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Ground-based near-infrared (NIR) astronomy is severely hampered by the forest of atmospheric emission lines resulting from the rovibrational decay of OH molecules in the upper atmosphere. The extreme brightness of these lines, as well as their spatial and temporal variability, makes accurate sky subtraction difficult. Selectively filtering these lines with OH suppression instruments has been a long standing goal for NIR spectroscopy. We have shown previously the efficacy of fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) combined with photonic lanterns for achieving OH suppression. Here we report on PRAXIS, a unique NIR spectrograph that is optimized for OH suppression with FBGs. We show for the first time that OH suppression (of any kind) is possible with high overall throughput (18 per cent end-to-end), and provide examples of the relative benefits of OH suppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first detection of mass-dependent galactic spin alignments with local cosmic filaments with >2σ confidence using IFS kinematics. The 3D network of cosmic filaments is reconstructed on Mpc scales across GAlaxy and Mass Assembly fields using the cosmic web extractor DisPerSe. We assign field galaxies from the SAMI survey to their nearest filament segment in 3D and estimate the degree of alignment between SAMI galaxies' kinematic spin axis and their nearest filament in projection. Low-mass galaxies align their spin with their nearest filament while higher mass counterparts are more likely to display an orthogonal orientation. The stellar transition mass from the first trend to the second is bracketed between |$10^{10.4}$| and |$10^{10.9}\, \mathrm{ M}_{\odot }$|⁠ , with hints of an increase with filament scale. Consistent signals are found in the Horizon-AGN cosmological hydrodynamic simulation. This supports a scenario of early angular momentum build-up in vorticity rich quadrants around filaments at low stellar mass followed by progressive flip of spins orthogonal to the cosmic filaments through mergers at high stellar mass. Conversely, we show that dark matter only simulations post-processed with a semi-analytical model treatment of galaxy formation struggles to reproduce this alignment signal. This suggests that gas physics is key in enhancing the galaxy-filament alignment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The GALAH survey is now in its second year of a five-year campaign to observe roughly one million stars in the southern hemisphere down to a limiting magnitude of V = 14. The project exploits the HERMES 400-fibre échelle spectrograph at the Anglo-Australian Telescope to measure up to 30 elemental abundances and radial velocities (≈1 km s-1 accuracy) for each star at a resolution of R = 28000. These elements fall into 8 independent groups (e.g. α, Fe peak, s-process). For all GALAH stars, Gaia will provide distances to 1 % and transverse velocities to 1 km s-1 or better, giving us a 14D set of parameters for each star, i.e. 6D phase space and 8D abundance space. A few percent of GALAH stars will also have Kepler K2 seismological data. Here we focus on the prospect of chemically tagging the old stellar disk and making a direct measurement of how stellar migration evolves with cosmic time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The GALAH survey targets one million stars in the southern hemisphere down to a limiting magnitude of V = 14 at the Anglo- Australian Telescope. The project aims to measure up to 30 elemental abundances and radial velocities (fed km s-1 accuracy) for each star at a resolution of R = 28, 000. These elements fall into 8 independent groups (e.g. a, Fe peak, r-process). For all stars, Gaia will provide distances to 1% and transverse velocities to 1 km s-1 or better, giving us a 14D set of parameters for each star, i.e. 6D phase space and 8D abundance space. There are many scientific applications but here we focus on the prospect of chemically tagging the thick disk and making a direct measurement of how stellar migration evolves with cosmic time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fermi satellite discovery of the gamma-ray emitting bubbles extending 50° (10 kpc) from the Galactic center has revitalized earlier claims that our Galaxy has undergone an explosive episode in the recent past. We now explore a new constraint on such activity. The Magellanic Stream is a clumpy gaseous structure free of stars trailing behind the Magellanic Clouds, passing over the south Galactic pole (SGP) at a distance of at least 50-100 kpc from the Galactic center. Several groups have detected faint Hα emission along the Magellanic Stream (1.1 ± 0.3 × 10–18 erg cm–2 s–1 arcsec–2) which is a factor of five too bright to have been produced by the Galactic stellar population. The brightest emission is confined to a cone with half angle θ1/2 ≈ 25° roughly centered on the SGP. Time-dependent models of Stream clouds exposed to a flare in ionizing photon flux show that the ionized gas must recombine and cool for a time interval To = 0.6 – 2.9 Myr for the emitted Hα surface brightness to drop to the observed level. A nuclear starburst is ruled out by the low star formation rates across the inner Galaxy, and the non-existence of starburst ionization cones in external galaxies extending more than a few kiloparsecs. Sgr A⋆ is a more likely candidate because it is two orders of magnitude more efficient at converting gas to UV radiation. The central black hole (M• ≈ 4 × 106M☼) can supply the required ionizing luminosity with a fraction of the Eddington accretion rate (fE ∼ 0.03-0.3, depending on uncertain factors, e.g., Stream distance) typical of Seyfert galaxies. In support of nuclear activity, the Hα emission along the Stream has a polar angle dependence peaking close to the SGP. Moreover, it is now generally accepted that the Stream over the SGP must be farther than the Magellanic Clouds. At the lower halo gas densities, shocks become too ineffective and are unlikely to give rise to a polar angle dependence in the Hα emission. Thus it is plausible that the Stream Hα emission arose from a “Seyfert flare” that was active 1-3 Myr ago, consistent with the cosmic ray lifetime in the Fermi bubbles. Sgr A⋆ activity today is greatly suppressed (70-80 dB) relative to the Seyfert outburst. The rapid change over a huge dynamic range in ionizing luminosity argues for a compact UV source with an extremely efficient (presumably magneto-hydrodynamic) “drip line” onto the accretion disk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The background noise between 1 and 1.8 μm in ground-based instruments is dominated by atmospheric emission from hydroxyl molecules. We have built and commissioned a new instrument, the Gemini Near-infrared OH Suppression Integral Field Unit (IFU) System (GNOSIS), which suppresses 103 OH doublets between 1.47 and 1.7 μm by a factor of ≈1000 with a resolving power of ≈10 000. We present the first results from the commissioning of GNOSIS using the IRIS2 spectrograph at the Anglo-Australian Telescope. We present measurements of sensitivity, background and throughput. The combined throughput of the GNOSIS fore-optics, grating unit and relay optics is ≈36 per cent, but this could be improved to ≈46 per cent with a more optimal design. We measure strong suppression of the OH lines, confirming that OH suppression with fibre Bragg gratings will be a powerful technology for low-resolution spectroscopy. The integrated OH suppressed background between 1.5 and 1.7 μm is reduced by a factor of 9 compared to a control spectrum using the same system without suppression. The potential of low-resolution OH-suppressed spectroscopy is illustrated with example observations of Seyfert galaxies and a low-mass star. The GNOSIS background is dominated by detector dark current below 1.67 μm and by thermal emission above 1.67 μm. After subtracting these, we detect an unidentified residual interline component of ≈860 ± 210 photons s−1 m−2 arcsec−2 μm−1, comparable to previous measurements. This component is equally bright in the suppressed and control spectra. We have investigated the possible source of the interline component, but were unable to discriminate between a possible instrumental artefact and intrinsic atmospheric emission. Resolving the source of this emission is crucial for the design of fully optimized OH suppression spectrographs. The next-generation OH suppression spectrograph will be focused on resolving the source of the interline component, taking advantage of better optimization for a fibre Bragg grating feed incorporating refinements of design based on our findings from GNOSIS. We quantify the necessary improvements for an optimal OH suppressing fibre spectrograph design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A widely held view is that a "mini halo" with much less than 108 MQ in dark matter is unlikely to retain any baryons because even a single SN event is expected to sweep out all of the gas. But we show that a clumpy medium is much less susceptible to SN sweeping (particularly if it is off-centred) because the coupling efficiency of the explosive energy is much lower than for a diffuse interstellar medium. With the aid of the sophisticated 3D hydro code Fyris, we show that baryons are retained and stars are formed in dark matter haloes down to 3 x 106 Mʘ. The gas survives the SN explosion and is enriched with specific abundance yields of the discrete events. The smallest galaxies may not contribute a large fraction of baryons and dark matter to the formation of galaxies. But they are likely to carry important chemical signatures that were laid down in the earliest epochs of star formation, as we show. We discuss the results in light of the newly discovered, very metal poor, damped Lyα systems and ultra-faint dwarf galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We calculate the advances in near-infrared (NIR) astronomy made possible through the use of fibre Bragg gratings to selectively remove hydroxyl emission lines from the night sky spectrum. Fibre Bragg gratings should remove OH lines at high resolution ( R= 10 000), with high suppression (30 dB) whilst maintaining high throughput (≈90 per cent) between the lines. Devices presently under construction should remove 150 lines in each of the J and H bands, effectively making the night sky surface brightness ≈4 mag fainter. This background reduction is greater than the improvement adapative optics makes over natural seeing; photonic OH suppression is at least as important as adaptive optics for the future of cosmology. We present a model of the NIR sky spectrum, and show that the interline continuum is very faint (≈80 photons s on the ecliptic plane). We show that OH suppression by high dispersion, that is, ‘resolving out’ the skylines, cannot obtain the required level of sensitivity to reach the interline continuum due to scattering of light. The OH lines must be suppressed prior to dispersion. We have simulated observations employing fibre Bragg gratings of first light objects, high-redshift galaxies and cool, low-mass stars. The simulations are of complete end-to-end systems from object to detector. The results demonstrate that fibre Bragg grating OH suppression will significantly advance our knowledge in many areas of astrophysics, and in particular will enable rest-frame ultraviolet observations of the Universe at the time of first light and reionization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galactic winds are important in recycling energy and metals in galaxies. They are also suspected to be the primary mechanism in the enrichment of the intergalactic medium. New observations are revealing the ubiquity of galactic winds, particularly at high redshift. We review the observational evidence for them in nearby star-forming and active galaxies and in the high-redshift universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide a consistent framework for estimating galaxy counts and variances in wide-field images for a range of photometric bands. The variances include both Poissonian noise and variations due to large-scale structure. We demonstrate that our statistical theory is consistent with the counts in the deepest multiband surveys available. The statistical estimates depend on several observational parameters (e.g. seeing, signal-to-noise ratio), and include a sophisticated treatment of detection completeness. Thejava calculator is freely available1 and offers the user the option to adopt our consistent framework or a different scheme. We also provide a summary table of statistical measures in the different bands for a range of different fields of view. Reliable estimation of the background counts has profound consequences in many areas of observational astronomy. We provide two such examples. One is from a recent study of the Sculptor galaxy NGC 300 where stellar photometry has been used to demonstrate that the outer disc extends to 10 effective radii, far beyond what was thought possible for a normal low-luminosity spiral. We confirm this finding by a re-analysis of the background counts. Secondly, we determine the luminosity function of the galaxy cluster Abell 2734, both through spectroscopically determined cluster membership, and through statistical subtraction of the background galaxies using the calculator and offset fields. We demonstrate very good agreement, suggesting that expensive spectroscopic follow-up, or off-source observations, may often be bypassed via determination of the galaxy background withGalaxyCount. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A key goal of observational cosmology today is to understand what initiated the re-ionization epoch and how this spectacular phase unfolded over a period of a few hundred million years. Simulations show that this may ultimately require us to push observations to redshifts as high as z ∼25. Here, I explore present and planned activities that will allow us to go beyond our current redshift limit (z ∼6.5). We stand at the dawn of a new era where diffraction-limited observing will be possible on 8m class telescopes at near infrared wavelengths. I describe some of the instrument concepts that lead naturally from the science cases, in particular an AO-assisted, OH-suppressed IFU spectrograph. The benchmark for these new concepts has been set by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Can we expect the next instruments to live up to this goal? If we do succeed, a great deal of entirely new science will be possible long before the expected launch of JWST. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A key goal of observational cosmology today is to understand what initiated the re-ionization epoch and how this spectacular phase unfolded over a period of a few hundred million years. Simulations show that this may ultimately require us to push observations to redshifts as high as z ∼25. Here I explore present and planned activities that will allow us to go beyond our current redshift limit (z ∼6.5). We stand at the dawn of a new era where diffraction-limited observing will be possible on 8m class telescopes at near infrared wavelengths. I describe some of the instrument concepts that lead naturally from the science cases, in particular an AO-assisted, OH-suppressed IFU spectrograph. The benchmark for these new concepts has been set by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Can we expect the next instruments to live up to this goal? If we do succeed, a great deal of entirely new science will be possible long before the expected launch of JWST. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

For the majority of optical observing programmes, the sky brightness provides the fundamental limit to signal detection such that the scientific feasibility is largely dictated by the phase of the Moon. Since most observatories do not have the resources to build expensive high-resolution or infrared instruments, they are increasingly at a loss as to how to exploit bright time. We show that, with due consideration of the field and Moon position, it is possible to undertake ‘dark-time’ observing programmes under ‘bright-time’ conditions. Our recommendations are particularly appropriate to all-sky survey programmes. In certain instances, there are gains in observing efficiency with the use of a polarizer, which can significantly reduce the moonlight (or twilight) sky-background flux relative to an extraterrestrial flux. These gains are possible in background-limited cases because the sky background can be highly polarized, caused by scattering, around 90° away from the Moon (or Sun). To take advantage of this, only minor modifications to existing instruments are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent highly sensitive detections of line emission from extended gas in the local Universe demonstrate the feasibility of detecting H α-emitting galactic haloes out to z ∼ 1. We determine the form of the surface brightness versus redshift dependence, which takes into account UV background evolution. Successful detections will have a major impact on a wide range of fields, in particular the source of ionization in QSO absorption systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a study of kinematic asymmetries from the integral field spectroscopic surveys MAGPI and SAMI. By comparing the asymmetries in the ionized gas and stars, we aim to disentangle the physical processes that contribute to kinematic disturbances. We normalize deviations from circular motion by S 05, allowing us to study kinematic asymmetries in the stars and gas, regardless of kinematic temperature. We find a similar distribution of stellar asymmetries in galaxies where we do and do not detect ionized gas, suggesting that whatever is driving the stellar asymmetries does not always lead to gas removal. In both MAGPI and SAMI, we find an anticorrelation between stellar asymmetry and stellar mass, that is absent in the gas asymmetries. After stellar mass and mean-stellar-age matching distributions, we find that at all stellar masses, MAGPI galaxies display larger stellar asymmetry compared to SAMI galaxies. In both MAGPI and SAMI galaxies, we find that star-forming galaxies with old mean-stellar-ages typically have larger asymmetries in their gas compared to their stars, whereas galaxies with young mean-stellar-ages have larger asymmetries in their stars compared to their gas. We suggest that this results from continuous, clumpy accretion of gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use numerical simulations to model Gaia  DR3 data with the aim of constraining the Milky Way (MW) bar and spiral structure parameters. We show that both the morphology and the velocity field in MW-like galactic disc models are strong functions of time, changing dramatically over a few tens of Myr. This suggests that by finding a good match to the observed radial velocity field, vR (x, y), we can constrain the bar-spiral orientation. Incorporating uncertainties into our models is necessary to match the data; most importantly, a heliocentric distance uncertainty above 10–15 per cent distorts the bar's shape and vR quadrupole pattern morphology, and decreases its apparent angle with respect to the Sun-Galactocentric line. An excellent match to the Gaia   DR3 vR (x, y) field is found for a simulation with a bar length Rb ≈ 3.6 kpc. We argue that the data are consistent with an MW bar as short as ∼3 kpc, for moderate strength inner disc spiral structure (A 2/ A 0 ≈ 0.25) or, alternatively, with a bar length up to ∼5.2 kpc, provided that spiral arms are quite weak (A 2/ A 0 ≈ 0.1), and is most likely in the process of disconnecting from a spiral arm. We demonstrate that the bar angle and distance uncertainty can similarly affect the match between our models and the data – a smaller bar angle (20° instead of 30°) requires smaller distance uncertainty (20 per cent instead of 30 per cent) to explain the observations. Fourier components of the face-on density distribution of our models suggest that the MW does not have strong m = 1 and/or m  = 3 spirals near the solar radius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on cosmology and the theory of the formation of galaxies. Near-field cosmology and far-field cosmology; Proposal by Blitz et al; Primary role of dark matter in driving galaxy formation; Simulation of how the universe might appear today by the Virgo Consortium; Discovery of high velocity clouds (HVC) and the speculations; Implications of the study.

We investigate the kinematic parameters of the Milky Way disk using the Radial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) and Geneva-Copenhagen Survey (GCS) stellar surveys. We do this by fitting a kinematic model to the data and taking the selection function of the data into account. For stars in the GCS we use all phase-space coordinates, but for RAVE stars we use only (ℓ, b, vlos). Using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique, we investigate the full posterior distributions of the parameters given the data. We investigate the age-velocity dispersion relation for the three kinematic components (σR, σϕ, σz), the radial dependence of the velocity dispersions, the solar peculiar motion (U☼, V☼, W☼), the circular speed Θ0 at the Sun, and the fall of mean azimuthal motion with height above the midplane. We confirm that the Besançon-style Gaussian model accurately fits the GCS data but fails to match the details of the more spatially extended RAVE survey. In particular, the Shu distribution function (DF) handles noncircular orbits more accurately and provides a better fit to the kinematic data. The Gaussian DF not only fits the data poorly but systematically underestimates the fall of velocity dispersion with radius. The radial scale length of the velocity dispersion profile of the thick disk was found to be smaller than that of the thin disk. We find that correlations exist between a number of parameters, which highlights the importance of doing joint fits. The large size of the RAVE survey allows us to get precise values for most parameters. However, large systematic uncertainties remain, especially in V☼ and Θ0. We find that, for an extended sample of stars, Θ0 is underestimated by as much as 10% if the vertical dependence of the mean azimuthal motion is neglected. Using a simple model for vertical dependence of kinematics, we find that it is possible to match the Sgr A* proper motion without any need for V☼ being larger than that estimated locally by surveys like GCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Misalignments between the rotation axis of stars and gas are an indication of external processes shaping galaxies throughout their evolution. Using observations of 3068 galaxies from the SAMI Galaxy Survey, we compute global kinematic position angles for 1445 objects with reliable kinematics and identify 169 (12 per cent) galaxies which show stellar-gas misalignments. Kinematically decoupled features are more prevalent in early-type/passive galaxies compared to late-type/star-forming systems. Star formation is the main source of gas ionization in only 22 per cent of misaligned galaxies; 17 per cent are Seyfert objects, while 61 per cent show Low-Ionization Nuclear Emission-line Region features. We identify the most probable physical cause of the kinematic decoupling and find that, while accretion-driven cases are dominant, for up to 8 per cent of our sample, the misalignment may be tracing outflowing gas. When considering only misalignments driven by accretion, the acquired gas is feeding active star formation in only ∼1/4 of cases. As a population, misaligned galaxies have higher Sérsic indices and lower stellar spin and specific star formation rates than appropriately matched samples of aligned systems. These results suggest that both morphology and star formation/gas content are significantly correlated with the prevalence and timescales of misalignments. Specifically, torques on misaligned gas discs are smaller for more centrally concentrated galaxies, while the newly accreted gas feels lower viscous drag forces in more gas-poor objects. Marginal evidence of star formation not being correlated with misalignment likelihood for late-type galaxies suggests that such morphologies in the nearby Universe might be the result of preferentially aligned accretion at higher redshifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stellar population synthesis based models of the Milky Way play a crucial role in understanding and interpreting observational data from large surveys of the Milky Way. We describe the basic theoretical framework for modelling the Milky Way and discuss algorithms for generating a synthetic sample of stars out of such models. Next, we discuss how asteroseismology can be used to test and possibly refine theoretical models of the Milky Way. As an application we test the ability of Galaxia to reproduce the properties of stars observed by the NASA Kepler mission. We present some preliminary results. We find that Galaxia can reproduce the photometric properties of the sample. Additionally, it can also reproduce the distribution of average asteroseismic parameters and radius. In future, comparing the mass distributions will allow us to test the Galactic models more rigorously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an analysis of the relative throughputs of the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope's 2dF/HERMES (High Efficiency and Resolution Multi-Element Spectrograph) system, based upon spectra acquired during the first two years of the Galactic Archaeology with HERMES survey. Averaged spectral fluxes of stars were compared to their photometry to determine the relative throughputs of fibres for a range of fibre position and atmospheric conditions. We find that overall the throughputs of the 771 usable fibres have been stable over the first two years of its operation. About 2.5 per cent of fibres have throughputs much lower than the average. There are also a number of yet unexplained variations between the HERMES bandpasses, and mechanically and optically linked fibre groups known as retractors or slitlets related to regions of the focal plane. These findings do not impact the science that HERMES will produce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an erratum on 'Towards a direct detection of warm gas in galactic haloes at cosmological distances' published in the volume 306 of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

The Galactic Archaeology with HERMES (GALAH) survey is a large high-resolution spectro-scopic survey using the newly commissioned High Efficiency and Resolution Multi-Element Spectrograph (HERMES) on the Anglo-Australian Telescope. The HERMES spectrograph provides high-resolution (R ~ 28 000) spectra in four passbands for 392 stars simultaneously over a 2 deg field of view. The goal of the survey is to unravel the formation and evolution-ary history of the Milky Way, using fossil remnants of ancient star formation events which have been disrupted and are now dispersed throughout the Galaxy. Chemical tagging seeks to identify such dispersed remnants solely from their common and unique chemical signatures; these groups are unidentifiable from their spatial, photometric or kinematic properties. To carry out chemical tagging, the GALAH survey will acquire spectra for a million stars down to V ~ 14. The HERMES spectra of FGK stars contain absorption lines from 29 elements including light proton-capture elements, a-elements, odd-Z elements, iron-peak elements and n-capture elements from the light and heavy s-process and the r-process. This paper describes the motivation and planned execution of the GALAH survey, and presents some results on the first-light performance of HERMES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stellar surface density within the inner 1 kpc (Σ1) has become a popular tool for understanding the growth of galaxies and its connection with the quenching of star formation. The emerging picture suggests that building a central dense core is a necessary condition for quenching. However, it is not clear whether changes in Σ1 trace changes in stellar kinematics and the growth of dispersion-dominated bulges. In this paper, we combine imaging from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey with stellar kinematics from the Sydney-AAO Multi-object Integral-field unit and Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory surveys to quantify the correlation between Σ1 and the proxy for stellar spin parameter within one effective radius (λre) for 1599 nearby galaxies. We show that, on the star-forming main sequence and at fixed stellar mass, changes in Σ1 are mirrored by changes in λre. While forming stars, main-sequence galaxies remain rotationally-dominated systems, with their Σ1 increasing but their stellar spin staying either constant or slightly increasing. The picture changes below the main sequence, where Σ1 and λre are no longer correlated. Passive systems show a narrower range of Σ1, but a wider range of λre compared to star-forming galaxies. Our results indicate that, from a structural point of view, passive galaxies are a more heterogeneous population than star-forming systems, and may have followed a variety of evolutionary paths. This also suggests that, if dispersion-dominated bulges still grow significantly at z ∼ 0, this generally takes place during, or after, the quenching phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of gas-phase oxygen abundances and stellar metallicities can provide us with unique insights into the metal enrichment histories of galaxies. In this work, we compare the stellar and gas-phase metallicities measured within a 1 Re aperture for a representative sample of 472 star-forming galaxies extracted from the SAMI Galaxy Survey. We confirm that the stellar and interstellar medium (ISM) metallicities are strongly correlated, with scatter ∼3 times smaller than that found in previous works, and that integrated stellar populations are generally more metal-poor than the ISM, especially in low-mass galaxies. The ratio between the two metallicities strongly correlates with several integrated galaxy properties including stellar mass, specific star formation rate, and a gravitational potential proxy. However, we show that these trends are primarily a consequence of: (a) the different star formation and metal enrichment histories of the galaxies, and (b) the fact that while stellar metallicities trace primarily iron enrichment, gas-phase metallicity indicators are calibrated to the enrichment of oxygen in the ISM. Indeed, once both metallicities are converted to the same 'element base' all of our trends become significantly weaker. Interestingly, the ratio of gas to stellar metallicity is always below the value expected for a simple closed-box model, which requires that outflows and inflows play an important role in the enrichment history across our entire stellar mass range. This work highlights the complex interplay between stellar and gas-phase metallicities and shows how care must be taken in comparing them to constrain models of galaxy formation and evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Magellanic System includes some of the nearest examples of galaxies disturbed by galaxy interactions. These interactions have redistributed much of their gas into the halos of the Milky Way (MW) and the Magellanic Clouds. We present Wisconsin Hα Mapper kinematically resolved observations of the warm ionized gas in the Magellanic Bridge over the velocity range of +100 to +300 km s-1 in the local standard of rest reference frame. These observations include the first full Hα intensity map and the corresponding intensity-weighted mean velocity map of the Magellanic Bridge across (l, b) = (281. ° 5,-30. ° 0) to (302. ° 5,-46. ° 7). Using the Hα emission from the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC)-Tail and the Bridge, we estimate that the mass of the ionized material is between (0.7-1.7) × 108M☉, compared to 3.3 × 108M☉ for the neutral mass over the same region. The diffuse Bridge is significantly more ionized than the SMC-Tail, with an ionization fraction of 36%-52% compared to 5%-24% for the Tail. The Hα emission has a complex multiple-component structure with a velocity distribution that could trace the sources of ionization or distinct ionized structures. We find that incident radiation from the extragalactic background and the MW alone are insufficient to produced the observed ionization in the Magellanic Bridge and present a model for the escape fraction of the ionizing photons from both the SMC and Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). With this model, we place an upper limit of 4.0% for the average escape fraction of ionizing photons from the LMC and an upper limit of 5.5% for the SMC. These results, combined with the findings of a half a dozen other studies for dwarf galaxies in different environments, provide compelling evidence that only a small percentage of the ionizing photons escape from dwarf galaxies in the present epoch to influence their surroundings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From two very simple axioms: (1) that active galactic nucleus activity traces spheroid formation, and (2) that the cosmic star formation history is dominated by spheroid formation at high redshift, we derive simple expressions for the star formation histories of spheroids and discs, and their implied metal enrichment histories. Adopting a Baldry--Glazebrook initial mass function we use these relations and apply PEGASE.2 to predict the z = 0 cosmic spectral energy distributions (CSEDs) of spheroids and discs. The model predictions compare favourably to the dust-corrected CSED recently reported by the Galaxy And Mass Assembly team from the far-ultraviolet through to the K band. The model also provides a reasonable fit to the total stellar mass contained within spheroid and disc structures as recently reported by the Millennium Galaxy Catalogue team. Three interesting inferences can be made following our axioms: (1) there is a transition redshift at z ≈ 1.7 at which point the Universe switches from what we refer to as 'hot mode evolution' (i.e. spheroid formation/growth via mergers and/or collapse) to what we term 'cold mode evolution' (i.e. disc formation/growth via gas infall and minor mergers); (2) there is little or no need for any pre-enrichment prior to the main phase of star formation; (3) in the present Universe mass loss is fairly evenly balanced with star formation holding the integrated stellar mass density close to a constant value. The model provides a simple prediction of the energy output from spheroid and disc projenitors, the build-up of spheroid and disc mass and the mean metallicity enrichment of the Universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Analysing all Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) galaxies within a factor of 2 (±0.3 dex) of the stellar mass of the Milky Way (MW), there is a 11.9 per cent chance that one of these galaxies will have a close companion (within a projected separation of 70 kpc and radial separation of 400 km s−1) that is at least as massive as the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Two close companions at least as massive as the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) are rare at the 3.4 per cent level. Two full analogues to the MW-LMC-SMC system were found in GAMA (all galaxies late-type and star-forming), suggesting that such a combination of close together, late-type, star-forming galaxies is rare: only 0.4 per cent of MW mass galaxies (in the range where we could observe both the LMC and SMC) have such a system. In summary, the MW-LMC-SMC system is a 2.7σ event (when recast into Gaussian statistics). Using cross-correlation comparisons we find that there is a preference for SMC-LMC binary pair analogues to be located within 2 Mpc of a range of different luminosity groups. There is a particular preference for such binaries to be located near Local Group luminosity systems. When these groups are subdivided into small magnitude gap and large magnitude gap subsets, the binaries prefer to be spatially associated with the small magnitude gap systems. These systems will be dynamically less evolved, but still offer the same amount of gravitational dark matter. This suggests that binaries such as the SMC-LMC might be transient systems, usually destroyed during vigorous merger events. Details of a particularly striking analogue to the MW-SMC-LMC and M31 complex are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT New multicore imaging fibre bundles - hexabundles - being developed at the University of Sydney will provide simultaneous integral field spectroscopy for hundreds of celestial sources across a wide angular field. These are a natural progression from the use of single fibres in existing galaxy surveys. Hexabundles will allow us to address fundamental questions in astronomy without the biases introduced by a fixed entrance aperture. We have begun to consider instrument concepts that exploit hundreds of hexabundles over the widest possible field of view. To this end, we have compared the performance of a 61-core fully fused hexabundle and five lightly fused bundles with seven cores each. All fibres in the bundles have 100-μm cores. In the fully fused bundle, the cores are distorted from a circular shape in order to achieve a higher fill fraction. The lightly fused bundles have circular cores and five different cladding thicknesses which affect the fill fraction. We compare the optical performance of all the six bundles and find that the advantage of smaller interstitial holes (higher fill fraction) is outweighed by the increase in modal coupling, cross-talk and the poor optical performance caused by the deformation of the fibre cores. Uniformly high throughput and low cross-talk are essential for imaging faint astronomical targets with sufficient resolution to disentangle the dynamical structure. Devices already under development will have between 100 and 200 lightly fused cores, although larger formats are feasible. The light-weight packaging of hexabundles is sufficiently flexible to allow existing robotic positioners to make use of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BSTRACT [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We perform an extensive analysis of the C line in three large spectroscopic surveys of quasars. Differing approaches for fitting the C line can be found in the literature, and we compare the most common methods to highlight the relative systematics associated with each. We choose the line-fitting procedure that results in a symmetric profile for the C line and gives accurate fits to local emission features around the line, and use this approach to measure the width of the C line in spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and 2dF QSO Redshift (2QZ) and 2dF SDSS LRG And QSO (2SLAQ) surveys. The results are compared with a previous study of the Mg line in the same sample. We find the C line tends to be broader than the Mg line in spectra that have both lines, and the average ratio between the lines is consistent with a simplistic model for a photoionized, virialized and stratified broad-line region. There exists a statistically significant correlation between the widths of the C and Mg lines. However, the correlation is weak, and the scatter around a best fit is only marginally less than the full dynamic range of linewidths. Motivated by previous work on the Mg line, we examine the dispersion in the distribution of C linewidths. We find that the dispersion in C linewidths is essentially independent of both redshift and luminosity. This result is in stark contrast to the Mg line, which shows a strong luminosity dependence. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the low level of dispersion in C linewidth (∼0.08 dex) is inconsistent with a pure-disc model for the emitting region and use our data to constrain simple models for the broad-line region. Finally, we consider our results in terms of their implications for the virial technique for estimating black hole masses. The inconsistency between Mg and C linewidths in single spectra, combined with the differing behaviour of the Mg and C linewidth distributions as a whole, indicates that there must be an inconsistency between Mg and C virial mass estimators. Furthermore, the level of intrinsic dispersion in Mg and C linewidths contributes less dynamic range to virial mass estimates than the error associated with the estimates. The indication is that the linewidth term in these UV virial mass estimators may be essentially irrelevant with respect to the typical uncertainty on a mass estimate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been known for a long time that a large fraction of disc galaxies are lopsided. We simulate three different mechanisms that can induce lopsidedness: flyby interactions, gas accretion from cosmological filaments and ram pressure from the intergalactic medium. Comparing the morphologies, H i spectrum, kinematics and Fourier components, we find that all of these mechanisms can induce lopsidedness in galaxies, although in different degrees and with observable consequences. The time-scale over which lopsidedness persists suggests that flybys can contribute to ∼20 per cent of lopsided galaxies. We focus our detailed comparison on the case of NGC 891, a lopsided, edge-on galaxy with a nearby companion (UGC 1807). We find that the main properties of NGC 891 (morphology, H i spectrum, rotation curve, existence of a gaseous filament pointing towards UGC 1807) favour a flyby event for the origin of lopsidedness in this galaxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present deep, narrow-band and continuum images of the powerful high-redshift radio galaxy 3C 265 (z=0.811) , taken with the TAURUS Tunable Filter on the William Herschel Telescope, together with detailed long-slit spectroscopic observations along the axis defined by the UV/optical emission elongation. The deep images reveal the existence of cones in the ionization structure of 3C 265 within ∼7 arcsec (58 kpc) of the nucleus, where the emission-line structure is not observed to be closely aligned with the radio axis. This indicates that anisotropic illumination from the central active nucleus dominates on a small scale. In contrast, at larger distances (≳10 arcsec; 80 kpc) from the nucleus, low-ionization emission gas is closely aligned with the radio axis, suggesting that jet–cloud interactions may become the dominant mechanism in the line-emitting gas on a larger scale. Moreover, the presence of a high-velocity cloud at 2.5 arcsec from the nucleus, close to the radio axis, indicates that even close to the nucleus (∼20 kpc) jet-induced shocks have an important kinematic effect. However, spectroscopic analysis of this region reveals that the ionization state of the high-velocity gas is similar to or higher than that of the surroundings, which is opposite to what we would expect for a cloud that has been compressed and accelerated by jet-induced shocks. Our images show that, while on a large scale the low-ionization emission-line structures are aligned with the radio axis, on a smaller scale, where AGN-photoionization dominates, the highest surface-brightness structure is aligned with the closest companion galaxy (misaligned with the radio axis). This suggest that much of the emission-line structure reflects the intrinsic gas distribution, rather than the ionization pattern imprinted by the radio jets or by illumination from the central AGN. Overall, our results underline the need for a variety of mechanisms to explain the properties of the extended emission-line gas in the haloes of radio galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past 5 years have seen a rapid rise in the use of tunable filters in many diverse fields of astronomy, through Taurus Tunable Filter (TTF) instruments at the Anglo-Australian and William Herschel Telescopes. Over this time we have continually refined aspects of operation and developed a collection of special techniques to handle the data produced by these novel imaging instruments. In this paper, we review calibration procedures and summarize the theoretical basis for Fabry–Perot photometry that is central to effective tunable imaging. Specific mention is made of object detection and classification from deep narrow-band surveys containing several hundred objects per field. We also discuss methods for recognizing and dealing with artefacts (scattered light, atmospheric effects, etc.), which can seriously compromise the photometric integrity of the data if left untreated. Attention is paid to the different families of ghost reflections encountered, and the strategies used to minimize their presence. In our closing remarks, future directions for tunable imaging are outlined and contrasted with the Fabry–Perot technology employed in the current generation of tunable imagers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep images of the Centaurus and Coma clusters reveal two spectacular arcs of diffuse light that stretch for over 100 kpc, yet are just a few kiloparsecs wide. At a surface brightness of m[sub b]∼27–28 mag arcsec[sup -2], the Centaurus arc is the most striking example known of structure in the diffuse light component of a rich galaxy cluster. We use numerical simulations to show that the Centaurus feature can be reproduced by the tidal debris of a spiral galaxy that has been tidally disrupted by the gravitational potential of NGC 4709. The surface brightness and narrow dimensions of the diffuse light suggest that the disc was corotating with its orbital path past pericentre. Features this prominent in clusters will be relatively rare, although at fainter surface brightness levels the diffuse light will reveal a wealth of structure. Deeper imaging surveys may be able to trace this feature for several times its presently observed extent, and somewhere along the tidal debris, a fraction of the original stellar component of the disc will remain bound, but transformed into a faint spheroidal galaxy. It should be possible to confirm the galactic origin of the Centaurus arc by observing planetary nebulae along its length with redshifts close to that of NGC 4709. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use comparisons between the Sydney-AAO Multi-object Integral Field Spectrograph (SAMI) Galaxy Survey and equilibrium galaxy models to infer the importance of disc fading in the transition of spirals into lenticular (S0) galaxies. The local S0 population has both higher photometric concentration and lower stellar spin than spiral galaxies of comparable mass and we test whether this separation can be accounted for by passive aging alone. We construct a suite of dynamically self-consistent galaxy models, with a bulge, disc, and halo using the galactics code. The dispersion-dominated bulge is given a uniformly old stellar population, while the disc is given a current star formation rate putting it on the main sequence, followed by sudden instantaneous quenching. We then generate mock observables (r -band images, stellar velocity, and dispersion maps) as a function of time since quenching for a range of bulge/total (B / T) mass ratios. The disc fading leads to a decline in measured spin as the bulge contribution becomes more dominant, and also leads to increased concentration. However, the quantitative changes observed after 5 Gyr of disc fading cannot account for all of the observed difference. We see similar results if we instead subdivide our SAMI Galaxy Survey sample by star formation (relative to the main sequence). We use EAGLE simulations to also take into account progenitor bias, using size evolution to infer quenching time. The EAGLE simulations suggest that the progenitors of current passive galaxies typically have slightly higher spin than present day star-forming disc galaxies of the same mass. As a result, progenitor bias moves the data further from the disc fading model scenario, implying that intrinsic dynamical evolution must be important in the transition from star-forming discs to passive discs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galaxy internal structure growth has long been accused of inhibiting star formation in disc galaxies. We investigate the potential physical connection between the growth of dispersion-supported stellar structures (e.g. classical bulges) and the position of galaxies on the star-forming main sequence at z ∼ 0. Combining the might of the SAMI and MaNGA galaxy surveys, we measure the λ Re spin parameter for 3289 galaxies over |$9.5 \lt \log M_{\star } [\rm {M}_{\odot }] \lt 12$|⁠. At all stellar masses, galaxies at the locus of the main sequence possess λ Re values indicative of intrinsically flattened discs. However, above |$\log M_{\star }[\rm {M}_{\odot }]\sim 10.5$| where the main sequence starts bending, we find tantalizing evidence for an increase in the number of galaxies with dispersion-supported structures, perhaps suggesting a connection between bulges and the bending of the main sequence. Moving above the main sequence, we see no evidence of any change in the typical spin parameter in galaxies once gravitationally interacting systems are excluded from the sample. Similarly, up to 1 dex below the main sequence, λ Re remains roughly constant and only at very high stellar masses (⁠|$\log M_{\star }[\rm {M}_{\odot }]\gt 11$|⁠), do we see a rapid decrease in λ Re once galaxies decline in star formation activity. If this trend is confirmed, it would be indicative of different quenching mechanisms acting on high- and low-mass galaxies. The results suggest that whilst a population of galaxies possessing some dispersion-supported structure is already present on the star-forming main sequence, further growth would be required after the galaxy has quenched to match the kinematic properties observed in passive galaxies at z ∼ 0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a dedicated, ultra-deep spectroscopic survey in the near infrared (NIR), that will target a mass-limited sample of galaxies during two of the most fundamental epochs of cosmic evolution: the formation of the first galaxies (at z ≳ 6; cosmic dawn), and at the peak of galaxy formation activity (at redshift z ∼ 1–3; cosmic noon). By way of NIR observations (λ= 0.8–2μ m), it is possible to study the UV Lyman-α region in the former, and the optical rest-frame in the latter, allowing us to extract fundamental observables such as gas and stellar kinematics, chemical abundances, and ages, providing a unique legacy database covering these two crucial stages of cosmic evolution. The need to work in the NIR at extremely low flux levels makes a ground-based approach unfeasible due to atmospheric emission and absorption. Only with the largest facilities of the future (e.g. ELT) will be possible to observe a reduced set of targets, comprising at most of order thousands of galaxies. Likewise, from space, the small field of view of JWST and its use as a general purpose facility will yield a rather small set of high quality NIR spectra of distant galaxies (in the thousands, at best). Our project (codename Chronos) aims to produce ∼ 1 million high quality spectra, with a high S/N in the continuum, where information about the underlying stellar populations is encoded. The main science drivers are: The connection between the star formation history and the mass assembly history. The role of AGN and supernova feedback in shaping the formation histories of galaxies, with a quantitative estimate of quenching timescales. The formation of the first galaxies. The source of reionization. Evolution of the metallicity-mass relation, including [α/Fe] and individual abundances. Precision cosmology through detailed studies of the "baryon physics" of galaxy formation, probing the power spectrum over scales k ∼ 1 Mpc− 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open clusters are unique tracers of the history of our own Galaxy's disc. According to our membership analysis based on Gaia astrometry, out of the 226 potential clusters falling in the footprint of the GALactic Archaeology with HERMES (GALAH) survey or the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) survey, we find that 205 have secure members that were observed by at least one of the surveys. Furthermore, members of 134 clusters have high-quality spectroscopic data that we use to determine their chemical composition. We leverage this information to study the chemical distribution throughout the Galactic disc of 21 elements, from C to Eu. The radial metallicity gradient obtained from our analysis is −0.076 ± 0.009 dex kpc−1, which is in agreement with previous works based on smaller samples. Furthermore, the gradient in the [Fe/H]–guiding radius (r guid) plane is −0.073 ± 0.008 dex kpc−1. We show consistently that open clusters trace the distribution of chemical elements throughout the Galactic disc differently than field stars. In particular, at the given radius, open clusters show an age–metallicity relation that has less scatter than field stars. As such scatter is often interpreted as an effect of radial migration, we suggest that these differences are due to the physical selection effect imposed by our Galaxy: clusters that would have migrated significantly also had higher chances to get destroyed. Finally, our results reveal trends in the [X/Fe]– r guid–age space, which are important to understand production rates of different elements as a function of space and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present deep far-infrared observations of the nearby edge-on galaxy NGC 891 obtained with the Herschel Space Observatory and the Spitzer Space Telescope. The maps confirm the detection of thermal emission from the inner circumgalactic medium (halo) and spatially resolve a dusty superbubble and a dust spur (filament). The dust temperature of the halo component is lower than that of the disc but increases across a region of diameter ≈8.0 kpc extending at least 7.7 kpc vertically from one side of the disc, a region we call a superbubble because of its association with thermal X-ray emission and a minimum in the synchrotron scale height. This outflow is breaking through the thick disc and developing into a galactic wind, which is of particular interest because NGC 891 is not considered a starburst galaxy; the star formation rate surface density, 0.03 M⊙ yr−1 kpc−2, and gas fraction, just |$10{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| in the inner disc, indicate the threshold for wind formation is lower than previous work has suggested. We conclude that the star formation surface density is sufficient for superbubble blowout into the halo, but the cosmic ray electrons may play a critical role in determining whether this outflow develops into a fountain or escapes from the gravitational potential. The high dust-to-gas ratio in the dust spur suggests the material was pulled out of NGC 891 through the collision of a minihalo with the disc of NGC 891. We conclude that NGC 891 offers an example of both feedback and satellite interactions transporting dust into the halo of a typical galaxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore stellar population properties separately in the bulge and the disk of double-component cluster galaxies, to shed light on the formation of lenticular galaxies in dense environments. We study eight low-redshift clusters from the Sydney-AAO Multi-object Integral field Galaxy Survey, using two-dimensional photometric bulge–disk decomposition in the g, r, and i bands to characterize galaxies. For 192 double-component galaxies with M* > 1010M⊙, we estimate the color, age, and metallicity of the bulge and the disk. The analysis of the g − i colors reveals that bulges are redder than their surrounding disks, with a median offset of 0.12 ± 0.02 mag, consistent with previous results. To measure mass-weighted age and metallicity, we investigate three methods: (i) one based on galaxy stellar mass weights for the two components, (ii) one based on flux weights, and (iii) one based on radial separation. The three methods agree in finding 62% of galaxies having bulges that are 2–3 times more metal-rich than the disks. Of the remaining galaxies, 7% have bulges that are more metal-poor than the disks, while for 31%, the bulge and disk metallicities are not significantly different. We observe 23% of galaxies being characterized by bulges older and 34% by bulges younger with respect to the disks. The remaining 43% of galaxies have bulges and disks with statistically indistinguishable ages. Redder bulges tend to be more metal-rich than the disks, suggesting that the redder color in bulges is due to their enhanced metallicity relative to the disks instead of differences in stellar population age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Data-driven methods play an increasingly important role in the field of astrophysics. In the context of large spectroscopic surveys of stars, data-driven methods are key in deducing physical parameters for millions of spectra in a short time. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) enable us to connect observables (e.g. spectra, stellar magnitudes) to physical properties (atmospheric parameters, chemical abundances, or labels in general). Aims. We test whether it is possible to transfer the labels derived from a high-resolution stellar survey to intermediate-resolution spectra of another survey by using a CNN. Methods. We trained a CNN, adopting stellar atmospheric parameters and chemical abundances from APOGEE DR16 (resolution R = 22 500) data as training set labels. As input, we used parts of the intermediate-resolution RAVE DR6 spectra (R ∼ 7500) overlapping with the APOGEE DR16 data as well as broad-band ALL_WISE and 2MASS photometry, together with Gaia DR2 photometry and parallaxes. Results. We derived precise atmospheric parameters Teff, log(g), and [M/H], along with the chemical abundances of [Fe/H], [α/M], [Mg/Fe], [Si/Fe], [Al/Fe], and [Ni/Fe] for 420 165 RAVE spectra. The precision typically amounts to 60 K in Teff, 0.06 in log(g) and 0.02−0.04 dex for individual chemical abundances. Incorporating photometry and astrometry as additional constraints substantially improves the results in terms of the accuracy and precision of the derived labels, as long as we operate in those parts of the parameter space that are well-covered by the training sample. Scientific validation confirms the robustness of the CNN results. We provide a catalogue of CNN-trained atmospheric parameters and abundances along with their uncertainties for 420 165 stars in the RAVE survey. Conclusions. CNN-based methods provide a powerful way to combine spectroscopic, photometric, and astrometric data without the need to apply any priors in the form of stellar evolutionary models. The developed procedure can extend the scientific output of RAVE spectra beyond DR6 to ongoing and planned surveys such as Gaia RVS, 4MOST, and WEAVE. We call on the community to place a particular collective emphasis and on efforts to create unbiased training samples for such future spectroscopic surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massive sets of stellar spectroscopic observations are rapidly becoming available and these can be used to determine the chemical composition and evolution of the Galaxy with unprecedented precision. One of the major challenges in this endeavour involves constructing realistic models of stellar spectra with which to reliably determine stellar abundances. At present, large stellar surveys commonly use simplified models that assume that the stellar atmospheres are approximately in local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). To test and ultimately relax this assumption, we have performed non-LTE calculations for 13 different elements (H, Li, C, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Mn, and Ba), using recent model atoms that have physically-motivated descriptions for the inelastic collisions with neutral hydrogen, across a grid of 3756 1D MARCS model atmospheres that spans 3000 ≤ Teff∕K ≤ 8000, − 0.5 ≤log g∕cm s−2 ≤ 5.5, and − 5 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ 1. We present the grids of departure coefficients that have been implemented into the GALAH DR3 analysis pipeline in order to complement the extant non-LTE grid for iron. We also present a detailed line-by-line re-analysis of 50 126 stars from GALAH DR3. We found that relaxing LTE can change the abundances by between − 0.7 dex and + 0.2 dex for different lines and stars. Taking departures from LTE into account can reduce the dispersion in the [A/Fe] versus [Fe/H] plane by up to 0.1 dex, and it can remove spurious differences between the dwarfs and giants by up to 0.2 dex. The resulting abundance slopes can thus be qualitatively different in non-LTE, possibly with important implications for the chemical evolution of our Galaxy. The grids of departure coefficients are publicly available and can be implemented into LTE pipelines to make the most of observational data sets from large spectroscopic surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At fixed stellar mass, satellite galaxies show higher passive fractions than centrals, suggesting that environment is directly quenching their star formation. Here, we investigate whether satellite quenching is accompanied by changes in stellar spin (quantified by the ratio of the rotational to dispersion velocity V /σ) for a sample of massive (M * > 1010 M⊙) satellite galaxies extracted from the Sydney-AAO Multi-object Integral field spectrograph (SAMI) Galaxy Survey. These systems are carefully matched to a control sample of main sequence, high V /σ central galaxies. As expected, at fixed stellar mass and ellipticity, satellites have lower star formation rate (SFR) and spin than the control centrals. However, most of the difference is in SFR, whereas the spin decreases significantly only for satellites that have already reached the red sequence. We perform a similar analysis for galaxies in the Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environments (EAGLE) hydrodynamical simulation and recover differences in both SFR and spin similar to those observed in SAMI. However, when EAGLE satellites are matched to their true central progenitors, the change in spin is further reduced and galaxies mainly show a decrease in SFR during their satellite phase. The difference in spin observed between satellites and centrals at z  ∼ 0 is primarily due to the fact that satellites do not grow their angular momentum as fast as centrals after accreting into bigger haloes, not to a reduction of V /σ due to environmental effects. Our findings highlight the effect of progenitor bias in our understanding of galaxy transformation and they suggest that satellites undergo little structural change before and during their quenching phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a detailed exploration of the stellar mass versus gas-phase metallicity relation (MZR) using integral field spectroscopy data obtained from ∼1000 galaxies observed by the SAMI galaxy survey. These spatially resolved spectroscopic data allow us to determine the metallicity within the same physical scale (R eff) for different calibrators. The shape of the MZ relations is very similar between the different calibrators, while there are large offsets in the absolute values of the abundances. We confirm our previous results derived using the spatially resolved data provided by the CALIFA and MaNGA surveys: (1) we do not find any significant secondary relation of the MZR with either the star formation rate (SFR) or the specific SFR (SFR/ M *) for any of the calibrators used in this study, based on the analysis of the individual residuals; (2) if there is a dependence with the SFR, it is weaker than the reported one (rc ∼ −0.3), it is confined to the low-mass regime (M * < 109 M⊙) or high-SFR regimes, and it does not produce any significant improvement in the description of the average population of galaxies. The aparent disagreement with published results based on single-fibre spectroscopic data could be due to (i) the interpretation of the secondary relation itself; (ii) the lower number of objects sampled at the low-mass regime by the current study; or (iii) the presence of extreme star-forming galaxies that drive the secondary relation in previous results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overlap between the spectroscopic Galactic Archaeology with HERMES (GALAH) survey and Gaia provides a high-dimensional chemodynamical space of unprecedented size. We present a first analysis of a subset of this overlap, of 7066 dwarf, turn-off, and sub-giant stars. These stars have spectra from the GALAH survey and high parallax precision from the Gaia DR1 Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution. We investigate correlations between chemical compositions, ages, and kinematics for this sample. Stellar parameters and elemental abundances are derived from the GALAH spectra with the spectral synthesis code SPECTROSCOPY MADE EASY. We determine kinematics and dynamics, including action angles, from the Gaia astrometry and GALAH radial velocities. Stellar masses and ages are determined with Bayesian isochrone matching, using our derived stellar parameters and absolute magnitudes. We report measurements of Li, C, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, as well as Ba and we note that we have employed non-LTE calculations for Li, O, Al, and Fe. We show that the use of astrometric and photometric data improves the accuracy of the derived spectroscopic parameters, especially log g. Focusing our investigation on the correlations between stellar age, iron abundance [Fe/H], and mean alpha-enhancement [α/Fe] of the magnitude-selected sample, we recover the result that stars of the high-α sequence are typically older than stars in the low-α sequence, the latter spanning iron abundances of −0.7 <  [Fe/H] <  +0.5. While these two sequences become indistinguishable in [α/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] at the metal-rich regime, we find that age can be used to separate stars from the extended high-α and the low-α sequence even in this regime. When dissecting the sample by stellar age, we find that the old stars (>8 Gyr) have lower angular momenta Lz than the Sun, which implies that they are on eccentric orbits and originate from the inner disc. Contrary to some previous smaller scale studies we find a continuous evolution in the high-α-sequence up to super-solar [Fe/H] rather than a gap, which has been interpreted as a separate "high-α metal-rich" population. Stars in our sample that are younger than 10 Gyr, are mainly found on the low α-sequence and show a gradient in Lz from low [Fe/H] (Lz >  Lz, ⊙) towards higher [Fe/H] (Lz <  Lz, ⊙), which implies that the stars at the ends of this sequence are likely not originating from the close solar vicinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently a number of studies have found a similarity between the passive fraction of central and satellite galaxies when controlled for both stellar and halo mass. These results suggest that the quenching processes that affect galaxies are largely agnostic to central/satellite status, which contradicts the traditional picture of increased satellite quenching via environmental processes such as stripping, strangulation, and starvation. Here we explore this further using the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey, which extends to ∼2 dex lower in stellar mass than SDSS, is more complete for closely separated galaxies (≳95 per cent compared to ≳70 per cent), and identifies lower-halo-mass groups outside of the very local Universe (M halo ∼ 1012 M⊙ at 0.1 < |$z$| < 0.2). As far as possible we aim to replicate the selections, completeness corrections, and central/satellite division of one of the previous studies but find clear differences between passive fractions of centrals and satellites. We also find that our passive fractions increase with both halo-to-satellite mass ratio and central-to-second rank mass ratio. This suggests that quenching is more efficient in satellites that are low-mass for their halo (i.e. at high halo-to-satellite mass ratio in comparison to low halo-to-satellite mass ratio) and are more likely to be passive in older groups – forming a consistent picture of environmental quenching of satellites. We then discuss potential explanations for the previously observed similarity, such as dependence on the group-finding method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore the radial distribution of star formation in galaxies in the SAMI Galaxy Survey as a function of their Local Group environment. Using a sample of galaxies in groups (with halo masses less than |$\simeq 10^{14} \, \mathrm{M_{\odot }}$|⁠) from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly Survey, we find signatures of environmental quenching in high-mass groups (⁠|$M_{\mathrm{ G}}\, \gt\, 10^{12.5} \, \mathrm{M_{\odot }}$|⁠). The mean integrated specific star formation rate (sSFR) of star-forming galaxies in high-mass groups is lower than for galaxies in low-mass groups or those that are ungrouped, with |$\Delta \log (\mathrm{ sSFR}/\mathrm{yr^{-1}}) \,=\, 0.45 \pm 0.07$|⁠. This difference is seen at all galaxy stellar masses. In high-mass groups, star-forming galaxies more massive than |$M_{*} \sim 10^{10} \, \mathrm{M_{\odot }}$| have centrally concentrated star formation. These galaxies also lie below the star formation main sequence, which suggests they may be undergoing outside-in quenching. Lower mass galaxies in high-mass groups do not show evidence of concentrated star formation. In groups less massive than |$M_{\mathrm{ G}} = 10^{12.5} \, \mathrm{M_{\odot }}$|⁠, we do not observe these trends. In this regime, we find a modest correlation between centrally concentrated star formation and an enhancement in the total star formation rate, consistent with triggered star formation in these galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]