arXiv subjects

K. Motohara

Publications and source records attributed to K. Motohara.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2007

Quantitative comparison between Type Ia supernova spectra at low and high redshifts: A case study

We develop a method to measure the strength of the absorption features in Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) spectra and use it to make a quantitative comparison between the spectra of Type Ia supernovae at low and high redshifts. In this case study, we apply the method to 12 high-redshift (0.212 < z < 0.912) SNe Ia observed by the Supernova Cosmology Project . Through measurements of the strengths of these features and of the blueshift of the absorption minimum in Ca II H&K, we show that the spectra of the high-redshift SNe Ia are quantitatively similar to spectra of nearby SNe Ia (z < 0.15). One supernova in our high redshift sample, SN 2002fd at z=0.279, is found to have spectral characteristics that are associated with peculiar SN 1991T/SN 1999aa-like supernovae.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

Asymmetric Explosion of Type Ia Supernovae as Seen from Near Infrared Observations

We present near-infrared spectra of late phase (>200 d) Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) taken at the Subaru telescope. The [Fe II] line of SN 2003hv shows a clear flat-topped feature, while that of SN 2005W show less prominent flatness. In addition, a large shift in their line center, varying from -3000 to 1000 (km/s) with respect to the host galaxies, is seen. Such a shift suggests the occurrence of an off-center, non-spherical explosion in the central region, and provides important, new constraints on the explosion models of SNe Ia.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

The End of the Reionization Epoch Probed by Ly-alpha Emitters at z=6.5 in the Subaru Deep Field

We report an extensive search for Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) at z=6.5 in the Subaru Deep Field. Subsequent spectroscopy with Subaru and Keck identified eight more LAEs, giving a total of 17 spectroscopically confirmed LAEs at z=6.5. Based on this spectroscopic sample of 17, complemented by a photometric sample of 58 LAEs, we have derived a more accurate Lyman-alpha luminosity function of LAEs at z=6.5, which reveals an apparent deficit at the bright end of ~0.75 mag fainter L*, compared with that observed at z=5.7. The difference in the LAE luminosity functions between z=5.7 and 6.5 is significant at the 3-sigma level, which is reduced to 2-sigma when cosmic variance is taken into account. This result may imply that the reionization of the universe has not been completed at z=6.5. We found that the spatial distribution of LAEs at z=6.5 was homogeneous over the field. We discuss the implications of these results for the reionization of the universe.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

Ly Alpha Emitters at z=5.7 in the Subaru Deep Field

We present the properties of Ly Alpha emitters (LAEs) at z = 5.7 in the Subaru Deep Field. A photometric sample of 89 LAE candidates is constructed from narrow-band (NB816) data down to NB816 = 26.0 (AB) in a continuous 725 arcmin^2 area. Spectra of 39 objects satisfying the photometric selection criteria for LAEs were obtained with Subaru and Keck II Telescopes, among which 28 were confirmed LAEs, one was a nearby galaxy, and eight were unclassified. We also obtained spectra of another 24 NB816-excess objects in the field, identifying six additional LAEs. We find that the Ly Alpha luminosity function derived from the photometric sample is reproduced well by a Schechter function with L* = (7.9+3.0-2.2) x 10^42 erg/s and phi* = (6.3+3.0-2.0) x 10^-4 Mpc^-3 for alpha = -1.5 (fixed) over the whole luminosity range of L ~= 3x10^42 - 3x10^43 erg/s. We then measure rest-frame Ly Alpha equivalent widths (EWs) for the confirmed LAEs, to find that the median among the 28 objects satisfying the photometric selection criteria is W_0^i = 233 A. We infer that 30% - 40% of LAEs at z=5.7 exceed W_0^i = 240 A. These large-EW objects probably cannot be accounted for by ordinary star-forming populations with a Salpeter IMF. We also find that LAEs with fainter far-UV luminosities have larger EWs. Finally, we derive the far-UV luminosity function of LAEs down to M_UV ~= -19.6 using the photometric sample, and compare it with that of Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs). We find that as high as about 80% of LBGs at z ~ 6 have W_0^i >= 100 A, in sharp contrast to lower-z counterparts.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

Spectroscopy of i-Dropout Galaxies with an NB921-Band Depression in the Subaru Deep Field

We report new spectroscopy of two star-forming galaxies with strong Ly_alpha emission at z=6.03 and z=6.04 in the Subaru Deep Field. These two objects are originally selected as i'-dropouts (i'-z' > 1.5) showing an interesting photometric property, the ``NB921 depression''. The NB921-band (centered at 9196A) magnitude is significantly depressed with respect to the z'-band magnitude. The optical spectra of these two objects exhibit asymmetric emission-lines at lambda_obs ~ 8540A and ~ 8560A, suggesting that these objects are Ly_alpha emitters at z~6. The rest-frame equivalent widths of the Ly_alpha emission of the two objects are 94A and 236A; the latter one is the Ly_alpha emitter with the largest Ly_alpha equivalent width at z > 6 ever spectroscopically confirmed. The spectroscopically measured Ly_alpha fluxes of these two objects are consistent with the interpretation that the NB921 depression is caused by the contribution of the strong Ly_alpha emission to the z'-band flux. Most of the NB921-depressed i'-dropout objects are thought to be strong Ly_alpha emitters at 6.0 < z < 6.5; Galactic L and T dwarfs and NB921-dropout galaxies at z > 6.6 do not dominate the NB921-depressed i'-dropout sample. Thus the NB921-depression method is very useful for finding high-z Ly_alpha emitters with a large Ly_alpha equivalent width over a large redshift range, 6.0 < z < 6.5. Although the broadband-selected sample at z ~ 3 contains only a small fraction of objects with a Ly_alpha equivalent width larger than 100A, the i'-dropout sample of the Subaru Deep Field contains a much larger fraction of such strong Ly_alpha emitters. This may imply a strong evolution of the Ly_alpha equivalent width from z > 6 to z ~ 3.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Nature of a Strongly-Lensed Submillimeter Galaxy SMM J14011+0252

We have carried out near-infrared JHK spectroscopy of a gravitationally lensed submillimeter galaxy SMM J14011+0252 at z=2.565, using OHS and CISCO on the Subaru telescope. This object consists of two optical components, J1 and J2, which are lensed by the cluster Abell 1835. J1 suffers additional strong lensing by a foreground galaxy at z=0.25 in the cluster. The rest-optical H-alpha, H-beta, and [O II]3727 lines are detected in both J1 and J2, and [N II]6548,6583 lines are also detected in J1. A diagnosis of emission-line ratios shows that the excitation source of J1 is stellar origin, consistent with previous X-ray observations. The continua of J1 and J2 show breaks at rest 4000A, indicating relatively young age. Combined with optical photometry, we have carried out model spectrum fitting of J2 and find that it is a very young (~50 Myr) galaxy of rather small mass (~10e8 M_sol) which suffers some amount of dust extinction. A new gravitational lensing model is constructed to assess both magnification factor and contamination from the lensing galaxy of the component J1, using HST-F702W image. We have found that J1 suffers strong lensing with magnification of ~30, and its stellar mass is estimated to be < 10e9 M_sol. These results suggest that SMM J14011+0252 is a major merger system at high redshift that undergoes intense star formation, but not a formation site of a giant elliptical. Still having plenty of gas, it will transform most of the gas into stars and will evolve into a galaxy of < 10e10 M_sol. Therefore, this system is possibly an ancestor of a less massive galaxy such as a mid-sized elliptical or a spiral at the present.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Spectroscopic confirmation of high-redshift supernovae with the ESO VLT

We present VLT FORS1 and FORS2 spectra of 39 candidate high-redshift supernovae that were discovered as part of a cosmological study using Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) over a wide range of redshifts. From the spectra alone, 20 candidates are spectrally classified as SNe Ia with redshifts ranging from z=0.212 to z=1.181. Of the remaining 19 candidates, 1 might be a Type II supernova and 11 exhibit broad supernova-like spectral features and/or have supernova-like light curves. The candidates were discovered in 8 separate ground-based searches. In those searches in which SNe Ia at z ~ 0.5 were targeted, over 80% of the observed candidates were spectrally classified as SNe Ia. In those searches in which SNe Ia with z > 1 were targeted, 4 candidates with z > 1 were spectrally classified as SNe Ia and later followed with ground and space based observatories. We present the spectra of all candidates, including those that could not be spectrally classified as supernova.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

The Subaru Deep Field: The Optical Imaging Data

The Subaru Deep Field (SDF) project is a program of Subaru Observatory to carry out a deep galaxy survey over a blank field as large as 34'x27'. The program consists of very deep multi-band optical imaging, near infrared imaging for smaller portions of the field and follow-up optical spectroscopy. Major scientific goals of the project are to construct large samples of Lyman-break galaxies at z~4-5 and Lyman alpha emitters at z~5.7 and 6.6, and to make detailed studies these very high-redshift galaxy populations. In this paper, we describe the optical imaging observations and data reduction, presenting mosaicked images and object catalogs in seven bandpasses.The optical imaging was made through five broad-band filters, B, V, R, i', z', and two narrow-band filters, NB816 (lambda_c=8150A) and NB921 (lambda_c=9196A) with almost 10 hours long integrations for each band. The limiting magnitudes measured at 3-sigma on a 2" aperture are B=28.45, V=27.74, R=27.80, i'=27.43, z'=26.62, NB816=26.63, and NB921=26.54 in the AB system. The object catalog constructed for each of the seven bands contains more than 10^5 objects. The galaxy number counts corrected for detection incompleteness and star count contribution are found to be consistent with previous results in the literature. The mosaicked images and catalogs of all the bands have been made open to the public on Oct. 1, 2004 on the SDF project website at http://soaps.naoj.org/sdf/.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

FeII/MgII Emission Line Ratios of QSOs. II. z>6 Objects

Near-infrared spectra of four QSOs located at $z>6$ are obtained with the OH-airglow suppressor mounted on the Subaru telescope. The FeII/MgII emission-line ratios of these QSOs are examined by the same fitting algorithm as in our previous study of $z<5.3$ QSOs. The fitting results show that two out of the four $z>6$ QSOs have significant FeII emission in their rest-UV spectra, while the other two have almost no FeII features. We also applied our fitting algorithm to more than 10,000 SDSS QSOs and found two trends in the distribution of FeII/MgII against redshift: (1) the upper envelope of the FeII/MgII distribution at $z>3$ shows a probable declination toward high redshift, and (2) the median distribution settles into lower ratios at $z\sim 1.5$ with small scatter compared to the other redshift. We discuss an Fe/Mg abundance evolution of QSOs with a substantial contribution from the diverse nature of the broad-line regions in high-redshift QSOs.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

A Strong Lyman-alpha Emitter at z=6.33 in the Subaru Deep Field Selected as an i' Dropout

We report on the discovery of a star-forming galaxy at z=6.33 in the Subaru Deep Field. This object is selected as a candidate of an i'-dropout, high-redshift galaxy around z=6 because of its red i'-z' color in our deep optical imaging survey in the Subaru Deep Field. Our follow up optical spectroscopy reveals that this object is a strong Ly-alpha emitter with only very faint ultraviolet continuum. The rest-frame equivalent width of the detected Ly-alpha emission is as much as 130 A. Thus the light detected in our z' image is largely attributed to the Ly-alpha emission, i.e., ~40% of the z'-band flux is the strong Ly-alpha emission, giving a very red i'-z' color. This is consistent with the photometric property of this object because the narrow-band data obtained with the NB921 filter shows a significant depression, z'-NB921 = -0.54 mag. By using the photometric data, we show that some other objects among the 48 i'-dropout high-redshift galaxy candidates found in the Subaru Deep Field also show a significant NB921 depression. We briefly discuss the nature of these NB921-depressed objects.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

Infrared Spectroscopy of 15 Radio Galaxies at 2<z<2.6

Near-infrared spectra of 15 high-redshift radio galaxies (HzRGs) located at $2<z<2.6$ were obtained by the OH Airglow Suppressor spectrograph mounted on the Subaru telescope. The UV-optical line ratio diagnostic diagrams indicate that half of the observed HzRGs have extended emission-line regions with low metal abundance, photoionized by a flat-continuum active galactic nucleus such as a quasar. We also found two probable correlations between radio and rest-optical parameters: (1) HzRGs with massive hosts tend to have a redder rest-optical continuum, and (2) HzRGs with smaller radio sizes also show a redder optical continuum. On the basis of the correlations, the nature of HzRGs at $2<z<2.6$ is discussed.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

A SCUBA galaxy in the Protocluster around 53W002 at z=2.4

We analyse an 850-um SCUBA map of the environment of the z=2.39 radio galaxy 53W002, which has been shown to reside in an over-density of Ly-alpha detected galaxies. We identify four luminous submillimeter (submm) sources within a 2.3' (1.2Mpc at z=2.39) diameter area around the radio galaxy (which itself is a weak submm source). We employ a 1.4-GHz map to accurately locate the counterpart of one of these sources, SMMJ17142+5016, and identify this source with a narrow-line AGN with an extended Ly-alpha halo at z=2.390 which is member of the structure around 53W002. Hence SMMJ17142+5016 is the first spectroscopically-confirmed, submm-selected companion to a high-redshift radio galaxy. We discuss the OHS JHK spectrum of this galaxy and in addition present five new constraints on its spectral energy distribution longward of 1um, using these to estimate its bolometric luminosity as ~8x10^12 Lo, or a star formation rate of ~1000Mo/yr if young stars provide the bulk of the luminosity. This result provides direct support for the statistical detection of over-densities of SCUBA galaxies around high-redshift radio galaxies and confirms theoretical predictions that SCUBA galaxies, as the progenitors of massive ellipticals, should be strongly clustered in the highest density regions of the distant Universe.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

The Type Ic Hypernova SN 2002ap

Photometric and spectroscopic data of the energetic Type Ic supernova (SN) 2002ap are presented, and the properties of the SN are investigated through models of its spectral evolution and its light curve. The SN is spectroscopically similar to the "hypernova" SN 1997ef. However, its kinetic energy [$\sim (4-10) \times 10^{51}$ erg] and the mass ejected (2.5-5 $M_{\odot}$) are smaller, resulting in a faster-evolving light curve. The SN synthesized $\sim 0.07 M_{\odot}$ of $^{56}$Ni, and its peak luminosity was similar to that of normal SNe. Brightness alone should not be used to define a hypernova, whose defining character, namely very broad spectral features, is the result of a high kinetic energy. The likely main-sequence mass of the progenitor star was 20-25 $M_{\odot}$, which is also lower than that of both hypernovae SNe 1997ef and 1998bw. SN 2002ap appears to lie at the low-energy and low-mass end of the hypernova sequence as it is known so far. Observations of the nebular spectrum, which is expected to dominate by summer 2002, are necessary to confirm these values.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

CISCO: Cooled Infrared Spectrograph and Camera for OHS on the Subaru Telescope

This paper describes a Cooled Infrared Spectrograph and Camera for OHS (CISCO), mounted on the Nasmyth focus of the Subaru telescope. It is primarily designed as a back-end camera of the OH-Airglow Suppressor (OHS), and is also used as an independent, general-purpose near-infrared camera/spectrograph. CISCO is based on a single 1024x1024 format HgCdTe HAWAII array detector, and is capable of either wide-field imaging of 1.8'x1.8' field-of-view or low-resolution spectroscopy from 0.9 to 2.4 um. The limiting magnitudes measured during test observations were found to be J=23.5mag and K'=22.4mag (imaging, 1" aperture, S/N=5, 1 hr exposure).

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Near Infrared Faint Galaxies in the Subaru Deep Field: Comparing the Theory with Observations for Galaxy Counts, Colors, and Size Distributions to K=24.5

Galaxy counts in the K band, (J-K)-colors, and apparent size distributions of faint galaxies in the Subaru Deep Field (SDF) down to K~24.5 were studied in detail. Special attention has been paid to take into account various selection effects including the cosmological dimming of surface brightness, to avoid any systematic bias which may be the origin of controversy in previously published results. We also tried to be very careful about systematic model uncertainties; we present a comprehensive surveys of these systematic uncertainties and dependence on various parameters. We found that the pure luminosity evolution (PLE) model is well consistent with all the SDF data down to K~22.5, without any evidence for number or size evolution in a low-density, Lambda-dominated flat universe which is now favored by various cosmological observations. If the popular Lambda-dominated universe is taken for granted, our result then gives a strong constraint on the number evolution of giant elliptical or early-type galaxies to z~1-2 which must be met by any models in the hierarchically clustering universe, since such galaxies are the dominant population in this magnitude range (K<~22.5). In the fainter magnitude range of K>~22.5, we found a slight excess of observed counts over the prediction of the PLE model when elliptical galaxies are treated as a single population. We suggest that this discrepancy reflects some number evolution of dwarf galaxies and/or the distinct populations of giant and dwarf elliptical galaxies which have been known for local elliptical galaxies.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

JHK Spectra of the z=2.39 Radio Galaxy 53W002

We present low-resolution, near-IR JHK spectra of the weak z=2.39 radio galaxy 53W002, obtained with the OH-airglow Suppressor spectrograph (OHS) and Cooled Infrared Spectrograph and Camera for OHS (CISCO) on the Subaru Telescope. They cover rest-frame wavelengths of 3400-7200 A, and the emission lines of [O II]3727, Hb, [O III]4959, 5007, Ha, [N II]6548, 6583 and [S II]6716, 6731 were detected. Using the Ha/Hb line ratio, we find an extinction of E(B-V)=0.14. The emission-line ratios are reproduced by a cloud of electron density n_e=1x10^{3-4}(/cm3) with solar metallicity, ionized by an alpha=-0.7 power-law continuum with ionizing parameter U=1x10^-3. In addition to these emission lines, we make the first spectroscopic confirmation of the Balmer discontinuity in a high-z radio galaxy. Together with rest-frame UV photometry from the literature, we show that at least 1/3 of the present stellar mass was formed in the current starburst. The stellar mass was estimated to be (1-1.4)x10^11 M_sol by one-component model fitting, which is smaller than that of typical z~1 B2/6C radio galaxies. We suggest that 53W002 is currently assembling a large part of its stellar mass through merger events with the surrounding sub-galactic clumps, some of which can be identified with the Lya emitters detected in narrow-band imaging. After a few such events over the next few Gyr, 53W002 will evolve into a massive elliptical galaxy.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

JHK Spectroscopy of the z=2.39 Radio Galaxy 53W002 and Its Companions

We present low-resolution, near-IR JHK spectra of the weak z=2.39 radio galaxy 53W002 and its companion objects #18 and #19, obtained with OHS/CISCO on the Subaru Telescope. They cover rest-frame wavelengths of 3400-7200A, and many rest-optical emission lines are detected. Contributions to the broad-band flux from these emission lines are found to be very large, up to 40% in the H and K'-bands and 30% in the J-band.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Diffuse Extragalactic Background Light versus Deep Galaxy Counts in the Subaru Deep Field: Missing Light in the Universe?

Deep optical and near-infrared galaxy counts are utilized to estimate the extragalactic background light (EBL) coming from normal galactic light in the universe. Although the slope of number-magnitude relation of the faintest counts is flat enough for the count integration to converge, considerable fraction of EBL from galaxies could still have been missed in deep galaxy surveys because of various selection effects including the cosmological dimming of surface brightness of galaxies. Here we give an estimate of EBL from galaxy counts, in which these selection effects are quantitatively taken into account for the first time, based on reasonable models of galaxy evolution which are consistent with all available data of galaxy counts, size, and redshift distributions. We show that the EBL from galaxies is best resolved into discrete galaxies in the near-infrared bands (J, K) by using the latest data of the Subaru Deep Field; more than 80-90% of EBL from galaxies has been resolved in these bands. Our result indicates that the contribution by missing galaxies cannot account for the discrepancy between the count integration and recent tentative detections of diffuse EBL in the K-band (2.2 micron), and there may be a very diffuse component of EBL which has left no imprints in known galaxy populations.

astro-ph↗