Prof. Matt Jarvis

Abstract:

Understanding black hole–galaxy co-evolution and the role of active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback requires complete AGN samples, including heavily obscured systems. Such sources are key to constraining the black hole accretion rate density over cosmic time, yet they are challenging to identify and characterize across most wavelengths. In this work, we present the first ultraviolet (UV) line-selected ([Ne v] Å and C iv Å) sample of obscured AGN with full X-ray-to-radio coverage, assembled by combining data from the Chandra COSMOS Legacy survey, the COSMOS2020 UV–NIR catalogue, mid- and far-IR photometry from XID+, and radio observations from the Very Large Array and MeerKAT International GHz Tiered Extragalactic Exploration Survey (MIGHTEE) surveys. Using cigale to perform spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting, we analyse 184 obscured AGNs at and , enabling detailed measurements of AGN and host-galaxy properties, and direct comparison with simba hydrodynamical simulations. We find that X-ray and radio data are essential for accurate SED fits, with the radio band proving critical when X-ray detections are missing or in cases of poor IR coverage. Comparisons with matched non-active galaxies and simulations suggest that the [Ne v]-selected sources are in a pre-quenching stage, while the C iv-selected ones are likely quenched by AGN activity. Our results indicate that [Ne v] and C iv selections target galaxies in a transient phase of their co-evolution, characterized by intense, obscured accretion, and pave the way for future extensions with upcoming large area high-z spectroscopic surveys.

Abstract:

We present a systematic statistical analysis of an informal astrophysical phenomenon known as Renzo’s rule (or Sancisi’s law), which states that ‘for any feature in a galaxy’s luminosity profile, there is a corresponding feature in the rotation curve, and vice versa’. This is often posed as a challenge for the standard Λ cold dark matter (CDM) model while supporting alternative theories such as modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND). Indeed, we identify clear features in the dwarf spiral NGC 1560 – a prime example for Renzo’s rule – and find correlation statistics which support Renzo’s rule with a slight preference for MOND over CDM halo fits. However, a broader analysis on galaxies in the Spitzer Photometry & Accurate Rotation Curves (SPARC) data base reveals an excess of features in rotation curves that lack clear baryonic counterparts, with correlation statistics deviating up to on average from that predicted by both MOND and CDM haloes, challenging the validity of Renzo’s rule. Thus we do not find clear evidence for Renzo’s rule in present galaxy data overall. We additionally perform mock tests, which show that a definitive test of Renzo’s rule is primarily limited by the lack of clearly resolved baryonic features in current galaxy data.

Abstract:

The relationship between the already formed stellar mass in a galaxy and the gas reservoir of neutral atomic hydrogen, is a key element in our understanding of how gas is turned into stars in galaxy haloes. In this paper, we measure the relation based on a stellar-mass selected sample at and the MeerKAT International GHz Tiered Extragalactic Exploration-H i Data Release 1 spectral data. Using a powerful Bayesian stacking technique, for the first time we are also able to measure the underlying bivariate distribution of H i mass and stellar mass of galaxies with M, finding that an asymmetric underlying H i distribution is strongly preferred by our complete samples. We define the concepts of the average of the logarithmic H i mass, , and the logarithmic average of the H i mass, , and find that the difference between and can be as large as 0.5 dex for the preferred asymmetric H i distribution. We observe shallow slopes in the underlying scaling relations, suggesting the presence of an upper H i mass limit beyond which a galaxy can no longer retain further H i gas. From our bivariate distribution we also infer the H i mass function at this redshift and find tentative evidence for a decrease of 2–10 times in the comoving space density of the most H i massive galaxies up to .

Abstract:

Atomic hydrogen constitutes the gas reservoir from which molecular gas and star formation in galaxies emerges. However, the weakness of the line means it has been difficult to directly detect in all but the very local Universe. Here, we present results from the first search using the MeerKAT International Tiered Extragalactic Exploration (MIGHTEE) Survey for high-redshift () H i emission from individual galaxies. By searching for 21-cm emission centred on the position and redshift of optically selected emission-line galaxies we overcome difficulties that hinder untargeted searches. We detect 11 galaxies at , forming the first sample of detections with an interferometer, with the highest redshift detection at . We find they have much larger H i masses than their low-redshift H i-selected counterparts for a given stellar mass. This can be explained by the much larger cosmological volume probed at these high redshifts, and does not require any evolution of the H i mass function. We make the first-ever measurement of the baryonic Tully–Fisher relation (bTFr) with H i at and find consistency with the local bTFr, but with tentative evidence of a flattening in the relation at these redshifts for higher-mass objects. This may signify evolution, in line with predictions from hydrodynamic simulations, or that the molecular gas mass in these high-mass galaxies could be significant. This study paves the way for future studies of H i beyond the local Universe, using both searches targeted at known objects and via pure H i selection.

Abstract:

We investigate the clustering of Lyman-break galaxies at redshifts of 3 5 within the COSMOS field by measuring the angular two-point correlation function. Our robust sample of 60 000 bright () Lyman-break galaxies was selected based on spectral energy distribution fitting across 14 photometric bands spanning optical and near-infrared wavelengths. We constrained both the 1- and 2-halo terms at separations up to 300 arcsec, finding an excess in the correlation function at scales corresponding to kpc, consistent with enhancement due to clumps in the same galaxy or interactions on this scale. We then performed Bayesian model fits on the correlation functions to infer the Halo Occupation Distribution parameters, star formation duty cycle, and galaxy bias in three redshift bins. We examined several cases where different combinations of parameters were varied, showing that our data can constrain the slope of the satellite occupation function, which previous studies have fixed. For an -limited sub-sample, we found galaxy bias values of at , at , at . The duty cycle values are , , and , respectively. These results suggest that, as the redshift increases, there is a slight decrease in the host halo masses and a shorter time-scale for star formation in bright galaxies, at a fixed rest-frame UV luminosity threshold.