fits. The dark halo density distribution predicted by the LambdaCDM theory fails to fit the data, unless NGC 3741 is a 2.5-sigma exception to the predicted relation between concentration parameter and virial mass and has at the same time a high value of the virial mass (though poorly constrained) of 10$^{11}$ solar masses. Noticeably, MOND seems to be consistent with the observed rotation curve. Scaling up the contribution of the gaseous disk also gives a good fit.

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arXiv2006

The Star Formation History of the Virgo early-type galaxy NGC4435: the Spitzer Mid Infrared view

We present a population synthesis study of NGC4435, an early-type Virgo galaxy interacting with NGC4438. We combine new spectroscopic observations obtained with the Spitzer Space Telescope IRS instrument with IRAC archival data and broad band data from the literature. The IRS spectrum shows prominent PAH features, low ionization emission lines and H_2 rotational lines arising from the dusty circumnuclear disk characterizing this galaxy. The central SED, from X-ray to radio, is well fitted by a model of an exponential burst superimposed on an old simple stellar population. From the lack of high excitation nebular lines, the [NeIII]15.5/[NeII]12.8 ratio, the temperature of molecular hydrogen, and the fit to the full X-ray to radio SED we argue that the present activity of the galaxy is driven by star formation alone. The AGN contribution to the ionizing flux is constrained to be less than 2%. The age of the burst is found to be around 190 Myr and it is fully consistent with the notion that the star formation process has been triggered by the interaction with NGC4438. The mass involved in the rejuvenation episode turns out to be less than 1.5% of the stellar galaxy mass sampled in a 5" central aperture. This is enough to render NGC4435 closely similar to a typical interacting early-type galaxy with inverted CaII[H+K] lines that will later turn into a typical cluster E+A galaxy and enforces the notion that these objects are the result of a recent rejuvenation episode rather than a genuine delayed formation.

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arXiv2006

The SCUBA HAlf Degree Extragalactic Survey (SHADES) -- II. Submillimetre maps, catalogue and number counts

We present the maps, source catalogue and number counts of the largest, most complete and unbiased extragalactic submillimetre survey ever undertaken: the 850-micron SCUBA HAlf Degree Extragalactic Survey (SHADES). Using the Submillimetre Common-User Bolometer Array (SCUBA) on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT), SHADES mapped two separate regions of sky: the Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Field (SXDF) and the Lockman Hole East (LH). These SCUBA maps cover 720 square arcmin with an RMS noise level of about 2 mJy and have uncovered >100 submillimetre galaxies. In order to ensure the utmost robustness of the resulting source catalogue, data reduction was independently carried out by four sub-groups drawn within the SHADES team, providing an unprecedented degree of reliability with respect to other SCUBA catalogues available from the literature. Individual source lists from the four groups were combined to produce a robust 120-object SHADES catalogue; an invaluable resource for follow-up campaigns aiming to study the properties of a complete and consistent sample of submillimetre galaxies. We present differential and integral source number counts of submillimetre galaxies and find that the differential counts are better fit with a broken power-law or a Schechter function than with a single power-law; the SHADES data alone significantly show that a break is required at several mJy, although the precise position of the break is not well constrained. We also find that an 850-micron survey complete down to 2 mJy would resolve 20-30 per cent of the Far-IR background into point sources. [abridged]

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arXiv2006

The SPITZER IRS view of stellar populations in Virgo early type galaxies

We have obtained high S/N Spitzer IRS spectra of 17 Virgo early-type galaxies that lie on the colour-magnitude relation of passively evolving galaxies in the cluster. To flux calibrate these extended sources we have devised a new procedure that allows us to obtain the intrinsic spectral energy distribution and to disentangle resolved and unresolved emission within the same object. Thirteen objects of the sample (76%) show a pronounced broad silicate feature (above 10micron) which is spatially extended and likely of stellar origin, in agreement with model predictions. The other 4 objects (24%) are characterized by different levels of activity. In NGC 4486 (M87) the line emission and the broad silicate emission are evidently unresolved and, given also the typical shape of the continuum, they likely originate in the nuclear torus. NGC 4636 show emission lines superimposed to extended silicate emission (i.e. likely of stellar origin, pushing the percentage of galaxies with silicate emission to 82%). Finally NGC 4550 and NGC 4435 are characterized by PAH and line emission, arising from a central unresolved region.

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arXiv2006

The nature of (sub)-mm galaxies in hierarchical models

We present a hierarchical galaxy formation model which can account for the number counts of sources detected through their emission at sub-millimetre wavelengths. The first stage in our approach is an ab initio calculation of the star formation histories for a representative sample of galaxies, which is carried out using the semi-analytical galaxy formation model GALFORM. These star formation histories are then input into the spectro-photometric code GRASIL, to produce a spectral energy distribution for each galaxy. Dust extinction and emission are treated self consistently in our model, without having to resort to ad-hoc assumptions about the amount of attenuation by dust or the temperature at which the dust radiates. We argue that it is necessary to modify the form of the stellar initial mass function in starbursts in order to match the observed number of sub-mm sources, if we are to retain the previous good matches enjoyed between observations and model predictions in the local universe. We also list some other observational tests that have been passed by our model.

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arXiv2006

The growth of the nuclear black holes in submillimeter galaxies

We show that the ABC scenario we proposed for the co-evolution of spheroids and QSOs predicts accretion rates and masses of supermassive black holes in sub-mm galaxies in keeping with recent X-ray determinations. These masses are well below the local values, and those predicted by alternative models. The observed column densities may be mostly due to ISM in the galaxy. The contribution of the associated nuclear activity to the X-ray background is likely negligible, while they may contribute a sizeable fraction $\sim 10 %$ to hard-X cumulative counts at the faintest observed fluxes.

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