Search

Over the past year, JWST has uncovered galaxies at record-breaking distances up to z ∼ 13. The JWST UNCOVER (ultra-deep NIRSpec and NIRcam observations before the epoch of reionization) program has obtained ultra-deep multiwavelength NIRCam imaging of the massive galaxy cluster A2744 over ∼45 arcmin2 down to ∼29.5 AB mag. Here, we present a robust ultraviolet (UV) luminosity function derived through lensing clusters at 9 < z < 12. Using comprehensive end-to-end simulations, we account for all lensing effects and systematic uncertainties in deriving both the amplification factors and the effective survey volume. Our results confirm the intriguing excess of UV-bright galaxies (M UV <−20 AB mag) previously reported at z > 9 in recent JWST studies. In particular, a double power-law (DPL) describes better the bright end of the luminosity function compared to the classical Schechter form. The number density of these bright galaxies is 10–100 times larger than theoretical predictions and previous findings based on Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations. Additionally, we measure a star formation rate density of ρSFR = 10−2.64 M⊙ yr−1 Mpc−3 at these redshifts, which is 4–10 times higher than galaxy formation models that assume a constant star formation efficiency. Future wide-area surveys and accurate modelling of lensing-assisted observations will reliably constrain both the bright and the dim end of the UV luminosity function at z > 9, which will provide key benchmarks for galaxy formation models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying the connection between galaxies and their host dark matter halos has been key for testing cosmological models on various scales. Below M ⋆ ∼ 109 M ⊙, such studies have primarily relied on the satellite galaxy population orbiting the Milky Way (MW). Here we present new constraints on the connection between satellite galaxies and their host dark matter subhalos using the largest sample of satellite galaxies in the Local Volume (D ≲ 12 Mpc) to date. We use 250 confirmed and 71 candidate dwarf satellites around 27 MW-like hosts from the Exploration of Local VolumE Satellites (ELVES) Survey and use the semianalytical SatGen model for predicting the population of dark matter subhalos expected in the same volume. Through a Bayesian model comparison of the observed and the forward-modeled satellite stellar mass functions (SSMFs), we infer the satellite stellar-to-halo mass relation. We find that the observed SSMF is best reproduced when subhalos at the low-mass end are populated by a relation of the form M ⋆ ∝ M peak α , with a moderate slope of α const = 2.10 ± 0.01 and a low scatter, constant as a function of the peak halo mass, of σ const = 0.06 − 0.05 + 0.07 . A model with a steeper slope (α grow = 2.39 ± 0.06) and a scatter that grows with decreasing M peak is also consistent with the observed SSMF but is not required. Our new model for the satellite–subhalo connection, based on hundreds of Local Volume satellite galaxies, is in line with what was previously derived using only MW satellites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of a search for high-redshift (z > 9) galaxy candidates in the JWST UNCOVER survey, using deep NIRCam and NIRISS imaging in seven bands over ∼45 arcmin2 and ancillary Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations. The NIRCam observations reach a 5σ limiting magnitude of ∼29.2 AB. The identification of high- z candidates relies on a combination of a dropout selection and photometric redshifts. We find 16 candidates at 9 < z < 12 and three candidates at 12 < z < 13, eight candidates are deemed very robust. Their lensing amplification ranges from μ = 1.2 to 11.5. Candidates have a wide range of (lensing corrected) luminosities and young ages, with low stellar masses [6.8 < log(M⋆/M⊙) < 9.5] and low star formation rates (SFR = 0.2–7 M⊙ yr−1), confirming previous findings in early JWST observations of z > 9. A few galaxies at z ∼ 9−10 appear to show a clear Balmer break between the F 356 W and F 444 W / F 410 M bands, which helps constrain their stellar mass. We estimate blue UV continuum slopes between β = −1.8 and −2.3, typical for early galaxies at z > 9 but not as extreme as the bluest recently discovered sources. We also find evidence for a rapid redshift-evolution of the mass-luminosity relation and a redshift evolution of the UV continuum slope for a given range of intrinsic magnitude, in line with theoretical predictions. These findings suggest that deeper JWST observations are needed to reach the fainter galaxy population at those early epochs, and follow-up spectroscopy will help better constrain the physical properties and star formation histories of a larger sample of galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present visual classifications of merger-induced tidal disturbances in 143 M * ∼ 1011 M ⊙ post-starburst galaxies at z ∼ 0.7 identified in the SQuIGG L ⃗ E Sample. This sample spectroscopically selects galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey that have stopped their primary epoch of star formation within the past ∼500 Myr. Visual classifications are performed on Hyper Suprime-Cam imaging. We compare to a control sample of mass- and redshift-matched star-forming and quiescent galaxies from the Large Early Galaxy Census and find that post-starburst galaxies are more likely to be classified as disturbed than either category. This corresponds to a factor of 3.6 − 1.3 + 2.9 times the disturbance rate of older quiescent galaxies and 2.1 −.73 + 1.9 times the disturbance rate of star-forming galaxies. Assuming tidal features persist for ≲500 Myr, this suggests merging is coincident with quenching in a significant fraction of these post-starbursts. Galaxies with tidal disturbances are younger on average than undisturbed post-starburst galaxies in our sample, suggesting tidal features from a major merger may have faded over time. This may be exacerbated by the fact that, on average, the undisturbed subset is fainter, rendering low-surface-brightness tidal features harder to identify. However, the presence of 10 young (≲150 Myr since quenching) undisturbed galaxies suggests that major mergers are not the only fast physical mechanism that shut down the primary epoch of star formation in massive galaxies at intermediate redshift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classifying catalogue objects as stars, galaxies, or active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is a crucial part of any statistical study of galaxies. We describe our pipeline for binary (star/galaxy) and multiclass (star/galaxy/Type I AGN/Type II AGN) classification developed for the very deep CLAUDS + HSC-SSP u * grizy data set. Our method uses the XGBoost implementation of gradient boosted trees (GBTs) to train ensembles of models that take photometry, colours, maximum surface brightnesses, and effective radii from all available bands as input, and output the probability that an object belongs to each of the classes under consideration. At i AB < 25 our binary star/galaxy model has AUC = 0.9974 and at the threshold that maximizes our sample's weighted F1 score, selects a sample of galaxies with 99.7 per cent purity and 99.8 per cent completeness. We test the model's ability to generalize to objects fainter than those seen during training and find that extrapolation of ∼1−2 mag is reasonable for most applications provided that the galaxies in the training sample are representative of the range of redshifts and colours of the galaxies in the target sample. We also perform an exploratory analysis of the method's ability to identify AGNs using a small X-ray-selected sample and find that it holds promise for classifying Type I AGN, although it performs less well for Type II AGN. Our results demonstrate that GBTs provide a flexible, robust, and efficient method for performing classification of catalogue objects in large astronomical imaging surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are key in understanding the coevolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes (SMBHs). AGN activity is thought to affect the properties of their host galaxies via a process called "AGN feedback," which drives the coevolution. From a parent sample of 1151 z < 1 type-1 quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasar catalog, we detected the host galaxies of 862 of them in the high-quality grizy images of the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam survey. The unprecedented combination of the survey area and depth allowed us to perform a statistical analysis of the quasar host galaxies, with small sample variance. We fitted the radial image profile of each quasar as a linear combination of the point spread function and the Sérsic function, decomposing the images into the quasar nucleus and the host galaxy components. We found that the host galaxies are massive, with stellar mass M star ≳ 1010  |$M_\odot$|⁠ , and are mainly located on the green valley. This trend is consistent with a scenario in which star formation in the host galaxies is suppressed by AGN feedback, that is, AGN activity may be responsible for the transition of these galaxies from the blue cloud to the red sequence. We also investigated the SMBH mass to stellar mass relation of the z < 1 quasars, and found a consistent slope with the local relation, while the SMBHs may be slightly undermassive. However, the above results are subject to our sample selection, which biases against host galaxies with low masses and/or large quasar-to-host flux ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though smooth, extended spheroidal stellar outskirts have long been observed around nearby dwarf galaxies, it is unclear whether dwarfs generically host an extended stellar halo. We use imaging from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) to measure the shapes of dwarf galaxies out to four effective radii for a sample of 6758 dwarfs at 0.005 < z < 0.2 and 107.0 < M⋆/M⊙ < 109.6. We find that dwarfs are slightly triaxial, with (where the ellipsoid is characterized by three principal semiaxes constrained by C ≤ B ≤ A). At M⋆ > 108.5M⊙, the galaxies grow from thick disk-like at one effective radius toward the spheroidal extreme at four effective radii. We also see that although blue dwarfs are, on average, characterized by thinner disks than red dwarfs, both blue and red dwarfs grow more spheroidal as a function of radius. This relation also holds true for a comparison between field and satellite dwarfs. This uniform trend toward relatively spheroidal shapes as a function of radius is consistent with an in situ formation mechanism for stellar outskirts around low-mass galaxies, in agreement with proposed models where star formation feedback produces round stellar outskirts around dwarfs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past few years, more and more pieces of evidence have been presented for a revision of the widely accepted unified model of active galactic nuclei. A model based solely on orientation cannot explain all the observed phenomenology. In the following, we will present evidence that accretion rate is also a key parameter for the presence of hidden broad line regions (HBLRs) in Seyfert 2 galaxies. Our sample consists of 21 sources with polarized hidden broad lines and 18 sources without hidden broad lines. We use stellar velocity dispersions from several studies on the Ca ii and Mg b triplets in Seyfert 2 galaxies to estimate the mass of the central black holes via the MBH-σ relation. The ratio between the bolometric luminosity, derived from the intrinsic (i.e., unabsorbed) X-ray luminosity, and the Eddington luminosity is a measure of the rate at which matter accretes onto the central supermassive black hole. A separation between Compton-thin HBLR and non-HBLR sources is clear, both in accretion rate (log Lbol/LEdd = -1.9) and in luminosity (log Lbol = 43.90). When properly luminosity-corrected Compton-thick sources are included, the separation between HBLR and non-HBLR is less sharp but no HBLR source falls below the Eddington ratio threshold. We speculate that non-HBLR Compton-thick sources with accretion rate higher than the threshold do possess a BLR, but something, probably related to their heavy absorption, is preventing us from observing it even in polarized light. Our results for Compton-thin sources support theoretical expectations. In a model presented by Nicastro, the presence of broad emission lines is intrinsically connected with disk instabilities occurring in proximity of a transition radius, which is a function of the accretion rate, becoming smaller than the innermost stable orbit for very low accretion rates and therefore luminosities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]