arXiv subjects

Richard Bower

Publications and source records attributed to Richard Bower.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

The KMOS Redshift One Spectroscopic Survey (KROSS): The Tully-Fisher Relation at z ~ 1

We present the stellar mass ($M_{*}$), and K-corrected $K$-band absolute magnitude ($M_{K}$) Tully-Fisher relations (TFRs) for sub-samples of the 584 galaxies spatially resolved in H$α$ emission by the KMOS Redshift One Spectroscopic Survey (KROSS). We model the velocity field of each of the KROSS galaxies and extract a rotation velocity, $V_{80}$ at a radius equal to the major axis of an ellipse containing 80% of the total integrated H$α$ flux. The large sample size of KROSS allowed us to select 210 galaxies with well measured rotation speeds. We extract from this sample a further 56 galaxies that are rotationally supported, using the stringent criterion $V_{80}/σ> 3$, where $σ$ is the flux weighted average velocity dispersion. We find the $M_{K}$ and $M_{*}$ TFRs for this sub-sample to be $M_{K} / \rm{mag}= (-7.3 \pm 0.9) \times [(\log(V_{80}/\rm{km\ s^{-1}})-2.25]- 23.4 \pm 0.2$ , and $\log(M_{*} / M_{\odot})= (4.7 \pm 0.4) \times [(\log(V_{80}/\rm{km\ s^{-1}}) - 2.25] + 10.0 \pm 0.3$, respectively. We find an evolution of the $M_{*}$ TFR zero-point of $-0.41 \pm 0.08$ dex over the last $\sim $8 billion years. However, we measure no evolution in the $M_{K}$ TFR zero-point over the same period. We conclude that rotationally supported galaxies of a given dynamical mass had less stellar mass at $z \sim 1$ than the present day, yet emitted the same amounts of $K$-band light. The ability of KROSS to differentiate, using integral field spectroscopy with KMOS, between those galaxies that are rotationally supported and those that are not explains why our findings are at odds with previous studies without the same capabilities.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2016

The low-mass end of the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation

The scaling of disk galaxy rotation velocity with baryonic mass (the "Baryonic Tully-Fisher" relation, BTF) has long confounded galaxy formation models. It is steeper than the M ~ V^3 scaling relating halo virial masses and circular velocities and its zero point implies that galaxies comprise a very small fraction of available baryons. Such low galaxy formation efficiencies may in principle be explained by winds driven by evolving stars, but the tightness of the BTF relation argues against the substantial scatter expected from such vigorous feedback mechanism. We use the APOSTLE/EAGLE simulations to show that the BTF relation is well reproduced in LCDM simulations that match the size and number of galaxies as a function of stellar mass. In such models, galaxy rotation velocities are proportional to halo virial velocity and the steep velocity-mass dependence results from the decline in galaxy formation efficiency with decreasing halo mass needed to reconcile the CDM halo mass function with the galaxy luminosity function. Despite the strong feedback, the scatter in the simulated BTF is smaller than observed, even when considering all simulated galaxies and not just rotationally-supported ones. The simulations predict that the BTF should become increasingly steep at the faint end, although the velocity scatter at fixed mass should remain small. Observed galaxies with rotation speeds below ~40 km/s seem to deviate from this prediction. We discuss observational biases and modeling uncertainties that may help to explain this disagreement in the context of LCDM models of dwarf galaxy formation.

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arXiv2016

The KMOS Redshift One Spectroscopic Survey (KROSS): Dynamical properties, gas and dark matter fractions of typical z~1 star-forming galaxies

The KMOS Redshift One Spectroscopic Survey (KROSS) is an ESO guaranteed time survey of 795 typical star-forming galaxies in the redshift range z=0.8-1.0 with the KMOS instrument on the VLT. In this paper we present resolved kinematics and star formation rates for 584 z~1 galaxies. This constitutes the largest near-infrared Integral Field Unit survey of galaxies at z~1 to date. We demonstrate the success of our selection criteria with 90% of our targets found to be Halpha emitters, of which 81% are spatially resolved. The fraction of the resolved KROSS sample with dynamics dominated by ordered rotation is found to be 83$\pm$5%. However, when compared with local samples these are turbulent discs with high gas to baryonic mass fractions, ~35%, and the majority are consistent with being marginally unstable (Toomre Q~1). There is no strong correlation between galaxy averaged velocity dispersion and the total star formation rate, suggesting that feedback from star formation is not the origin of the elevated turbulence. We postulate that it is the ubiquity of high (likely molecular) gas fractions and the associated gravitational instabilities that drive the elevated star-formation rates in these typical z~1 galaxies, leading to the ten-fold enhanced star-formation rate density. Finally, by comparing the gas masses obtained from inverting the star-formation law with the dynamical and stellar masses, we infer an average dark matter to total mass fraction within 2.2$r_e$ (9.5kpc) of 65$\pm$12%, in agreement with the results from hydrodynamic simulations of galaxy formation.

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arXiv2015

The link between the assembly of the inner dark matter halo and the angular momentum evolution of galaxies in the EAGLE simulation

We explore the co-evolution of the specific angular momentum of dark matter haloes and the cold baryons that comprise the galaxies within. We study over two thousand central galaxies within the reference cosmological hydrodynamical simulation of the "Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environments" (EAGLE) project. We employ a methodology within which the evolutionary history of a system is specified by the time-evolving properties of the Lagrangian particles that define it at z=0. We find a strong correlation between the evolution of the specific angular momentum of today's stars (cold gas) and that of the inner (whole) dark matter halo they are associated with. This link is particularly strong for the stars formed before the epoch of maximum expansion and subsequent collapse of the central dark matter halo (turnaround). Spheroids are typically assembled primarily from stars formed prior to turnaround, and are therefore destined to suffer a net loss of angular momentum associated with the strong merging activity during the assembly of the inner dark matter halo. Stellar discs retain their specific angular momentum since they are comprised of stars formed mainly after turnaround, from gas that mostly preserves the high specific angular momentum it acquired by tidal torques during the linear growth of the halo. Since the specific angular momentum loss of the stars is tied to the galaxy's morphology today, it may be possible to use our results to predict, statistically, the assembly history of a halo given the morphology of the galaxy it hosts.

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arXiv2015

The unexpected diversity of dwarf galaxy rotation curves

We examine the circular velocity profiles of galaxies in ΛCDM cosmological hydrodynamical simulations from the EAGLE and LOCAL GROUPS projects and compare them with a compilation of observed rotation curves of galaxies spanning a wide range in mass. The shape of the circular velocity profiles of simulated galaxies varies systematically as a function of galaxy mass, but shows remarkably little variation at fixed maximum circular velocity. This is especially true for low-mass dark matter-dominated systems, reflecting the expected similarity of the underlying cold dark matter haloes. This is at odds with observed dwarf galaxies, which show a large diversity of rotation curve shapes, even at fixed maximum rotation speed. Some dwarfs have rotation curves that agree well with simulations, others do not. The latter are systems where the inferred mass enclosed in the inner regions is much lower than expected for cold dark matter haloes and include many galaxies where previous work claims the presence of a constant density "core". The "cusp vs core" issue is thus better characterized as an "inner mass deficit" problem than as a density slope mismatch. For several galaxies the magnitude of this inner mass deficit is well in excess of that reported in recent simulations where cores result from baryon-induced fluctuations in the gravitational potential. We conclude that one or more of the following statements must be true: (i) the dark matter is more complex than envisaged by any current model; (ii) current simulations fail to reproduce the effects of baryons on the inner regions of dwarf galaxies; and/or (iii) the mass profiles of "inner mass deficit" galaxies inferred from kinematic data are incorrect.

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arXiv2015

nIFTy Cosmology: Comparison of Galaxy Formation Models

We present a comparison of 14 galaxy formation models: 12 different semi-analytical models and 2 halo-occupation distribution models for galaxy formation based upon the same cosmological simulation and merger tree information derived from it. The participating codes have proven to be very successful in their own right but they have all been calibrated independently using various observational data sets, stellar models, and merger trees. In this paper we apply them without recalibration and this leads to a wide variety of predictions for the stellar mass function, specific star formation rates, stellar-to- halo mass ratios, and the abundance of orphan galaxies. The scatter is much larger than seen in previous comparison studies primarily because the codes have been used outside of their native environment within which they are well tested and calibrated. The purpose of the `nIFTy comparison of galaxy formation models' is to bring together as many different galaxy formation modellers as possible and to investigate a common approach to model calibration. This paper provides a unified description for all participating models and presents the initial, uncalibrated comparison as a baseline for our future studies where we will develop a common calibration framework and address the extent to which that reduces the scatter in the model predictions seen here.

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arXiv2014

MUSE sneaks a peek at extreme ram-pressure stripping events. I. A kinematic study of the archetypal galaxy ESO137-001

We present MUSE observations of ESO137-001, a spiral galaxy infalling towards the center of the massive Norma cluster at z~0.0162. During the high-velocity encounter of ESO137-001 with the intracluster medium, a dramatic ram-pressure stripping event gives rise to an extended gaseous tail, traced by our MUSE observations to >30 kpc from the galaxy center. By studying the H-alpha surface brightness and kinematics in tandem with the stellar velocity field, we conclude that ram pressure has completely removed the interstellar medium from the outer disk, while the primary tail is still fed by gas from the inner regions. Gravitational interactions do not appear to be a primary mechanism for gas removal. The stripped gas retains the imprint of the disk rotational velocity to ~20 kpc downstream, without a significant gradient along the tail, which suggests that ESO137-001 is fast moving along a radial orbit in the plane of the sky. Conversely, beyond ~20 kpc, a greater degree of turbulence is seen, with velocity dispersion up to >100 km/s. For a model-dependent infall velocity of ~3000 km/s, we conclude that the transition from laminar to turbulent flow in the tail occurs on timescales >6.5 Myr. Our work demonstrates the terrific potential of MUSE for detailed studies of how ram-pressure stripping operates on small scales, providing a deep understanding of how galaxies interact with the dense plasma of the cluster environment.

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arXiv2014

A relationship between specific star formation rate and metallicity gradient within z=1 galaxies from KMOS-HiZELS

We have observed a sample of typical z=1 star forming galaxies, selected from the HiZELS survey, with the new KMOS near-infrared, multi-IFU instrument on the VLT, in order to obtain their dynamics and metallicity gradients. The majority of our galaxies have a metallicity gradient consistent with being flat or negative (i.e. higher metallicity cores than outskirts). Intriguingly, we find a trend between metallicity gradient and specific star formation rate (sSFR), such that galaxies with a high sSFR tend to have relatively metal-poor centres, a result which is strengthened when combined with datasets from the literature. This result appears to explain the discrepancies reported between different high redshift studies and varying claims for evolution. From a galaxy evolution perspective, the trend we see would mean that a galaxy's sSFR is governed by the amount of metal poor gas that can be funnelled into its core, triggered either by merging or through efficient accretion. In fact merging may play a significant role as it is the starburst galaxies at all epochs, which have the more positive metallicity gradients. Our results may help to explain the origin of the fundamental metallicity relation, in which galaxies at a fixed mass are observed to have lower metallicities at higher star formation rates, especially if the metallicity is measured in an aperture encompassing only the central regions of the galaxy. Finally, we note that this study demonstrates the power of KMOS as an efficient instrument for large scale resolved galaxy surveys.

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arXiv2014

The GEEC2 spectroscopic survey of Galaxy Groups at $0.8<z<1$

We present the data release of the Gemini-South GMOS spectroscopy in the fields of 11 galaxy groups at $0.8 50$ per cent complete for galaxies within the virial radius, and with stellar mass $M_{\rm star}>10^{10.3}M_\odot$. Including galaxies with photometric redshifts we have an effective sample size of $\sim 400$ galaxies within the virial radii of these groups. We present group velocity dispersions, dynamical and stellar masses. Combining with the GCLASS sample of more massive clusters at the same redshift we find the total stellar mass is strongly correlated with the dynamical mass, with $\log{M_{200}}=1.20\left(\log{M_{\rm star}}-12\right)+14.07$. This stellar fraction of $~\sim 1$ per cent is lower than predicted by some halo occupation distribution models, though the weak dependence on halo mass is in good agreement. Most groups have an easily identifiable most massive galaxy (MMG) near the centre of the galaxy distribution, and we present the spectroscopic properties and surface brightness fits to these galaxies. The total stellar mass distribution in the groups, excluding the MMG, compares well with an NFW profile with concentration $4$, for galaxies beyond $\sim 0.2R_{200}$. This is more concentrated than the number density distribution, demonstrating that there is some mass segregation.

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arXiv2014

Galaxy Formation: Bayesian History Matching for the Observable Universe

Cosmologists at the Institute of Computational Cosmology, Durham University, have developed a state of the art model of galaxy formation known as Galform, intended to contribute to our understanding of the formation, growth and subsequent evolution of galaxies in the presence of dark matter. Galform requires the specification of many input parameters and takes a significant time to complete one simulation, making comparison between the model's output and real observations of the Universe extremely challenging. This paper concerns the analysis of this problem using Bayesian emulation within an iterative history matching strategy, and represents the most detailed uncertainty analysis of a galaxy formation simulation yet performed.

stat.ME↗

arXiv2013

A fundamental metallicity relation for galaxies at z = 0.84 - 1.47 from HiZELS

We obtained Subaru FMOS observations of Halpha emitting galaxies selected from the HiZELS narrow-band survey, to investigate the relationship between stellar mass, metallicity and star-formation rate at z = 0.84 - 1.47, for comparison with the Fundamental Metallicity Relation seen at low redshift. Our findings demonstrate, for the first time with a homogeneously selected sample, that a relationship exists for typical star-forming galaxies at z = 1 - 1.5 and that it is surprisingly similar to that seen locally. Therefore, star-forming galaxies at z = 1 - 1.5 are no less metal abundant than galaxies of similar mass and star formation rate (SFR) at z = 0.1, contrary to claims from some earlier studies. We conclude that the bulk of the metal enrichment for this star-forming galaxy population takes place in the 4 Gyr before z = 1.5. We fit a new mass-metallicity-SFR plane to our data which is consistent with other high redshift studies. However, there is some evidence that the mass-metallicity component of this high redshift plane is flattened, at all SFR, compared with z = 0.1, suggesting that processes such as star-formation driven winds, thought to remove enriched gas from low mass halos, are yet to have as large an impact at this early epoch. The negative slope of the SFR-metallicity relation from this new plane is consistent with the picture that the elevation in the SFR of typical galaxies at z > 1 is fuelled by the inflow of metal-poor gas and not major merging.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

The Hot and Energetic Universe: A White Paper presenting the science theme motivating the Athena+ mission

This White Paper, submitted to the recent ESA call for science themes to define its future large missions, advocates the need for a transformational leap in our understanding of two key questions in astrophysics: 1) How does ordinary matter assemble into the large scale structures that we see today? 2) How do black holes grow and shape the Universe? Hot gas in clusters, groups and the intergalactic medium dominates the baryonic content of the local Universe. To understand the astrophysical processes responsible for the formation and assembly of these large structures, it is necessary to measure their physical properties and evolution. This requires spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy with a factor 10 increase in both telescope throughput and spatial resolving power compared to currently planned facilities. Feedback from supermassive black holes is an essential ingredient in this process and in most galaxy evolution models, but it is not well understood. X-ray observations can uniquely reveal the mechanisms launching winds close to black holes and determine the coupling of the energy and matter flows on larger scales. Due to the effects of feedback, a complete understanding of galaxy evolution requires knowledge of the obscured growth of supermassive black holes through cosmic time, out to the redshifts where the first galaxies form. X-ray emission is the most reliable way to reveal accreting black holes, but deep survey speed must improve by a factor ~100 over current facilities to perform a full census into the early Universe. The Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics (Athena+) mission provides the necessary performance (e.g. angular resolution, spectral resolution, survey grasp) to address these questions and revolutionize our understanding of the Hot and Energetic Universe. These capabilities will also provide a powerful observatory to be used in all areas of astrophysics.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

The merger rates and sizes of galaxies across the peak epoch of star formation from the HiZELS survey

We use the HiZELS narrow-band H-alpha survey in combination with CANDELS, UKIDSS and WIRDS near-infrared imaging, to investigate the morphologies, merger rates and sizes of a sample of H-alpha emitting galaxies in the redshift range z=0.40 - 2.23, an epoch encompassing the rise to the peak of the star formation rate density. Merger rates are estimated from space- and ground-based imaging using the M20 coefficient. To account for the increase in the specific star-formation rate (sSFR) of the star forming `main-sequence' with redshift, we normalise the star-formation rate of galaxies at each epoch to the typical value derived from the H-alpha luminosity function. Once this trend in sSFR is removed we see no evidence for an increase in the number density of star-forming galaxies or the merger rate with redshift. We thus conclude that neither is the main driver of the enhanced star-formation rate density at z=1-2, with secular processes such as instabilities within efficiently fuelled, gas-rich discs or multiple minor mergers the most likely alternatives. However, we find that 40-50% of starburst galaxies, those with enhanced specific star formation at their epoch, are major mergers and this fraction is redshift independent. Finally, we find the surprising result that the typical size of a star-forming galaxy of a given mass does not evolve across the redshift range considered, suggesting a universal size-mass relation. Taken in combination, these results indicate a star-forming galaxy population that is statistically similar in physical size, merger rate and mass over the 6 Gyr covered in this study, despite the increase in typical sSFR.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2011

From Star-Forming Spirals to Passive Spheroids: Integral Field Spectroscopy of E+A Galaxies

We present three dimensional spectroscopy of eleven E+A galaxies, selected for their strong H-delta absorption but weak (or non-existent) [OII]3727 and H-alpha emission. This selection suggests that a recent burst of star-formation was triggered but subsequently abruptly ended. We probe the spatial and spectral properties of both the young (~1Gyr) and old (few Gyr) stellar populations. Using the H-delta equivalent widths we estimate that the burst masses must have been at least 10% by mass (Mburst~10^10Mo), which is also consistent with the star-formation history inferred from the broad-band SEDs. On average the A-stars cover ~33% of the galaxy image, extending over 2-15kpc^2, indicating that the characteristic E+A signature is a property of the galaxy as a whole and not due to a heterogeneous mixture of populations. In approximately half of the sample, we find that the A-stars, nebular emission, and continuum emission are not co-located, suggesting that the newest stars are forming in a different place than those that formed ~1Gyr ago, and that recent star-formation has occurred in regions distinct from the oldest stellar populations. At least ten of the galaxies (91%) have dynamics that class them as "fast rotators" with magnitudes and dynamics comparable to local ellipticals and S0's. We also find a correlation between the spatial extent of the A-stars and dynamics such that the fastest rotators tend to have the most compact A-star populations, providing new constraints on models that aim to explain the transformation of later type galaxies into early types. Finally, we show that there are no obvious differences between the line extents and kinematics of E+A galaxies detected in the radio (AGN) compared to non-radio sources, suggesting that AGN feedback does not play a dramatic role in defining their properties, or that its effects are short.

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arXiv2010

Dependence of Star Formation Activity On Stellar Mass and Environment From the Redshift One LDSS-3 Emission Line Survey (ROLES)

Using the sample from the \it Redshift One LDSS3 Emission line Survey \rm (ROLES), we probe the dependence of star formation rate (SFR) and specific star formation rate (sSFR) as a function of stellar mass $M_*$ and environment as defined by local galaxy density, in the CDFS field. Our spectroscopic sample consists of 312 galaxies with $K_{AB}<24$, corresponding to stellar mass $\log(M_*/M_{\sun})>8.5$, and with [OII] derived star-formation rates SFR$>0.3M_{\sun}/$yr, at $0.889\leq z \leq 1.149$. The results have been compared directly with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Stripe 82 sample at $0.032\leq z \leq 0.05$. For star-forming galaxies, we confirm that there is little correlation between SFR and density at $z\sim 0$. However, for the lowest mass galaxies in our $z\sim 1$ sample, those with $\log(M_*/M_{\sun})<10$, we find that both the median SFR and specific SFR {\it increase} significantly with increasing local density. The "downsizing" trend for low mass galaxies to be quenched progressively later in time appears to be more pronounced in moderately overdense environments. Overall we find that the evolution of star-formation in galaxies is most strongly driven by their stellar mass, with local galaxy density playing a role that becomes increasingly important for lower mass galaxies.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

Cold Mode Accretion in Galaxy Formation

A generic expectation for gas accreted by high mass haloes is that it is shock heated to the virial temperature of the halo. In low mass haloes, or at high redshift, however, the gas cooling rate is sufficiently rapid that an accretion shock is unlikely to form. Instead, gas can accrete directly into the centre of the halo in a `cold mode' of accretion. Although semi-analytic models have always made a clear distinction between hydrostatic and rapid cooling they have not made a distinction between whether or not an accretion shock forms. Starting from the well-established Galform code, we investigate the effect of explicitly accounting for cold mode accretion using the shock stability model of Birnboim & Dekel. When we modify the code so that there is no effective feedback from galaxy formation, we find that cold mode accretion is the dominant channel for feeding gas into the galaxies at high redshifts. However, this does not translate into a significant difference in the star formation history of the universe compared to the previous code. When effective feedback is included in the model, we find that the the cold mode is much less apparent because of the presence of gas ejected from the galaxy. Thus the inclusion of the additional cold mode physics makes little difference to basic results from earlier semi-analytic models which used a simpler treatment of gas accretion. For more sophisticated predictions of its consequences, we require a better understanding of how the cold mode delivers angular momentum to galaxies and how it interacts with outflows.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

A Spatially Resolved Map of the Kinematics, Star-Formation and Stellar Mass Assembly in a Star-Forming Galaxy at z=4.9

We present a detailed study of the spatially resolved kinematics, star-formation and stellar mass in a highly amplified galaxy at z=4.92 behind the lensing cluster MS1358+62. We use the observed optical, near- and mid-infrared imaging from HST ACS & NICMOS and Spitzer IRAC to derive the stellar mass and the Gemini/NIFS IFU to investigate the velocity structure of the galaxy from the nebular [OII] emission. Using a detailed gravitational lens model, we account for lensing amplification factor 12.+/-2.0 and find that this intrinsically L* galaxy has a stellar mass of M*=7+/-2x10^8Mo, a dynamical mass of Mdyn=3+/-1x10^9csc^2(i)Mo (within of 2kpc) and a star-formation rate of 42+/-8Mo/yr. The source-plane UV/optical morphology of this galaxy is dominated by five discrete star-forming regions. Exploiting the dynamical information we derive masses for individual star-forming regions of Mcl~10^(8-9)Mo with sizes of ~200pc. We find that, at a fixed size, the star-formation rate density within these HII regions is approximately two orders of magnitude greater than those observed in local spiral/starburst galaxies, but consistent with the most massive HII regions in the local Universe such as 30Dor. Finally, we compare the spatially resolved nebular emission line velocity with the Ly-alpha and UV-ISM lines and find that this galaxy is surrounded by a galactic scale outflow in which the Ly-alpha appears redshifted by ~150km/s and the UV-ISM lines blue-shifted by -200km/s from the (systemic) nebular emission. The velocity structure of the outflow mirrors that of the nebular emission suggesting the outflow is young (~15Myr), and has yet to burst out of the system. Taken together, these results suggest that this young galaxy is undergoing its first major epoch of mass assembly.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

A spectroscopic measure of the star-formation rate density in dwarf galaxies at z~1

We use a K-selected (22.5 < K_AB < 24.0) sample of dwarf galaxies (8.4 < log(M*/Msun) < 10) at 0.89<z<1.15 in the Chandra Deep Field South (CDFS) to measure their contribution to the global star-formation rate density (SFRD), as inferred from their [OII] flux. By comparing with [OII]-based studies of higher stellar mass galaxies, we robustly measure a turnover in the [OII] luminosity density at a stellar mass of M~10^10 Msun. By comparison with the [OII]-based SFRD measured from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey we confirm that, while the SFRD of the lowest-mass galaxies changes very little with time, the SFRD of more massive galaxies evolves strongly, such that they dominate the SFRD at z = 1.

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