arXiv subjects

Gergö Popping

Publications and source records attributed to Gergö Popping.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Observed cosmic evolution of galaxy dust properties with metallicity and tensions with models

The dust abundance of the interstellar medium plays an important role in galaxy physics, the chemical evolution of matter and the absorption and re-emission of stellar light. The last years have seen a surge in observational and theoretical studies constraining the dust-abundance of galaxies up to $z\sim5$. In this work we gather the latest observational measurements (with a focus on absorption studies covering metallicities in the range $6.8 < 12 + \log{(O/H)}<9$) and theoretical predictions (from six different galaxy formation models) for the dust-to-gas (DTG) and dust-to-metal (DTM) ratio of galaxies. The observed trend between DTG and DTM and gas-phase metallicity can be described by a linear relation and shows no evolution from $0<z<5$. Importantly, the fit to the DTG-metallicity relation provides a refined tool for robust dust-based gas mass estimates inferred from millimeter dust-continuum observations. The lack of evolution in the observed relations are indicative of a quickly reached balance (already when the Universe was 1.2 Gyr old) between the formation and destruction of dust and a constant timescale for star-formation at fixed metallicities over cosmic time. None of the models is able to reproduce the observed trends over the entire range in metallicity and redshift probed. The comparison between models and simulations furthermore rules out some of the current implementations for the growth and destruction of dust in galaxy formation models and places tight constraints on the predicted timescale for star-formation.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

An empirical representation of a physical model for the ISM [CII], CO, and [CI] emission at redshift $1\leq z\leq9$

Sub-millimeter emission lines produced by the interstellar medium (ISM) are strong tracers of star formation and are some of the main targets of line intensity mapping (LIM) surveys. In this work we present an empirical multi-line emission model that simultaneously covers the mean, scatter, and correlations of [CII], CO J=1-0 to J=5-4, and [CI] lines in redshift range $1\leq z\leq9$. We assume the galaxy ISM line emission luminosity versus halo mass relations can be described by double power laws with redshift-dependent log normal scatter. The model parameters are then derived by fitting to the state of the art semi-analytic simulation results that have successfully reproduced multiple sub-millimeter line observations at $0\leq z\lesssim6$. We cross check the line emission statistics predicted by the semi-analytic simulation and our empirical model, finding that at $z\geq1$ our model reproduces the simulated line intensities with fractional error less than about 10%. The fractional difference is less than 25% for the power spectra. Grounded on physically-motivated and self-consistent galaxy simulations, this computationally efficient model will be helpful in forecasting ISM emission line statistics for upcoming LIM surveys.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Tracing Molecular Gas in z $\simeq$ 6 Galaxies with [C${\rm \scriptsize II}$]

We investigate the fine-structure [C${\rm \scriptsize II}$] line at $158\,μ$m as a molecular gas tracer by analyzing the relationship between molecular gas mass ($M_{\rm mol}$) and [C${\rm \scriptsize II}$] line luminosity ($L_{\rm [CII]}$) in 11,125 $z\simeq 6$ star-forming, main sequence galaxies from the SIMBA simulations, with line emission modeled by SÍGAME. Though most ($\sim 50-100\,\%$) of the gas mass in our simulations is ionized, the bulk ($> 50\,\%$) of the [C${\rm \scriptsize II}$] emission comes from the molecular phase. We find a sub-linear (slope $0.78\pm 0.01$) $\log L_{\rm [CII]}-\log M_{\rm mol}$ relation, in contrast with the linear relation derived from observational samples of more massive, metal-rich galaxies at $z \lesssim 6$. We derive a median [C${\rm \scriptsize II}$]-to-$M_{\rm mol}$ conversion factor of $α_{\rm [CII]} \simeq 18\,{\rm M_{\rm \odot}/L_{\rm \odot}}$. This is lower than the average value of $\simeq 30\,{\rm M_{\rm \odot}/L_{\rm \odot}}$ derived from observations, which we attribute to lower gas-phase metallicities in our simulations. Thus, a lower, luminosity-dependent, conversion factor must be applied when inferring molecular gas masses from [C${\rm \scriptsize II}$] observations of low-mass galaxies. For our simulations, [C${\rm \scriptsize II}$] is a better tracer of the molecular gas than CO $J=1-0$, especially at the lowest metallicities, where much of the gas is 'CO-dark'. We find that $L_{\rm [CII]}$ is more tightly correlated with $M_{\rm mol}$ than with star-formation rate (${\rm SFR}$), and both the $\log L_{\rm [CII]}-\log M_{\rm mol}$ and $\log L_{\rm [CII]}-\log {\rm SFR}$ relations arise from the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation. Our findings suggest that $L_{\rm [CII]}$ is a promising tracer of the molecular gas at the earliest cosmic epochs.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

IR SED and Dust Masses of Sub-solar Metallicity Galaxies at z~2.3

We present results from ALMA 1.2mm continuum observations of a sample of 27 star-forming galaxies at z=2.1-2.5 from the MOSFIRE Deep Evolution Field (MOSDEF) survey. These galaxies have gas-phase metallicity and star-formation rate measurements from Hb, [OIII], Ha, and [NII]. Using stacks of Spitzer, Herschel, and ALMA photometry (rest-frame ~ 8-400$μ$m), we examine the IR SED of high-redshift subsolar metallicity (~0.5 $Z_{\odot}$) LIRGs. We find that the data agree well with an average SED template of higher luminosity local low-metallicity dwarf galaxies (reduced $χ^2$ of 1.8). When compared with the commonly used templates for solar-metallicity local galaxies or high-redshift LIRGs and ULIRGs, even in the most favorable case (with reduced $χ^2$ of 2.8), the templates are rejected at >98% confidence level. The broader and hotter IR SED of both the local dwarfs and high-redshift subsolar metallicity galaxies may result from different grain properties, a clumpy dust geometry, or a harder/more intense ionizing radiation field that heats the dust to higher temperatures. The obscured SFR indicated by the FIR emission of the subsolar metallicity galaxies is only ~ 60% of the total SFR, which is considerably lower than that of the local LIRGs with ~ 96-97% obscured fractions. Due to the evolving IR SED shape, the local LIRG templates fit to mid-IR data can overestimate the Rayleigh-Jeans tail measurements at z~2 by a factor of 2-20, and these templates underestimate IR luminosities if fit to the observed ALMA fluxes by >0.4dex. At a given stellar mass or metallicity, dust masses at z~2.3 are an order of magnitude higher than those at z~0. Given the predicted molecular gas mass fractions, the observed z~2.3 dust-to-stellar mass ratios suggest lower dust-to-molecular gas masses than in local galaxies at the same metallicity.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

The BPT Diagram in Cosmological Galaxy Formation Simulations: Understanding the Physics Driving Offsets at High-Redshift

The Baldwin, Philips, & Terlevich diagram of [O III]/H$β$ vs. [N II]/H$α$ (hereafter N2-BPT) has long been used as a tool for classifying galaxies based on the dominant source of ionizing radiation. Recent observations have demonstrated that galaxies at $z\sim2$ reside offset from local galaxies in the N2-BPT space. In this paper, we conduct a series of controlled numerical experiments to understand the potential physical processes driving this offset. We model nebular line emission in a large sample of galaxies, taken from the SIMBA cosmological hydrodynamic galaxy formation simulation, using the CLOUDY photoionization code to compute the nebular line luminosities from H II regions. We find that the observed shift toward higher [O III]/H$β$ and [N II]/H$α$ values at high redshift arises from sample selection: when we consider only the most massive galaxies $M_* \sim 10^{10-11} M_\odot$, the offset naturally appears, due to their high metallicities. We predict that deeper observations that probe lower-mass galaxies will reveal galaxies that lie on a locus comparable to $z\sim 0$ observations. Even when accounting for sample selection effects, we find that there is a subtle mismatch between simulations and observations. To resolve this discrepancy, we investigate the impact of varying ionization parameters, H II region densities, gas-phase abundance patterns, and increasing radiation field hardness on N2-BPT diagrams. We find that either decreasing the ionization parameter or increasing the N/O ratio of galaxies at fixed O/H can move galaxies along a self-similar arc in N2-BPT space that is occupied by high-redshift galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

Exploring the High-Redshift Universe with ALMA

The properties of the interstellar medium (ISM) of the highest-redshift galaxies and quasars provide important indications of the complex interplay between the accretion of baryons onto galaxies, the physics that drives the build-up of stars out of this gas, the subsequent chemical evolution and feedback processes and the reionisation of the Universe. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) continues to play a pivotal role in the characterisation of the ISM of high-redshift galaxies. Observations of the dust continuum emission, atomic fine-structure and molecular lines arising from high-redshift galaxies are now carried out routinely, providing ever more constraints on the theoretical models of galaxy formation and evolution in the early Universe. The European Astronomical Society's EAS 2021 symposium dedicated to the exploration of the high-redshift Universe with ALMA provided a forum for the observational and theoretical high-redshift ALMA communities to exchange their views and recent results in this rapidly evolving field. The article summarises the exciting results that were presented at the meeting.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

SIGAME v3: Gas Fragmentation in Post-processing of Cosmological Simulations for More Accurate Infrared Line Emission Modeling

We present an update to the framework called SImulator of GAlaxy Millimeter/submillimeter Emission (SÍGAME). SÍGAME derives line emission in the far-infrared (FIR) for galaxies in particle-based cosmological hydrodynamics simulations by applying radiative transfer and physics recipes via a post-processing step after completion of the simulation. In this version, a new technique is developed to model higher gas densities by parametrizing the gas density probability distribution function (PDF) in higher resolution simulations for use as a look-up table, allowing for more adaptive PDFs than in previous work. SÍGAME v3 is tested on redshift z = 0 galaxies drawn from the SIMBA cosmological simulation for eight FIR emission lines tracing vastly different interstellar medium phases. Including dust radiative transfer with SKIRT and high resolution photo-ionization models with Cloudy, this new method is able to self-consistently reproduce observed relations between line luminosity and star formation rate in all cases, except for [NII]122, [NII]205 and [OI]63, the luminosities of which are overestimated by median factors of 1.6, 1.2 and 1.2 dex, respectively. We attribute the remaining disagreement with observations to the lack of precise attenuation of the interstellar light on subgrid scales (<200 pc).

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

Mapping Obscuration to Reionization with ALMA (MORA): 2mm Efficiently Selects the Highest-Redshift Obscured Galaxies

We present the characteristics of 2mm-selected sources from the largest Atacama Large Millimeter and submillimeter Array (ALMA) blank-field contiguous survey conducted to-date, the Mapping Obscuration to Reionization with ALMA (MORA) survey covering 184arcmin$^2$ at 2mm. Twelve of the thirteen detections above 5$σ$ are attributed to emission from galaxies, eleven of which are dominated by cold dust emission. These sources have a median redshift of $\langle z_{\rm 2mm}\rangle=3.6^{+0.4}_{-0.3}$ primarily based on optical/near-infrared (OIR) photometric redshifts with some spectroscopic redshifts, with 77$\pm$11% of sources at $z>3$ and 38$\pm$12% of sources at $z>4$. This implies that 2mm selection is an efficient method for identifying the highest redshift dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs). Lower redshift DSFGs ($z<3$) are far more numerous than those at $z>3$ yet likely to drop out at 2mm. MORA shows that DSFGs with star-formation rates in excess of 300M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$ and relative rarity of $\sim$10$^{-5}$ Mpc$^{-3}$ contribute $\sim$30% to the integrated star-formation rate density between $3 2$. Analysis of MORA sources' spectral energy distributions hint at steeper empirically-measured dust emissivity indices than typical literature studies, with $\langleβ\rangle=2.2^{+0.5}_{-0.4}$. The MORA survey represents an important step in taking census of obscured star-formation in the Universe's first few billion years, but larger area 2mm surveys are needed to more fully characterize this rare population and push to the detection of the Universe's first dusty galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

Semi-analytic forecasts for JWST -- V. AGN luminosity functions and helium reionization at z = 2-7

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) forming in the early universe are thought to be the primary source of hard ionizing photons contributing to the reionization of intergalactic helium. However, the number density and spectral properties of high-redshift AGN remain largely unconstrained. In this work, we make use of physically-informed models calibrated with a wide variety of available observations to provide estimates for the role of AGN throughout the Epoch of Reionization. We present AGN luminosity functions in various bands between z = 2 to 7 predicted by the well-established Santa Cruz semi-analytic model, which includes modelling of black hole accretion and AGN feedback. We then combine the predicted AGN populations with a physical spectral model for self-consistent estimates of ionizing photon production rates, which depend on the mass and accretion rate of the accreting supermassive black hole. We then couple the predicted comoving ionizing emissivity with an analytic model to compute the subsequent reionization history of intergalactic helium and hydrogen. This work demonstrates the potential of coupling physically motivated analytic or semi-analytic techniques to capture multi-scale physical processes across a vast range of scales (here, from AGN accretion disks to cosmological scales). Our physical model predicts an intrinsic ionizing photon budget well above many of the estimates in the literature, meaning that helium reionization can comfortably be accomplished even with a relatively low escape fraction. We also make predictions for the AGN populations that are expected to be detected in future \emph{James Webb Space Telescope} surveys.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

On estimating the cosmic molecular gas density from CO Line Intensity Mapping observations

The Millimeter-wave Intensity Mapping Experiment (mmIME) recently reported a detection of excess spatial fluctuations at a wavelength of 3 mm, which can be attributed to unresolved emission of several CO rotational transitions between $z\sim1-5$. We study the implications of this data for the high-redshift interstellar medium using a suite of state-of-the-art semianalytic simulations which have successfully reproduced many other sub-millimeter line observations across the relevant redshift range. We find that the semianalytic predictions are mildly in tension with the mmIME result, with a predicted CO power $\sim3.5σ$ below what was observed. We explore some simple modifications to the models which could resolve this tension. Increasing the molecular gas abundance at the relevant redshifts to $\sim10^8\ M_\odot\ \rm{Mpc}^{-3}$, a value well above that obtained from directly imaged sources, would resolve the discrepancy, as would assuming a CO-$H_2$ conversion factor $α_{\rm{CO}}$ of $\sim1.5\ M_{\odot}$ K$^{-1}$ $(\rm{km}/\rm{s})^{-1}$ pc$^{2}$, a value somewhat lower than is commonly assumed. We go on to demonstrate that these conclusions are quite sensitive to the detailed assumptions of our simulations, highlighting the need for more careful modeling efforts as more intensity mapping data become available.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

The prospects for observing [OIII] 52 micron emission from galaxies during the Epoch of Reionization

The [OIII] 88 $μ$m fine structure emission line has been detected into the Epoch of Reionization (EoR) from star-forming galaxies at redshifts $6 < z \lesssim 9$ with ALMA. These measurements provide valuable information regarding the properties of the interstellar medium (ISM) in the highest redshift galaxies discovered thus far. The [OIII] 88 $μ$m line observations leave, however, a degeneracy between the gas density and metallicity in these systems. Here we quantify the prospects for breaking this degeneracy using future ALMA observations of the [\oiii] 52 $μ$m line. Among the current set of ten [OIII] 88 $μ$m emitters at $6 < z \lesssim 9$, we forecast 52 $μ$m detections (at 6-$σ$) in SXDF-NB1006-2, B14-6566, J0217-0208, and J1211-0118 within on-source observing times of 2-10 hours, provided their gas densities are larger than about $n_{\mathrm{H}} \gtrsim 10^2-10^3$ cm$^{-3}$. Other targets generally require much longer integration times for a 6-$σ$ detection. Either successful detections of the 52 $μ$m line, or reliable upper limits, will lead to significantly tighter constraints on ISM parameters. The forecasted improvements are as large as $\sim 3$ dex in gas density and $\sim 1$ dex in metallicity for some regions of parameter space. We suggest SXDF-NB1006-2 as a promising first target for 52 $μ$m line measurements. We discuss how such measurements will help in understanding the mass metallicity relationship during the EoR.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

Multitracer cosmological line intensity mapping mock lightcone simulation

Sub-millimeter emission lines are important tracers of the cold gas and ionized environments of galaxies and are the targets for future line intensity mapping surveys. Physics-based simulations that predict multiple emission lines arising from different phases of the interstellar medium are crucial for constraining the global physical conditions of galaxies with upcoming LIM observations. In this work we present a general framework for creating multitracer mock sub-millimeter line intensity maps based on physically grounded galaxy formation and sub-mm line emission models. We simulate a mock lightcone of 2 deg$^2$ over a redshift range $0\leq z\leq10$, comprising discrete galaxies and galaxy CII, CO, CI emission. We present simulated line intensity maps for two fiducial surveys with resolution and observational frequency windows representative of COMAP and EXCLAIM. We show that the star formation rate and line emission scaling relations predicted by our simulation significantly differ at low halo masses from widely used empirical relations, which are often calibrated to observations of luminous galaxies at lower redshifts. We show that these differences lead to significant changes in key summary statistics used in intensity mapping, such as the one point intensity probability density function and the power spectrum. It will be critical to use more realistic and complex models to forecast the ability of future line intensity mapping surveys to measure observables such as the cosmic star formation rate density.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

The ALMA Spectroscopic Survey in the HUDF: A Search for [CII] Emitters at $6 \leq z \leq 8$

The ALMA Spectroscopic Survey in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (ASPECS) Band 6 scan (212-272 GHz) covers potential [CII] emission in galaxies at $6\leq z \leq8$ throughout a 2.9 arcmin$^2$ area. By selecting on known Lyman-$α$ emitters (LAEs) and photometric dropout galaxies in the field, we perform targeted searches down to a 5$σ$ [CII] luminosity depth $L_{\mathrm{[CII]}}\sim2.0\times10^8$ L$_{\odot}$, corresponding roughly to star formation rates (SFRs) of $10$-$20$ M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$ when applying a locally calibrated conversion for star-forming galaxies, yielding zero detections. While the majority of galaxies in this sample are characterized by lower SFRs, the resulting upper limits on [CII] luminosity in these sources are consistent with the current literature sample of targeted ALMA observations of $z=6$-$7$ LAEs and Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs), as well as the locally calibrated relations between $L_{\mathrm{[CII]}}$ and SFR -- with the exception of a single [CII]-deficient, UV luminous LBG. We also perform a blind search for [CII]-bright galaxies that may have been missed by optical selections, resulting in an upper limit on the cumulative number density of [CII] sources with $L_{\mathrm{[CII]}}>2.0\times10^8$ L$_{\odot}$ ($5σ$) to be less than $1.8\times10^{-4}$ Mpc$^{-3}$ (90% confidence level). At this luminosity depth and volume coverage, we present an observed evolution of the [CII] luminosity function from $z=6$-$8$ to $z\sim0$ by comparing the ASPECS measurement to literature results at lower redshift.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

The dust-continuum size of TNG50 galaxies at $z=1-5$: a comparison with the distribution of stellar light, stars, dust and H$_2$

We present predictions for the extent of the dust-continuum emission of thousands of main-sequence galaxies drawn from the TNG50 simulation between $z=1-5$. To this aim, we couple the radiative transfer code SKIRT to the output of the TNG50 simulation and measure the dust-continuum half-light radius of the modeled galaxies, assuming a Milky Way dust type and a metallicity dependent dust-to-metal ratio. The dust-continuum half-light radius at observed-frame 850 $μ$m is up to $\sim$75 per cent larger than the stellar half-mass radius, but significantly more compact than the observed-frame 1.6 $μ$m (roughly corresponding to H-band) half-light radius, particularly towards high redshifts: the compactness compared to the 1.6 $μ$m emission increases with redshift. This is driven by obscuration of stellar light from the galaxy centres, which increases the apparent extent of 1.6 $μ$m disk sizes relative to that at 850 $μ$m. The difference in relative extents increases with redshift because the observed-frame 1.6 $μ$m emission stems from ever shorter wavelength stellar emission. These results suggest that the compact dust-continuum emission observed in $z>1$ galaxies is not (necessarily) evidence of the buildup of a dense central stellar component. We also find that the dust-continuum half-light radius very closely follows the radius containing half the star formation in galaxies, indicating that single band dust-continuum emission is a good tracer of the location of (obscured) star formation. The dust-continuum emission is more compact than the H2 mass (for galaxies at $z\geq 2$) and the underlying dust mass. The dust emission strongly correlates with locations with the highest dust temperatures, which do not need to be the locations where most H$_2$ and/or dust is located. The presented results are a common feature of main-sequence galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

The ALMA Spectroscopic Survey in the HUDF: CO Excitation and Atomic Carbon in Star-Forming Galaxies at $z=1-3$

We investigate the CO excitation and interstellar medium (ISM) conditions in a cold gas mass-selected sample of 22 star-forming galaxies at $z=0.46-3.60$, observed as part of the ALMA Spectroscopic Survey in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (ASPECS). Combined with VLA follow-up observations, we detect a total of 34 CO $J \rightarrow J-1$ transitions with $J=1$ up to $8$ (and an additional 21 upper limits, up to $J=10$) and six [C I] ${^3P}_1 \rightarrow {^3P}_0$ and ${^3P}_2 \rightarrow {^3P}_1$ transitions (and 12 upper limits). The CO(2-1) and CO(3-2)-selected galaxies, at $z=1.2$ and $2.5$, respectively, exhibit a range in excitation in their mid-$J=4,5$ and high-$J=7,8$ lines, on average lower than ($L_{\rm IR}$-brighter) BzK-color- and submillimeter-selected galaxies at similar redshifts. The former implies that a warm ISM component is not necessarily prevalent in gas mass-selected galaxies at $z=1.2$. We use stacking and Large Velocity Gradient models to measure and predict the average CO ladders at $z<2$ and $z\geq2$, finding $r_{21}=0.75 \pm 0.11$ and $r_{31}=0.77 \pm 0.14$, respectively. From the models, we infer that the galaxies at $z\geq2$ have intrinsically higher excitation than those at $z<2$. This fits a picture in which the global excitation is driven by an increase in the star formation rate surface density of galaxies with redshift. We derive a neutral atomic carbon abundance of $(1.9 \pm 0.4) \times 10^{-5}$, comparable to the Milky Way and main-sequence galaxies at similar redshifts, and fairly high densities ($\geq 10^4$ cm$^{-3}$), consistent with the low-$J$ CO excitation. Our results imply a decrease in the cosmic molecular gas mass density at $z\geq2$ compared to previous ASPECS measurements.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

The ALMA Spectroscopic Survey in the HUDF: Multi-band constraints on line luminosity functions and the cosmic density of molecular gas

We present a CO and atomic fine-structure line luminosity function analysis using the ALMA Spectroscopic Survey in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (ASPECS). ASPECS consists of two spatially-overlapping mosaics that cover the entire ALMA 3mm and 1.2mm bands. We combine the results of a line candidate search of the 1.2mm data cube with those previously obtained from the 3mm cube. Our analysis shows that $\sim$80% of the line flux observed at 3mm arises from CO(2-1) or CO(3-2) emitters at $z$=1-3 (`cosmic noon'). At 1.2mm, more than half of the line flux arises from intermediate-J CO transitions ($J_{\rm up}$=3-6); $\sim12$% from neutral carbon lines; and $< 1$% from singly-ionized carbon, [CII]. This implies that future [CII] intensity mapping surveys in the epoch of reionization will need to account for a highly significant CO foreground. The CO luminosity functions probed at 1.2mm show a decrease in the number density at a given line luminosity (in units of $L'$) at increasing $J_{\rm up}$ and redshift. Comparisons between the CO luminosity functions for different CO transitions at a fixed redshift reveal sub-thermal conditions on average in galaxies up to $z\sim 4$. In addition, the comparison of the CO luminosity functions for the same transition at different redshifts reveals that the evolution is not driven by excitation. The cosmic density of molecular gas in galaxies, $ρ_{\rm H2}$, shows a redshift evolution with an increase from high redshift up to $z\sim1.5$ followed by a factor $\sim 6$ drop down to the present day. This is in qualitative agreement with the evolution of the cosmic star-formation rate density, suggesting that the molecular gas depletion time is approximately constant with redshift, after averaging over the star-forming galaxy population.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

The ALMA Spectroscopic Survey in the HUDF: Constraining the Molecular Content at $\log{(M_*/M_\odot)} \sim 9.5$ with CO stacking of MUSE detected $z\sim1.5$ Galaxies

We report molecular gas mass estimates obtained from a stacking analysis of CO line emission in the ALMA Spectroscopic Survey (ASPECS) using the spectroscopic redshifts from the optical integral field spectroscopic survey by the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) of the {\it Hubble} Ultra Deep Field (HUDF). Stacking was performed on subsets of the sample of galaxies classified by their stellar mass and position relative to the main-sequence relation (on, above, below). Among all the CO emission lines, from \cotwoone to CO(6-5), with redshifts accessible via the ASPECS Band~3 and the MUSE data, \cotwoone provides the strongest constraints on the molecular gas content. We detect \cotwoone emission in galaxies down to stellar masses of $\log{(M_*/M_\odot)}=10.0$. Below this stellar mass, we present a new constraint on the molecular gas content of $z\sim1.5$ main-sequence galaxies by stacking based on the MUSE detections. We find that the molecular gas mass of main-sequence galaxies continuously decreases with stellar mass down to $\log{(M_*/M_\odot)}\approx9.0$. Assuming a metallicity-based CO--to--$\rm H_2$ conversion factor, the molecular gas-to-stellar mass ratio from $\log{(M_*/M_\odot)}\sim9.0$ to $\sim10.0$ does not seem to decrease as fast as for $\log{(M_*/M_\odot)}>10.0$, which is in line with simulations and studies at lower redshift. The inferred molecular gas density $ρ{\rm (H_2)}=(0.49\pm0.09)\times10^8\,{\rm M_\odot\,Mpc^{-3}}$ of MUSE-selected galaxies at $z\sim1.5$ is comparable with the one derived in the HUDF with a different CO selection. Using the MUSE data we recover most of the CO emission in our deep ALMA observations through stacking, demonstrating the synergy between volumetric surveys obtained at different wavebands.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

A Comparison of the Stellar, CO and Dust-Continuum Emission from Three, Star-Forming HUDF Galaxies at $z\sim 2$

We compare the extent of the dust, molecular gas and stars in three star-forming galaxies, at $z= 1.4, 1.6$ and $2.7$, selected from the Hubble Ultra Deep Field based on their bright CO and dust-continuum emission as well as their large rest-frame optical sizes. The galaxies have high stellar masses, $\mathrm{M}_*>10^{11}\mathrm{M}_\odot$, and reside on, or slightly below, the main sequence of star-forming galaxies at their respective redshifts. We probe the dust and molecular gas using subarcsecond Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations of the 1.3 mm continuum and CO line emission, respectively, and probe the stellar distribution using \emph{Hubble Space Telescope} observations at 1.6 \textmu m. We find that for all three galaxies the CO emission appears $\gtrsim 30\%$ more compact than the stellar emission. For the $z= 1.4$ and $2.7$ galaxies, the dust emission is also more compact, by $\gtrsim 50\%$, than the stellar emission, whereas for the $z=1.6$ galaxy, the dust and stellar emission have similar spatial extents. This similar spatial extent is consistent with observations of local disk galaxies. However, most high redshift observations show more compact dust emission, likely due to the ubiquity of central starbursts at high redshift and the limited sensitivity of many of these observations. Using the CO emission line, we also investigate the kinematics of the cold interstellar medium in the galaxies, and find that all three have kinematics consistent with a rotation-dominated disk.

astro-ph.GA↗