Search

Luminous compact blue galaxies (LCBGs) have enhanced star formation rates and compact morphologies. We combine Sloan Digital Sky Survey data with HI data of 29 LCBGs at redshift z~0 to understand their nature. We find that local LCBGs have high atomic gas fractions (~50%) and star formation rates per stellar mass consistent with some high redshift star forming galaxies. Many local LCBGs also have clumpy morphologies, with clumps distributed across their disks. Although rare, these galaxies appear to be similar to the clumpy star forming galaxies commonly observed at z~1-3. Local LCBGs separate into three groups: 1. Interacting galaxies (~20%); 2. Clumpy spirals (~40%); 3. Non-clumpy, non-spirals with regular shapes and smaller effective radii and stellar masses (~40%). It seems that the method of building up a high gas fraction, which then triggers star formation, is not the same for all local LCBGs. This may lead to a dichotomy in galaxy characteristics. We consider possible gas delivery scenarios and suggest that clumpy spirals, preferentially located in clusters and with companions, are smoothly accreting gas from tidally disrupted companions and/or intracluster gas enriched by stripped satellites. Conversely, as non-clumpy galaxies are preferentially located in the field and tend to be isolated, we suggest clumpy, cold streams, which destroy galaxy disks and prevent clump formation, as a likely gas delivery mechanism for these systems. Other possibilities include smooth cold streams, a series of minor mergers, or major interactions., Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures

While bright, blue, compact galaxies are common at $\rm z \sim 1$, they are relatively rare in the local universe, and their evolutionary paths are uncertain. We have obtained resolved H I observations of nine $\rm z \sim 0$ luminous compact blue galaxies (LCBGs) using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope and Very Large Array in order to measure their kinematic and dynamical properties and better constrain their evolutionary possibilities. We find that the LCBGs in our sample are rotating galaxies that tend to have nearby companions, relatively high central velocity dispersions, and can have disturbed velocity fields. We calculate rotation velocities for each galaxy by measuring half of the velocity gradient along their major axes and correcting for inclination using axis ratios derived from SDSS images of each galaxy. We compare our measurements to those previously made with single dishes and find that single dish measurements tend to overestimate LCBGs' rotation velocities and H I masses. We also compare the ratio of LCBGs' rotation velocities and velocity dispersions to those of other types of galaxies and find that LCBGs are strongly rotationally supported at large radii, similar to other disk galaxies, though within their half-light radii the $\rm V_{rot}/ \sigma$ values of their H I are comparable to stellar $\rm V_{rot}/ \sigma$ values of dwarf elliptical galaxies. We find that LCBGs' disks on average are gravitationally stable, though conditions may be conducive to local gravitational instabilities at the largest radii. Such instabilities could lead to the formation of star-forming gas clumps in the disk, resulting eventually in a small central bulge or bar., Comment: Accepted to ApJ

We use three dimensional optical spectroscopy observations of a sample of 22 local Luminous Compact Blue Galaxies (LCBGs) to create kinematic maps. By means of these, we classify the kinematics of these galaxies into three different classes: rotating disk (RD), perturbed rotation (PR), and complex kinematics (CK). We find 48% are RDs, 28% are PRs, and 24% are CKs. RDs show rotational velocities that range between $\sim50$ and $\sim200 km s^{-1}$, and dynamical masses that range between $\sim1\times10^{9}$ and $\sim3\times10^{10} M_{\odot}$. We also address the following two fundamental questions through the study of the kinematic maps: \emph{(i) What processes are triggering the current starbust in LCBGs?} We search our maps of the galaxy velocity fields for signatures of recent interactions and close companions that may be responsible for the enhanced star formation in our sample. We find 5% of objects show evidence of a recent major merger, 10% of a minor merger, and 45% of a companion. This argues in favor of ongoing interactions with close companions as a mechanism for the enhanced star formation activity in these galaxies. \emph{(ii) What processes may eventually quench the current starbust in LCBGs?} Velocity and velocity width maps, together with emission line ratio maps, can reveal signatures of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) activity or supernova (SN) driven galactic winds that could halt the current burst. We find only 5% of objects with clear evidence of AGN activity, and 27% with kinematics consistent with SN-driven galactic winds. Therefore, a different mechanism may be responsible for quenching the star formation in LCBGs. Finally, from our analysis, we find that the velocity widths of RDs, rather than accounting exclusively for the rotational nature of these objects, may account as well for other kinematic components, and may not be good tracers of their dynamical masses., Comment: The paper contains 12 figures and 5 tables. The SDSS or DSS images, velocity maps, and velocity width maps of our galaxies (Figures 2-7) will be available through the actual paper at MNRAS (in grayscale), and by themselves at http://www.astro.ufl.edu/~jgallego/astronomy/atlas.pdf (in color)

High-resolution X-ray scattering studies of the nonpolar thermotropic liquid crystal 4-n-pentylphenylthiol-4'-n-octyloxybenzoate (\bar{8}S5) in aerosil gel nano-networks reveal that the aerosil-induced disorder significantly alters both the nematic to Smectic-A and Smectic-A to Smectic-C phase transitions. The limiting Smectic-A correlation length follows a power-law dependence on the aerosil density in quantitative agreement with the limiting lengths measured previously in other Smectic-A liquid crystal gels. The Smectic-A to Smectic-C liquid crystalline phase transition is altered fundamentally by the presence of the aerosil gel. The onset of the Smectic-C phase remains relatively sharp but there is an extended coexistence region where Smectic-A and Smectic-C domains can exist.

Luminous compact blue galaxies (LCBGs) are a diverse class of galaxies characterized by high luminosity, blue color, and high surface brightness that sit at the critical juncture of galaxies evolving from the blue to the red sequence. As part of our multi-wavelength survey of local LCBGs, we have been studying the HI content of these galaxies using both single-dish telescopes and interferometers. Our goals are to determine if single-dish HI observations represent a true measure of the dynamical mass of LCBGs and to look for signatures of recent interactions that may be triggering star formation in LCBGs. Our data show that while some LCBGs are undergoing interactions, many appear isolated. While all LCBGs contain HI and show signatures of rotation, the population does not lie on the Tully-Fisher relation nor can it evolve onto it. Furthermore, the HI maps of many LCBGs show signatures of dynamically hot components, suggesting that we are seeing the formation of a thick disk or spheroid in at least some LCBGs. There is good agreement between the HI and H-alpha kinematics for LCBGs, and both are similar in appearance to the H-alpha kinematics of high redshift star-forming galaxies. Our combined data suggest that star formation in LCBGs is primarily quenched by virial heating, consistent with model predictions., Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of IAU Symposium 277, "Tracing the Ancestry of Galaxies on the Land of our Ancestors", eds. C. Carignan, K.C. Freeman, and F. Combes

Luminous compact blue galaxies (LCBGs) are a diverse class of galaxies characterized by high luminosities, blue colors, and high surface brightnesses. Residing at the high luminosity, high mass end of the blue sequence, LCBGs sit at the critical juncture of galaxies that are evolving from the blue to the red sequence. Yet we do not understand what drives the evolution of LCBGs, nor how they will evolve. Based on single-dish HI observations, we know that they have a diverse range of properties. LCBGs are HI-rich with M(HI)=10^{9-10.5} M(sun), have moderate M(dyn)=10^{10-12} M(sun), and 80% have gas depletion timescales less than 3 Gyr. These properties are consistent with LCBGs evolving into low-mass spirals or high mass dwarf ellipticals or dwarf irregulars. However, LCBGs do not follow the Tully-Fisher relation, nor can most evolve onto it, implying that many LCBGs are not smoothly rotating, virialized systems. GMRT and VLA HI maps confirm this conclusion revealing signatures of recent interactions and dynamically hot components in some local LCBGs, consistent with the formation of a thick disk or spheroid. Such signatures and the high incidence of close companions around LCBGs suggest that star formation in local LCBGs is likely triggered by interactions. The dynamical masses and apparent spheroid formation in LCBGs combined with previous results from optical spectroscopy are consistent with virial heating being the primary mechanism for quenching star formation in these galaxies., Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, to appear in "Hunting for the Dark: The Hidden Side of Galaxy Formation", Malta, 19-23 Oct. 2009, eds. V.P. Debattista & C.C. Popescu, AIP Conf. Ser

The kinematic properties of the ionized gas of local Luminous Compact Blue Galaxy (LCBG) NGC 7673 are presented using three dimensional data taken with the PPAK integral field unit at the 3.5-m telescope in the Centro Astron\'omico Hispano Alem\'an. Our data reveal an asymmetric rotating velocity field with a peak to peak difference of 60 km s$^{-1}$. The kinematic centre is found to be at the position of a central velocity width maximum ($\sigma=54\pm1$ km s$^{-1}$), which is consistent with the position of the luminosity-weighted centroid of the entire galaxy. The position angle of the minor rotation axis is 168$^{\circ}$ as measured from the orientation of the velocity field contours. At least two decoupled kinematic components are found. The first one is compact and coincides with the position of the second most active star formation region (clump B). The second one is extended and does not have a clear optical counterpart. No evidence of active galactic nuclei activity or supernovae galactic winds powering any of these two components has been found. Our data, however, show evidence in support of a previously proposed minor merger scenario in which a dwarf galaxy, tentatively identified with clump B, is falling into NGC 7673. and triggers the starburst. Finally, it is shown that the dynamical mass of this galaxy may be severely underestimated when using the derived rotation curve or the integrated velocity width, under the assumption of virialization., Comment: Accepted for publication by MNRAS. The paper contains 10 figures and 2 tables

Luminous Compact Blue Galaxies (LCBGs) are common at z~1, contributing significantly to the total star formation rate density. By z~0, they are a factor of ten rarer. While we know that LCBGs evolve rapidly, we do not know what drives their evolution nor into what types of galaxies they evolve. We present the results of a single-dish HI survey of local LCBGs undertaken to address these questions. Our results indicate that LCBGs have M(HI) and M(DYN) consistent with low-mass spirals, but typically exhaust their gas reservoirs in less than 2 Gyr. Overall, the properties of LCBGs are consistent with them evolving into high-mass dwarf elliptical or dwarf irregular galaxies or low-mass, late-type spiral galaxies., Comment: 2 pages, to appear in the proceedings of "The Formation and Evolution of Galaxy Disks", Rome 2007, organized by the Vatican Observatory, editors J. G. Funes, S.J. and E. M. Corsini

We have studied the effects of quenched random disorder created by dispersed aerosil nanoparticle gels on the nematic to smectic-A (N-SmA) and smectic-A to reentrant nematic (SmA- RN) phase transitions of thermotropic liquid crystal mixtures of 6OCB (hexyloxycyanobiphenyl) and 8OCB (octyloxycyanobiphenyl). These effects are probed using high-resolution synchrotron x-ray diffraction techniques. We find that the reentrant characteristics of the system are largely unchanged by the presence of the aerosil gel network. By comparing measurements of the smectic static structure amplitude for this 8OCB-6OCB+aerosil system with those for butyloxybenzilidene-octylaniline (4O.8)+aerosil gels, we find that the short-range smectic order in the smectic-A phase is significantly weaker in the reentrant system. This result is consistent with the behavior seen in pure 8OCB-6OCB mixtures. The strength of the smectic ordering decreases progressively as the 6OCB concentration is increased. Detailed line shape analysis shows that the high- and low-temperature nematic phases (N and RN) are similar to each other., Comment: 34 Pages, 11 Figures, A regular Article submitted to PRE

We present the results of a VLA and OVRO-MMA follow-up to our single-dish surveys of the neutral atomic and molecular gas in a sample of nearby Luminous Compact Blue Galaxies (LCBGs). These luminous, blue, high surface brightness, starbursting galaxies were selected using criteria similar to that used to define LCBGs at higher redshifts. The surveys were undertaken to study the nature and evolutionary possibilities of LCBGs, using dynamical masses and gas depletion time scales as constraints. Here we present nearly resolved VLA H I maps of four LCBGs, as well as results from the literature for a fifth LCBG. In addition, we present OVRO-MMA maps of CO(J=1-0) in two of these LCBGs. We have used the resolved H I maps to separate the H I emission from target galaxies and their companions to improve the accuracy of our gas and dynamical mass estimates. For this sub-sample of LCBGs, we find that the dynamical masses measured with the single-dish telescope and interferometer are in agreement. However, we find that we have overestimated the mass of H I in two galaxies by a significant amount, possibly as much as 75%, when compared to the single-dish estimates. These two galaxies have companions within a few arc minutes; we find that our single-dish and interferometric measurements of H I masses are in reasonable agreement for galaxies with more distant companions. The H I velocity fields indicate that all five galaxies are clearly rotating yet distorted, likely due to recent interactions. Our measurements of the gas and dynamical masses of LCBGs point towards evolution into low mass galaxies such as dwarf ellipticals, irregulars, and low mass spirals, consistent with studies of LCBGs at higher redshifts., Comment: Accepted by ApJ 8/15/07

We present the results of a single-dish beam-matched survey of the three lowest rotational transitions of CO in a sample of 20 local (D < 70 Mpc) Luminous Compact Blue Galaxies (LCBGs). These ~L*, blue, high surface brightness, starbursting galaxies were selected with the same criteria used to define LCBGs at higher redshifts. Our detection rate was 70%, with those galaxies having Lblue<7e9 Lsun no detected. We find the H2 masses of local LCBGs range from 6.6e6 to 2.7e9 Msun, assuming a Galactic CO-to-H2 conversion factor. Combining these results with our earlier HI survey of the same sample, we find that the ratio of molecular to atomic gas mass is low, typically 5-10%. Using a Large Velocity Gradient model, we find that the average gas conditions of the entire ISM in local LCBGs are similar to those found in the centers of star forming regions in our Galaxy, and nuclear regions of other galaxies. Star formation rates, determined from IRAS fluxes, are a few solar masses per year, much higher per unit dynamical mass than normal spirals. If this rate remains constant, the molecular hydrogen depletion time scales are short, 10-200 Myr., Comment: accepted for publication in the ApJ (vol 625)

We present single-dish H I spectra obtained with the Green Bank Telescope, along with optical photometric properties from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, of 20 nearby (D < 70 Mpc) Luminous Compact Blue Galaxies (LCBGs). These ~L*, blue, high surface brightness, starbursting galaxies were selected with the same criteria used to define LCBGs at higher redshifts. We find these galaxies are gas-rich, with M(HI) ranging from 5*10^8 to 8*10^9 M_sun, and M(HI)/L_B ranging from 0.2 to 2 M_sun/L_sun, consistent with a variety of morphological types of galaxies. We find the dynamical masses (measured within R_25) span a wide range, from 3*10^9 to 1*10^11 M_sun. However, at least half have dynamical mass-to-light ratios smaller than nearby galaxies of all Hubble types, as found for LCBGs at intermediate redshifts. By comparing line widths and effective radii with local galaxy populations, we find that LCBGs are consistent with the dynamical mass properties of Magellanic (low luminosity) spirals, and the more massive irregulars and dwarf ellipticals, such as NGC 205., Comment: 33 pages, 8 figures, accepted by ApJ

The short-range order which remains when the isotropic to smectic-A transition is perturbed by a gel of silica nanoparticles (aerosils) has been studied using high-resolution synchrotron x-ray diffraction. The gels have been created \textit{in situ} in decylcyanobiphenyl (10CB), which has a strongly first-order isotropic to smectic-A transition. The effects are determined by detailed analysis of the temperature and gel density dependence of the smectic structure factor. In previous studies of the continuous nematic to smectic-A transition in a variety of thermotropic liquid crystals the aerosil gel appeared to pin, at random, the phase of the smectic density modulation. For the isotropic to smectic-A transition the same gel perturbation yields different results. The smectic correlation length decreases more slowly with increasing random field variance in good quantitative agreement with the effect of a random pinning field at a transition from a uniform phase directly to a phase with one-dimensional translational order. We thus compare the influence of random fields on a \textit{freezing} transition with and without an intervening orientationally ordered phase., Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures

We observed 20 nearby Luminous Compact Blue Galaxies (LCBGs) in HI and CO(J=2-1) with the GBT and JCMT. These ~L^star galaxies are blue, high surface brightness, starbursting, high metallicity galaxies with an underlying older stellar population. They are common at z~1, but rare in the local Universe. It has been proposed that intermediate redshift LCBGs may be the progenitors of local dwarf ellipticals or low luminosity spirals, or that they may be more massive disks forming from the center outward to become L^star galaxies. To discriminate among various possible evolutionary scenarios, we have measured the dynamical masses and gas depletion time scales of this sample of nearby LCBGs. We find that local LCBGs span a wide range of dynamical masses, from 4 x 10^9 to 1 x 10^11 M_solar (measured within R_25). Molecular gas in local LCBGs is depleted quite quickly, in 30 to 200 million years. The molecular plus atomic gas is depleted in 30 million to 10 billion years; however, ~80% of the local LCBGs deplete their gas in less than 5 billion years. As LCBGs are heterogeneous in both dynamical mass and gas depletion time scales, they are not likely to evolve into one homogeneous galaxy class., Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to be published in 4th Cologne-Bonn-Zermatt-Symposium, Eds. S. Pfalzner, C. Kramer, C. Straubmeier, and A. Heithausen

The effects of dispersed aerosil nanoparticles on two of the phase transitions of the thermotropic liquid crystal material 4-n-pentylphenylthiol-4'-n-octyloxybenzoate 8barS5 have been studied using high-resolution x-ray diffraction techniques. The aerosils hydrogen bond together to form a gel which imposes a weak quenched disorder on the liquid crystal. The smectic-A fluctuations are well characterized by a two-component line shape representing thermal and random-field contributions. An elaboration on this line shape is required to describe the fluctuations in the smectic-C phase; specifically the effect of the tilt on the wave-vector dependence of the thermal fluctuations must be explicitly taken into account. Both the magnitude and the temperature dependence of the smectic-C tilt order parameter are observed to be unaffected by the disorder. This may be a consequence of the large bare smectic correlation length in the direction of modulation for this transition. These results show that the understanding developed for the nematic to smectic-A transition for octylcyanobiphenyl (8CB) and octyloxycyanobiphenyl (8OCB) liquid crystals with quenched disorder can be extended to quite different materials and transitions., Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures

Comprehensive x-ray scattering studies have characterized the smectic ordering of octylcyanobiphenyl (8CB) confined in the hydrogen-bonded silica gels formed by aerosil dispersions. For all densities of aerosil and all measurement temperatures, the correlations remain short range, demonstrating that the disorder imposed by the gels destroys the nematic (N) to smectic-A (SmA) transition. The smectic correlation function contains two distinct contributions. The first has a form identical to that describing the critical thermal fluctuations in pure 8CB near the N-SmA transition, and this term displays a temperature dependence at high temperatures similar to that of the pure liquid crystal. The second term, which is negligible at high temperatures but dominates at low temperatures, has a shape given by the thermal term squared and describes the static fluctuations due to random fields induced by confinement in the gel. The correlation lengths appearing in the thermal and disorder terms are the same and show strong variation with gel density at low temperatures. The temperature dependence of the amplitude of the static fluctuations further suggests that nematic susceptibility become suppressed with increasing quenched disorder. The results overall are well described by a mapping of the liquid crystal-aerosil system into a three dimensional XY model in a random field with disorder strength varying linearly with the aerosil density., Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures

The effect on the nematic to smectic-A transition in octylcyanobiphenyl (8CB) due to dispersions of hydrogen-bonded silica (aerosil) particles is characterized with high-resolution x-ray scattering. The particles form weak gels in 8CB creating a quenched disorder that replaces the transition with the growth of short range smectic correlations. The correlations include thermal critical fluctuations that dominate at high temperatures and a second contribution that quantitatively matches the static fluctuations of a random field system and becomes important at low temperatures., Comment: 10 pages, 4 postscript figures as separate files

Finds that continuing demographic shifts in college students (toward more nontraditional students) will prompt administrators to be increasingly concerned with identifying, recruiting, and retaining more women and minority faculty. Concludes that even in recent years, there has been an inclination to hire more minority and female faculty members, and that this trend is likely to continue. (PA)