arXiv subjects

Jeremy D. Bradford

Publications and source records attributed to Jeremy D. Bradford.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2018

The Effect of AGN on the Global HI Content of Isolated Low-Mass Galaxies

We investigate the global neutral hydrogen (HI) content of isolated galaxies selected from the SDSS spectroscopic survey with optical evidence of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). Our sample includes galaxies with unresolved HI observations from the ALFALFA 70% data release combined with deeper HI observations of low-mass galaxies with 7.0 < log(M*) < 9.5. We examine the HI masses of this sample using the distance from the star-forming sequence on the OIII\Hb and NII\Ha Baldwin Phillips Terlevich (BPT) diagram as a measurement of AGN activity. In agreement with previous studies, we find that, for galaxies with log(M*) > 9.5, AGN activity does not correlate with the global HI content. However, for galaxies with 9.2 < log(M*) < 9.5, we identify a set of objects at large distances from the BPT star-forming sequence and lower than expected HI masses. This gas-depleted sample is red in both g-r and NUV-r colors and compact without distinguishable signs of star formation. This is surprising because the vast majority of isolated galaxies in this stellar mass regime are both star-forming and gas-rich. These galaxies are greater than 1.5 Mpc from any massive galaxy, ruling out environmental processes as a source of the gas-depletion. We suggest that either black hole feedback or shocks from extremely bursty star formation cause the emission lines and have destroyed or otherwise consumed the cold gas.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2016

A Slippery Slope: Systematic Uncertainties in the Line Width Baryonic Tully-Fisher Relation

The baryonic Tully-Fisher relation (BTFR) is a valuable observational tool and a critical test of galaxy formation theory. We explore the systematic uncertainty in the slope and the scatter of the observed line width BTFR utilizing homogeneously measured, unresolved HI observations for 930 isolated galaxies. We measure a fiducial relation of $\log_{10}{M_{\rm baryon}} = 3.24\log_{10}{V_{\rm rot}}+3.21$ with observed scatter of 0.25 dex with $10^{7.4} < M_{\rm baryon} < 10^{11.3}M_{\odot}$ where $V_{\rm rot}$ is measured from 20\% HI line widths. We vary the definitions of $M_{\rm baryon}$ and $V_{\rm rot}$, the sample selection, and the linear fitting algorithm. We obtain slopes ranging from 2.64 to 3.53 and scatter measurements ranging from 0.14 to 0.41~dex, indicating a systematic uncertainty of 0.25 in the BTFR slope derived from unresolved HI line widths. We compare our fiducial slope to literature measurements, where reported slopes range from 3.0 to 4.3 and scatter is either unmeasured, immeasurable or as large as 0.4~dex. Measurements derived from unresolved HI line widths tend to produce slopes of 3.3, while measurements derived from asymptotic rotation curves tend to produce slopes of 3.9. The largest factor affecting the BTFR slope is the definition of $V_{\rm rot}$. The sample definition, the mass range, and the linear fitting algorithm also significantly affect the measured BTFR. We find that galaxies in our sample with $V_{\rm rot} < 100~\rm{km~s^{-1}}$ are consistent with the line width BTFR of more massive galaxies, but these galaxies drive most of the observed scatter. It is critical when comparing predictions to an observed BTFR that the $V_{\rm rot}$ definition, the sample selection and the fitting algorithm are similarly defined. We recommend direct statistical comparisons between data sets with commensurable properties as opposed to comparing BTFR power-law fits.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

A Study in Blue: The Baryon Content of Isolated Low Mass Galaxies

We study the baryon content of low mass galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS DR8), focusing on galaxies in isolated environments where the complicating physics of galaxy-galaxy interactions are minimized. We measure neutral hydrogen (HI) gas masses and line-widths for 148 isolated galaxies with stellar mass between $10^7$ and $10^{9.5} M_{\odot}$. We compare isolated low mass galaxies to more massive galaxies and galaxies in denser environments by remeasuring HI emission lines from the Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (ALFALFA) survey 40% data release. All isolated low mass galaxies either have large atomic gas fractions or large atomic gas fractions cannot be ruled out via their upper limits. We measure a median atomic gas fraction of $f_{\rm gas} = 0.82 \pm 0.13$ for our isolated low mass sample with no systems below 0.30. At all stellar masses, the correlations between galaxy radius, baryonic mass and velocity width are not significantly affected by environment. Finally, we estimate a median baryon to total dynamical mass fraction of $f_{\rm baryon, disk} = 0.15 \pm 0.18$. We also estimate two different median baryon to halo mass fractions using the results of semi-analytic models $(f_{\rm baryon, halo} = 0.04 \pm 0.06)$ and abundance matching $(f_{\rm baryon, halo} = 0.04 \pm 0.02)$. Baryon fractions estimated directly using HI observations appear independent of environment and maximum circular velocity, while baryon fractions estimated using abundance matching show a significant depletion of baryons at low maximum circular velocities.

astro-ph.GA↗