arXiv subjects

Paolo Cassata

Publications and source records attributed to Paolo Cassata.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Gamma-ray bursts reveal the history and faint contributors of cosmic reionization

Star-forming galaxies are generally believed to be the main drivers of cosmic reionization. However, the relative contributions of bright and faint galaxies to this process remain unclear. As the most luminous transient phenomena in the universe, long gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs) provide a unique opportunity to probe star formation occurring in both detectable and undetectable galaxies. In this Letter, we present new estimates of the cosmic star formation rate density (SFRD) at $4<z<10$ using Swift LGRBs detected over the past two decades, by considering LGRBs as unbiased tracers of total star formation at high redshifts. Crucially, we find that the new LGRB-inferred SFRD can naturally explain current measurements of hydrogen reionization without invoking extreme ionizing photon production efficiencies or escape fractions from galaxies. Using these LGRB-inferred SFRD values, we further investigate the faintest magnitude limits of high-redshift galaxies, finding a redshift evolution of the limiting magnitudes from $M_{\mathrm{lim}}\sim-14$ to $-15$ at $z\sim6$ to $M_{\mathrm{lim}}\sim-10$ to $-11$ at $z\sim10$. This result provides one independent piece of evidence for the presence of a large population of faint galaxies at redshifts $z\gtrsim6$, as an important complement to our understanding of the ionizing photon budget in the early universe.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2026

The ALPINE-CRISTAL-JWST Survey: The Fast Metal Enrichment of Massive Galaxies at z~5

We present the stellar mass-metallicity relation (MZR) and mass-metallicity-star formation relation ("fundamental metallicity relation"; FMR) of 18 massive (log(M/Msun) = 9.5 - 11) main-sequence galaxies at z~5 from the ALPINE-CRISTAL-JWST sample. This sample complements recent studies by JWST at up to two orders of magnitude lower stellar masses. The metallicities are derived using strong optical lines, and verified by temperature-based oxygen abundance measurements for five galaxies for which faint auroral lines are detected. We find that the metal abundance evolves, on average, from 40% to 60% solar between z~5 and cosmic noon (z~2) at the massive end of the MZR, suggesting already significant metal enrichment at early times. The FMR at z=5 exhibits a 5x larger scatter (preferentially to lower metallicities) compared the local FMR relation. This scatter can be explained by a bursty star formation and the direct build-up of metals in early galaxies as well as differences in age and outflow efficiencies. Capitalizing on all available samples, we find that the observed MZR and FMR over three orders of stellar mass is generally in good agreement with results from cosmological simulation, although some underestimate the metal enrichment at low stellar masses. This may be due to too efficient metal-rich outflows. We show that the ALPINE-CRISTAL-JWST galaxies likely joined the current FMR at z~10 and will evolve into massive (log(M/Msun)~11.4) galaxies with super-solar metallicities by z=0.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

A first empirical derivation of the average dust attenuation law at 2<z<7

Dust attenuation strongly affects the observed spectral energy distributions of galaxies, introducing significant uncertainties in the derivation of key physical properties such as star formation rates, stellar masses, and metallicities. While attenuation curves have been extensively studied in the local Universe and at intermediate redshift, direct spectroscopic constraints at earlier cosmic epochs have remained limited prior to JWST. We aim to derive the average dust attenuation law of star-forming galaxies over the redshift range 2 9) of 120 galaxies with reliable Balmer decrement (Ha/Hb), we construct stacked spectral energy distributions in bins of Balmer optical depth and derive the selective attenuation curve following the empirical methodology introduced by Calzetti et al. (2000). The wavelength coverage is further extended toward the near-infrared using MIRI photometry. The resulting attenuation curve spans the rest-frame range 0.16-1.14mu and is well described by a smooth function. We derive a normalization factor R_V=3.98, finding that the average attenuation law is consistent with the local starburst relation in both slope and normalization. Compared to several determinations at intermediate redshift, however, our curve appears systematically flatter in the ultraviolet. We find no significant evidence for a 2175A UV bump in the average attenuation curve. Our results provide the first empirical determination of the average dust attenuation law for star-forming galaxies at 2<z<7 based on JWST spectroscopy. Despite the diversity of attenuation properties observed in individual systems, the ensemble-average behavior remains consistent with the local starburst relation.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

Near-infrared emission line diagnostics for AGN from the local Universe to redshift 3

Optical rest-frame spectroscopic diagnostics are usually employed to distinguish between star formation and AGN-powered emission. However, this method is biased against dusty sources, hampering a complete census of the AGN population across cosmic epochs. To mitigate this effect, it is crucial to observe at longer wavelengths in the rest-frame near-infrared (near-IR), which is less affected by dust attenuation and can thus provide a better description of the intrinsic properties of galaxies. AGN diagnostics in this regime have not been fully exploited so far, due to the scarcity of near-IR observations of both AGNs and star-forming galaxies, especially at redshifts higher than 0.5. Using Cloudy photoionization models, we identify new AGN - star formation diagnostics based on the ratio of bright near-infrared emission lines, namely [SIII] 9530 Angstrom, [CI] 9850 Angstrom, [PII] 1.188 $μm$, [FeII] $1.257 μm$, and [FeII] $1.64 μm$ to Paschen lines (either Pa$γ$ or Pa$β$), providing simple, analytical classification criteria. We apply these diagnostics to a sample of 64 star-forming galaxies and AGNs at 0 < z < 1, and 65 sources at 1 < z < 3 recently observed with JWST-NIRSpec in CEERS. We find that the classification inferred from the near-infrared is broadly consistent with the optical one based on the BPT and the [SII]/H$α$ ratio. However, in the near-infrared, we find $\sim 60 \%$ more AGNs than in the optical (13 instead of 8), with 5 sources classified as 'hidden' AGNs, showing a larger AGN contribution at longer wavelengths, possibly due to the presence of optically thick dust. The diagnostics we present provide a promising tool to find and characterize AGNs from z=0 to z=3 with low and medium-resolution near-IR spectrographs in future surveys.

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arXiv2026

EGS-z11-R0: a red, dust-rich galaxy at Cosmic Dawn

Context. Galaxies discovered by JWST at z > 10 are predominantly characterized by extremely blue rest-frame UV slopes. Conversely, the existence of dust-reddened systems at such early epochs has remained largely unconfirmed spectroscopically. Aims. We present the spectroscopic confirmation of EGS-z11-R0 at z = 11.45, the most distant red galaxy identified to date, discovered serendipitously through inspection of publicly available JWST/NIRSpec data. Methods. We analyze JWST/NIRSpec PRISM and G395M spectroscopy together with multiwavelength HST, NIRCam, and MIRI photometry. We identify significant detections of the C IV 1548,1551 and C III] 1908 transitions, yielding a redshift of zspec = 11.452 +/- 0.021. We measure rest-frame UV emission-line fluxes and equivalent widths and use these diagnostics to constrain the nature of the ionizing radiation field. Finally, we perform spectral energy distribution modeling with CIGALE, combining spectroscopy with photometry and including stellar, nebular, dust, and active galactic nuclei (AGN) components. Results. EGS-z11-R0 exhibits a red UV continuum slope (betaUV approximately -1.0), placing it well above the canonical MUV-betaUV relation at z~10-12 and making it the highest-z spectroscopically confirmed member of the emerging "red monster" population. Emission-line diagnostics reveal a hard ionizing spectrum consistent with extreme star formation and compatible with a composite stellar plus AGN scenario. The best-fit SED solution favors a stellar mass of log(M*/Msun) ~ 9.2-9.6, a SFR of 10-40 Msun yr^-1, and substantial dust attenuation (AV~1.2 mag). Conclusions. The confirmation of EGS-z11-R0 establishes that chemically evolved, dust-enriched galaxies were already in place at z approximately 11.5. [abridged]

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arXiv2025

Mysteries of Capotauro: investigating the puzzling nature of an extreme F356W-dropout

JWST has uncovered a diverse population of extreme near-infrared dropouts, including ultra high-redshift ($z>15$) galaxy candidates, dust-obscured galaxies challenging dust production theories, sources with strong Balmer breaks - possibly compact AGN in dense environments - and cold, sub-stellar Galactic objects. This work presents Capotauro, a F356W-dropout in the CEERS survey with F444W AB magnitude of $\sim27.68$ and a sharp $>3$ mag flux drop between $3.5{-}4.5\,μ$m, undetected below $3.5\,μ$m. We combine JWST/NIRCam, MIRI, and NIRSpec/MSA data with HST/ACS and WFC3 observations to perform a spectro-photometric analysis of Capotauro using multiple SED-fitting codes. Our setup tests $z\geq15$ as well as $z<10$ dusty, Balmer-break or strong-line galaxy solutions, and the possibility of Capotauro being a Milky Way sub-stellar object. Among extragalactic options, our analysis favors interpreting the sharp drop as a Lyman break at $z\sim32$, consistent with the epoch of formation of the first stars and black holes, with only $\sim0.5\%$ of the posterior volume at $z<25$. Lower-redshift solutions struggle to reproduce the extreme break, suggesting that if Capotauro lies at $z<10$, it must show a non-standard combination of strong dust attenuation and/or Balmer breaks, making it a peculiar interloper. Alternatively, its properties match a very cold (Y2-Y3 type) brown dwarf or a free-floating exoplanet with a record-breaking combination of low temperature and large distance ($T_{\mathrm{eff}}<300\,\mathrm{K}$, $d\gtrsim130\,\mathrm{pc}$, up to $\sim2\,\mathrm{kpc}$). While current data cannot determine its nature, Capotauro emerges as a remarkably unique object in all plausible scenarios, and a compelling target for follow-up.

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arXiv2024

An optically-dark merging system at z~6 detected by JWST

Near- to mid-Infrared observations (from Spitzer and JWST) have revealed a hidden population of galaxies at redshift z=3-6, called optically-dark objects, which are believed to be massive and dusty star-formers. While optically-dark sources are widely recognized as a significant component of the stellar mass function, the history of their stellar mass assembly remains unexplored. However, they are thought to be the progenitors of the more massive early-type galaxies found in present-day groups and clusters. It is thus important to examine the possible connection between dark sources and merging events, in order to understand the environment in which they live. Here, we report our search for close companions in a sample of 19 optically-dark objects identified in the SMACS0723 JWST deep field. They were selected in the NIRCam F444W band and undetected below 2mu. We restrict our analysis to the reddest (i.e. F277W-F444W> 1.3) and brightest (F444W< 26 mag) objects. We have identified an optically-dark source showing a very close companion (<0.5"). The spatially resolved SED fitting procedure indicates that all components lying within 1.5" from the dark source are indeed at z~5.7. Tidal features (leading to a whale shaped morphology) corroborate the hypothesis that the dark source is the most massive (log(M/Msun)>10.3) and dusty (Av~3 at the core) system of an ongoing merger with a mass ratio of ~10. Similar merging systems are identified in the SERRA simulations, allowing us to reconstruct their stellar mass assembly history and predict their molecular gas properties The discovery of mergers within dark galaxies at the end of the Epoch of Reionization underscores the importance of conducting a statistical search for additional candidates in deep NIRCam fields. Such research will aid in understanding the role of merging processes during the obscured phase of stellar mass accumulation.

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arXiv2024

The impact of stellar bars on star-formation quenching: Insights from a spatially resolved analysis in the local Universe

Stellar bars are common morphological structures in the local Universe; according to optical and NIR surveys, they are present in about two-thirds of disc galaxies. These elongated structures are also believed to play a crucial role in secular evolutionary processes, because they are able to efficiently redistribute gas, stars, and angular momentum within their hosts, although it remains unclear as to whether they enhance or suppress star formation. A useful tool to investigate this ambiguity is the main sequence (MS) relation, which tightly links stellar mass ($M_{\star}$) and star formation rate (SFR). The main goal of this work is to explore star-formation processes in barred galaxies in order to assess the relevance of bars in star-formation quenching and whether or not they affect the typical log-linear trend of the resolved MS. To this purpose, we carried out a spatially resolved analysis on subkiloparsec (subkpc) scales for a sample of six nearby barred galaxies. We collected multi-wavelength photometric data from far-ultraviolet (FUV) to far-infrared (FIR) from the DustPedia database and applied a panchromatic spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting procedure on square apertures of fixed angular size (8" $\times$ 8") using the magphys code. For each galaxy, we obtain the distributions of stellar mass and SFR surface density and relate them in the $\log Σ_{\star}$ - $\log Σ_{\rm SFR}$ plane, deriving the spatially resolved MS relation. Although significant galaxy-to-galaxy variations are in place, we infer the presence of a common anti-correlation track in correspondence with the bar-hosting region, which shows systematically lower SFRs. This central quiescent signature can be interpreted as the result of a bar-driven depletion of gas reservoirs and a consequent halting of star formation. Our findings appear to support an inside-out quenching scenario.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

Ancient stellar populations in the outskirts of nearby grand-design spirals: Investigation of their star formation histories

The main sequence (MS) of star-forming galaxies (SFGs) is the tight relation between the galaxy stellar mass and its star formation rate (SFR) and was observed up to z ~ 6. The MS relation can be used as a reference for understanding the differences among galaxies, characterised by different rates of stellar production (starbursts, SFGs, and passive galaxies), and those inside a galaxy made up of different components (bulge, disk, and halo). To investigate peculiar features found in our sample galaxies, we focus here on their star formation history (SFH). We performed a spectral energy distribution fitting procedure that accounted for the energetic balance between UV and far-IR radiation on a sample of eight nearby face-on spiral galaxies from the DustPedia sample. This approach allowed us to study the spatially resolved MS of the sample and to recover the past SFH. By exploiting the BAGPIPES code, we constrained the SFHs for each galaxy with a delayed exponentially declining model to derive their mass-weighted age (tMW). A central old region (tMW up to~7Gyr, consistent with the presence of a bulge for various systems) is followed by younger regions in which the disks are still forming stars (tMW~4Gyr). At larger distances, tMW increases mildly in general. Strikingly, in two galaxies (NGC4321 and NGC5194), we found a steep increase in tMW that reached levels similar to those of the bulge. These old stellar populations in the very galaxy outskirts are unexpected. We discuss their potential origin by considering the different gas phases of the source with the most prominent quenched ring, NGC4321, and argue for two main possibilities: 1) some environmental effect (e.g. starvation) or 2) the circumgalactic medium of sources outside of high-density clusters might have stopped to supply pristine gas to the galaxy (e.g. if its specific angular moment is too high for being accreted).

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arXiv2023

Protoclusters as Drivers of Stellar Mass Growth in the Early Universe, a Case Study: Taralay -- a Massive Protocluster at z ~ 4.57

Simulations predict that the galaxy populations inhabiting protoclusters may contribute considerably to the total amount of stellar mass growth of galaxies in the early universe. In this study, we test these predictions observationally, focusing on the Taralay protocluster (formerly PCl J1001+0220) at $z \sim 4.57$ in the COSMOS field. Leveraging data from the Charting Cluster Construction with VUDS and ORELSE (C3VO) survey, we spectroscopically confirmed 44 galaxies within the adopted redshift range of the protocluster ($4.48 < z < 4.64$) and incorporate an additional 18 such galaxies from ancillary spectroscopic surveys. Using a density mapping technique, we estimate the total mass of Taralay to be $\sim 1.7 \times 10^{15}$ M$_\odot$, sufficient to form a massive cluster by the present day. By comparing the star formation rate density (SFRD) within the protocluster (SFRD$_\text{pc}$) to that of the coeval field (SFRD$_\text{field}$), we find that SFRD$_\text{pc}$ surpasses the SFRD$_\text{field}$ by $Δ$log(SFRD/$M_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-3}$) = $1.08 \pm 0.32$ (or $\sim$ 12$\times$). The observed contribution fraction of protoclusters to the cosmic SFRD adopting Taralay as a proxy for typical protoclusters is $33.5\%^{+8.0\%}_{-4.3\%}$, a value $\sim$2$σ$ in excess of the predictions from simulations. Taralay contains three peaks that are $5σ$ above the average density at these redshifts. Their SFRD is $\sim$0.5 dex higher than the value derived for the overall protocluster. We show that 68% of all star formation in the protocluster takes place within these peaks, and that the innermost regions of the peaks encase $\sim 50\%$ of the total star formation in the protocluster. This study strongly suggests that protoclusters drive stellar mass growth in the early universe and that this growth may proceed in an inside-out manner.

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arXiv2023

Identification and Characterization of Six Spectroscopically Confirmed Massive Protostructures at $2.5<z<4.5$

We present six spectroscopically confirmed massive protostructures, spanning a redshift range of $2.5 9000$\thinspace cMpc$^3$) of more than $2.5σ_δ$ above the field density levels at these redshifts, have a total mass $M_{tot}\ge10^{14.8}M_\odot$ and one or more highly overdense (overdensity$\thinspace>5σ_δ$) peaks. One of the most complex protostructures discovered is a massive ($M_{tot}=10^{15.1}M_\odot$) system at $z\sim3.47$ that contains six peaks and 55 spectroscopic members. We also discover protostructures at $z\sim3.30$ and $z\sim3.70$ that appear to at least partially overlap on sky with the protostructure at $z\sim3.47$, suggesting a possible connection. We additionally report on the discovery of three massive protostructures at $z=2.67$, 2.80, and 4.14 and discuss their properties. Finally, we discuss the relationship between star formation rate and environment in the richest of these protostructures, finding an enhancement of star formation activity in the densest regions. The diversity of the protostructures reported here provide an opportunity to study the complex effects of dense environments on galaxy evolution over a large redshift range in the early universe.

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arXiv2023

Elentári: A $z\sim3.3$ Proto-Supercluster in COSMOS

Motivated by spectroscopic confirmation of three overdense regions in the COSMOS field at $z\sim3.35$, we analyze the uniquely deep multi-wavelength photometry and extensive spectroscopy available in the field to identify any further related structure. We construct a three dimensional density map using the Voronoi tesselation Monte Carlo method and find additional regions of significant overdensity. Here we present and examine a set of six overdense structures at $3.20 5σ$ overdensity separated by up to 70 cMpc, suggestive of a proto-supercluster similar to the Hyperion system at $z\sim2.45$. Upcoming photometric surveys with JWST such as COSMOS-Web, and further spectroscopic follow-up will enable more extensive analysis of the evolutionary effects that such an environment may have on its component galaxies at these early times.

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arXiv2022

JWST unveils heavily obscured (active and passive) sources up to z~13

A wealth of extragalactic populations completely missed at UV-optical wavelengths has been identified in the last decade, combining the deepest HST and Spitzer observations. These dark sources are thought to be very dusty and star-forming systems at 3<z<5, and major contributors to the stellar mass build up. JWST is now promising to detect such objects well beyond the end of the Epoch of Reionization. In this Letter we report an investigation of the deep JWST survey in the SMACS0723 cluster, analysing NIRCam and MIRI images. We search for sources in the F444W band that are undetected in the F200W catalogues. We characterise the main properties of these sources via detailed SED modelling that account for a wide set of parameters and star formation histories, after a careful determination of their photometry. Among a robust sample of 20 candidates, we identify a mixed population of very red sources. We highlight the identification of candidate evolved systems, with stellar masses M*~10^(9-11)Msun at 8<z<13 characterized by unexpectedly important dust content at those epochs (Av up to ~5.8mag), challenging current model predictions. We further identify an extremely red source (F200W-F440W~7mag) that can be reproduced only by the spectrum of a passive, quenched galaxy of M*~10^11.8Msun at z~5, filled of dust (Av~5mag).

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arXiv2020

A panchromatic spatially resolved analysis of nearby galaxies -- II. The main sequence - gas relation at sub-kpc scale in grand-design spirals

In the second work of this series, we analyse the connection between the availability of gas and the position of a region with respect to the spatially resolved main sequence (MS) relation. Following the procedure presented in Paper I we obtain 500pc scales estimates of stellar mass and star formation rate surface densities ($Σ_{\star}$ and $Σ_{\rm{SFR}}$). Our sample consists of five face-on, grand design spiral galaxies located on the MS. Thanks to HI 21cm and $^{12}$CO(2-1) maps, we connect the gas surface densities and gas fractions to the observed star formation properties of each region. We find that the spatially resolved MS ($σ=0.23$ dex) is the combination of two relations: the Kennicutt-Schmidt law ($σ=0.19$ dex) and the molecular gas MS (MGMS, $σ=0.22$ dex); $Σ_{\star}$, $Σ_{\rm{SFR}}$ and the surface density of the molecular gas, $Σ_{\rm{H_2}}$, define a 3D relation as proposed by \citet{2019ApJ...884L..33L}. We find that $Σ_{\rm{H_2}}$ steadily increases along the MS relation, varies little towards higher $Σ_{\rm{SFR}}$ at fixed stellar surface densities (not enough to sustain the change in SFR), and it is almost constant perpendicular to the relation. The surface density of neutral gas ($Σ_{\rm{HI}}$) is constant along the MS, and increases in its upper envelop. $Σ_{\rm{SFR}}$ can be expressed as a function of $Σ_{\star}$ and $Σ_{\rm{HI}}$, following the Equation: $\logΣ_{\rm{SFR}}$ = 0.97$\logΣ_{\star}$ + 1.99$\logΣ_{\rm{HI}}$ - 11.11. Finally, we show that f$_{\rm{gas}}$ increases significantly towards the starburst region in the $\logΣ_{\star}$ - $\logΣ_{\rm{SFR}}$ plane, accompanied by a slight increase in SFE.

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arXiv2020

The ALPINE-ALMA [C II] survey: the luminosity function of serendipitous [C II] line emitters at $z\sim 5$

We present the first [CII] 158 $μ$m luminosity function (LF) at $z\sim 5$ from a sample of serendipitous lines detected in the ALMA Large Program to INvestigate [CII] at Early times (ALPINE). A search performed over the 118 ALPINE pointings revealed several serendipitous lines. Based on their fidelity, we selected 14 lines for the final catalog. According to the redshift of their counterparts, we identified 8 out of 14 detections as [CII] lines at $z\sim 5$, and two as CO transitions at lower redshifts. The remaining 4 lines have an elusive identification in the available catalogs and we considered them as [CII] candidates. We used the 8 confirmed [CII] and the 4 [CII] candidates to build one of the first [CII] LFs at $z\sim 5$. We found that 11 out of these 12 sources have a redshift very similar to that of the ALPINE target in the same pointing, suggesting the presence of overdensities around the targets. Therefore, we split the sample in two (a "clustered" and "field" sub-sample) according to their redshift separation and built two separate LFs. Our estimates suggest that there could be an evolution of the [CII] LF between $z \sim 5$ and $z \sim 0$. By converting the [CII] luminosity to star formation rate we evaluated the cosmic star formation rate density (SFRD) at $z\sim 5$. The clustered sample results in a SFRD $\sim 10$ times higher than previous measurements from UV-selected galaxies. On the other hand, from the field sample (likely representing the average galaxy population) we derived a SFRD $\sim 1.6$ higher compared to current estimates from UV surveys but compatible within the errors. Because of the large uncertainties, observations of larger samples are necessary to better constrain the SFRD at $z\sim 5$. This study represents one of the first efforts aimed at characterizing the demography of [CII] emitters at $z\sim 5$ using a mm-selection of galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

ALMA reveals the molecular gas properties of 5 star-forming galaxies across the main sequence at 3 < z < 3.5

We present the detection of CO(5-4) with S/N> 7 - 13 and a lower CO transition with S/N > 3 (CO(4-3) for 4 galaxies, and CO(3-2) for one) with ALMA in band 3 and 4 in five main sequence star-forming galaxies with stellar masses 3-6x10^10 M/M_sun at 3 < z < 3.5. We find a good correlation between the total far-infrared luminosity LFIR and the luminosity of the CO(5-4) transition L'CO(5-4), where L'CO(5-4) increases with SFR, indicating that CO(5-4) is a good tracer of the obscured SFR in these galaxies. The two galaxies that lie closer to the star-forming main sequence have CO SLED slopes that are comparable to other star-forming populations, such as local SMGs and BzK star-forming galaxies; the three objects with higher specific star formation rates (sSFR) have far steeper CO SLEDs, which possibly indicates a more concentrated episode of star formation. By exploiting the CO SLED slopes to extrapolate the luminosity of the CO(1-0) transition, and using a classical conversion factor for main sequence galaxies of alpha_CO = 3.8 M_sun(K km s^-1 pc^-2)^-1, we find that these galaxies are very gas rich, with molecular gas fractions between 60 and 80%, and quite long depletion times, between 0.2 and 1 Gyr. Finally, we obtain dynamical masses that are comparable with the sum of stellar and gas mass (at least for four out of five galaxies), allowing us to put a first constraint on the alpha_CO parameter for main sequence galaxies at an unprecedented redshift.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

Deciphering an evolutionary sequence of merger stages in infrared-luminous starburst galaxies at z ~ 0.7

Based on optical/near-IR Magellan FIRE spectra of 25 starburst galaxies at 0.5 < z < 0.9, Calabrò et al.(2018) showed that their attenuation properties can be explained by a single-parameter sequence of total obscurations ranging from A(V)=2 to A(V)=30 towards the starburst core centers in a mixed stars and dust configuration. We investigate here the origin of this sequence for the same sample. We show that total attenuations anti-correlate with the starburst sizes in radio (3 GHz) with a significance larger than 5sigma and a scatter of 0.26 dex. More obscured and compact starbursts also show enhanced N2 (=[NII]/Halpha) ratios and larger line velocity widths that we attribute to an increasing shock contribution toward later merger phases, driven by deeper gravitational potential wells at the coalescence. Additionally, the attenuation is also linked to the equivalent width (EW) of hydrogen recombination lines, which is sensitive to the luminosity weighted age of the relatively unobscured stellar populations. Overall, the correlations among A(V), radio size, line width, N2 and EW of Balmer/Paschen lines converge towards suggesting an evolutionary sequence of merger stages: all of these quantities are likely to be good time-tracers of the merger phenomenon, and their large spanned range appears to be characteristic of the different merger phases. Half of our sample at higher obscurations have radio sizes approximately 3 times smaller than early type galaxies at the same redshift, suggesting that, in analogy with local Ultraluminous Infrared galaxies (ULIRGs), these cores cannot be directly forming elliptical galaxies. Finally, we detect mid-IR AGN torus for half of our sample and additional X-ray emission for 6 starbursts; intriguingly, the latter have systematically more compact sizes, suggestive of emerging AGNs towards later merger stages, possibly precursors of a later QSO phase.

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arXiv2019

Panchromatic Study of the First Galaxies with Large ALMA Programs

Thanks to deep optical to near-IR imaging and spectroscopy, significant progress is made in characterizing the rest-frame UV to optical properties of galaxies in the early universe (z > 4). Surveys with Hubble, Spitzer, and ground-based facilities (Keck, Subaru, and VLT) provide spectroscopic and photometric redshifts, measurements of the spatial structure, stellar masses, and optical emission lines for large samples of galaxies. Recently, the Atacama Large (Sub) Millimeter Array (ALMA) has become a major player in pushing studies of high redshift galaxies to far-infrared wavelengths, hence making panchromatic surveys over many orders of frequencies possible. While past studies focused mostly on bright sub-millimeter galaxies, the sensitivity of ALMA now enables surveys like ALPINE, which focuses on measuring the gas and dust properties of a large sample of normal main-sequence galaxies at z > 4. Combining observations across different wavelengths into a single, panchromatic picture of galaxy formation and evolution is currently and in the future an important focus of the astronomical community.

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