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Naoyuki Tamura

Publications and source records attributed to Naoyuki Tamura.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

The Globular Cluster System of the Virgo Giant Elliptical Galaxy NGC 4636: I. Subaru/FOCAS Spectroscopy and Database

We present a spectroscopic study of the globular clusters (GCs) in the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 4636 in the Virgo cluster. We selected target GC candidates using the Washington photometry derived from the deep CCD images taken at the KPNO 4m. Then we obtained the spectra of 164 target objects in the field of NGC 4636 using the Multi-Object Spectroscopy (MOS) mode of Faint Object Camera and Spectrograph (FOCAS) on the SUBARU 8.2m Telescope. We have measured the velocities for 122 objects: 105 GCs in NGC 4636, the nucleus of NGC 4636, 11 foreground stars, 2 background galaxies, and 3 probable intracluster GCs in the Virgo cluster. The GCs in NGC 4636 are located in the projected galactocentric radius within 10arcmin (corresponding to 43 kpc). The measured velocities for the GCs range from 300km/s to 1600km/s, with a mean value of 932_{-22}^{+25} km/s, which is in good agreement with the velocity for the nucleus of NGC 4636, 928\pm 45 km/s. The velocity dispersion of the GCs in NGC 4636 is derived to be 231_{-17}^{+15} km/s and the velocity dispersion of the blue GCs is slightly larger than that of the red GCs. Combining our results with data in the literature, we produce a master catalog of radial velocities for 238 GCs in NGC 4636. The velocity dispersion of the GCs in the master catalog is found to be 225_{-9}^{+12} km/s for the entire sample, 251_{-12}^{+18} km/s for 108 blue GCs, and 205_{-13}^{+11} km/s for 130 red GCs.

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Lyman Break Galaxies at z~5: Rest-Frame UV Spectra. III

We present results of optical spectroscopic observations of candidates of Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) at $z \sim 5$ in the region including the GOODS-N and the J0053+1234 region by using GMOS-N and GMOS-S, respectively. Among 25 candidates, five objects are identified to be at $z \sim 5$ (two of them were already identified by an earlier study) and one object very close to the color-selection window turned out to be a foreground galaxy. With this spectroscopically identified sample and those from previous studies, we derived the lower limits on the number density of bright ($M_{UV}<-22.0$ mag) LBGs at $z \sim 5$. These lower limits are comparable to or slightly smaller than the number densities of UV luminosity functions (UVLFs) that show the smaller number density among $z \sim 5$ UVLFs in literature. However, by considering that there remain many LBG candidates without spectroscopic observations, the number density of bright LBGs is expected to increase by a factor of two or more. The evidence for the deficiency of UV luminous LBGs with large Ly$α$ equivalent widths was reinforced. We discuss possible causes for the deficiency and prefer the interpretation of dust absorption.

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The Stellar Populations of Lyman Break Galaxies at z~5

We present the results of Spectral Energy Distribution(SED) fitting analysis for Lyman Break Galaxies(LBGs) at z~5 in the GOODS-N and its flanking fields (the GOODS-FF). With the publicly available IRAC images in the GOODS-N and IRAC data in the GOODS-FF, we constructed the rest-frame UV to optical SEDs for a large sample (~100) of UV-selected galaxies at z~5. Comparing the observed SEDs with model SEDs generated with a population synthesis code, we derived a best-fit set of parameters (stellar mass, age, color excess, and star formation rate) for each of sample LBGs. The derived stellar masses range from 10^8 to 10^11M_sun with a median value of 4.1x10^9M_sun. The comparison with z=2-3 LBGs shows that the stellar masses of z~5 LBGs are systematically smaller by a factor of 3-4 than those of z=2-3 LBGs in a similar rest-frame UV luminosity range. The star formation ages are relatively younger than those of the z=2-3 LBGs. We also compared the results for our sample with other studies for the z=5-6 galaxies. Although there seem to be similarities and differences in the properties, we could not conclude its significance. We also derived a stellar mass function of our sample by correcting for incompletenesses. Although the number densities in the massive end are comparable to the theoretical predictions from semi-analytic models, the number densities in the low-mass part are smaller than the model predictions. By integrating the stellar mass function down to 10^8 M_sun, the stellar mass density at z~5 is calculated to be (0.7-2.4)x10^7M_sun Mpc^-3. The stellar mass density at z~5 is dominated by massive part of the stellar mass function. Compared with other observational studies and the model predictions, the mass density of our sample is consistent with general trend of the increase of the stellar mass density with time.

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The Stellar Populations of Lyman Break Galaxies at $z\sim5$

We present the results of Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) fitting analysis for Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) at $z\sim5$ in the GOODS-N and its flanking fields. From the SED fitting for $\sim100$ objects, we found that the stellar masses range from $10^{8}$ to $10^{11}M_{\odot}$ with a median value of $4\times10^{9}M_{\odot}$. By using the large sample of galaxies at $z\sim5$, we construct the stellar mass function (SMF) with incompleteness corrections. By integrating down to $10^{8}M_{\odot}$, the cosmic stellar mass density at $z\sim5$ is calculated to be $7\times10^{6}M_{\odot}\textrm{Mpc}^{-3}$.

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An extended star cluster at the outer edge of the spiral galaxy M33

We report a discovery of an extended globular-like star cluster, M33-EC1, at the outer edge of the spiral galaxy M33. The distance to the cluster is 890 kpc, and it lies at a 12.5 kpc projected distance from the center of M33. Old age (>~7 Gyr) and low metallicity ([M/H] <~ -1.4) are estimated on the basis of isochrone fits. Color-magnitude diagrams of stars, located in the cluster's area, photometric and structural parameters of the cluster are presented. Cluster's luminosity (M_V = -6.6) and half-light radius (r_h = 20.3 pc) are comparable to those of the extended globular clusters, discovered in more luminous Local Group galaxies, the Milky Way and M31. Extended globular clusters are suspected to be remnants of accreted dwarf galaxies, and the finding of such a cluster in the late-type dwarf spiral galaxy M33 would imply a complex merging history in the past.

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Lyman Break Galaxies at z~5: Rest-frame UV Spectra II

We present the results of spectroscopy of Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) at z~5 in the J0053+1234 field with the Faint Object Camera and Spectrograph on the Subaru telescope. Among 5 bright candidates with z' < 25.0 mag, 2 objects are confirmed to be at z~5 from their Ly alpha emission and the continuum depression shortward of Ly alpha. The EWs of Ly alpha emission of the 2 LBGs are not so strong to be detected as Ly alpha emitters, and one of them shows strong low-ionized interstellar (LIS) metal absorption lines. Two faint objects with z' \geq 25.0 mag are also confirmed to be at z~5, and their spectra show strong Ly alpha emission in contrast to the bright ones. These results suggest a deficiency of strong Ly alpha emission in bright LBGs at z~5, which has been discussed in our previous paper. Combined with our previous spectra of LBGs at z~5 obtained around the Hubble Deep Field-North (HDF-N), we made a composite spectrum of UV luminous (M_1400 \leq -21.5 mag) LBGs at z~5. The resultant spectrum shows a weak Ly alpha emission and strong LIS absorptions which suggests that the bright LBGs at z~5 have chemically evolved at least to ~0.1 solar metallicity. For a part of our sample in the HDF-N region, we obtained near-to-mid infrared data, which constraint stellar masses of these objects. With the stellar mass and the metallicity estimated from LIS absorptions, the metallicities of the LBGs at z~5 tend to be lower than those of the galaxies with the same stellar mass at z \lesssim 2, although the uncertainty is very large.

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CO Observations of a FeLoBAL Quasar with an H alpha Absorption Line at z=2.3

SDSS J083942.11+380526.3 is an Iron Low-ionization Broad Absorption Line (FeLoBAL) quasar at z = 2.3, and Aoki et al. (2006) recently found the presence of an H alpha absorption line in the broad H alpha emission line. Motivated by an idea that this quasar may be a huge molecular gas reservoir in the early phase of quasar evolution, we made CO(J=3-2) observations of it using the Nobeyama Millimeter Array. No significant CO emission was detected; although an emission-like feature (2.5 sigma) was seen close (~ 2") to the quasar, we regard it as a noise. The obtained 3 sigma upper limit on the CO luminosity is L'_{{\rm CO}(J=3-2)} = 4.5 \times 10^{10} K km/s pc^2, which corresponds to M({\rm H}_2) = 3.6 times 10^10 M_{\odot} if we adopt the CO-to-H_2 conversion factor of 0.8 M_{\odot} (K km/s pc^2)^{-1}. This upper limit is comparable to L'_{{\rm CO}(J=3-2)} (and thus the molecular gas mass) detected in quasars and BAL quasars at z=1-3, and no sign of the presence of the huge amount of molecular gas in this FeLoBAL quasar was obtained.

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The Long Faint Tail of the High-Redshift Galaxy Population

We study the properties of very faint, sub-L* Lyman break galaxies at z~2-5 - thus far a largely neglected but numerically and energetically very important population. We find that the LBG luminosity function undergoes luminosity-dependent evolution: the number of luminous galaxies remains constant while the number of faint ones grows with time. The total UV luminosity density increases with cosmic time from at least z~5 until reaching a peak or a plateau around z~2 - behaviour that is governed by the sub-L* galaxies in the LF's "faint tail". Using broadband SED fitting we find a nearly-linear relationship between SFR and galaxy stellar mass at z~2. A typical L* LBG at z~2 shows a stellar mass of ~10^10M_sun, remarkably similar to the bimodality mass at low redshift. This similarity suggests that the mechanisms responsible for the galaxy bimodality at low-z may have also been at play at z~2.

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A Subaru/Suprime-Cam wide-field survey of globular cluster populations around M87 - II: Colour and spatial distribution

We have performed a wide-field imaging survey of the globular cluster (GC) populations around M87 out to a radius of ~ 0.5 Mpc with Suprime-Cam on the 8.2m Subaru Telescope. By investigating the GC colour distribution as a function of distance from M87 and NGC 4552, another luminous Virgo elliptical in our survey field, it is found that clear bimodality ((V-I)_peak ~ 1.0 and 1.2) is seen only in the inner regions (< 10 kpc) of the host galaxies and that it becomes weaker with radius due to the decreasing contribution of the red GC (V-I > 1.1) subpopulation. It is also found (both around M87 and NGC 4552) that while the spatial distribution of the red GCs is as centrally concentrated as the host galaxy halo light distribution, the distribution of the blue GCs (V-I < 1.1) tends to be more extended. However, the blue GC distribution around M87 is not as extended as the Virgo cluster mass density profile. Based on these facts, we argue that the contribution of GCs associated with the Virgo cluster (e.g., intergalactic GCs) is not significant around M87 and is not the primary reason for the high S_N value of M87. Instead, most of the blue GCs around luminous ellipticals, as well as the red GCs, are presumed to be associated with the host galaxy. We model the radial profile of GC surface densities out to ~ 0.5 Mpc from M87 by a superposition of the GC populations associated with M87 and with NGC 4552, suggesting the existence of an additional intergalactic GC (i-GC) population independent of the luminous ellipticals. We obtain a crude estimate of i-GC specific frequency S_N = 2.9 (+4.2, -1.5), which may indicate the contribution of tidally captured GCs in the GC population of M87 is low to be consistent with the high S_N value of M87.

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A Subaru/Suprime-Cam wide-field survey of globular cluster populations around M87 - I: Observation, data analysis, and luminosity function

In this paper and a companion paper, we report on a wide-field imaging survey of the globular cluster (GC) populations around M87 carried out with Suprime-Cam on the 8.2m Subaru telescope. Here we describe the observations, data reduction, and data analysis and present luminosity functions of GC populations around M87 and NGC 4552, another luminous Virgo elliptical in our survey field. The imaging data were taken in the B, V, and I bands with a sky coverage out to 0.5 Mpc from the M87 centre. GC candidates were selected by applying a colour criterion on the B-V and V-I diagram to unresolved objects, which greatly reduces contamination. The data from control fields taken with Subaru/Suprime-Cam were also analyzed for subtraction of contamination in the GC sample. We investigate GC luminosity functions (GCLFs) within 10' (~ 45 kpc) from the host galaxy centre in detail. The V-band turnover magnitude (V_TO) is estimated to be 23.62 +-0.06 mag and 23.56 +- 0.20 mag for the GC population in M87 and NGC 4552, respectively. The GCLF is found to be a function of GC colour; V_TO of the red GC subpopulation (V-I > 1.1) is fainter than that of the blue GC subpopulation (V-I < 1.1) in both M87 and NGC 4552, as expected if the colour differences are primarily due to a metallicity effect and the mass functions of the two subpopulations are similar. The radial dependence of the GCLF is also investigated for the GC population in M87. The GCLF of each subpopulation at 1' < R < 5' is compared with that at 5' < R < 10' but no significant trend with distance is found in the shape of the GCLF. We also estimate GC specific frequencies (S_N) for M87 and NGC 4552. The S_N of the M87 GC population is estimated to be 12.5 +- 0.8 within 25'. The S_N value of the NGC 4552 GC population is estimated to be 5.0 +- 0.6 within 10'.

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Cryogenic tests of volume-phase holographic gratings: results at 100 K

We present results from cryogenic tests of Volume-Phase Holographic(VPH) gratings at 100 K. The aims of these tests are to see whether the diffraction efficiency as a function of wavelength is significantly different at a low temperature from that at room temperature and to see how the performance of a VPH grating is affected by a number of thermal cycles. We have completed 10 cycles between room temperature and 100 $K$, and find no clear evidence that the diffraction efficiency changes with temperature or with successive thermal cycle.

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Discovery of H alpha absorption in the unusual broad absorption line quasar SDSS J083942.11+380526.3

We discovered an H alpha absorption in a broad H alpha emission line of an unusual broad absorption line quasar, SDSS J083942.11+380526.3 at z=2.318, by near-infrared spectroscopy with the Cooled Infrared Spectrograph and Camera for OHS (CISCO) on the Subaru telescope. The Presence of non-stellar H alpha absorption is known only in the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151 to date, thus our discovery is the first case for quasars. The H alpha absorption line is blueshifted by 520 km/s relative to the H alpha emission line, and its redshift almost coincides with those of UV low-ionization metal absorption lines. The width of the H alpha absorption (~ 340 km/s) is similar to those of the UV low-ionization absorption lines. These facts suggest that the H alpha and the low-ionization metal absorption lines are produced by the same low-ionization gas which has a substantial amount of neutral gas. The column density of the neutral hydrogen is estimated to be ~ 10^18 cm^-2 by assuming a gas temperature of 10,000 K from the analysis of the curve of growth. The continuum spectrum is reproduced by a reddened (E(B-V) ~ 0.15 mag for the SMC-like reddening law) composite quasar spectrum. Furthermore, the UV spectrum of SDSS J083942.11+380526.3 shows a remarkable similarity to that of NGC 4151 in its low state, suggesting the physical condition of the absorber in SDSS J083942.11+380526.3 is similar to that of NGC 4151 in the low state. As proposed for NGC 4151, SDSS J083942.11+380526.3 may be also seen through the close direction of the surface of the obscuring torus.

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Deficiency of large equivalent width Lyman-alpha emission in luminous Lyman break galaxies at z~5-6?

We report a deficiency of luminous Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) with a large rest-frame equivalent width (EW_rest) of Lyman-alpha emission at z~5-6. Combining our spectroscopic sample of LBGs at z~5 and those from the literature, we found that luminous LBGs at z~5-6 generally show weak Lyman-alpha emissions, while faint LBGs show a wide range of Lyman-alpha EW_rest and tend to have strong (EW_rest >20A) Lyman-alpha emissions; i.e., there is a deficiency of strong Lyman-alpha emission in luminous LBGs. There seems to be a threshold UV luminosity for the deficiency; it is M_1400 = -21.5 \~ -21.0 mag, which is close to or somewhat brighter than the M* of the UV luminosity function at z~5 and 6. Since the large EW_rest of Lyman-alpha emission can be seen among the faint LBGs, the fraction of Lyman-alpha emitters in LBGs may change rather abruptly with the UV luminosity. If the weakness of Lyman-alpha emission is due to dust absorption, the deficiency suggests that luminous LBGs at z=5-6 tend to be in dusty and more chemically evolved environments and started star formation earlier than faint ones, though other causes cannot be ruled out.

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Supermassive Black Hole Mass Functions at Intermediate Redshifts from Spheroid and AGN Luminosity Functions

Redshift evolution of supermassive black hole mass functions (BHMFs) is investigated up to z ~ 1. BHMFs at intermediate redshifts are calculated in two ways. One way is from early-type galaxy luminosity functions (LFs); we assume an M_BH - L_sph correlation at a redshift by considering a passive evolution of L_sph in the local relationship. The resultant BHMFs (spheroid-BHMFs) from LFs of red sequence galaxies indicates a slight decrease of number density with increasing redshift at M_BH > 10^{7.5-8} M_solar. Since a redshift evolution in slope and zeropoint of the M_BH - L_sph relation is unlikely to be capable of making such an evolution in BHMF, the evolution of the spheroid-BHMFs is perhaps due mainly to the decreasing normalization in the galaxy LFs. We also investigate how spheroid-BHMFs are affected by uncertainties existing in the derivation in detail. The other way of deriving a BHMF is based on the continuity equation for number density of SMBHs and LFs of active galactic nucleus (AGN). The resultant BHMFs (AGN-BHMFs) show no clear evolution out to z = 1 at M_BH > 10^8 M_solar, but exhibit a significant decrease with redshift in the lower mass range. Comparison of the spheroid-BHMFs with the AGN-BHMFs suggests that at M_BH > 10^{8} M_solar, the spheroid-BHMFs are broadly consistent with the AGN-BHMFs out to z ~ 1. The agreement between the spheroid-BHMFs and the AGN-BHMFs appears to support that most of the SMBHs are already hosted by massive spheroids at z ~ 1 and they evolve without significant mass growth since then.

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Measurement of Throughput Variation Across A Large Format Volume-Phase Holographic Grating

In this paper, we report measurements of diffraction efficiency and angular dispersion for a large format (~ 25 cm diameter) Volume-Phase Holographic (VPH) grating optimized for near-infrared wavelengths (0.9 -- 1.8 micron). The aim of this experiment is to see whether optical characteristics vary significantly across the grating. We sampled three positions in the grating aperture with a separation of 5 cm between each. A 2 cm diameter beam is used to illuminate the grating. At each position, throughput and diffraction angle were measured at several wavelengths. It is found that whilst the relationship between diffraction angle and wavelength is nearly the same at the three positions, the throughputs vary by up to ~ 10% from position to position. We explore the origin of the throughput variation by comparing the data with predictions from coupled-wave analysis. We find that it can be explained by a combination of small variations over the grating aperture in gelatin depth and/or refractive index modulation amplitude, and amount of energy loss by internal absorption and/or surface reflection.

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Radial Variation of Optical and Near-Infrared Colours in Luminous Early-Type Galaxies in ABELL 2199

We performed K band surface photometry for luminous early-type galaxies in a nearby rich cluster ABELL 2199. Combining it with B and R band surface photometry, radial variations of B-R and R-K colours in the galaxies were investigated. It is found that the inner regions of the galaxies are redder in both of B-R and R-K colours. Comparing the radial variations of both of the colours with predictions of Simple Stellar Population (SSP) models for a range of ages and metallicities, it is suggested that the cluster ellipticals have negative metallicity gradients but their age gradients are consistent with zero, although our sample is small; the typical metallicity gradient is estimated to be -0.16+- 0.09 in dlogZ/dlogr, while the age gradient is estimated to be -0.10 +- 0.14 in dlog(age)/dlogr. Considering that similar results have also been derived in the other recent studies using samples of ellipticals in the Coma cluster and less dense environments, it seems that there is no strong dependence on galaxy environment in radial gradient of stellar population in elliptical galaxy.

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Full-Fledged Dwarf Irregular Galaxy Leo A

We have studied Leo A - the isolated and extremely gas rich dwarf irregular galaxy of very low stellar mass and metallicity. Ages of the stellar populations in Leo A are ranging from ~10 Myr to ~10 Gyr. Here we report the discovery of an old stellar halo and a sharp stellar edge. Also we find the distribution of stars extending beyond the gaseous envelope of the galaxy. Therefore, Leo A by its structure as well as stellar and gaseous content is found to resemble massive disk galaxies. This implies that galaxies of very low stellar mass are also able to develop complex structures, challenging contemporary understanding of galaxy evolution.

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