arXiv subjects

Kirsten Larson

Publications and source records attributed to Kirsten Larson.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2013

A Search for Moderate-Redshift Survivors from the Population of Luminous Compact Passive Galaxies at High Redshift

From a search of a ~ 2400 square degree region covered by both the SDSS and UKIDSS databases, we have attempted to identify galaxies at z ~ 0.5 that are consistent with their being essentially unmodified examples of the luminous passive compact galaxies found at z ~ 2.5. After isolating good candidates via deeper imaging, we further refine the sample with Keck moderate-resolution spectroscopy and laser-guide-star adaptive-optics imaging. For 4 of the 5 galaxies that so far remain after passing through this sieve, we analyze plausible star-formation histories based on our spectra in order to identify galaxies that may have survived with little modification from the population formed at high redshift. We find 2 galaxies that are consistent with having formed > 95% of their mass at z > 5. We attempt to estimate masses both from our stellar population determinations and from velocity dispersions. Given the high frequency of small axial ratios, both in our small sample and among samples found at high redshifts, we tentatively suggest that some of the more extreme examples of passive compact galaxies may have prolate morphologies.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2012

Spectral Energy Distributions of Local Luminous And Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies

Luminous and ultraluminous infrared galaxies ((U)LIRGs) are the most extreme star forming galaxies in the universe. The local (U)LIRGs provide a unique opportunity to study their multi-wavelength properties in detail for comparison to their more numerous counterparts at high redshifts. We present common large aperture photometry at radio through X-ray wavelengths, and spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for a sample of 53 nearby LIRGs and 11 ULIRGs spanning log (LIR/Lsun) = 11.14-12.57 from the flux-limited Great Observatories All-sky LIRG Survey (GOALS). The SEDs for all objects are similar in that they show a broad, thermal stellar peak and a dominant FIR thermal dust peak, where nuLnu(60um) / nuLnu(V) increases from ~2-30 with increasing LIR. When normalized at IRAS-60um, the largest range in the luminosity ratio, R(lambda)=log[nuLnu(lambda)/nuLnu(60um)] observed over the full sample is seen in the Hard X-rays (HX=2-10 keV). A small range is found in the Radio (1.4GHz), where the mean ratio is largest. Total infrared luminosities, LIR(8-1000um), dust temperatures, and dust masses were computed from fitting thermal dust emission modified blackbodies to the mid-infrared (MIR) through submillimeter SEDs. The new results reflect an overall ~0.02 dex lower luminosity than the original IRAS values. Total stellar masses were computed by fitting stellar population synthesis models to the observed near-infrared (NIR) through ultraviolet (UV) SEDs. Mean stellar masses are found to be log(M/Msun) = 10.79+/-0.40. Star formation rates have been determined from the infrared (SFR_IR~45Msun/yr) and from the monochromatic UV luminosities (SFR_UV~1.3Msun/yr), respectively. Multiwavelength AGN indicators have be used to select putative AGN: about 60% of the ULIRGs would have been classified as an AGN by at least one of the selection criteria.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Two Moderate-Redshift Analogs to Compact Massive Early-Type Galaxies at High Redshifts

From a search of a portion of the sky covered by the SDSS and UKIDSS databases, we have located 2 galaxies at z~0.5 that have properties similar to those of the luminous passive compact galaxies found at z~2.5. From Keck moderate-resolution spectroscopy and laser-guided adaptive-optics imaging of these galaxies, we can begin to put together a more detailed picture of what their high-redshift counterparts might be like. Spectral-synthesis models that fit the u to K photometry also seem to give good fits to the spectral features. From these models, we estimate masses in the range of 3-4 10^11 M_sun for both galaxies. Under the assumption that these are spheroidal galaxies, our velocity dispersions give estimated masses about a factor of 3 smaller. However, our high-resolution imaging data indicate that these galaxies are not normal spheroids, and the interpretation of the kinematic data depends critically on the actual morphologies and the nature of the stellar orbits. While recent suggestions that the population of high-redshift compact galaxies is present locally as the inner regions of local massive elliptical galaxies are quite plausible, the peak mass surface densities of the two galaxies we discuss here appear to be up to a factor of 10 higher than those of the highest density local ellipticals, assuming that our photometric masses are roughly correct. It thus seems possible that some dynamical "puffing-up'' of the high-redshift galaxies might still be required in this scenario.

astro-ph.CO↗