arXiv subjects

Marc Davis

Publications and source records attributed to Marc Davis.

103 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv1996

Redshift z ~ 1 Field Galaxies Observed with the Keck Telescope and the HST

We report results based on 35 new spectroscopic redshifts obtained with the Keck Telescope for field galaxies that also have photometry and morphology from survey images taken by the refurbished HST. A sample of 24 redshifts for galaxies fainter than I = 22 has a median redshift of z ~ 0.81. This result is inconsistent with the lower median redshift of z ~ 0.6 predicted by the ``maximal merger models'' of Carlberg (1996), which otherwise fit existing data. The data match an extrapolation of the CFRS, as well as predictions of certain mild luminosity-evolution models. Nearly half of the redshifts lie in two structures at z ~ 0.81 and z ~ 1.0, showing the presence of high density concentrations spanning scales of ~ 1/h Mpc, i.e., the size of groups. We find emission lines or the presence of possible neighbors in 7 of 9 otherwise luminous galaxies with red central regions at redshifts beyond z ~ 0.7. We also note a diversity of morphological types among blue galaxies at z ~ 1, including small compact galaxies, ``chains,'' and ``blue nucleated galaxies.'' These morphologies are found among local, but generally less luminous, galaxies. Distant blue galaxies also include apparently normal late-type spirals. These findings could imply modest bursts of star formation caused by mergers or interactions of small, gas-rich galaxies with each other or with larger, well-formed galaxies. This first glimpse of very faint z ~ 1 field galaxies of diverse colors and morphologies suggests that a mixture of physical processes is at work in the formation and evolution of faint field galaxies.

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arXiv1996

A Reanalysis of Small Scale Velocity Dispersion in the CfA1 Survey

The velocity dispersion of galaxies on scales of $r\sim1h^{-1}$ Mpc, $σ_{12}(r)$, may be estimated from the anisotropy of the galaxy-galaxy correlation function in redshift space. We present a reanalysis of the CfA1 survey, correct an error in the original analysis of Davis and Peebles (1983), and find that $σ_{12}(r)$ is extremely sensitive to the details of how corrections for infall into the Virgo cluster are applied. We conclude that a robust value of $σ_{12}$ cannot be obtained from this survey. We also discuss results from other redshift surveys, including the effect of removing clusters.

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arXiv1995

The Optical Redshift Survey II: Derivation of the Luminosity and Diameter Functions and of the Density Field

We quantify the effects of Galactic extinction on the derived luminosity and diameter functions and on the density field of a redshift sample. Galaxy magnitudes are more affected by extinction than are diameters, although the effect on the latter is more variable from galaxy to galaxy, making it more difficult to quantify. We develop a maximum-likelihood approach to correct the luminosity function, the diameter function and the density field for extinction effects. The effects of random and systematic photometric errors are also investigated. The derived density field is robust to both random and systematic magnitude errors as long as these are uncorrelated with position on the sky, since biases in the derived selection function and number counts tend to cancel one another. Extinction-corrected luminosity and diameter functions are derived for several subsamples of the {\it Optical Redshift Survey} (ORS). Extinction corrections for the diameter-limited subsamples are found to be unreliable, possibly due to the superposition of random and systematic errors. The ORS subsamples are combined using overall density scaling factors from a full-sky redshift survey of \iras\ galaxies, allowing the reconstruction of the optical galaxy density field over most of the sky to 8000 \kms.

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arXiv1995

Cold Dark Matter Resuscitated?

The Cold Dark Matter (CDM) model has an elegant simplicitly which makes it very predictive, but when its parameters are fixed at their `canonical' values its predictions are in conflict with observational data. There is, however, much leeway in the initial conditions within the CDM framework. We advocate a re-examination of the CDM model, taking into account modest variation of parameters from their canonical values. We find that CDM models with $n=0.8$--0.9 and $h=0.45$--0.50 can fit the available data. Our ``best fit'' CDM model has $n=0.9$, $h=0.45$ and $C_2^{T}/C_2^{S}=0.7$. We discuss the current state of observations which could definitely rule out this model.

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arXiv1995

Galaxy Tracers and Velocity Bias

This paper examines several methods of tracing galaxies in N-body simulations and their effects on the derived galaxy statistics, especially measurements of velocity bias. Using two simulations with identical initial conditions, one following dark matter only and the other following dark matter and baryons, both collisionless and collisional methods of tracing galaxies are compared to one another and against a set of idealized criteria. None of the collisionless methods proves satisfactory, including an elaborate scheme developed here to circumvent previously known problems. The main problem is that galactic overdensities are both secularly and impulsively disrupted while orbiting in cluster potentials. With dissipation, the baryonic tracers have much higher density contrasts and much smaller cross sections, allowing them to remain distinct within the cluster potential. The question remains whether the incomplete physical model introduces systematic biases. Statistical measures determined from simulations can vary significantly based solely on the galaxy tracing method utilized. The two point correlation function differs most on sub-cluster scales with generally good agreement on larger scales. Pairwise velocity dispersions show less uniformity on all scales addressed here. All tracing methods show a velocity bias to varying degrees, but the predictions are not firm: either the tracing method is not robust or the statistical significance has not been demonstrated. Though theoretical arguments suggest that a mild velocity bias should exist, simulation results are not yet conclusive.

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arXiv1995

The IRAS 1.2 Jy Survey: Redshift Data

We present the redshift data for a survey of galaxies selected from the data base of the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS). This survey extends the 1.936 Jy sample of Strauss et al. (1992) from a flux limit of 1.936 Jy at 60 microns to 1.2 Jy. The survey extension consists of 3920 sources in the flux interval 1.2 - 1.936 Jy, of which 2663 are galaxies with measured redshifts. Fourteen objects (0.52%) do not have redshifts. The survey covers 87.6% of the sky. The data for the complete 1.2 Jy survey (the data presented here in addition to that of Strauss \etal 1992) may be obtained in a machine-readable form from the National Space Science Data Center and from the anonymous ftp site given above.

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arXiv1995

INDICATIONS OF DARK MATTER DERIVED FROM LARGE SCALE FLOWS

Recent progress in the measurement of relative distances to galaxies has been quite substantial, and catalogs of 3000 galaxies with distances are soon to become available. The peculiar {\it velocity} field (deviations from Hubble flow) derivable from these catalogs, when compared to the peculiar {\it gravity} field derived from all sky redshift surveys of galaxies such as the 1.2Jy IRAS survey, leads to a unique and extremely powerful test of the density parameter $β\equiv Ω^{0.6}/b_I$, where $b_I$ is the possible linear bias of the IRAS selected galaxies relative to the mass fluctuations. We review the status of these large scale flow measurements and present a new methodology to describe the two fields by means of an expansion in a set of orthogonalized functions describing a general potential flow to any chosen resolution. The parameters of the flow can be estimated by minimization of the $χ^2$ describing the scatter of observed versus predicted linewidths from an inverse Tully-Fisher relation. By this method one can intercompare the gravity and velocity fields coefficient by coefficient, deriving a precise fit for the density parameter and an assessment of the degree of coherence between the fields. The present situation is transitory-- different analyses of the same data are not yielding consistent results. Until this embarassment is untangled, estimates of $β$ should be taken with a large grain of salt.

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arXiv1994

Estimation of Peculiar Velocity from the Inverse Tully-Fisher Relation

We present a method for deriving a smoothed estimate of the peculiar velocity field of a set of galaxies with measured circular velocities $η\equiv {\rm log} Δv$ and apparent magnitudes $m$. The method is based on minimizing the scatter of a linear inverse Tully-Fisher relation $η= η(M)$ where the absolute magnitude of each galaxy is inferred from its redshift $z$, corrected by a peculiar velocity field, $M \propto m - 5\log(z-u)$. We describe the radial peculiar velocity field $u({\bf z})$ in terms of a set of orthogonal functions which can be derived from any convenient basis set; as an example we take them to be linear combinations of low order spherical harmonic and spherical Bessel functions. The model parameters are then found by maximizing the likelihood function for measuring a set of observed $η$. The predicted peculiar velocities are free of Malmquist bias in the absence of multi-streaming, provided no selection criteria are imposed on the measurement of circular velocities. This procedure can be considered as a generalized smoothing algorithm of the peculiar velocity field, and is particularly useful for comparison to the smoothed gravity field derived from full-sky galaxy redshift catalogs such as the IRAS surveys. We demonstrate the technique using a catalog of ``galaxies" derived from an N-body simulation. Increasing the resolution of the velocity smoothing beyond a certain level degrades the correlation of fitted velocities against the velocities calculated from linear theory methods, which have finite resolution,

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arXiv1994

The Origin of the Magellanic Stream

SHORTENED ABSTRACT: We present numerical investigations designed to critically test models of the origin of the Magellanic Stream. The most developed model is the tidal model which fails to reproduce several of its characteristic properties. We suggest an alternative model for the origin of the Stream which can explain all of its observed features and dynamics, as well as provide a strong constraint on the distribution of gas within the halo of the Milky Way. We propose that the Stream consists of material which was ram-pressure stripped from the Magellanic System during its last passage through an extended ionized disk of the Galaxy. This collision took place some 500 million years ago at a galacto-centric distance of about 65 kpc, and swept $\sim 20$\% of the least bound HI into the Stream. The gas with the lowest column density lost the most orbital angular momentum, and is presently at the tip of the Stream, having fallen to a distance of $\sim 20$ kpc from the Milky Way attaining a negative velocity of 200 \kms. To prevent the stripped material from leading the Magellanic Clouds and attaining too large an infall velocity, we postulate the existence of an extended dilute halo of diffuse ionized gas surrounding the Milky Way. If the halo gas is at the virial temperature of the potential well of the Milky Way, its thermal emission would contribute $\sim$ 40\% of the observed diffuse background radiation in the 0.5-1.0 keV (M) band, consistent with recent ROSAT measurements as well as pulsar dispersion measures. Ram pressure stripping

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arXiv1993

How Unusual is the Locally Quiet Hubble Flow?

The local galaxy distribution offers an interesting constraint to cosmological models of structure formation. The galaxies are distributed in a long, filamentary structure, presumably the result of large amplitude gravitational instability, yet the local velocity field is cold. In particular, there are no blueshifted galaxies within 5h^-1 Mpc except those within the Local Group radius of 1h^-1 Mpc. Using numerical simulations we demonstrate that such a situation is extremely rare for an observer in Omega=1 CDM models, but is not uncommon in mixed dark matter (MDM) models that include massive neutrinos.

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arXiv1993

On the Prediction of Velocity Fields from Redshift Space Galaxy Samples

We present a new method for recovering the underlying velocity field from an observed distribution of galaxies in redshift space. The method is based on a kinematic Zel'dovich relation between the velocity and density fields in redshift space. This relation is expressed in a differential equation slightly modified from the usual Poisson equation, and which depends non-trivially on $β\equiv Ω^{0.6}/b$. The linear equation can be readily solved by standard techniques of separation of variables by means of spherical harmonics. One can also include a term describing the ``rocket effect" discussed by Kaiser (1987). From this redshift space information alone, one can generate a prediction of the peculiar velocity field for each harmonic ($l,m$) as a function of distance. We note that for the quadrupole and higher order moments, the equation is a boundary value problem with solutions dependent on both the interior and exterior mass distribution. However, for a shell at distance $r$, the dipole, as well as the monopole, of the velocity field in the Local Group frame is fully determined by the interior mass distribution. This implies that the shear of the measured velocity field, when fit to a dipole distortion, should be aligned and consistent with the gravity field inferred from the well determined local galaxy distribution. As a preliminary application we compute the velocity dipole of distant shells as predicted from the 1.2Jy IRAS survey compared to the measured velocity dipole on shells, as inferred from a recent POTENT analysis. The coherence between the two fields is good, yielding a best estimate of $β= 0.6 \pm 0.2$.

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arXiv1993

Clustering in the 1.2 Jy IRAS Galaxy Redshift Survey II: Redshift Distortions and ξ(r_p,π)

We examine the effect of redshift space distortions on the galaxy two-point correlation function $ξ(r_p,π)$ as a function of separations parallel ($r_p$) and perpendicular ($π$) to the line of sight. We find that the relative velocity dispersion of pairs of IRAS galaxies is $σ(r)= 317^{+40}_{-49}$ \kms at $r=1 \mpc$, consistent with previous estimates derived from optically selected galaxy catalogues. Unfortunately, the use of this result to estimate $Ω$ via the Cosmic Virial Theorem is thwarted by large systematic uncertainties. We also fit for the mean relative streaming velocity of pairs, $v_{12}(r)$, which describes the growth of fluctuations on both linear and nonlinear scales. We find that $v_{12}(r) = 167^{+99}_{-67}$ \kms at $r=4$\mpc, so that on average, approximately half the Hubble expansion velocity of pairs at this separation is canceled by infall. At $r=10$\mpc, the amplitude of the streaming is lower and $v_{12}(r) = 109^{+64}_{-47} \kms$. Linear perturbation theory then implies that $Ω^{0.6}/b =0.45^{+0.27}_{-0.18}$ on scales $\sim 10-15 \mpc$. The amplitude of $v_{12}(r)$ is sensitive to the assumed shape of $σ(r)$; if the latter deviates substantially from a virialized form on small scale, our best fit amplitude of $v_{12}(r)$ can deviate by a factor of two.

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arXiv1993

Clustering in the 1.2 Jy IRAS Galaxy Redshift Survey I: The Redshift and Real Space Correlation Functions

We present analyses of the two-point correlation function derived from an all-sky redshift survey of 5313 galaxies extracted from the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) database. The redshift space correlation function ξ(s) is well described by a power law, $ξ(s) = (s/4.53h^{-1}{\rm Mpc})^{-1.28}$, on scales \simlt 20\mpc; on larger scales ξ(s) drops below the extension of this power law. We examine the effect of redshift space distortions on the correlation function and compute the full two dimensional correlation function ξ(r_p,π). From this, we derive the real space correlation function, which is well described by $ξ(r) = (r/3.76h^{-1}{\rm Mpc})^{-1.66}$ on scales \simlt 20\mpc. The derived correlation functions are found to be consistent with previous determinations in the literature, and seem to show more power on large scales than predicted by the standard Cold Dark Matter (CDM) model. Comparison of the derived ξ(r) with the correlation function of optical galaxies implies an optical to IRAS bias ratio of $b_O/b_I = 1.38\pm 0.12$ on a scale of $\sim 8$\mpc . The variances in cubical cells inferred from ξ(s) appear discrepant with the previously reported results of Efstathiou et al. (1990).

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