Dr Harley Katz

Abstract:

Reliable nebular emission line diagnostics are essential for accurately inferring the physical properties (e.g. electron temperature, density, pressure, and metallicity) of H II regions from spectra. When interpreting spectra, it is typical to adopt a single zone model, e.g. at fixed density, pressure, or temperature, to infer H II region properties. However, such an assumption may not fully capture the complexities of a turbulent interstellar medium. To understand how a complex density field driven by supersonic turbulence impacts nebular emission lines, we simulate 3D H II regions surrounding a single O star, both with and without supersonic turbulence. We find that turbulence directly impacts the values of common strong line ratios. For example turbulent H II regions exhibit systematically higher [N II]/Hα, lower [O III]/Hβ, and lower O32, compared to homogeneous H II regions with the same mean density and ionizing source. These biases can impact inferences of metallicity, ionization parameter, excitation, and ionization source. For our choice of turbulence, direct Te method metallicity inferences are biased low, by up to 0.1 dex, which is important for metallicity studies, but not enough to explain the abundance discrepancy problem. Finally, we show that large differences between measured electron densities emerge between infrared, optical, and UV density indicators. Our results motivate the need for large grids of turbulent H II regions models that span the range of conditions seen at both high and low redshift to better interpret observed spectra.

Abstract:

We introduce MEGATRON, a new galaxy formation model for cosmological radiation hydrodynamics simulations of high-redshift galaxies. The model accounts for the non-equilibrium chemistry and heating/cooling processes of ≥ 80 atoms, ions, and molecules, coupled to on-the-fly radiation transfer. We apply the model in a cosmological setting to the formation of a 10⁹ M⊙halo at z = 6, and run 25 realizations at pc-scale resolution, varying numerous parameters associated with our state-of-the-art star formation, stellar feedback, and chemical enrichment models. We show that the overall budget of feedback energy is the key parameter that controls star formation regulation at high redshift, with other numerical parameters (e.g. supernova clustering, star formation conditions) having a more limited impact. As a similar feedback model has been shown to produce realistic z = 0 galaxies, our work demonstrates that calibration at z = 0 does not guarantee strong regulation of star formation at high-redshift. Interestingly, we find that subgrid model variations that have little impact on the final z = 6 stellar mass can lead to substantial changes on the observable properties of high-redshift galaxies. For example, different star formation models based on, e.g. density thresholds or turbulence inspired criteria, lead to fundamentally distinct nebular emission line ratios across the interstellar medium (ISM). These results highlight the ISM as an important resource for constraining models of star formation, feedback, and galaxy formation in the JWST era, where emission line measurements for > 1, 000 high-redshift galaxies are now available. Subject headings: high-redshift galaxies, ISM, galaxy formation.

Abstract:

Among the most puzzling early discoveries of JWST are “little red dots” (LRDs), compact red sources that host broad Balmer emission lines, and in many cases exhibit a “V-shaped” change in slope in the rest-optical. The physical properties of LRDs currently have order-of-magnitude uncertainties, because models to explain the continuum of these sources differ immensely. Here, we leverage the complete selection of red sources in the RUBIES program, supplemented with public PRISM spectra, to study the origin of this V shape. By fitting a broken power law with a flexible inflection point, we find that a large fraction of red Hα emitters at 2 < z < 6 exhibit a strong change in slope, and that all strong inflections appear associated with the Balmer limit (0.3645 μm). Using a simple model of a reddened active galactic nucleus (AGN) with an unobscured scattered-light component, we demonstrate that the observed V shape in LRDs is unlikely to occur at any specific wavelength if the entire continuum is dominated by light from a power-law AGN continuum. In contrast, models with an intrinsic feature at the Balmer limit, such as those that are dominated by an evolved stellar population, can produce the observed spectral shapes, provided that a reddened component picks up sufficiently redward of the break. While no model can comfortably explain the full LRD spectral energy distribution, the common inflection location suggests that a single component consistently dominates the rest-frame UV optical in LRDs, and that this component is associated with T ∼ 10⁴ K hydrogen.

Abstract:

We present VLT/X-shooter spectroscopy of the extremely metal-poor starburst galaxy SBS 0335‑052E, a nearby (D∼54 Mpc) analogue of high-redshift systems, probing its outflow up to a distance of ∼2.6 kpc. Using direct-method oxygen abundances, we find a complex metallicity profile that generally declines with distance, decreasing by 0.37 dex from the galaxy centre out to 2.4 kpc into the outflow. This implies a metal-loading factor roughly an order of magnitude lower than predictions based on the mass–metallicity relation for low-mass galaxies. We also detect extended He II emission, including a broad, redshifted component beyond 2 kpc, which is distinct from the narrow emission associated with star clusters. No Hβ emission associated with the broad redshifted component is detected, which implies extremely high He II /Hβ ratios (0.7 - 4.8). Such extreme values, combined with the decreasing metallicity, challenge our current models of stellar feedback. The contribution of an intermediate-mass black hole could simultaneously account for the declining metallicity and the unusually extended He II emission.