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We study the resolved stellar populations and derive the star formation history of NGC 5474, a peculiar star-forming dwarf galaxy at a distance of ∼7 Mpc, using Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys data from the Legacy Extragalactic UV Survey (LEGUS) programme. We apply an improved colour–magnitude diagram fitting technique based on the code SFERA and use the latest PARSEC–COLIBRI stellar models. Our results are the following. The off-centre bulge-like structure, suggested to constitute the bulge of the galaxy, is dominated by star formation (SF) activity initiated 14 Gyr ago and lasted at least up to 1 Gyr ago. Nevertheless, this component shows clear evidence of prolonged SF activity (lasting until ∼10 Myr ago). We estimate the total stellar mass of the bulge-like structure to be (5.0 ± 0.3) × 108 M⊙. Such a mass is consistent with published suggestions that this structure is in fact an independent system orbiting around and not within NGC 5474’s disc. The stellar overdensity located to the South–West of the bulge-like structure shows a significant SF event older than 1 Gyr, while it is characterized by two recent peaks of SF, around ∼10 and ∼100 Myr ago. In the last Gyr, the behaviour of the stellar disc is consistent with what is known in the literature as ‘gasping’. The synchronized burst at 10–35 Myr in all components might hint to the recent gravitational interaction between the stellar bulge-like structure and the disc of NGC 5474.

Context. There is compelling evidence that active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in high-density regions have undergone a different evolution than their counterparts in the field, indicating that they are strongly affected by their environment. However, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of the dominant mechanisms that trigger the nucleus and the processes that drive the evolution of AGNs in clusters. Aims. To investigate (and possibly disentangle) the various factors that may affect the prevalence of AGNs in cluster galaxies, we selected a sample of 19 thoroughly studied X-ray-selected galaxy clusters from the LoCuSS survey. All these clusters are considered massive, with M500 ≳ 2 × 1014 M⊙, and span a narrow redshift range between z ∼ 0.16 and 0.28. Methods. We divided the cluster surroundings into two concentric annuli with a width of R500 radius. We considered the first annulus as the central cluster region and the second as the outskirts. We further divided the cluster sample based on the presence of infalling X-ray-detected groups, cluster mass, or dynamical state. We determined the AGN fraction in cluster galaxies of the various sub-samples by correlating the X-ray point-like sources selected from the 4XMM DR10 catalogue with the highly complete spectroscopic catalogue of cluster members obtained with Hectospec. We subsequently used the optical spectra to determine the type of nuclear activity and we visually inspected the host morphology for indications of galaxy mergers or other interactions. Results. We found that the X-ray AGN fraction in the outskirts is consistent with the field, but it is significantly lower in cluster centres, in agreement with previous results for massive clusters. We show that these results do not depend on cluster mass, at least within our cluster mass range, nor on the presence of X-ray-detected infalling groups. Furthermore, we did not find any evidence of a spatial correlation between infalling groups and AGNs. Nevertheless, a

Double bars make up a significant fraction of barred galaxies. We propose a new formation scenario for double bars that involves tidal interactions. We demonstrate the viability of this scenario using two examples of simulated galaxies from run TNG50-1 of the IllustrisTNG project. In the proposed scenario the inner bar forms first, either in isolation, via instabilities, or through previous tides. The outer bar forms later from the material that is tidally distorted by a strong interaction. The inner and outer bars formed this way rotate with different pattern speeds and can be mistaken for a single bar when their phases align. The double-barred structure is stable and can last for at least 3 Gyr. The inner bars of the tidally induced double bars can also have big sizes, which can possibly explain the origin of sizable inner bars recently found in some galaxies.

We introduce a new model for the accretion and feedback of supermassive black hole (SMBH) binaries to the ketjucode, which enables us to resolve the evolution of SMBH binaries down to separations of tens of Schwarzschild radii in gas-rich galaxy mergers. Our subgrid binary accretion model extends the widely used Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton accretion into the binary phase and incorporates preferential mass accretion on to the secondary SMBH, which is motivated by results from small-scale hydrodynamical circumbinary disc simulations. We perform idealized gas-rich disc galaxy merger simulations using pure thermal or pure kinetic active galactic nuclei (AGNs) feedback. Our binary accretion model provides more physically motivated SMBH mass ratios, which are one of the key parameters for computing gravitational wave (GW) induced recoil velocities. The merger time-scales of our simulated SMBH binaries are in the range t(merge) similar to 10-400 Myr. Prograde in-plane equal-mass galaxy mergers lead to the shortest merger time-scales, as they experience the strongest starbursts, with the ensuing high stellar density resulting in a rapid SMBH coalescence. Compared to the thermal AGN feedback, the kinetic AGN feedback predicts longer merger time-scales and results in more core-like stellar profiles, as it is more effective in removing gas from the galaxy centre and quenching star formation. This suggests that the AGN feedback implementation plays a critical role in modelling SMBH coalescences. Our model will be useful for improving the modelling of SMBH mergers in gas-rich galaxies, the prime targets for the upcoming LISA GW observatory.

We present Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) CO(1–0) observations of the nearby infrared luminous (LIRG) galaxy pair IRAS 05054+1718 (also known as CGCG 468-002), as well as a new analysis of X-ray data of this source collected between 2012 and 2021 using the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), Swift, and the XMM-Newton satellites. The western component of the pair, NED01, hosts a Seyfert 1.9 nucleus that is responsible for launching a powerful X-ray ultra-fast outflow (UFO). Our X-ray spectral analysis suggests that the UFO could be variable or multi-component in velocity, ranging from v/c ∼ −0.12 (as seen in Swift) to v/c ∼ −0.23 (as seen in NuSTAR), and constrains its momentum flux to be ṗoutX−ray ∼ (4 ± 2) × 1034 g cm s−2. The ALMA CO(1–0) observations, obtained with an angular resolution of 2.2″, although targeting mainly NED01, also include the eastern component of the pair, NED02, a less-studied LIRG with no clear evidence of an active galactic nucleus (AGN). We study the CO(1–0) kinematics in the two galaxies using the 3D-BAROLO code. In both sources we can model the bulk of the CO(1–0) emission with rotating disks and, after subtracting the best-fit models, we detect compact residual emission at S/N = 15 within ∼3 kpc of the centre. A molecular outflow in NED01, if present, cannot be brighter than such residuals, implying an upper limit on its outflow rate of Ṁoutmol ≲ 19 ± 14 M⊙ yr−1 and on its momentum rate of ṗoutmol ≲ (2.7 ± 2.4) × 1034 g cm s−1. Combined with the revised energetics of the X-ray wind, we derive an upper limit on the momentum rate ratio of ṗoutmol/ṗoutX−ray < 0.67. We discuss these results in the context of the expectations of AGN feedback models, and we propose that the X-ray disk wind in NED01 has not significantly impacted the molecular gas reservoir (yet), and we can constrain its effect to be much smaller than expectations of AGN ‘energy-driven’ feedback models. We also consider and discuss the h

© 2014 RAS, MNRAS. We thank the referee for comments that have significantly improved the manuscript. The authors wish to thank the entire S4G team for their efforts with this project. J.L. gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Vilho, Yrjö ja Kalle V¨aisälä foundation of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters. J.L, E.L, H.S, and S.C acknowledge the support from Academy of Finland. E.A. and A.B. acknowledge the CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales - France) for fi-nancial support. We acknowledge financial support from the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union’s FP7 2007-2013 to the DAGAL network under REA grant agreement number PITN-GA-2011-289313. This research is based in part on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under a contract with NASA. We are grateful to the dedicated staff at the Spitzer Science Center for their help and support in planning and execution of this Exploration Science program. We also gratefully acknowledge support from NASA JPL/Spitzer grant RSA 1374189 provided for the S4G project. This research has made use of the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED) which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This research has made use of SAOImage DS9, developed by Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, We study the surface brightness profiles of disc galaxies in the 3.6 µm images from the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S^4G) and K_s-band images from the Near Infrared S0-Sa galaxy Survey (NIRS0S). We particularly connect properties of single exponential (type I), downbending double exponential (type II), and upbending double exponential (type III) disc profile types, to structural components of galaxies by using detailed morphological classifications, and size measurements of rings and lenses. We also study how the local environment of the galaxies affects the profile types by calculating parameters describing the environmental density and the tidal interaction strength. We find that in majority of type II profiles the break radius is connected with structural components such as rings, lenses, and spirals. The exponential disc sections of all three profile types, when considered separately, follow the disc scaling relations. However, the outer discs of type II, and the inner discs of type III, are similar in scalelength to the single exponential discs. Although the different profile types have similar mean environmental parameters, the scalelengths of the type III profiles show a positive correlation with the tidal interaction strength., Unión Europea. FP7, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales - France, Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, DAGAL network, NASA JPL/Spitzer, Depto. de Física de la Tierra y Astrofísica, Fac. de Ciencias Físicas, TRUE, pub

© ESO 2014. Artículo firmado por 46 autores. This study makes use of the data provided by the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area (CALIFA) survey http://www.califa.caha.es). Based on observations collected at the Centro Astronòmico Hispano Alemán (CAHA) at Calar Alto, operated jointly by the Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC).CALIFA is the first legacy survey being performed at Calar Alto. The CALIFA collaboration would like to thank the IAACSIC and MPIA-MPG as major partners of the observatory, and CAHA itself, for the unique access to telescope time and support in manpower and infrastructures. The CALIFA collaboration thanks also the CAHA staff for the dedication to this project. The authors would like to thank the anonymous referee for comments that significantly improved the paper; Dimitri Gadotti for providing extensive help and advice with the image decomposition; Mike Dopita and Tim Heckman for their patience explaining the effects of shocks in superwinds; Daria Dubinovska for creating undistorted ACS PSF images from the Tiny Tim images and Carolin Villforth for further help with the ACS PSF; Lia Athanassoula for help interpeting the kinematic maps; Daniel Pomarede for help getting SD vision running; Jeremy Sanders and Roderik Johnstone for help interpreting the X-ray observations; Eva Schinnerer for pointing out the effect of beam smearing; all other interested researchers who have contributed with questions and comments following discussions and presentations of this work over the last 2 years. The numerical simulations were performed on facilities hosted by the CSC -IT Center for Science in Espoo, Finland, which are financed by the Finnish ministry of education. Funding and financial support acknowledgements: V. W. from the European Research Council Starting Grant (P.I. Wild SEDmorph), European Research Council Advanced Grant (P.I. J. Dunlop) and Marie Curie Career Reintegration Grant (P.I. Wild Phiz-e, We present optical integral field spectroscopy (IFS) observations of the Mice, a major merger between two massive (& 1011M⊙) gasrich spirals NGC 4676A and B, observed between first passage and final coalescence. The spectra provide stellar and gas kinematics, ionised gas properties and stellar population diagnostics, over the full optical extent of both galaxies with ∼1.6 kpc spatial resolution. The Mice galaxies provide a perfect case study highlighting the importance of IFS data for improving our understanding of local galaxies. The impact of first passage on the kinematics of the stars and gas has been significant, with strong bars likely induced in both galaxies. The barred spiral NGC 4676B exhibits a strong twist in both its stellar and ionised gas disk. The edge-on disk galaxy NGC 4676A appears to be bulge free, with a strong bar causing its “boxy” light profile. On the other hand, the impact of the merger on the stellar populations has been minimal thus far. By combining the IFS data with archival multiwavelength observations we show that star formation induced by the recent close passage has not contributed significantly to the global star formation rate or stellar mass of the galaxies. Both galaxies show bicones of high ionisation gas extending along their minor axes. In NGC 4676A the high gas velocity dispersion and Seyfert-like line ratios at large scaleheight indicate a powerful outflow. Fast shocks (vs ∼350 km s−1 ) extend to ∼ 6.6 kpc above the disk plane. The measured ram pressure (P/k = 4.8 × 106K cm−3 ) and mass outflow rate (∼ 8 − 20M⊙yr−1 ) are similar to superwinds from local ultra-luminous infrared galaxies, although NGC 4676A has only a moderate infrared luminosity of 3×1010L⊙. Energy beyond that provided by the mechanical energy of the starburst appears to be required to drive the outflow. Finally, we compare the observations to mock kinematic and stellar population maps extracted from a hydrodynamical merger simulation. The models show little, Unión Europea. FP7, European Research Council Starting, European Research Council Advanced, Marie Curie Career Reintegration, Mexican National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT), Ramón y Cajal Program, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO), FP7 Marie Curie Actions of the European Commission, R. G. D. and R. G. B. from the Spanish, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, German BMBF, Spanish programme of International Campus of Excellence Moncloa (CEI), Emmy Noether-Programme of the German Science Foundation (DFG), I. M. P. from Spanish, Junta de Andalucía, FCT (Portugal), Depto. de Física de la Tierra y Astrofísica, Fac. de Ciencias Físicas, TRUE, pub

Dwarf galaxies are excellent cosmological probes, because their shallow potential wells make them very sensitive to the key processes that drive galaxy evolution, including baryonic feedback, tidal interactions, and ram pressure stripping. However, some of the key parameters of dwarf galaxies, which help trace the effects of these processes, are still debated, including the relationship between their sizes and masses. We re-examine the Fornax Cluster dwarf population from the point of view of isomass-radius–stellar mass relations (IRSMRs) using the Fornax Deep Survey Dwarf galaxy Catalogue, with the centrally located (among dwarfs) \(3.63 \mathcal {M}_{\odot } \text{pc}^{-2}\) isodensity radius defining our fiducial relation. This relation is a powerful diagnostic tool for identifying dwarfs with unusual structure, as dwarf galaxies’ remarkable monotonicity in light profile shapes, as a function of stellar mass, reduces the relation’s scatter tremendously. By examining how different dwarf properties (colour, 10th nearest neighbour distance, etc.) correlate with distance from our fiducial relation, we find a significant population of structural outliers with comparatively lower central mass surface density and larger half-light-radii, residing in locally denser regions in the cluster, albeit with similar red colours. We propose that these faint, extended outliers likely formed through tidal disturbances, which make the dwarfs more diffuse, but with little mass-loss. Comparing these outliers with ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs), we find that the term UDG lacks discriminatory power; UDGs in the Fornax Cluster lie both on and off of IRSMRs defined at small radii, while IRSMR outliers with masses below \(\sim 10^{7.5} \mathcal {M}_{\odot }\) are excluded from the UDG classification due to their small effective radii.

Context. Massive galaxies are expected to grow through different transformative evolutionary phases. High-redshift starburst galaxies and quasars are thought to be such phases and thus provide insight into galaxy evolution. Several physical mechanisms are predicted to play an important role in driving these phases; for example, interaction with companion galaxies, active galactic nuclei feedback, and possibly magnetic fields. Aims. Our aim is to characterize the physical properties and the environment of the submillimeter galaxy AzTEC-3 at z = 5.3 and the lensed quasar BRI 0952−0115 at z = 4.4, and to set a limit on the polarization properties of the two sources. We intend to place these two sources in the broader context of galaxy evolution, specifically star formation and mass growth through cosmic time. Methods. We used full polarization, sub-arcsecond-resolution, ALMA band-7 observations of both BRI 0952−0115 and AzTEC-3. We detect [C II] (2P3/2−2P1/2) line emission towards both BRI 0952−0115 and AzTEC-3, along with companions in each field. We present an updated gravitational lensing model for BRI 0952−0115 for correction of gravitational magnification. Results. We present infrared luminosities, star-formation rates, and [C II] line to infrared luminosity ratios for each source. The [C II] emission line profile for both BRI 0952−0115 and AzTEC-3 exhibit a broad, complex morphology, indicating the possible presence of outflows. We present evidence of a “gas bridge” between AzTEC-3 and a companion source. Modified blackbody spectral energy distribution fitting is used to analyze the properties of [C II] detected companion sources in the field of both the submillimeter galaxy and the quasar. We investigated the possible role of the detected companions in outflow signatures. Using a simple dynamical mass estimate for the sources, we suggest that both system

The transformation and evolution of a galaxy is strongly influenced by interactions with its environment. Neutral hydrogen (H I) is an excellent way to trace these interactions. Here, we present H I observations of the spiral galaxy NGC 895, which was previously thought to be isolated. High-sensitivity H I observations from the MeerKAT large survey project MIGHTEE reveal possible interaction features, such as extended spiral arms and the two newly discovered H I companions, that drive us to change the narrative that it is an isolated galaxy. We combine these observations with deep optical images from the Hyper Suprime Camera to show an absence of tidal debris between NGC 895 and its companions. We do find an excess of light in the outer parts of the companion galaxy MGTH_J022138.1-052631, which could be an indication of external perturbation and thus possible sign of interactions. Our analysis shows that NGC 895 is an actively star-forming galaxy with a SFR of 1.75 ± 0.09[M⊙/yr], a value typical for high-stellar mass galaxies on the star-forming main sequence. It is reasonable to state that different mechanisms may have contributed to the observed features in NGC 895, and this emphasizes the need to revisit the target with more detailed observations. Our work shows the high potential and synergy of using state-of-the-art data in both H I and optical to reveal a more complete picture of galaxy environments. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society.

Context. Mergers and tidal interactions between massive galaxies and their dwarf satellites are a fundamental prediction of the Lambda-cold dark matter cosmology. These events are thought to provide important observational diagnostics of non-linear structure formation. Stellar streams in the Milky Way and Andromeda are spectacular evidence for ongoing satellite disruption. However, constructing a statistically meaningful sample of tidal streams beyond the Local Group has proven a daunting observational challenge, and the full potential for deepening our understanding of galaxy assembly using stellar streams has yet to be realised. Aims. Here we introduce the Stellar Stream Legacy Survey, a systematic imaging survey of tidal features associated with dwarf galaxy accretion around a sample of ∼3100 nearby galaxies within z ∼ 0.02, including about 940 Milky Way analogues. Methods. Our survey exploits public deep imaging data from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys, which reach surface brightness as faint as ∼29 mag arcsec−2 in the r band. As a proof of concept of our survey, we report the detection and broad-band photometry of 24 new stellar streams in the local Universe. Results. We discuss how these observations can yield new constraints on galaxy formation theory through comparison to mock observations from cosmological galaxy simulations. These tests will probe the present-day mass assembly rate of galaxies, the stellar populations and orbits of satellites, the growth of stellar halos, and the resilience of stellar disks to satellite bombardment. © The Authors 2023.

Context. Stellar tidal streams are the result of tidal interactions between a central galaxy and lower mass systems such as satellite galaxies or globular clusters. For the Local Group, many diffuse substructures have been identified and their link to the galaxy evolution has been traced. However, it cannot simply be assumed that the Milky Way or M 31 are representative of their galaxy class. Thus, a larger sample of analogue galaxies beyond the Local Group is required to bolster a broader generalisation of the underlying theory. Aims. We want to detect and photometrically characterise stellar streams around Milky Way (MW-) analogues in the local Universe in order to extend the observational evidence of interactions between this class of host galaxies and their satellites. This information will be applicable in a more general context around future studies on galaxy formation and evolution processes. Methods. In the present work, we identified and analysed stellar tidal streams around MW-analogue galaxies from the SAGA sample, using deep images of the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys. For this sample, we obtained a range of r-band surface brightness limit between 27.8 and 29 mag arcsec−2. We measured the surface brightness and colours of the detected streams using GNU Astronomy Utilities software. Results. We identified 16 new stellar tidal streams around MW-analogue galaxies at distances between 25 and 40 Mpc. In applying a statistical analysis to our findings for the SAGA II galaxy sample, we obtained a frequency of 12.2% ± 2.4% for these stellar streams. We measured the surface brightness and colours of the detected streams and carried out a comparison to the dwarf satellite galaxies population around galaxies belonging to the same SAGA sample. We show that the mean colour of the streams is 0.20 mag redder than that of the SAGA satellites; in addition, the streams are, on average, 0.057 ± 0.021 mag redder that their progenitor (for cases where a likely progenitor could

Context. Tidal ring galaxies (TRGs) are rarely observed in the local universe due to their intrinsically transient nature. The tidal ring structures are the result of strong interactions between gas-rich stellar disks and smaller galactic systems, and do not last longer than ∼500 Myr. Therefore, these are perfect scenarios in which to look for the debris of recently accreted dwarf galactic systems. Aims. Our goal is to study the low surface brightness stellar structures around the TRG NGC 922 and to revise the hypothesis of its formation in light of these new data. Methods. We present new deep images of the TRG NGC 922 and its surroundings from the DESI Legacy survey data and from our observations with an amateur telescope. These observations are compared with results from high-resolution N-body simulations that were designed to reproduce an alternative formation scenario for this peculiar galaxy. Results. Our new observations unveil that the low surface brightness stellar tidal structures around NGC 922 are much more complex than reported in previous works. In particular, the formerly detected tidal spike-like structure at the north-east of the central galaxy disk is not connected with the dwarf companion galaxy PGC 3080368, which has been suggested as the intruder triggering the ring formation of NGC 922. The deep images reveal that this tidal structure mainly has a fainter giant umbrella-like shape, and thus it was formed from the tidal disruption of a different satellite. Using the broad-band g, r, and z DESI LS images, we measured the photometric properties of this stellar stream, estimating a total absolute magnitude in the r band of Mr = −17.0 ± 0.03 mag and a total stellar mass for the stream of between 6.9 and 8.5×108 M⊙. We performed a set of N-body simulations to reproduce the observed NGC922-intruder interaction, suggesting a new scenario for the formation of its tidal ring from the infall of a gas-rich satellite around 150 Myr ago. Finally, our deep ima

[Aims] We aim to study the phase spiral in the Milky Way (MW) disc with data from the third data release of Gaia (DR3) and use it as an inference tool to decipher the late-time evolution of the Galaxy., [Methods] We used an edge-detection algorithm to find the border of the phase spiral, allowing us to robustly quantify its shape at different positions and for different selections. We calculated the time of onset of the phase-mixing by determining the different turns of the phase spiral and using the vertical frequencies from commonly used models of the gravitational potential of the MW., [Results] We find that the phase spiral extends down to −1.2 kpc in height below the plane (about 3–5 scale heights of the thin disc) and beyond ±50 km s−1 in VZ. We see a secondary branch mostly at positive vertical velocities when coloured by azimuthal velocity and in the counts projection. We also find complex variations of the phase spirals with angular momentum and azimuth. All these findings are possible evidence of multiple perturbations (from different times or from different perturbers) and/or of the complexity of the phase-mixing process. We detect the phase spiral from 6 to 11 kpc from the Galactic centre and find signatures of vertical asymmetries 1–2 kpc beyond this range. We measure small but clear variations with azimuth. When we determine the phase mixing times from the phase spiral at different angular momenta and using the different spiral turns (at different Z), we obtain inconsistent times with systematic differences (times increasing with |LZ| and with |Z|). Our determinations are mostly in the range of [0.3–0.9] Gyr, with an average of 0.5 Gyr. The inconsistencies do not change when using different commonly used potential models for the MW, different stellar distances, or frequencies for different kinetic temperatures; they could stem from the inconsistency of the assumed gravitational potentials with the true MW, and from oversimplification of the modelling, in particular where self-gravity is neglected or where multiple perturbations and/or interference with other processes are not considered., [Conclusions] The wealth of information provided by the new Gaia DR3 data should encourage us to make progress in crucial modelling aspects of the disc dynamics, such as non-equilibrium, self-gravity, propagation of different types of bending waves, and interactions between different mechanisms. Such advancements could finally enable us to establish the origin of the phase spiral and its relation to the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy.

Disc galaxies commonly show asymmetric features in their morphology, such as warps and lopsidedness. These features can provide key information regarding the recent evolution of a given disc galaxy. In the nearby Universe, up to ∼30 per cent of late-type galaxies display a global non-axisymmetric lopsided mass distribution. However, the origin of this perturbation is not well understood. In this work, we study the origin of lopsided perturbations in simulated disc galaxies extracted from the TNG50 simulation of the IllustrisTNG project. We statistically explore different excitation mechanisms for this perturbation, such as direct satellite tidal interactions and distortions of the underlying dark matter distributions. We also characterize the main physical conditions that lead to lopsided perturbations. 50 per cent of our sample galaxy have lopsided modes m = 1 greater than ∼0.12. We find a strong correlation between internal galaxy properties, such as central stellar surface density and disc radial extension with the strength of lopsided modes. The majority of lopsided galaxies have lower central surface densities and more extended discs than symmetric galaxies. As a result, such lopsided galaxies are less self-gravitationally cohesive, and their outer disc region is more susceptible to different types of external perturbations. However, we do not find strong evidence that tidal interactions with satellite galaxies are the main driving agent of lopsided modes. Lopsided galaxies tend to live in asymmetric dark matter haloes with high spin, indicating strong galaxy–halo connections in late-type lopsided galaxies.

Warps are observed in a large fraction of disc galaxies, and can be due to a large number of different processes. Some of these processes might also cause vertical heating and flaring. Using a sample of galaxies simulated in their cosmological context, we study the connection between warping and disc heating. We analyse the vertical stellar density structure within warped stellar discs, and monitor the evolution of the scale heights of the mono-age populations and the geometrical thin and thick disc during the warp’s lifetime. We also compare the overall thickness and the vertical velocity dispersion in the disc before and after the warp. We find that for warps made of pre-existing stellar particles shifted off-plane, the scale heights do not change within the disc’s warped region: discs bend rigidly. For warps made of off-plane new stellar material (either born in situ or accreted), the warped region of the disc is not well described by a double sech2 density profile. Yet, once the warp is gone, the thin and thick disc structure is recovered, with their scale heights following the same trends as in the region that was never warped. Finally, we find that the overall thickness and vertical velocity dispersion do not increase during a warp, regardless of the warp’s origin. This holds even for warps triggered by interactions with satellites, which cause disc heating but before the warp forms. Our findings suggest that the vertical structure of galaxies does not hold any memory of past warps.

We examine the H I gas kinematics of galaxy pairs in two clusters and a group using Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) WALLABY pilot survey observations. We compare the H I properties of galaxy pair candidates in the Hydra I and Norma clusters, and the NGC 4636 group, with those of non-paired control galaxies selected in the same fields. We perform H I profile decomposition of the sample galaxies using a tool, BAYGAUD, which allows us to deblend a line-of-sight velocity profile with an optimal number of Gaussian components. We construct H I superprofiles of the sample galaxies via stacking of their line profiles after aligning the central velocities. We fit a double Gaussian model to the superprofiles and classify them as kinematically narrow and broad components with respect to their velocity dispersions. Additionally, we investigate the gravitational instability of H I gas discs of the sample galaxies using Toomre Q parameters and H I morphological disturbances. We investigate the effect of the cluster environment on the H I properties of galaxy pairs by dividing the cluster environment into three subcluster regions (i.e. outskirts, infalling, and central regions). We find that the denser cluster environment (i.e. infalling and central regions) is likely to impact the H I gas properties of galaxies in a way of decreasing the amplitude of the kinematically narrow H I gas (⁠MHInarrow /MHItotal⁠), and increasing the Toomre Q values of the infalling and central galaxies. This tendency is likely to be more enhanced for galaxy pairs in the cluster environment. © 2022 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society.

Context. Hickson compact groups (HCGs) are dense configurations of four to ten galaxies, whose H I morphology appears to follow an evolutionary sequence of three phases, with gas initially confined to galaxies, then significant amounts spread throughout the intra-group medium, and finally with almost no gas remaining in the galaxies themselves. It has also been suggested that several groups may harbour a diffuse H I component that is resolved out by interferometric observations. Aims. The H I deficiency of HCGs is expected to increase as the H I morphological phase progresses along the evolutionary sequence. If this is the case, H I deficiency would be a rough proxy for the age and evolutionary state of a HCG. We aim to test this hypothesis for the first time using a large sample of HCGs and to investigate the evidence for diffuse H I in HCGs. Methods. We performed a uniform reduction of all publicly available VLA H I observations (38 HCGs) with a purpose-built pipeline that also maximises the reproducibility of this study. The resulting H I data cubes were then analysed with the latest software tools to perform a manual separation of emission features into those belonging to galaxies and those extending into the intra-group medium. We thereby classified the H I morphological phase of each group as well as quantified their H I deficiency compared to galaxies in isolation. Results. We find little evidence that H I deficiency can be used as a proxy for the evolutionary phase of a compact group in either of the first two phases, with the distribution of H I deficiency being consistent in both. However, for the final phase, the distribution clearly shifts to high H I deficiencies, with more than 90% of the expected H I content typically missing. Across all HCGs studied, we identify a few cases where there is strong evidence for a diffuse gas component in the intra-group medium, which might be detectable with improved observations. We also classify a new sub-phase where

We present a narrow-band [O iii] imaging survey of 111 active galactic nucleus (AGN) hosts and 17 merging-galaxy systems, in search of distant extended emission-line regions (EELRs) around AGNs (either extant or faded). Our data reach deeper than detection from the broad-band SDSS data and cover a wider field than some early emission-line surveys used to study extended structure around AGNs. Spectroscopic follow-up confirms two new distant AGN-ionized clouds, in the merging systems NGC 235 and NGC 5514, projected at 26 and 75 kpc from the nuclei (respectively). We also recover the previously known region in NGC 7252. These results strengthen the connection between EELRs and tidal features; kinematically quiescent distant EELRs are virtually always photoionized tidal debris. We see them in ≈10 per cent of the galaxies in our sample with tidal tails. Energy budgets suggest that the AGN in NGC 5514 has faded by >3 times during the extra light traveltime ≈250 000 yr from the nucleus to the cloud and then to the observer; strong shock emission in outflows masks the optical signature of the AGN. For NGC 235 our data are consistent with but do not unequivocally require variation over ≈85 000 yr. In addition to these very distant ionized clouds, we find luminous and extensive line emission within four galaxies - IC 1481, ESO 362-G08, NGC 5514, and NGC 7679. Among these, IC 1481 shows apparent ionization cones, a rare combination with its LINER AGN spectrum. In NGC 5514, we measure a 7-kpc shell expanding at ≈370 km s-1 west of the nucleus. © 2022 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society.

Galactic bars are important drivers of galactic evolution, and yet how they impact the interstellar medium and correspondingly star formation, remains unclear. We present simulation results for two barred galaxies with different formation mechanisms, bars formed in isolation or via a tidal interaction, to consider the spatially and temporally varying trends of star formation. We focus on the early (<1 Gyr) epoch of bar formation so that the interaction is clearly identifiable. The nearby NGC 4303 (isolated) and NGC 3627 (interaction history) are selected as observational analogues to tailor these simulations. Regardless of formation mechanism, both models show similar internal dynamical features, although the interaction appears to promote bar-arm disconnection in the outer disc velocity structure. Both bars trigger similar boosts in star formation (79 per cent; 66 per cent), while the interaction also triggers an earlier 31 per cent burst. Significant morphological dependence is observed in the relation between surface gas and star formation rate. In both cases, the bar component is notably steepest; the arm is similar to the overall disc average; and the interarm clearly the shallowest. A distinguishable feature of the tidal disc is the presence of moderately dense, inefficiently star-forming gas mostly confined to tidal debris outside the optical disc. The tidal disc also exhibits a unique trend of radially increasing star formation efficiency and a clear dearth of star formation which persists along the bar between the centre and bar ends. These are potential signatures for identifying a barred system post-interaction.

Galactic bars are important drivers of galactic evolution, and yet how they impact the interstellar medium and correspondingly star formation, remains unclear. We present simulation results for two barred galaxies with different formation mechanisms, bars formed in isolation or via a tidal interaction, to consider the spatially and temporally varying trends of star formation. We focus on the early (<1 Gyr) epoch of bar formation so that the interaction is clearly identifiable. The nearby NGC 4303 (isolated) and NGC 3627 (interaction history) are selected as observational analogues to tailor these simulations. Regardless of formation mechanism, both models show similar internal dynamical features, although the interaction appears to promote bar-arm disconnection in the outer disc velocity structure. Both bars trigger similar boosts in star formation (79 per cent; 66 per cent), while the interaction also triggers an earlier 31 per cent burst. Significant morphological dependence is observed in the relation between surface gas and star formation rate. In both cases, the bar component is notably steepest; the arm is similar to the overall disc average; and the interarm clearly the shallowest. A distinguishable feature of the tidal disc is the presence of moderately dense, inefficiently star-forming gas mostly confined to tidal debris outside the optical disc. The tidal disc also exhibits a unique trend of radially increasing star formation efficiency and a clear dearth of star formation which persists along the bar between the centre and bar ends. These are potential signatures for identifying a barred system post-interaction.

Galaxy mergers have been observed to trigger nuclear activity by feeding gas to the central supermassive black hole. One such class of objects are Ultra Luminous InfraRed Galaxies (ULIRGs), which are mostly late stage major mergers of gas-rich galaxies. Recently, large-scale (∼100 kpc) radio continuum emission has been detected in a select number of ULIRGs, all of which also harbour powerful Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). This hints at the presence of large-scale radio emission being evidence for nuclear activity. Exploring the origin of this radio emission and its link to nuclear activity requires high sensitivity multi-frequency data. We present such an analysis of the ULIRG Mrk 273. Using the International LOFAR telescope (ILT), we detected spectacular large-scale arcs in this system. This detection includes, for the first time, a giant ∼190 kpc arc in the north. We propose these arcs are fuelled by a low power radio AGN triggered by the merger. We also identified a bright ∼45 kpc radio ridge, which is likely related to the ionised gas nebula in that region. We combined this with high sensitivity data from APERture Tile In Focus (Apertif) and archival data from the Very Large Array (VLA) to explore the spectral properties. The ILT simultaneously allowed us to probe the nucleus at a resolution of ∼0.3″, where we detected three components, and, for the first time, diffuse emission around these components. Combining this with archival high frequency VLA images of the nucleus allowed us to detect absorption in one component, and a steep spectrum radio AGN in another. We then extrapolate from this case study to the importance of investigating the presence of radio emission in more ULIRGs and what it can tell us about the link between mergers and the presence of radio activity. © P. Kukreti et al. 2022.

Context. The characterization of the dynamical state of galaxies up to z similar to 7 is crucial for constraining the mechanisms that drive the mass assembly in the early Universe. However, it is unclear whether the data quality of typical observations obtained with current and future facilities is sufficient to perform a solid dynamical analysis at these redshifts.Aims. This paper defines the angular resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) required for a robust characterization of the dynamical state of galaxies up to the Epoch of Reionization. The final aim is to help design future spatially resolved surveys targeting emission lines of primeval galaxies.Methods. We investigate the [C II]-158 mu m emission from six z similar to 6 - 7 Lyman break galaxies at three different inclinations from the SERRA zoom-in cosmological simulation suite. The SERRA galaxies cover a range of dynamical states: from isolated disks to major mergers. We create 102 mock observations with various data quality and apply the kinematic classification methods commonly used in the literature. These tests allow us to quantify the performances of the classification methods as a function of angular resolution and S/N.Results. We find that barely resolved observations, typical of line detection surveys, do not allow the correct characterization of the dynamical stage of a galaxy, resulting in the misclassification of disks and mergers in our sample by 100 and 50%, respectively. However, even when using spatially resolved observations with data quality typical of high-z galaxies (S/N similar to 10, and similar to 3 independent resolution elements along the major axis), the success rates in the merger identification of the standard kinematic classification methods, based on the analysis of the moment maps, range between 50 and 70%. The high angular resolution and S/N needed to correctly classify disks with these standard methods can only be achieved with current instrument

We present a detailed study of a galaxy merger taking place at z = 1.89 in the GOODS-S field. Here, we analyse Keck/MOSFIRE spectroscopic observations from the MOSFIRE Deep Evolution Field (MOSDEF) survey along with multiwavelength photometry assembled by the 3D-HST survey. The combined data set is modelled to infer the past star formation histories (SFHs) of both merging galaxies. They are found to be massive, with log(10) (M-*/M-circle dot) > 11, with a close mass ratio satisfying the typical major-merger definition. Additionally, in the context of delayed-r models, GOODS-S 43114, and GOODS-S 43683 have similar SFHs and low star formation rates (log (10)(SFR(SED)/M-circle dot yr(-1)) < 1.0) compared to their past averages. The best-fitting model SEDs show elevated H delta(A) values for both galaxies, indicating that their stellar spectra are dominated by A-type stars, and that star formation peaked similar to 0.5-1 Gyr ago and has recently declined. Additionally, based on SED fitting both merging galaxies turned on and shut off star formation within a few hundred Myr of each other, suggesting that their bursts of star formation may be linked. Combining the SFI Is and H delta(A) results with recent galaxy merger simulations, we infer that these galaxies have recently completed their first pericentric passage and are moving apart. Finally, the relatively low second velocity moment of GOODS-S 43114, given its stellar mass suggests a disc-like structure. However, including the geometry of the galaxy in the modelling does not completely resolve the discrepancy between the dynamical and stellar masses. Future work is needed to resolve this inconsistency in mass.

Context. The characterization of the dynamical state of galaxies up to z similar to 7 is crucial for constraining the mechanisms that drive the mass assembly in the early Universe. However, it is unclear whether the data quality of typical observations obtained with current and future facilities is sufficient to perform a solid dynamical analysis at these redshifts.Aims. This paper defines the angular resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) required for a robust characterization of the dynamical state of galaxies up to the Epoch of Reionization. The final aim is to help design future spatially resolved surveys targeting emission lines of primeval galaxies.Methods. We investigate the [C II]-158 mu m emission from six z similar to 6 - 7 Lyman break galaxies at three different inclinations from the SERRA zoom-in cosmological simulation suite. The SERRA galaxies cover a range of dynamical states: from isolated disks to major mergers. We create 102 mock observations with various data quality and apply the kinematic classification methods commonly used in the literature. These tests allow us to quantify the performances of the classification methods as a function of angular resolution and S/N.Results. We find that barely resolved observations, typical of line detection surveys, do not allow the correct characterization of the dynamical stage of a galaxy, resulting in the misclassification of disks and mergers in our sample by 100 and 50%, respectively. However, even when using spatially resolved observations with data quality typical of high-z galaxies (S/N similar to 10, and similar to 3 independent resolution elements along the major axis), the success rates in the merger identification of the standard kinematic classification methods, based on the analysis of the moment maps, range between 50 and 70%. The high angular resolution and S/N needed to correctly classify disks with these standard methods can only be achieved with current instrument

We present a detailed study of a galaxy merger taking place at z = 1.89 in the GOODS-S field. Here, we analyse Keck/MOSFIRE spectroscopic observations from the MOSFIRE Deep Evolution Field (MOSDEF) survey along with multiwavelength photometry assembled by the 3D-HST survey. The combined data set is modelled to infer the past star formation histories (SFHs) of both merging galaxies. They are found to be massive, with log(10) (M-*/M-circle dot) > 11, with a close mass ratio satisfying the typical major-merger definition. Additionally, in the context of delayed-r models, GOODS-S 43114, and GOODS-S 43683 have similar SFHs and low star formation rates (log (10)(SFR(SED)/M-circle dot yr(-1)) < 1.0) compared to their past averages. The best-fitting model SEDs show elevated H delta(A) values for both galaxies, indicating that their stellar spectra are dominated by A-type stars, and that star formation peaked similar to 0.5-1 Gyr ago and has recently declined. Additionally, based on SED fitting both merging galaxies turned on and shut off star formation within a few hundred Myr of each other, suggesting that their bursts of star formation may be linked. Combining the SFI Is and H delta(A) results with recent galaxy merger simulations, we infer that these galaxies have recently completed their first pericentric passage and are moving apart. Finally, the relatively low second velocity moment of GOODS-S 43114, given its stellar mass suggests a disc-like structure. However, including the geometry of the galaxy in the modelling does not completely resolve the discrepancy between the dynamical and stellar masses. Future work is needed to resolve this inconsistency in mass.

As part of the Virgo Cluster Survey Tracing Ionised Gas Emission, a blind narrow-band H+[NII] imaging survey of the Virgo cluster carried out with MegaCam at the CFHT, we discovered eight massive (1010 . Mstar . 1011 M) lenticular galaxies with prominent ionised gas emission features in their inner (a few kiloparsec) regions. These features are either ionised gas filaments similar to those observed in cooling flows (two galaxies), or they are thin discs with sizes 0:7 . R(H) . 2:0 kpc (six galaxies), thus significantly smaller than those of the stellar disc (R(H) ' 7 22%Riso(r)). The morphological properties of these discs are similar to those of the dust seen in absorption in high-resolution HST images. Using a unique set of multifrequency data, including new or archival ASTROSAT/UVIT, GALEX, HST, CFHT, Spitzer, and Herschel imaging data, combined with IFU (MUSE, ALMA) and long-slit (SOAR) spectroscopy, we show that while the gas that is located within these inner discs is photoionised by young stars, which signals ongoing star formation, the gas in the filamentary structures is shock ionised. The star formation surface brightness of these discs is similar to that observed in late-type galaxies. Because of their reduced size, however, these lenticular galaxies are located below the main sequence of unperturbed or cluster star-forming systems. By comparing the dust masses measured from absorption maps in optical images, from the Balmer decrement, or estimated by fitting the UV-to-far-IR spectral energy distribution of the target galaxies, we confirm that the dust masses derived from optical attenuation maps are heavily underestimated because of geometrical eects due to the relative distribution of the absorbing dust and the emitting stars. We also show that these galaxies have gas-to-dust ratios of G=D ' 80320 30 , and that the star formation within these discs follows the Schmidt relation, but with an eciency that is reduced by a factor of 2.5. Using our unique set

We present the blind Westerbork Coma Survey probing the H I content of the Coma galaxy cluster with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope. The survey covers the inner ∼1 Mpc around the cluster centre, extending out to 1.5 Mpc towards the south-western NGC 4839 group. The survey probes the atomic gas in the entire Coma volume down to a sensitivity of ∼1019 cm−2 and 108 M⊙. Combining automated source finding with source extraction at optical redshifts and visual verification, we obtained 40 H I detections of which 24 are new. Over half of the sample displays perturbed H I morphologies indicative of an ongoing interaction with the cluster environment. With the use of ancillary UV and mid-IR, data we measured their stellar masses and star formation rates and compared the H I properties to a set of field galaxies spanning a similar stellar mass and star formation rate range. We find that ∼75% of H I-selected Coma galaxies have simultaneously enhanced star formation rates (by ∼0.2 dex) and are H I deficient (by ∼0.5 dex) compared to field galaxies of the same stellar mass. According to our toy model, the simultaneous H I deficiency and enhanced star formation activity can be attributed to either H I stripping of already highly star forming galaxies on a very short timescale, while their H2 content remains largely unaffected, or to H I stripping coupled to a temporary boost of the H I-to-H2 conversion, causing a brief starburst phase triggered by ram pressure before eventually quenching the galaxy. © ESO 2022.

A fully sampled and hitherto highest resolution and sensitivity observation of neutral hydrogen (H I) in the Leo Triplet (NGC 3628, M 65/NGC 3623, and M 66/NGC 3627) reveals six H I structures beyond the three galaxies. We present detailed results of the morphologies and kinematics of these structures, which can be used for future simulations. In particular, we detect a two-arm structure in the plume of NGC 3628 for the first time, which can be explained by a tidal interaction model. The optical counterpart of the plume is mainly associated with the southern arm. The connecting part (base) of the plume (directed eastward) with NGC 3628 is located at the blueshifted (western) side of NGC 3628. Two bases appear to be associated with the two arms of the plume. A clump with a reversed velocity gradient (relative to the velocity gradient of M 66) and a newly detected tail, that is to say M 66SE, is found in the southeast of M 66. We suspect that M 66SE represents gas from NGC 3628, which was captured by M 66 in the recent interaction between the two galaxies. Meanwhile gas is falling toward M 66, resulting in features previously observed in the southeastern part of M 66, such as large line widths and double peaks. An upside-down “Y”-shaped H I gas component (M 65S) is detected in the south of M 65, which suggests that M 65 may also have been involved in the interaction. We strongly encourage modern hydrodynamical simulations of this interacting group of galaxies to reveal the origin of the gaseous debris surrounding all three galaxies. © G. Wu et al. 2022.

Context: Galaxies either live in a cluster, a group, or in a field environment. In the hierarchical framework, the group environment bridges the field to the cluster environment, as field galaxies form groups before aggregating into clusters. In principle, environmental mechanisms, such as galaxy–galaxy interactions, can be more efficient in groups than in clusters due to lower velocity dispersion, which lead to changes in the properties of galaxies. This change in properties for group galaxies before entering the cluster environment is known as preprocessing. Whilst cluster and field galaxies are well studied, the extent to which galaxies become preprocessed in the group environment is unclear. Aims: We investigate the structural properties of cluster and group galaxies by studying the Fornax main cluster and the infalling Fornax A group, exploring the effects of galaxy preprocessing in this showcase example. Additionally, we compare the structural complexity of Fornax galaxies to those in the Virgo cluster and in the field. Methods: Our sample consists of 582 galaxies from the Fornax main cluster and Fornax A group. We quantified the light distributions of each galaxy based on a combination of aperture photometry, Sérsic+PSF (point spread function) and multi-component decompositions, and non-parametric measures of morphology. From these analyses, we derived the galaxy colours, structural parameters, non-parametric morphological indices (Concentration C; Asymmetry A, Clumpiness S; Gini G; second order moment of light M₂₀), and structural complexity based on multi-component decompositions. These quantities were then compared between the Fornax main cluster and Fornax A group. The structural complexity of Fornax galaxies were also compared to those in Virgo and in the field. Results: We find significant (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test p-value < α = 0.05) differences in the distributions of quantities derived from Sérsic profiles (g′−r′, r′−i′, Re, and μ̄e,r′), a

We present MeerKAT neutral hydrogen (H I) observations of the Fornax A group, which is likely falling into the Fornax cluster for the first time. Our H I image is sensitive to 1.4 × 10¹⁹ atoms cm⁻² over 44.1 km s⁻¹, where we detect H I in 10 galaxies and a total of (1.12 ± 0.02) × 10⁹ M⊙ of H I in the intra-group medium (IGM). We search for signs of pre-processing in the 12 group galaxies with confirmed optical redshifts that reside within the sensitivity limit of our H I image. There are 9 galaxies that show evidence of pre-processing and we classify each galaxy into their respective pre-processing category, according to their H I morphology and gas (atomic and molecular) scaling relations. Galaxies that have not yet experienced pre-processing have extended H I discs and a high H I content with a H₂-to-H I ratio that is an order of magnitude lower than the median for their stellar mass. Galaxies that are currently being pre-processed display H I tails, truncated H I discs with typical gas fractions, and H₂-to-H I ratios. Galaxies in the advanced stages of pre-processing are the most H I deficient. If there is any H I, they have lost their outer H I disc and efficiently converted their H I to H₂, resulting in H₂-to-H I ratios that are an order of magnitude higher than the median for their stellar mass. The central, massive galaxy in our group (NGC 1316) underwent a 10:1 merger ∼2 Gyr ago and ejected 6.6−11.2 × 10⁸ M⊙ of H I, which we detect as clouds and streams in the IGM, some of which form coherent structures up to ∼220 kpc in length. We also detect giant (∼100 kpc) ionised hydrogen (Hα) filaments in the IGM, likely from cool gas being removed (and subsequently ionised) from an in-falling satellite. The Hα filaments are situated within the hot halo of NGC 1316 and there are localised regions that contain H I. We speculate that the Hα and multiphase gas is supported by magnetic pressure (possibly assisted by the NGC 1316 AGN), such that the hot gas can co

We analyse a sample of 12 galaxy clusters, from the Kapteyn IAC WEAVE INT Cluster Survey (KIWICS) looking for dwarf galaxy candidates. By using photometric data in the r and g bands from the Wide Field Camera (WFC) at the 2.5-m Isaac Newton Telescope (INT), we select a sample of bright dwarf galaxies (Mr ≤ −15.5 mag) in each cluster and analyse their spatial distribution, stellar colour, and as well as their Sérsic index and effective radius. We quantify the dwarf fraction inside the R200 radius of each cluster, which ranges from ∼0.7 to ∼0.9. Additionally, when comparing the fraction in the inner region with the outermost region of the clusters, we find that the fraction of dwarfs tends to increase going to the outer regions. We also study the clustercentric distance distribution of dwarf and giant galaxies (Mr < −19.0 mag), and in half of the clusters of our sample, the dwarfs are distributed in a statistically different way as the giants, with the giant galaxies being closer to the cluster centre. We analyse the stellar colour of the dwarf candidates and quantify the fraction of blue dwarfs inside the R200 radius, which is found to be less than ∼0.4, but increases with distance from the cluster centre. Regarding the structural parameters, the Sérsic index for the dwarfs we visually classify as early-type dwarfs tends to be higher in the inner region of the cluster. These results indicate the role that the cluster environment plays in shaping the observational properties of low-mass haloes.

Recent evidence of extremely metal-rich stars found in the Sombrero galaxy (M104) halo suggests that this galaxy has undergone a recent major merger with a relatively massive galaxy. In this paper, we present wide-field deep images of the M104 outskirts obtained with a 18-cm amateur telescope with the purpose of detecting any coherent tidal features from this possible major merger. Our new data, together with a model of the M104 inner halo and scattered light from stars around the field, allow us to trace for the first time the full path of the stream on both sides of the disc of the galaxy. We fully characterize the ring-like tidal structure and we confirm that this is the only observable coherent substructure in the inner halo region. This result is in agreement with the hypothesis that M104 was created by a wet major merger more than 3.5 Gyr ago that heated up the stellar population, blurring all old substructure. We generated a set of numerical models that reproduce the formation of the observed tidal structure. Our best-fitting model suggests the formation of this stream in the last 3 Gyr is independent of the wet major merger that created the M104 system. Therefore, the formation of the tidal stream can put a constraint on the time when the major merger occurred. © 2021 The Author(s).

Variable active galactic nuclei showing periodic light curves have been proposed as massive black hole binary (MBHB) candidates. In such scenarios, the periodicity can be due to relativistic Doppler-boosting of the emitted light. This hypothesis can be tested through the timing of scattered polarized light. Following the results of polarization studies in type I nuclei and of dynamical studies of MBHBs with circumbinary discs, we assume a coplanar equatorial scattering ring, whose elements contribute differently to the total polarized flux, due to different scattering angles, levels of Doppler boost, and line-of-sight time delays. We find that in the presence of an MBHB, both the degree of polarization and the polarization position angle have periodic modulations. The polarization angle oscillates around the semiminor axis of the projected MBHB orbital ellipse, with a frequency equal either to the binary's orbital frequency (for large scattering screen radii), or twice this value (for smaller scattering structures). These distinctive features can be used to probe the nature of periodic MBHB candidates and to compile catalogues of the most promising sub-pc MBHBs. The identification of such polarization features in gravitational-wave (GW) detected MBHBs would enormously increase the amount of physical information about the sources, allowing the measurement of the individual masses of the binary components, and the orientation of the line of nodes on the sky, even for monochromatic GW signals.

Variable active galactic nuclei showing periodic light curves have been proposed as massive black hole binary (MBHB) candidates. In such scenarios, the periodicity can be due to relativistic Doppler-boosting of the emitted light. This hypothesis can be tested through the timing of scattered polarized light. Following the results of polarization studies in type I nuclei and of dynamical studies of MBHBs with circumbinary discs, we assume a coplanar equatorial scattering ring, whose elements contribute differently to the total polarized flux, due to different scattering angles, levels of Doppler boost, and line-of-sight time delays. We find that in the presence of an MBHB, both the degree of polarization and the polarization position angle have periodic modulations. The polarization angle oscillates around the semiminor axis of the projected MBHB orbital ellipse, with a frequency equal either to the binary's orbital frequency (for large scattering screen radii), or twice this value (for smaller scattering structures). These distinctive features can be used to probe the nature of periodic MBHB candidates and to compile catalogues of the most promising sub-pc MBHBs. The identification of such polarization features in gravitational-wave (GW) detected MBHBs would enormously increase the amount of physical information about the sources, allowing the measurement of the individual masses of the binary components, and the orientation of the line of nodes on the sky, even for monochromatic GW signals.

We study the star formation rate (SFR), stellar mass (M-*), and the gas metallicity (Z) for 4636 galaxy pairs using the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey. Our galaxy pairs lie in a redshift range of 0 250 km s(-1)) and high multiplicity.

Context. Ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) are characterised by extreme starburst (SB) and active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity, and are therefore ideal laboratories for studying the outflow phenomena and their feedback effects. We have recently started a project called Physics of ULIRGs with MUSE and ALMA (PUMA), which is a survey of 25 nearby (z<0.165) ULIRGs observed with the integral field spectrograph MUSE and the interferometer ALMA. This sample includes systems with both AGN and SB nuclear activity in the pre- and post-coalescence phases of major mergers.Aims. The main goals of the project are (i) to study the prevalence of (ionised, neutral, and molecular) outflows as a function of the galaxy properties, (ii) to constrain the driving mechanisms of the outflows (e.g. distinguish between SB and AGN winds), and (iii) to identify and characterise feedback effects on the host galaxy. In this first paper, we present details on the sample selection, MUSE observations, and data reduction, and derive first high-level data products.Methods. MUSE data cubes were analysed to study the dynamical status of each of the 21 ULIRGs observed so far, taking the stellar kinematics and the morphological properties inferred from MUSE narrow-band images into account. We also located the ULIRG nuclei, taking advantage of near-infrared (HST) and millimeter (ALMA) data, and studied their optical spectra to infer (i) the ionisation state through standard optical line ratio diagnostics, and (ii) outflows in both atomic ionised ([O III], H) and neutral (Na ID) gas.Results. We show that the morphological and stellar kinematic classifications are consistent: post-coalescence systems are more likely associated with ordered motions, while interacting (binary) systems are dominated by non-ordered and streaming motions. We also find broad and asymmetric [O III] and Na ID profiles in almost all nuclear spectra, with line widths in the range [300-2000] km s(-1), possibly associat

[Aims]: In order to pinpoint the place of the (ultra-) luminous infrared galaxies ((U)LIRGs) in the local Universe, we examine the properties of a sample of 67 such nearby systems and compare them with those of 268 early- and 542 late-type, well studied, galaxies from the DustPedia database., [Methods]: We made use of multi-wavelength photometric data (from the ultra-violet to the sub-millimetre), culled from the literature, and the CIGALE spectral energy distribution fitting code to extract the physical parameters of each system. The median spectral energy distributions as well as the values of the derived parameters were compared to those of the local early- and late-type galaxies. In addition to that, (U)LIRGs were divided into seven classes, according to the merging stage of each system, and variations in the derived parameters were investigated., [Results]: (U)LIRGs occupy the ‘high-end’ on the dust mass, stellar mass, and star-formation rate (SFR) plane in the local Universe with median values of 5.2 × 107 M⊙, 6.3 × 1010 M⊙, and 52 M⊙ yr−1, respectively. The median value of the dust temperature in (U)LIRGs is 32 K, which is higher compared to both the early-type (28 K) and the late-type (22 K) galaxies. The dust emission in PDR regions in (U)LIRGs is 11.7% of the total dust luminosity, which is significantly higher than early-type (1.6%) and late-type (5.2%) galaxies. Small differences in the derived parameters are seen for the seven merging classes of our sample of (U)LIRGs with the most evident one being on the SFR, where in systems in late merging stages (‘M3’ and ‘M4’) the median SFR reaches up to 99 M⊙ yr−1 compared to 26 M⊙ yr−1 for the isolated ones. In contrast to the local early- and late-type galaxies where the old stars are the dominant source of the stellar emission, the young stars in (U)LIRGs contribute with 64% of their luminosity to the total stellar luminosity. The fraction of the stellar luminosity absorbed by the dust is extremely high in (U)LIRGs (78%) compared to 7% and 25% in early- and late-type galaxies, respectively. The fraction of the stellar luminosity used to heat up the dust grains is very high in (U)LIRGs, for both stellar components (92% and 56% for the young and the old stellar populations, respectively) while 74% of the dust emission comes from the young stars.

While theory and simulations indicate that galaxy mergers play an important role in the cosmological evolution of accreting black holes and their host galaxies, samples of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in galaxies at close separations are still small. In order to increase the sample of AGN pairs, we undertook an archival project to investigate the X-ray properties of an SDSS-selected sample of 32 galaxy pairs with separations ≤150 kpc containing one optically identified AGN, which were serendipitously observed by XMM-Newton. We discovered only one X-ray counterpart among the optically classified non-active galaxies, with a weak X-ray luminosity (∼ 5 × 1041 erg s-1). 59 per cent (19 out of 32) of the AGNs in our galaxy pair sample exhibit an X-ray counterpart, covering a wide range in absorption-corrected X-ray luminosity (5 × 1041-2 × 1044 erg s-1). More than 79 per cent of these AGNs are obscured (column density NH > 1022 cm-2), with more than half thereof (i.e. about 47 per cent of the total AGN sample) being Compton-thick. AGN/no-AGN pairs are therefore more frequently X-ray obscured (by a factor ∼1.5) than isolated AGNs. When compared to a luminosity and redshift-matched sample of bona fide dual AGN, AGN/no-AGN pairs exhibit one order-of-magnitude lower X-ray column density in the same separation range (>10 kpc). A small sample (4 objects) of AGN/no-AGN pairs with sub-pc separation is all heavily obscured, driving a formal anticorrelation between the X-ray column density and the galaxy pair separation in these systems. These findings suggest that the galactic environment has a key influence on the triggering of nuclear activity in merging galaxies. © 2021 The Author(s).

We study the star formation rate (SFR), stellar mass (M-*), and the gas metallicity (Z) for 4636 galaxy pairs using the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey. Our galaxy pairs lie in a redshift range of 0 250 km s(-1)) and high multiplicity.

Galaxy environment has been shown to play an important role in transforming late-type, star-forming galaxies to quiescent spheroids. This transformation is expected to be more severe for low-mass galaxies (⁠M < 10¹⁰ M⊙⁠) in dense galaxy groups and clusters, mostly due to the influence of their past host haloes (also known as pre-processing) and their present-day environments. For the first time, in this study, we investigate a sample of nine early-type dwarf galaxies (dEs) that were accreted as a likely bound group on to the Virgo galaxy cluster about 2–3 Gyr ago. Considering this special condition, these nine dEs may provide a test bed for distinguishing between the influence of the Virgo galaxy cluster and the effects of the previous host halo on their current properties. Specifically, we use VLT/MUSE integral-field unit spectra to derive their kinematics and specific angular momentum (λR) profiles. We observe a spread in the λR profiles of our sample dEs, finding that the λR profiles of half of them are as high as those of low-mass field galaxies. The remaining dEs exhibit λR profiles as low as those of Virgo dEs that were likely accreted longer ago. Moreover, we detect nebular emission in one dE with a gas velocity offset suggesting ongoing gas stripping in Virgo. We suggest that the low-λR dEs in our sample were processed by their previous host halo, prior to their infall to Virgo, and that the high-λR dEs may be experiencing ram pressure stripping in Virgo.

We present the Hubble imaging Probe of Extreme Environments and Clusters (HiPEEC) survey. We fit HST NUV to NIR broad-band and H alpha fluxes to derive star cluster ages, masses, and extinctions and determine the star formation rate (SFR) of six merging galaxies. These systems arc excellent laboratories to trace cluster formation under extreme gas physical conditions, rare in the local Universe, but typical for star-forming galaxies at cosmic noon. We detect clusters with ages of 1-500 Myr and masses that exceed 10(7) M-circle dot. The recent cluster formation history and their distribution within the host galaxies suggest that systems such as NGC 34, NGC 1614, and NGC 4194 are close to their final coalescing phase, while NGC 3256, NGC 3690, and NGC 6052 are at an earlier/intermediate stage. A Bayesian analysis of the cluster mass function in the age interval 1-100 Myr provides strong evidence in four of the six galaxies that an exponentially truncated power law better describes the observed mass distributions. For two galaxies, the fits arc inconclusive due to low number statistics. We determine power-law slopes beta similar to -1.5 to -2.0 and truncation masses, M-c, between 10(6) and a few times 10(7) M-circle dot, among the highest values reported in the literature. Advanced mergers have higher M-c than early/intermediate merger stage galaxies, suggesting rapid changes in the dense gas conditions during the merger. We compare the total stellar mass in clusters to the SFR of the galaxy, finding that these systems are among the most efficient environments to form star clusters in the local Universe.

The search and study of extended emission-line regions (EELRs) related to AGN in early-type galaxies is interesting to probe the history of nuclear ionization activity and also to understand the process of external gas accretion. In this work, we present observations of the EELR in Mrk 78 obtained at the 6-m Russian telescope using the long-slit and 3D spectroscopy methods. We show that ionized-gas clouds at 12-16 kpc projected distances from the nucleus are ionized by the AGN radiation. Also we have checked if the galaxy appearing in the optical images in the immediate neighbourhood of Mrk 78 near the external clouds is a dwarf companion or a part of a tidal structure. However, the spectrum of this galaxy, SDSS J074240.37+651021.4, obtained at the 6-m telescope corresponds to a distant background galaxy with z = 0.38. © 2020, Astronomical Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences.

We analyse the kinematics as a function of stellar age for Andromeda (M31) mass analogues from the IllustrisTNG cosmological simulation. We divide the star particles into four age groups: <1, 1–5, 5–10, and >10 Gyr, and compare the kinematics of these groups to that of the neutral gas cells. We calculate rotation curves for the stellar and gaseous components of each analogue from 2 to 20 kpc from the centre of mass. We find that the lag, or asymmetric drift (AD), between the gas rotation curve and the stellar rotation curve on average increases with stellar age. This finding is consistent with observational measurements of AD in the disc of the Andromeda galaxy. When the M31 analogues are separated into groups based on merger history, we find that there is a difference in the AD of the analogues that have had a 4:1 merger the last 4, 8, or 12 Gyr compared to analogues that have not experienced a 4:1 merger in the same time frame. The subset of analogues that have had a 4:1 merger within the last 4 Gyr are also similar to AD measurements of stars in M31’s disc, providing evidence that M31 may in fact have recently merged with a galaxy nearly one-fourth of its mass. Further work using high-resolution zoom-in simulations is required to explore the contribution of internal heating to AD.

We report the detection of [C II] lambda 158 mu m emission from a system of three closely separated sources in the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field at z similar to 4.56 , as part of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Large Program to INvestigate C II at Early times (ALPINE). The two most luminous sources are closely associated, both spatially (1.6 arcsec similar to 11 kpc) and in velocity (similar to 100 km s(-1)), while the third source is slightly more distant (2.8 arcsec similar to 18 kpc, similar to 300 km s(-1)). The second most luminous source features a slight velocity gradient, while no significant velocity gradient is seen in the other two sources. Using the observed [C II] luminosities, we derive a total log(10)(SFR[C II] [M-circle dot Yr(-1)]) = 2.8 +/- 0.2, which may be split into contributions of 59, 31, and 10 per cent from the central, east, and west sources, respectively. Comparison of these [C II] detections to recent zoom-in cosmological simulations suggests an ongoing major merger. We are thus witnessing a system in a major phase of mass build-up by merging, including an ongoing major merger and an upcoming minor merger, which is expected to end up in a single massive galaxy by z similar to 2.5.

We present ALMA observations of a merging system at z similar to 4.57, observed as a part of the ALMA Large Program to INvestigate [CII] at Early times (ALPINE) survey. Combining ALMA [CII]158 mu m and far-infrared continuum data with multi-wavelength ancillary data, we find that the system is composed of two massive (M-star greater than or similar to 10(10) M-circle dot) star-forming galaxies experiencing a major merger (stellar mass ratio r(mass)greater than or similar to 0.9) at close spatial (similar to 13 kpc; projected) and velocity (Delta v<300 km s(-1)) separations, and two additional faint narrow [CII]-emitting satellites. The overall system belongs to a larger scale protocluster environment and is coincident to one of its overdensity peaks. Additionally, ALMA reveals the presence of [CII] emission arising from a circumgalactic gas structure, extending up to a diameter-scale of 30 kpc. Our morpho-spectral decomposition analysis shows that about 50% of the total flux resides between the individual galaxy components, in a metal-enriched gaseous envelope characterised by a disturbed morphology and complex kinematics. Similarly to observations of shock-excited [CII] emitted from tidal tails in local groups, our results can be interpreted as a possible signature of interstellar gas stripped by strong gravitational interactions, with a possible contribution from material ejected by galactic outflows and emission triggered by star formation in small faint satellites. Our findings suggest that mergers could be an efficient mechanism of gas mixing in the circumgalactic medium around high-z galaxies, and thus play a key role in the galaxy baryon cycle at early epochs.

Recent integral field spectroscopic (IFS) surveys have revealed radial gradients in the optical spectral indices of post-starburst (PSB) galaxies, which can be used to constrain their formation histories. We study the spectral indices of post-processed mock IFS datacubes of binary merger simulations, carefully matched to the properties of the MaNGA IFS survey, with a variety of black hole (BH) feedback models, progenitor galaxies, orbits, and mass ratios. Based on our simulation sample, we find that only major mergers on prograde-prograde or retrograde-prograde orbits in combination with a mechanical BH feedback model can form galaxies with weak enough ongoing star formation, and therefore absent H alpha emission, to be selected by traditional PSB selection methods. We find strong fluctuations in nebular emission line strengths, even within the PSB phase, suggesting that H alpha selected PSBs are only a subsample of the underlying population. The global PSB population can be more robustly identified using stellar continuum-based approaches. The difficulty in reproducing the very young PSBs in simulations potentially indicates that new sub-resolution star formation recipes are required to properly model the process of star formation quenching. In our simulations, we find that the starburst peaks at the same time at all radii, but is stronger and more prolonged in the inner regions. This results in a strong time evolution in the radial gradients of the spectral indices that can be used to estimate the age of the starburst without reliance on detailed star formation histories from spectral synthesis models.

Abell 2163 at z similar or equal to 0:201 is one of the most massive galaxy clusters known, very likely in a post-merging phase. Data from several observational windows suggest a complex mass structure with interacting subsystems, which makes the reconstruction of a realistic merging scenario very di fficult. A missing key element in this sense is unveiling the cluster mass distribution at high resolution. We perform such a reconstruction of the cluster inner total mass through a strong lensing model based on new spectroscopic redshift measurements. We use data from the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer on the Very Large Telescope to confirm 12 multiple images of four sources with redshift values from 1.16 to 2.72. We also discover four new multiple images and identify 29 cluster members and 35 foreground and background sources. The resulting galaxy member and image catalogs are used to build five cluster total mass models. The fiducial model consists of 111 small-scale subhalos, plus a di ffuse component, which is centered similar to 2 '' away from the BCG belonging to the east Abell 2163 subcluster. We confirm that the latter is well represented by a single, large-scale mass component. Its strong elongation towards a second (west) subcluster confirms the existence of a preferential axis, corresponding to the merging direction. From the fiducial model, we extrapolate the cumulative projected total mass profile and measure a value of M(<300 kpc) = 1.43(-0.06)(+0.07) 10(14) M-circle dot, which has a significantly reduced statistical error compared with previous estimates, thanks to the inclusion of the spectroscopic redshifts. Our strong lensing results are very accurate: the model-predicted positions of the multiple images are, on average, only 0 ''.15 away from the observed ones.

We present integral field spectroscopy observations of two star-forming dwarf galaxies in the Virgo cluster (VCC 135 and VCC 324) obtained with Potsdam Multi-Aperture Spectrograph/PPak at the Calar Alto 3.5 m telescope. We derive metallicity maps using the N2 empirical calibrator. The galaxies show positive gas metallicity gradients, contrarily to what is usually found in other dwarfs or spiral galaxies. We measure gradient slopes of 0.20 +/- 0.06 and 0.15 +/- 0.03 dex/R-e for VCC 135 and VCC 324, respectively. Such a trend has been only observed in few, very isolated galaxies or at higher redshifts (z > 1). It is thought to be associated with the accretion of metal-poor gas from the intergalactic medium, a mechanism that would be less likely to occur in a high-density environment like Virgo. We combine emission-line observations with deep optical images to investigate the origin of the peculiar metallicity gradient. The presence of weak underlying substructures in both galaxies and the analysis of morphological diagnostics and ionized gas kinematics suggest that the inflow of metal-poor gas to the central regions of the dwarfs may be related to a recent merging event with a gas-rich companion. © 2020 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society

The periphery of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) can unlock important information regarding galaxy formation and evolution in interacting systems. Here, we present a detailed study of the extended stellar structure of the SMC using deep colour-magnitude diagrams, obtained as part of the Survey of the MAgellanic Stellar History (SMASH). Special care was taken in the decontamination of our data from Milky Way (MW) foreground stars, including from foreground globular clusters NGC 362 and 47 Tuc. We derived the SMC surface brightness using a `conservative' approach from which we calculated the general parameters of the SMC, finding a staggered surface brightness profile. We also traced the fainter outskirts by constructing a stellar density profile. This approach, based on stellar counts of the oldest main-sequence turn-off stars, uncovered a tidally disrupted stellar feature that reaches as far out as 12 deg from the SMC centre. We also serendipitously found a faint feature of unknown origin located at similar to 14 deg from the centre of the SMC and that we tentatively associated with a more distant structure. We compared our results to in-house simulations of a 1 x 10(9) M-circle dot SMC, finding that its elliptical shape can be explained by its tidal disruption under the combined presence of the MW and the Large Magellanic Cloud. Finally, we found that the older stellar populations show a smooth profile while the younger component presents a jump in the density followed by a flat profile, confirming the heavily disturbed nature of the SMC. © 2020 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society