arXiv subjects

G. Zamorani

Publications and source records attributed to G. Zamorani.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2023

The ionizing photon production efficiency of bright z$\sim$2-5 galaxies

We investigate the production efficiency of ionizing photons ($ξ_{ion}^*$) of 1174 galaxies with secure redshift at z=2-5 from the VANDELS survey to determine the relation between ionizing emission and physical properties of bright and massive sources. We constrain $ξ_{ion}^*$ and galaxy physical parameters by means of spectro-photometric fits performed with the BEAGLE code. The analysis exploits the multi-band photometry in the VANDELS fields, and the measurement of UV rest-frame emission lines (CIII]$λ1909$, HeII$λ1640$, OIII]$λ1666$) from deep VIMOS spectra. We find no clear evolution of $ξ_{ion}^*$ with redshift within the probed range. The ionizing efficiency slightly increases at fainter $M_{UV}$, and bluer UV slopes, but these trends are less evident when restricting the analysis to a complete subsample at log(M$_{star}$/M$_{\odot}$)$>$9.5. We find a significant trend of increasing $ξ_{ion}^*$ with increasing EW(Ly$α$), with an average log($ξ_{ion}^*$/Hz erg$^{-1}$)$>$25 at EW$>$50Å, and a higher ionizing efficiency for high-EW CIII]$λ1909$ and OIII]$λ1666$ emitters. The most significant correlations are found with respect to stellar mass, specific star-formation rate (sSFR) and SFR surface density ($Σ_{SFR}$). The relation between $ξ_{ion}^*$ and sSFR shows a monotonic increase from log($ξ_{ion}^*$/Hz erg$^{-1}$) $\sim$24.5 at log(sSFR)$\sim$-9.5$yr^{-1}$ to $\sim$25.5 at log(sSFR)$\sim$-7.5$yr^{-1}$, a low scatter and little dependence on mass. The objects above the main-sequence of star-formation consistently have higher-than-average $ξ_{ion}^*$. A clear increase of $ξ_{ion}^*$ with $Σ_{SFR}$ is also found, with log($ξ_{ion}^*$/Hz erg$^{-1}$)$>$25 for objects at $Σ_{SFR}>$10 M$_{\odot}/yr/kpc^2$.(Abridged)

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

The VANDELS survey: the ionizing properties of star-forming galaxies at $3 \leq z \leq 5$ using deep rest-frame ultraviolet spectroscopy

To better understand the ionizing properties of galaxies in the EoR, we investigate deep, rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) spectra of $\simeq 500$ star-forming galaxies at $3 \leq z \leq 5$ selected from the public ESO-VANDELS spectroscopic survey. The absolute ionizing photon escape fraction ($f_{\rm esc}^{\rm abs}$) is derived by combining absorption line measurements with estimates of the UV attenuation. The ionizing production efficiency ($ξ_{ion}$) is calculated by fitting the far-UV (FUV) stellar continuum of the VANDELS galaxies. We find that the $f_{\rm esc}^{\rm abs}$ and $ξ_{ion}$ parameters increase towards low-mass, blue UV-continuum slopes and strong Ly$α$ emitting galaxies, and both are just slightly higher-than-average for the UV-faintest galaxies in the sample. Potential Lyman Continuum Emitters (LCEs) and selected Lyman Alpha Emitters (LAEs) show systematically higher $ξ_{ion}$ ($\log ξ_{ion}$ (Hz\erg) $\approx 25.38, 25.41$) than non-LCEs and non-LAEs ($\log ξ_{ion}$ (Hz\erg) $\approx 25.18, 25.14$) at similar UV magnitudes. This indicates very young underlying stellar populations ($\approx 10~{\rm Myr}$) at relatively low metallicities ($\approx 0.2~{\rm Z_{\odot}}$). The FUV non-ionizing spectra of potential LCEs is characterized by very blue UV slopes ($\leq -2$), enhanced Ly$α$ emission ($\leq -25$A), strong UV nebular lines (e.g., high CIV1550/CIII]1908 $\geq 0.75$ ratios), and weak absorption lines ($\leq 1$A). The latter suggests the existence of low gas-column-density channels in the interstellar medium which enables the escape of ionizing photons. By comparing our VANDELS results against other surveys in the literature, our findings imply that the ionizing budget in the EoR was likely dominated by UV-faint, low-mass and dustless galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Euclid preparation: XXII. Selection of Quiescent Galaxies from Mock Photometry using Machine Learning

The Euclid Space Telescope will provide deep imaging at optical and near-infrared wavelengths, along with slitless near-infrared spectroscopy, across ~15,000 sq deg of the sky. Euclid is expected to detect ~12 billion astronomical sources, facilitating new insights into cosmology, galaxy evolution, and various other topics. To optimally exploit the expected very large data set, there is the need to develop appropriate methods and software. Here we present a novel machine-learning based methodology for selection of quiescent galaxies using broad-band Euclid I_E, Y_E, J_E, H_E photometry, in combination with multiwavelength photometry from other surveys. The ARIADNE pipeline uses meta-learning to fuse decision-tree ensembles, nearest-neighbours, and deep-learning methods into a single classifier that yields significantly higher accuracy than any of the individual learning methods separately. The pipeline has `sparsity-awareness', so that missing photometry values are still informative for the classification. Our pipeline derives photometric redshifts for galaxies selected as quiescent, aided by the `pseudo-labelling' semi-supervised method. After application of the outlier filter, our pipeline achieves a normalized mean absolute deviation of ~< 0.03 and a fraction of catastrophic outliers of ~< 0.02 when measured against the COSMOS2015 photometric redshifts. We apply our classification pipeline to mock galaxy photometry catalogues corresponding to three main scenarios: (i) Euclid Deep Survey with ancillary ugriz, WISE, and radio data; (ii) Euclid Wide Survey with ancillary ugriz, WISE, and radio data; (iii) Euclid Wide Survey only. Our classification pipeline outperforms UVJ selection, in addition to the Euclid I_E-Y_E, J_E-H_E and u-I_E,I_E-J_E colour-colour methods, with improvements in completeness and the F1-score of up to a factor of 2. (Abridged)

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2022

Euclid preparation. XXI. Intermediate-redshift contaminants in the search for $z>6$ galaxies within the Euclid Deep Survey

(Abridged) The Euclid mission is expected to discover thousands of z>6 galaxies in three Deep Fields, which together will cover a ~40 deg2 area. However, the limited number of Euclid bands and availability of ancillary data could make the identification of z>6 galaxies challenging. In this work, we assess the degree of contamination by intermediate-redshift galaxies (z=1-5.8) expected for z>6 galaxies within the Euclid Deep Survey. This study is based on ~176,000 real galaxies at z=1-8 in a ~0.7 deg2 area selected from the UltraVISTA ultra-deep survey, and ~96,000 mock galaxies with 25.3$\leq$H<27.0, which altogether cover the range of magnitudes to be probed in the Euclid Deep Survey. We simulate Euclid and ancillary photometry from the fiducial, 28-band photometry, and fit spectral energy distributions (SEDs) to various combinations of these simulated data. Our study demonstrates that identifying z>6 with Euclid data alone will be very effective, with a z>6 recovery of 91(88)% for bright (faint) galaxies. For the UltraVISTA-like bright sample, the percentage of z=1-5.8 contaminants amongst apparent z>6 galaxies as observed with Euclid alone is 18%, which is reduced to 4(13)% by including ultra-deep Rubin (Spitzer) photometry. Conversely, for the faint mock sample, the contamination fraction with Euclid alone is considerably higher at 39%, and minimized to 7% when including ultra-deep Rubin data. For UltraVISTA-like bright galaxies, we find that Euclid (I-Y)>2.8 and (Y-J)<1.4 colour criteria can separate contaminants from true z>6 galaxies, although these are applicable to only 54% of the contaminants, as many have unconstrained (I-Y) colours. In the most optimistic scenario, these cuts reduce the contamination fraction to 1% whilst preserving 81% of the fiducial z>6 sample. For the faint mock sample, colour cuts are infeasible.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

A super-linear "radio-AGN main sequence'' links mean radio-AGN power and galaxy stellar mass since z$\sim$3

Mapping the average AGN luminosity across galaxy populations and over time encapsulates important clues on the interplay between supermassive black hole (SMBH) and galaxy growth. This paper presents the demography, mean power and cosmic evolution of radio AGN across star-forming galaxies (SFGs) of different stellar masses (${M_{*}}$). We exploit deep VLA-COSMOS 3 GHz data to build the rest-frame 1.4 GHz AGN luminosity functions at 0.1$\leq$$z$$\leq$4.5 hosted in SFGs. Splitting the AGN luminosity function into different ${M_{*}}$ bins reveals that, at all redshifts, radio AGN are both more frequent and more luminous in higher ${M_*}$ than in lower ${M_*}$ galaxies. The cumulative kinetic luminosity density exerted by radio AGN in SFGs peaks at $z$$\sim$2, and it is mostly driven by galaxies with 10.5$\leq$$\log$(${M_{*}}$/${M_{\odot}}$)$<$11. Averaging the cumulative radio AGN activity across all SFGs at each (${M_{*}}$,$z$) results in a "radio-AGN main sequence" that links the time-averaged radio-AGN power $\langle$$L_{1.4}^{AGN}$$\rangle$ and galaxy stellar mass, in the form: $\log$$\langle$[$L_{1.4}^{AGN}$/ W Hz$^{-1}]\rangle$ = (20.97$\pm$0.16) + (2.51$\pm$0.34)$\cdot$$\log$(1+$z$) + (1.41$\pm$0.09)$\cdot$($\log$[${M_{*}}$/${M_{\odot}}$] -10). The super-linear dependence on ${M_{*}}$, at fixed redshift, suggests enhanced radio-AGN activity in more massive SFGs, as compared to star formation. We ascribe this enhancement to both a higher radio AGN duty cycle and a brighter radio-AGN phase in more massive SFGs. A remarkably consistent ${M_{*}}$ dependence is seen for the evolving X-ray AGN population in SFGs. This similarity is interpreted as possibly driven by secular cold gas accretion fueling both radio and X-ray AGN activity in a similar fashion over the galaxy's lifetime.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Properties of the interstellar medium in star-forming galaxies at redshifts 2 < z < 5 from the VANDELS survey

Gaseous flows inside and outside galaxies are key to understanding galaxy evolution, as they regulate their star formation activity across cosmic time. We study the ISM kinematics of 330 CIII or HeII emitters, using far-UV ISM absorption lines detected in the VANDELS spectra. These galaxies span a broad range of stellar masses M$_\ast$ from $10^8$ to $10^{11}$ M$_\odot$, and SFRs from 1 to 500 M$_\odot$/yr, in the redshift range between 2 and 5. We find that the bulk ISM velocity v$_{ism}$ is globally in outflow, with v$_{ism}$ of -60 $\pm$ 10 km/s for low ionization gas traced by SiII 1260 Angstrom, CII 1334, SiII 1526, and AlII 1670, and v$_{ism}$ of -160 $\pm$ 30 and -170 $\pm$ 30 km/s for higher ionization gas traced respectively by AlIII 1854-1862 and SiIV 1393-1402. Interestingly, BPASS models are able to better reproduce the stellar continuum around the SiIV doublet than other stellar population templates. For individual galaxies, $34\%$ of the sample has a positive ISM velocity shift, almost double the fraction reported at lower redshifts. Comparing v$_{ism}$ to the host galaxies properties, we find no significant correlations with M$_\ast$ or SFR, and only a marginally significant dependence (at $\sim 2σ$) on morphology-related parameters, with slightly higher velocities in galaxies of smaller size (probed by the equivalent radius), higher concentration, and higher SFR surface density. The outflows are consistent with models of accelerating, momentum-driven winds, with densities decreasing towards the outskirts. Our moderately lower ISM velocities compared to those found in similar studies at lower redshifts suggest that inflows and internal turbulence might play an increased role at $z>2$. We estimate mass outflow rates comparable to the SFRs of the galaxies, and an average escape velocity of 625 km/s, suggesting that most of the ISM will remain bound to the galaxy halo.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Metal content of the circumgalactic medium around star-forming galaxies at z $\sim$ 2.6 as revealed by the VIMOS Ultra-Deep Survey

The circumgalactic medium (CGM) is the location where the interplay between large-scale outflows and accretion onto galaxies occurs. Metals in different ionization states flowing between the circumgalactic and intergalactic mediums are affected by large galactic outflows and low-ionization state inflowing gas. Observational studies on their spatial distribution and their relation with galaxy properties may provide important constraints on models of galaxy formation and evolution. To provide new insights into the spatial distribution of the circumgalactic of star-forming galaxies, we select a sample of 238 close pairs at $1.5 < z <4.5$ ($\langle z\rangle\sim$2.6) from the VIMOS Ultra Deep Survey. We then generate composite spectra by co-adding spectra of $background$ galaxies that provide different sight-lines across the CGM to examine the spatial distribution of the gas located around these galaxies and investigate possible correlations between the strength of the low- and high-ionization absorption features with different galaxy properties. We detect C II, Si II, Si IV and C IV) up to separations $\langle b \rangle=$ 172 kpc and 146 kpc. Our $W_{0}$ radial profiles suggest a potential redshift evolution for the CGM gas content producing these absorptions. We find a correlation between C II and C IV with star formation rate, stellar mass and trends with galaxy size estimated by the effective radius and azimuthal angle. Galaxies with high star formation rate show stronger C IV absorptions compared with star-forming galaxies with low SFR and low stellar mass. These results could be explained by stronger outflows, softer radiation fields unable to ionize high-ionization state lines or by the galactic fountain scenario where metal-rich gas ejected from previous star-formation episodes fall back to the galaxy.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

The VANDELS survey: a measurement of the average Lyman-continuum escape fraction of star-forming galaxies at z=3.5

We present a study designed to measure the average LyC escape fraction ($\langle f_{\rm esc}\rangle$) of star-forming galaxies at z=3.5. We assemble a sample of 148 galaxies from the VANDELS survey at $3.35\leq z_{\rm spec}\leq3.95$, selected to minimize line-of-sight contamination of their photometry. For this sample, we use ultra-deep, ground-based, $U-$band imaging and HST $V-$band imaging to robustly measure the distribution of $\mathcal{R_{\rm obs}}$ $=(L_{\rm LyC}/L_{\rm UV})_{\rm obs}$. We then model the distribution as a function of $\langle f_{\rm esc}\rangle$, carefully accounting for attenuation by dust, and the IGM (and CGM). A maximum likelihood fit to the $\mathcal{R_{\rm obs}}$ distribution returns a best-fitting value of $\langle f_{\rm esc}\rangle =0.07\pm0.02$, a result confirmed using an alternative Bayesian inference technique (both exclude $\langle f_{\rm esc}\rangle=0.0$ at $> 3σ$). By splitting our sample in two, we find evidence that $\langle f_{\rm esc}\rangle$ is positively correlated with Ly$α$ equivalent width, with high and low sub-samples returning best fits of $\langle f_{\rm esc}\rangle=0.12^{+0.06}_{-0.04}$ and $\langle f_{\rm esc} \rangle=0.02^{+0.02}_{-0.01}$, respectively. In contrast, we find evidence that $\langle f_{\rm esc}\rangle$ is anti-correlated with intrinsic UV luminosity and UV dust attenuation; with low UV luminosity and dust attenuation sub-samples returning best fits in the range $0.10 \leq \langle f_{\rm esc}\rangle \leq 0.22$. We do not find evidence for a clear correlation between $f_{\rm esc}$ and galaxy stellar mass, suggesting it is not a primary indicator of leakage. Although larger samples are needed to further explore these trends, they suggest that it is entirely plausible that the low dust and metallicity galaxies found at z > 6 will display the $\langle f_{\rm esc}\rangle\geq0.1$ required to drive reionization.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

The VIMOS Ultra Deep Survey: The reversal of the star-formation rate $-$ density relation at $2 < z < 5$

Utilizing spectroscopic observations taken for the VIMOS Ultra-Deep Survey (VUDS), new observations from Keck/DEIMOS, and publicly available observations of large samples of star-forming galaxies, we report here on the relationship between the star formation rate (SFR) and the local environment ($δ_{gal}$) of galaxies in the early universe ($2<z<5$). Unlike what is observed at lower redshifts ($z<2$), we observe a definite, nearly monotonic increase in the average SFR with increasing galaxy overdensity over more than an order of magnitude in $δ_{gal}$. The robustness of this trend is quantified by accounting for both uncertainties in our measurements and galaxy populations that are either underrepresented or not present in our sample and find that the trend remains significant under all circumstances. This trend appears to be primarily driven by the fractional increase of galaxies in high density environments that are more massive in their stellar content and are forming stars at a higher rate than their less massive counterparts. We find that, even after stellar mass effects are accounted for, there remains a weak but significant SFR-$δ_{gal}$ trend in our sample implying that additional environmentally-related processes are helping to drive this trend. We also find clear evidence that the average SFR of galaxies in the densest environments increases with increasing redshift. These results lend themselves to a picture in which massive gas-rich galaxies coalesce into proto-cluster environments at $z\sim3$, interact with other galaxies or with a forming large-scale medium, subsequently using or losing most of their gas in the process, and begin to seed the nascent red sequence that is present in clusters at slightly lower redshifts.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

The stellar metallicities of massive quiescent galaxies at 1.0 < z < 1.3 from KMOS+VANDELS

We present a rest-frame UV-optical stacked spectrum representative of massive quiescent galaxies at $1.0 10.8$. The stack is constructed using VANDELS survey data, combined with new KMOS observations. We apply two independent full-spectral-fitting approaches, measuring a total metallicity, [Z/H]=$-0.13\pm0.08$ with Bagpipes, and [Z/H]=$0.04\pm0.14$ with Alf, a fall of $\sim0.2-0.3$ dex compared with the local Universe. We also measure an iron abundance, [Fe/H] =$-0.18\pm0.08$, a fall of $\sim0.15$ dex compared with the the local Universe. We measure the alpha enhancement via the magnesium abundance, obtaining [Mg/Fe]=$0.23\pm$0.12, consistent with similar-mass galaxies in the local Universe, indicating no evolution in the average alpha enhancement of log$(M_*/\rm{M_\odot})=11$ quiescent galaxies over the last $\sim8$ Gyr. This suggests the very high alpha enhancements recently reported for several bright $z\sim1-2$ quiescent galaxies are due to their extreme masses, log$(M_*/\rm{M_\odot})\gtrsim11.5$, rather than being typical of the $z\gtrsim1$ population. The metallicity evolution we observe with redshift (falling [Z/H], [Fe/H], constant [Mg/Fe]) is consistent with recent studies. We recover a mean stellar age of $2.5^{+0.6}_{-0.4}$ Gyr, corresponding to a formation redshift, $z_\rm{form}=2.4^{+0.6}_{-0.3}$. Recent studies have obtained varying average formation redshifts for $z\gtrsim1$ massive quiescent galaxies, and, as these studies report consistent metallicities, we identify different star-formation-history models as the most likely cause. Larger spectroscopic samples from upcoming ground-based instruments will provide precise constraints on ages and metallicities at $z\gtrsim1$. Combining these with precise JWST $z>2$ quiescent-galaxy stellar-mass functions will provide an independent test of formation redshifts derived from spectral fitting.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

IR characteristic emission and dust properties of star-forming galaxies at 4.5 $<$ z $<$ 6.2

The luminosity functions at z < 4 - 5 suggest that most galaxies have a relatively low stellar mass (logM_star = 10) and a low dust attenuation (A_FUV = 1.0). The physical properties of these objects are quite homogeneous. We used an approach where we combined their rest-frame far-infrared and submillimeter emissions and utilized the universe and the redshift as a spectrograph to increase the amount of information in a collective way. From a subsample of 27 ALMA-detected galaxies at z > 4.5, we built an infrared spectral energy distribution composite template. It was used to fit, with CIGALE, the 105 galaxies (detections and upper limits) in the sample from the FUV to the FIR. The derived physical parameters provide information to decipher the nature of the dust cycle and of the stellar populations in these galaxies. The derived IR composite template is consistent with the galaxies in the studied sample. A delayed star formation history with tau_main = 500 Myrs is slightly favored by the statistical analysis as compared to a delayed with a final burst or a continuous star formation history. The position of the sample in the star formation rate (SFR)- M_star diagram is consistent with previous papers. The redshift evolution of the log M_star versus A_FUV relation is in agreement with evolution in the redshift of this relation. This evolution is necessary to explain the cosmic evolution of the average dust attenuation of galaxies. Evolution is also observed in the L_dust/ L_FUV (IRX) versus UV slope beta_FUV diagram: younger galaxies have bluer beta_FUV. We modeled the shift of galaxies in the IRX versus the beta_FUV diagram with the mass-weighted age as a free parameter, and we provide an equation to make predictions.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

A combined VANDELS and LEGA-C study: the evolution of quiescent galaxy size, stellar mass and age from $\mathbf{\textit{z} = 0.6}$ to $\mathbf{\textit{z} = 1.3}$

We study the relationships between stellar mass, size and age within the quiescent population, using two mass-complete spectroscopic samples with $\mathrm{log_{10}}(M_{\star}/\mathrm{M_{\odot}})>10.3$, taken from VANDELS at $1.0<z<1.3$, and LEGA-C at $0.6<z<0.8$. Using robust D$_{n}$4000 values, we demonstrate that the well-known 'downsizing' signature is already in place by $z\simeq1.1$, with D$_{n}$4000 increasing by $\simeq0.1$ across a $\simeq$ 1 dex mass interval for both VANDELS and LEGA-C. We then proceed to investigate the evolution of the quiescent galaxy stellar mass-size relation from $z\simeq1.1$ to $z\simeq0.7$. We find the median size increases by a factor of $1.9\pm{0.1}$ at $\mathrm{log_{10}}(M_{\star}/\mathrm{M_{\odot}})=10.5$, and see tentative evidence for flattening of the relation, finding slopes of $α=0.72\pm0.06$ and $α=$ $0.56\pm0.04$ for VANDELS and LEGA-C respectively. We finally split our sample into galaxies above and below our fitted mass-size relations, to investigate how size and D$_{n}$4000 correlate. For LEGA-C, we see a clear difference, with larger galaxies found to have smaller D$_{n}$4000 at fixed stellar mass. Due to the faintness and smaller numbers of the VANDELS sample, we cannot confirm whether a similar relation exists at $z\simeq1.1$. We consider whether differences in stellar age or metallicity are most likely to drive this size-D$_{n}$4000 relation, finding that any metallicity differences are unlikely to fully explain the observed offset, meaning smaller galaxies must be older than their larger counterparts. We find the observed evolution in size, mass and D$_{n}$4000 across the $\simeq2$ Gyr from $z\sim1.1$ to $z\sim0.7$ can be explained by a simple toy model in which VANDELS galaxies evolve passively, whilst experiencing a series of minor mergers.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Euclid: Covariance of weak lensing pseudo-$C_\ell$ estimates. Calculation, comparison to simulations, and dependence on survey geometry

An accurate covariance matrix is essential for obtaining reliable cosmological results when using a Gaussian likelihood. In this paper we study the covariance of pseudo-$C_\ell$ estimates of tomographic cosmic shear power spectra. Using two existing publicly available codes in combination, we calculate the full covariance matrix, including mode-coupling contributions arising from both partial sky coverage and non-linear structure growth. For three different sky masks, we compare the theoretical covariance matrix to that estimated from publicly available N-body weak lensing simulations, finding good agreement. We find that as a more extreme sky cut is applied, a corresponding increase in both Gaussian off-diagonal covariance and non-Gaussian super-sample covariance is observed in both theory and simulations, in accordance with expectations. Studying the different contributions to the covariance in detail, we find that the Gaussian covariance dominates along the main diagonal and the closest off-diagonals, but further away from the main diagonal the super-sample covariance is dominant. Forming mock constraints in parameters describing matter clustering and dark energy, we find that neglecting non-Gaussian contributions to the covariance can lead to underestimating the true size of confidence regions by up to 70 per cent. The dominant non-Gaussian covariance component is the super-sample covariance, but neglecting the smaller connected non-Gaussian covariance can still lead to the underestimation of uncertainties by 10--20 per cent. A real cosmological analysis will require marginalisation over many nuisance parameters, which will decrease the relative importance of all cosmological contributions to the covariance, so these values should be taken as upper limits on the importance of each component.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2022

Euclid Preparation: XIV. The Complete Calibration of the Color-Redshift Relation (C3R2) Survey: Data Release 3

The Complete Calibration of the Color-Redshift Relation (C3R2) survey is obtaining spectroscopic redshifts in order to map the relation between galaxy color and redshift to a depth of i ~ 24.5 (AB). The primary goal is to enable sufficiently accurate photometric redshifts for Stage IV dark energy projects, particularly Euclid and the Roman Space Telescope, which are designed to constrain cosmological parameters through weak lensing. We present 676 new high-confidence spectroscopic redshifts obtained by the C3R2 survey in the 2017B-2019B semesters using the DEIMOS, LRIS, and MOSFIRE multi-object spectrographs on the Keck telescopes. Combined with the 4454 redshifts previously published by this project, the C3R2 survey has now obtained and published 5130 high-quality galaxy spectra and redshifts. If we restrict consideration to only the 0.2 < z(phot) < 2.6 range of interest for the Euclid cosmological goals, then with the current data release C3R2 has increased the spectroscopic redshift coverage of the Euclid color space from 51% (as reported by Masters et al. 2015) to the current 91%. Once completed and combined with extensive data collected by other spectroscopic surveys, C3R2 should provide the spectroscopic calibration set needed to enable photometric redshifts to meet the cosmology requirements for Euclid, and make significant headway toward solving the problem for Roman.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2022

The ALPINE-ALMA [CII] Survey: the population of [CII]-undetected galaxies and their role in the $\mathrm{L_{[CII]}}$-SFR relation

The [CII] 158$~μ$m emission line represents so far one of the most profitable tools for the investigation of the high-redshift galaxies in the early Universe. Being one of the brightest cooling lines in the rest-frame far-infrared regime of star-forming galaxies, it has been successfully exploited as a tracer of star-formation rate (SFR) in local sources. The picture is more complex at higher redshifts, where its usability in this context is still under investigation. Recent results from the ALMA Large Program to INvestigate [CII] at Early times (ALPINE) survey suggest that there is no (or weak) evolution of the L$\mathrm{_{[CII]}}$-SFR relation up to $z\sim6$ but their reliability is hampered by the presence of a large population of [CII] non-detected galaxies. In this work, we characterize the population of [CII] non-detections in ALPINE. By stacking their ALMA spectra, we obtain a signal detected at $\sim5.1σ$, resulting in a [CII] luminosity of $\mathrm{log(L_\mathrm{[CII]}}/\mathrm{L_{\odot}})$ $\sim7.8$. When combining this value with those from the [CII] detections, we find a $\mathrm{L_{[CII]}}$-SFR relation with a slope $b=1.14\pm0.11$, in agreement within the uncertainties both with the linear relation found in the local Universe, and with the previous findings from ALPINE at $z\sim5$. This suggests that the [CII] line can be considered a good tracer of star formation up to the distant Universe. Finally, we show that the galaxies of our sample that most deviate from the observed L$_\mathrm{[CII]}$-SFR relation could suffer from a less precise redshift estimation, perhaps artificially reducing their [CII] luminosity. In this respect, we claim that there is no evidence in favour of a deficit of [CII] content in high-z galaxies, in contrast with earlier studies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

A new estimate of the cosmic star formation density from a radio-selected sample, and the contribution of $H$-dark galaxies at $z \geq 3$

The Star Formation Rate Density (SFRD) history of the Universe is well constrained up to redshift $z \sim 2$. At earlier cosmic epochs, the picture has been largely inferred from UV-selected galaxies (e.g. Lyman-break galaxies, LBGs). However, LBGs' inferred SFRs strongly depend on the assumed dust extinction correction, which is not well-constrained at high-$z$, while observations in the radio domain are not affected by this issue. In this work we measure the SFRD from a 1.4 GHz-selected sample of $\sim$600 galaxies in the GOODS-N field up to redshift $\sim 3.5$. We take into account the contribution of Active Galactic Nuclei from the Infrared-Radio correlation. We measure the radio luminosity function, fitted with a modified Schechter function, and derive the SFRD. The cosmic SFRD shows a rise up to $z \sim 2$ and then an almost flat plateau up to $z \sim 3.5$. Our SFRD is in agreement with the ones from other FIR/radio surveys and a factor 2 higher than those from LBG samples. We also estimate that galaxies lacking a counterpart in the HST/WFC3 H-band ($H$-dark) make up $\sim 25\%$ of the $ϕ$-integrated SFRD relative to the full sample at z $\sim 3.2$, and up to $58\%$ relative to LBG samples.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2022

No strong dependence of Lyman continuum leakage on physical properties of star-forming galaxies at $\mathbf{3.1 \lesssim z \lesssim 3.5}$

We present Lyman continuum (LyC) radiation escape fraction $f_{\rm{esc}}$ measurements for 183 spectroscopically confirmed star-forming galaxies in the redshift range $3.11 < z < 3.53$ in the \textit{Chandra} Deep Field South. We use ground-based imaging to measure $f_{\rm{esc}}$, and use ground- and space-based photometry to derive galaxy physical properties using spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting. We additionally derive [O III]+H$β$ equivalent widths (that fall in the observed K band) by including nebular emission in the SED fitting. After removing foreground contaminants, we report the discovery of 11 new candidate LyC leakers, with absolute LyC escape fractions, $f_{\rm{esc}}$ in the range $0.14-0.85$. From non-detections, we place $1σ$ upper limits of $f_{\rm{esc}}<0.12$, where the Lyman-break selected galaxies have $f_{\rm{esc}} < 0.11$ and `blindly' discovered galaxies with no prior photometric selection have $f_{\rm{esc}}<0.13$. We find a slightly higher $1σ$ limit of $f_{\rm{esc}}<0.20$ for extreme emission line galaxies with rest-frame [O III]+H$β$ equivalent widths $>300$A. For candidate LyC leakers, we find a weak negative correlation between $f_{\rm{esc}}$ and galaxy stellar masses, no correlation between $f_{\rm{esc}}$ specific star-formation rates (sSFRs) and a positive correlation between $f_{\rm{esc}}$ and EW$_0$([O III]+H$β$). The weak/no correlations between stellar mass and sSFRs may be explained by misaligned viewing angles and/or non-coincident timescales of starburst activity and periods of high $f_{\rm{esc}}$. Alternatively, escaping radiation may predominantly occur in highly localised star-forming regions, or $f_{\rm{esc}}$ measurements may be impacted by stochasticity of the intervening neutral medium, obscuring any global trends with galaxy properties. These hypotheses have important consequences for models of reionisation.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

The ALPINE-ALMA [CII] Survey: Investigation of 10 Galaxies at $z\sim4.5$ with [OII] and [CII] Line Emission $-$ ISM Properties and [OII]$-$SFR Relation

We present $10$ main-sequence ALPINE galaxies (log($M/M_{\odot}$) = 9.2-11.1 and ${\rm SFR}=23-190\,{\rm M_{\odot}\,yr^{-1}}$) at $z\sim4.5$ with optical [OII] measurements from Keck/MOSFIRE spectroscopy and Subaru/MOIRCS narrow-band imaging. This is the largest such multi-wavelength sample at these redshifts, combining various measurements in the ultra-violet, optical, and far-infrared including [CII]$_{158{\rm μm}}$ line emission and dust continuum from ALMA and H$α$ emission from Spitzer photometry. For the first time, this unique sample allows us to analyze the relation between [OII] and total star-formation rate (SFR) and the interstellar medium (ISM) properties via [OII]/[CII] and [OII]/\halpha luminosity ratios at $z\sim4.5$. The [OII]$-$SFR relation at $z\sim4.5$ cannot be described using standard local descriptions, but is consistent with a metal-dependent relation assuming metallicities around $50\%$ solar. To explain the measured dust-corrected luminosity ratios of $L[OII]/L[CII] \sim 0.98^{+0.21}_{-0.22}$ and $L[OII]/LHa \sim -0.22^{+0.13}_{-0.15}$ for our sample, ionization parameters $\log(U)< -2$ and electron densities $\log(\rm n_e / {\rm [cm^{-3}]}) \sim 2.5-3$ are required. The former is consistent with galaxies at $z\sim2-3$, however lower than at $z>6$. The latter may be slightly higher than expected given the galaxies' specific SFR. The analysis of this pilot sample suggests that typical log($ M/M_{\odot})$ > 9 galaxies at $z\sim4.5$ to have broadly similar ISM properties as their descendants at $z\sim2$ and suggest a strong evolution of ISM properties since the Epoch of Reionization at $z>6$.

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