arXiv subjects

M. Baes

Publications and source records attributed to M. Baes.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

arXiv2013

Gas-to-Dust mass ratios in local galaxies over a 2 dex metallicity range

This paper analyses the behaviour of the gas-to-dust mass ratio (G/D) of local Universe galaxies over a large metallicity range. We combine three samples: the Dwarf Galaxy Survey, the KINGFISH survey and a subsample from Galametz et al. (2011) totalling 126 galaxies, covering a 2 dex metallicity range, with 30% of the sample with 12+log(O/H) < 8.0. The dust masses are homogeneously determined with a semi-empirical dust model, including submm constraints. The atomic and molecular gas masses are compiled from the literature. Two XCO are used to estimate molecular gas masses: the Galactic XCO, and a XCO depending on the metallicity (as Z^{-2}). Correlations with morphological types, stellar masses, star formation rates and specific star formation rates are discussed. The trend between G/D and metallicity is empirically modelled using power-laws (slope of -1 and free) and a broken power-law. We compare the evolution of the G/D with predictions from chemical evolution models. We find that out of the five tested galactic parameters, metallicity is the galactic property driving the observed G/D. The G/D versus metallicity relation cannot be represented by a power-law with a slope of -1 over the whole metallicity range. The observed trend is steeper for metallicities lower than ~ 8.0. A large scatter is observed in the G/D for a given metallicity, with a dispersion of 0.37 dex in metallicity bins of ~0.1 dex. The broken power-law reproduces best the observed G/D and provides estimates of the G/D that are accurate to a factor of 1.6. The good agreement of the G/D and its scatter with the three tested chemical evolution models shows that the scatter is intrinsic to galactic properties, reflecting the different star formation histories, dust destruction efficiencies, dust grain size distributions and chemical compositions across the sample. (abriged)

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2013

Herschel-ATLAS: deep HST/WFC3 imaging of strongly lensed submillimeter galaxies

We report on deep near-infrared observations obtained with the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) of the first five confirmed gravitational lensing events discovered by the Herschel Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey (H-ATLAS). We succeed in disentangling the background galaxy from the lens to gain separate photometry of the two components. The HST data allow us to significantly improve on previous constraints of the mass in stars of the lensed galaxy and to perform accurate lens modelling of these systems, as described in the accompanying paper by Dye et al. We fit the spectral energy distributions of the background sources from near-IR to millimetre wavelengths and use the magnification factors estimated by Dye et al. to derive the intrinsic properties of the lensed galaxies. We find these galaxies to have star-formation rates of approximately 400 to 2000 M_sol/yr, with approximately (6-25)x10^10 M_sol of their baryonic mass already turned into stars. At these rates of star formation, all remaining molecular gas will be exhausted in less than 100 Myr, reaching a final mass in stars of a few 10^11 M_sol. These galaxies are thus proto-ellipticals caught during their major episode of star formation, and observed at the peak epoch z=1.5-3 of the cosmic star formation history of the Universe.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

The Herschel Virgo Cluster Survey XVI: a cluster inventory

Herschel FIR observations are used to construct Virgo cluster galaxy luminosity functions and to show that the cluster lacks the very bright and the numerous faint sources detected in field galaxy surveys. The far-infrared SEDs are fitted to obtain dust masses and temperatures and the dust mass function. The cluster is over dense in dust by about a factor of 100 compared to the field. The same emissivity (beta) temperature relation applies for different galaxies as that found for different regions of M31. We use optical and HI data to show that Virgo is over dense in stars and atomic gas by about a factor of 100 and 20 respectively. Metallicity values are used to measure the mass of metals in the gas phase. The mean metallicity is about 0.7 solar and 50% of the metals are in the dust. For the cluster as a whole the mass density of stars in galaxies is 8 times that of the gas and the gas mass density is 130 times that of the metals. We use our data to consider the chemical evolution of the individual galaxies, inferring that the measured variations in effective yield are due to galaxies having different ages, being affected to varying degrees by gas loss. Four galaxy scaling relations are considered: mass-metallicity, mass-velocity, mass-star formation rate and mass-radius - we suggest that initial galaxy mass is the prime driver of a galaxy's ultimate destiny. Finally, we use X-ray observations and galaxy dynamics to assess the dark and baryonic matter content compared to the cosmological model.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Hierarchical octree and k-d tree grids for 3D radiative transfer simulations

A crucial ingredient for numerically solving the 3D radiative transfer problem is the choice of the grid that discretizes the transfer medium. Many modern radiative transfer codes, whether using Monte Carlo or ray tracing techniques, are equipped with hierarchical octree-based grids to accommodate a wide dynamic range in densities. We critically investigate two different aspects of octree grids in the framework of Monte Carlo dust radiative transfer. Inspired by their common use in computer graphics applications, we test hierarchical k-d tree grids as an alternative for octree grids. On the other hand, we investigate which node subdivision-stopping criteria are optimal for constructing of hierarchical grids. We implemented a k-d tree grid in the 3D radiative transfer code SKIRT and compared it with the previously implemented octree grid. We also considered three different node subdivision-stopping criteria (based on mass, optical depth, and density gradient thresholds). Based on a small suite of test models, we compared the efficiency and accuracy of the different grids, according to various quality metrics. For a given set of requirements, the k-d tree grids only require half the number of cells of the corresponding octree. Moreover, for the same number of grid cells, the k-d tree is characterized by higher discretization accuracy. Concerning the subdivision stopping criteria, we find that an optical depth criterion is not a useful alternative to the more standard mass threshold, since the resulting grids show a poor accuracy. Both criteria can be combined; however, in the optimal combination, for which we provide a simple approximate recipe, this can lead to a 20% reduction in the number of cells needed to reach a certain grid quality. An additional density gradient threshold criterion can be added that solves the problem of poorly resolving sharp edges and... (abridged).

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2013

Cold dust but warm gas in the unusual elliptical galaxy NGC 4125

Data from the Herschel Space Observatory have revealed an unusual elliptical galaxy, NGC 4125, which has strong and extended submillimeter emission from cold dust but only very strict upper limits to its CO and HI emission. Depending on the dust emissivity, the total dust mass is 2-5x10^6 Msun. While the neutral gas-to-dust mass ratio is extremely low (< 12-30), including the ionized gas traced by [CII] emission raises this limit to < 39-100. The dust emission follows a similar r^{1/4} profile to the stellar light and the dust to stellar mass ratio is towards the high end of what is found in nearby elliptical galaxies. We suggest that NGC 4125 is currently in an unusual phase where evolved stars produced in a merger-triggered burst of star formation are pumping large amounts of gas and dust into the interstellar medium. In this scenario, the low neutral gas-to-dust mass ratio is explained by the gas being heated to temperatures >= 10^4 K faster than the dust is evaporated. If galaxies like NGC 4125, where the far-infrared emission does not trace neutral gas in the usual manner, are common at higher redshift, this could have significant implications for our understanding of high redshift galaxies and galaxy evolution.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Isothermal dust models of Herschel-ATLAS galaxies

We use galaxies from the Herschel-ATLAS survey, and a suite of ancillary simulations based on an isothermal dust model, to study our ability to determine the effective dust temperature, luminosity and emissivity index of 250um selected galaxies in the local Universe (z < 0.5). As well as simple far-infrared SED fitting of individual galaxies based on chi^2 minimisation, we attempt to derive the best global isothermal properties of 13,826 galaxies with reliable optical counterparts and spectroscopic redshifts. Using our simulations, we highlight the fact that applying traditional SED fitting techniques to noisy observational data in the Herschel Space Observatory bands introduces artificial anti-correlation between derived values of dust temperature and emissivity index. This is true even for galaxies with the most robust detections in our sample, making the results hard to interpret. We apply a method to determine the best-fit global values of isothermal effective temperature and emissivity index for z < 0.5 galaxies in H-ATLAS, deriving T = 22.3 +/- 0.1K and Beta = 1.98 +/- 0.02 (or T = 23.5 +/- 0.1K and Beta = 1.82 +/- 0.02 if we attempt to correct for bias by assuming that T and Beta are independent and normally distributed). We use our technique to test for an evolving emissivity index, finding only weak evidence. The median dust luminosity of our sample is log(Ldust/Lsolar) = 10.72 +/- 0.05 which (unlike T) shows little dependence on the choice of Beta used in our analysis, including whether it is variable or fixed. We use a further suite of simulations to emphasise the importance of the H-ATLAS PACS data for deriving dust temperatures at these redshifts, even though they are less sensitive than the SPIRE data. The majority of galaxies detected by H-ATLAS are normal star-forming galaxies, though a substantial minority (~31%) fall in the Luminous Infrared Galaxy category. (Abridged)

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Revealing the cold dust in low-metallicity environments: I - Photometry analysis of the Dwarf Galaxy Survey with Herschel

We present new photometric data from our Herschel Key Programme, the Dwarf Galaxy Survey (DGS), dedicated to the observation of the gas and dust in 48 low-metallicity environments. They were observed with PACS and SPIRE onboard Herschel at 70,100,160,250,350, and 500 microns. We focus on a systematic comparison of the derived FIR properties (FIR luminosity, dust mass, dust temperature and emissivity index) with more metal-rich galaxies and investigate the detection of a potential submm excess. The data reduction method is adapted for each galaxy to derive the most reliable photometry from the final maps. PACS flux densities are compared with the MIPS 70 and 160 microns bands. We use colour-colour diagrams and modified blackbody fitting procedures to determine the dust properties of the DGS galaxies. We also include galaxies from the Herschel KINGFISH sample, containing more metal-rich environments, totalling 109 galaxies. The location of the DGS galaxies on Herschel colour-colour diagrams highlights the differences in global environments of low-metallicity galaxies. The dust in DGS galaxies is generally warmer than in KINGFISH galaxies (T_DGS~32 K, T_KINGFISH~23 K). The emissivity index, beta, is ~1.7 in the DGS, but metallicity does not make a strong effect on beta. The dust-to-stellar mass ratio is lower in low-metallicity galaxies: M_dust/M_star~0.02% for the DGS vs 0.1% for KINGFISH. Per unit dust mass, dwarf galaxies emit ~6 times more in the FIR than higher metallicity galaxies. Out of the 22 DGS galaxies detected at 500 micron, 41% present an excess in the submm not explained by our dust SED model. The excess mainly appears in lower metallicity galaxies (12+log(O/H) < 8.3), and the strongest excesses are detected in the most metal-poor galaxies. We stress the need for observations longwards of the Herschel wavelengths to detect any submm excess appearing beyond 500 micron.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

H-ATLAS: estimating redshifts of Herschel sources from sub-mm fluxes

Upon its completion the Herschel ATLAS (H-ATLAS) will be the largest submillimetre survey to date, detecting close to half-a-million sources. It will only be possible to measure spectroscopic redshifts for a small fraction of these sources. However, if the rest-frame spectral energy distribution (SED) of a typical H-ATLAS source is known, this SED and the observed Herschel fluxes can be used to estimate the redshifts of the H-ATLAS sources without spectroscopic redshifts. In this paper, we use a subset of 40 H-ATLAS sources with previously measured redshifts in the range 0.5 1 we estimate that the rms of Delta z/(1+z) = 0.12. We have used this template to estimate the redshift distribution for the sources detected in the H-ATLAS equatorial fields, finding a bimodal distribution with a mean redshift of 1.2, 1.9 and 2.5 for 250, 350 and 500 um selected sources respectively. \end{abstract}

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Herschel-ATLAS: Correlations between Dust and Gas in Local Submm-Selected Galaxies

We present an analysis of CO molecular gas tracers in a sample of 500μm-selected Herschel-ATLAS galaxies at z<0.05 (cz<14990km/s). Using 22-500μm photometry from WISE, IRAS and Herschel, with HI data from the literature, we investigate correlations between warm and cold dust, and tracers of the gas in different phases. The correlation between global CO(3-2) line fluxes and FIR-submillimetre fluxes weakens with increasing IR wavelength (λ>60μm), as a result of colder dust being less strongly associated with dense gas. Conversely, CO(2-1) and HI line fluxes both appear to be better correlated with longer wavelengths, suggesting that cold dust is more strongly associated with diffuse atomic and molecular gas phases, consistent with it being at least partially heated by radiation from old stellar populations. The increased scatter at long wavelengths implies that submillimetre fluxes are a poorer tracer of SFR. Fluxes at 22 and 60μm are also better correlated with diffuse gas tracers than dense CO(3-2), probably due to very-small-grain emission in the diffuse interstellar medium, which is not correlated with SFR. The FIR/CO luminosity ratio and the dust mass/CO luminosity ratio both decrease with increasing luminosity, as a result of either correlations between mass and metallicity (changing CO/H2) or between CO luminosity and excitation [changing CO(3-2)/CO(1-0)].

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Far-infrared spectroscopy of a lensed starburst: a blind redshift from Herschel

We report the redshift of HATLAS J132427.0+284452 (hereafter HATLAS J132427), a gravitationally lensed starburst galaxy, the first determined 'blind' by the Herschel Space Observatory. This is achieved via the detection of [C II] consistent with z = 1.68 in a far-infrared spectrum taken with the SPIRE Fourier Transform Spectrometer. We demonstrate that the [C II] redshift is secure via detections of CO J = 2 - 1 and 3 - 2 using the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy and the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimetrique's Plateau de Bure Interferometer. The intrinsic properties appear typical of high-redshift starbursts despite the high lensing-amplified fluxes, proving the ability of the FTS to probe this population with the aid of lensing. The blind detection of [C II] demonstrates the potential of the SAFARI imaging spectrometer, proposed for the much more sensitive SPICA mission, to determine redshifts of multiple dusty galaxies simultaneously without the benefit of lensing.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Regional variations in the dense gas heating and cooling in M51 from Herschel far-infrared spectroscopy

We present Herschel PACS and SPIRE spectroscopy of the most important far-infrared cooling lines in M51, [CII](158 μm), [NII](122 & 205 μm), [OI](63 and 145 μm) and [OIII](88 μm). We compare the observed flux of these lines with the predicted flux from a photon dominated region model to determine characteristics of the cold gas such as density, temperature and the far-ultraviolet radiation field, G_0, resolving details on physical scales of roughly 600 pc. We find an average [CII]/F_TIR of 4 x 10^{-3}, in agreement with previous studies of other galaxies. A pixel-by-pixel analysis of four distinct regions of M51 shows a radially decreasing trend in both the far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation field, G_0 and the hydrogen density, n, peaking in the nucleus of the galaxy, then falling off out to the arm and interarm regions. We see for the first time that the FUV flux and gas density are similar in the differing environments of the arm and interarm regions, suggesting that the inherent physical properties of the molecular clouds in both regions are essentially the same.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Carbon Monoxide in the Cold Debris of Supernova 1987A

We report spectroscopic and imaging observations of rotational transitions of cold CO and SiO in the ejecta of SN1987A, the first such emission detected in a supernova remnant. In addition to line luminosities for the CO J=1-0, 2-1, 6-5, and 7-6 transitions, we present upper limits for all other transitions up to J=13-12, collectively measured from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX), and the Herschel Spectral and Photometric Imaging REceiver (SPIRE). Simple models show the lines are emitted from at least 0.01 solar masses of CO at a temperature > 14 K, confined within at most 35% of a spherical volume expanding at ~ 2000 km/s. Moreover, we locate the emission within 1'' of the central debris. These observations, along with a partial observation of SiO, confirm the presence of cold molecular gas within supernova remnants and provide insight into the physical conditions and chemical processes in the ejecta. Furthermore, we demonstrate the powerful new window into supernova ejecta offered by submillimeter observations.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

An Overview of the Dwarf Galaxy Survey

The Dwarf Galaxy Survey (DGS) program is studying low-metallicity galaxies using 230h of far-infrared (FIR) and submillimetre (submm) photometric and spectroscopic observations of the Herschel Space Observatory and draws to this a rich database of a wide range of wavelengths tracing the dust, gas and stars. This sample of 50 galaxies includes the largest metallicity range achievable in the local Universe including the lowest metallicity (Z) galaxies, 1/50 Zsun, and spans 4 orders of magnitude in star formation rates. The survey is designed to get a handle on the physics of the interstellar medium (ISM) of low metallicity dwarf galaxies, especially on their dust and gas properties and the ISM heating and cooling processes. The DGS produces PACS and SPIRE maps of low-metallicity galaxies observed at 70, 100, 160, 250, 350, and 500 mic with the highest sensitivity achievable to date in the FIR and submm. The FIR fine-structure lines, [CII] 158 mic, [OI] 63 mic, [OI] 145 mic, [OIII] 88 mic, [NIII] 57 mic and [NII] 122 and 205 mic have also been observed with the aim of studying the gas cooling in the neutral and ionized phases. The SPIRE FTS observations include many CO lines (J=4-3 to J=13-12), [NII] 205 mic and [CI] lines at 370 and 609 mic. This paper describes the sample selection and global properties of the galaxies, the observing strategy as well as the vast ancillary database available to complement the Herschel observations. The scientific potential of the full DGS survey is described with some example results included.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2013

HERschel Observations of Edge-on Spirals (HEROES). I: Far-infrared morphology and dust mass determination

Context. Edge-on spiral galaxies with prominent dust lanes provide us with an excellent opportunity to study the distribution and properties of the dust within them. The HEROES project was set up to observe a sample of seven large edge-on galaxies across various wavelengths for this investigation. Aims. Within this first paper, we present the Herschel observations and perform a qualitative and quantitative analysis on them, and we derive some global properties of the far infrared and submillimetre emission. Methods. We determine horizontal and vertical profiles from the Herschel observations of the galaxies in the sample and describe the morphology. Modified black-body fits to the global fluxes, measured using aperture photometry, result in dust temperatures and dust masses. The latter values are compared to those that are derived from radiative transfer models taken from the literature. Results. On the whole, our Herschel flux measurements agree well with archival values. We find that the exponential horizontal dust distribution model often used in the literature generally provides a good description of the observed horizontal profiles. Three out of the seven galaxies show signatures of extended vertical emission at 100 and 160 μm at the 5σ level, but in two of these it is probably due to deviations from an exactly edge-on orientation. Only for NGC 4013, a galaxy in which vertically extended dust has already been detected in optical images, we can detect vertically extended dust, and the derived scaleheight agrees with the value estimated through radiative transfer modelling. Our analysis hints at a correlation between the dust scaleheight and its degree of clumpiness, which we infer from the difference between the dust masses as calculated from modelling of optical data and from fitting the spectral energy distribution of Herschel datapoints.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

{\em Herschel}-ATLAS/GAMA: The Environmental Density of Far-Infrared Bright Galaxies at $z \leq 0.5$

We compare the environmental and star formation properties of far-infrared detected and non--far-infrared detected galaxies out to $z \sim0.5$. Using optical spectroscopy and photometry from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) and Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), with far-infrared observations from the {\em Herschel}-ATLAS Science Demonstration Phase (SDP), we apply the technique of Voronoi Tessellations to analyse the environmental densities of individual galaxies. Applying statistical analyses to colour, $r-$band magnitude and redshift-matched samples, we show there to be a significant difference at the 3.5$σ$ level between the normalized environmental densities of these two populations. This is such that infrared emission (a tracer of star formation activity) favours underdense regions compared to those inhabited by exclusively optically observed galaxies selected to be of the same $r-$band magnitude, colour and redshift. Thus more highly star-forming galaxies are found to reside in the most underdense environments, confirming previous studies that have proposed such a correlation. However, the degeneracy between redshift and far-infrared luminosity in our flux-density limited sample means that we are unable to make a stronger statement in this respect. We then apply our method to synthetic light cones generated from semi-analytic models, finding that over the whole redshift distribution the same correlations between star-formation rate and environmental density are found.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

A multiwavelength study of the Magellanic-type galaxy NGC 4449 - I. Modelling the spectral energy distribution, the ionization structure and the star formation history

[Abridged] We present an integrated photometric spectral energy distribution (SED) of the Magellanic-type galaxy NGC 4449 from the far-ultraviolet (UV) to the submillimetre, including new observations acquired by the Herschel Space Observatory. We include integrated UV photometry from the Swift Ultraviolet and Optical Telescope using a measurement technique which is appropriate for extended sources with coincidence loss. In this paper, we examine the available multiwavelength data to infer a range of ages, metallicities and star formation rates for the underlying stellar populations, as well as the composition and the total mass of dust in NGC 4449. We present an iterative scheme, which allows us to build an in-depth and multicomponent representation of NGC 4449 `bottom-up', taking advantage of the broad capabilities of the photoionization and radiative transfer code MOCASSIN (MOnte CArlo SimulationS of Ionized Nebulae). We fit the observed SED, the global ionization structure and the emission line intensities, and infer a recent SFR of 0.4 Msolar/yr and a total stellar mass of approximately 1e9 Msolar emitting with a bolometric luminosity of 5.7e9 Lsolar. Our fits yield a total dust mass of 2.9e6 Msolar including 2 per cent attributed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. We deduce a dust to gas mass ratio of 1/190 within the modelled region. While we do not consider possible additional contributions from even colder dust, we note that including the extended HI envelope and the molecular gas is likely to bring the ratio down to as low as ~ 1/800.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Using hierarchical octrees in Monte Carlo radiative transfer simulations

A crucial aspect of 3D Monte Carlo radiative transfer is the choice of the spatial grid used to partition the dusty medium. We critically investigate the use of octree grids in Monte Carlo dust radiative transfer, with two different octree construction algorithms (regular and barycentric subdivision) and three different octree traversal algorithms (top-down, neighbour list, and the bookkeeping method). In general, regular octree grids need higher levels of subdivision compared to the barycentric grids for a fixed maximum cell mass threshold criterion. The total number of grid cells, however, depends on the geometry of the model. Surprisingly, regular octree grid simulations turn out to be 10 to 20% more efficient in run time than the barycentric grid simulations, even for those cases where the latter contain fewer grid cells than the former. Furthermore, we find that storing neighbour lists for each cell in an octree, ordered according to decreasing overlap area, is worth the additional memory and implementation overhead: using neighbour lists can cut down the grid traversal by 20% compared to the traditional top-down method. In conclusion, the combination of a regular node subdivision and the neighbour list method results in the most efficient octree structure for Monte Carlo radiative transfer simulations.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2013

Star Formation & Dust Heating in the FIR Bright Sources of M83

We investigate star formation and dust heating in the compact FIR bright sources detected in the Herschel maps of M83. We use the source extraction code GETSOURCES to detect and extract sources in the FIR, as well as their photometry in the MIR and Hα. By performing infrared SED fitting and applying an Hα based star formation rate (SFR) calibration, we derive the dust masses and temperatures, SFRs, gas masses and star formation efficiencies (SFEs). The detected sources lie exclusively on the spiral arms and represent giant molecular associations (GMAs), with gas masses and sizes of 10^6-10^8 solar masses and 200-300 pc, respectively. The inferred parameters show little to no radial dependence and there is only a weak correlation between the SFRs and gas masses, which suggests that more massive clouds are less efficient at forming stars. Dust heating is mainly due to local star formation. However, although the sources are not optically thick, the total intrinsic young stellar population luminosity can almost completely account for the dust luminosity. This suggests that other radiation sources contribute to the dust heating as well and approximately compensate for the unabsorbed fraction of UV light.

astro-ph.CO↗