Galaxy formation and evolution

Abstract:

We investigate the formation of jellyfish galaxies using radiation-hydrodynamic simulations of gas-rich dwarf galaxies with a multiphase interstellar medium (ISM). We find that the ram-pressure-stripped (RPS) ISM is the dominant source of molecular clumps in the near wake within 10 kpc from the galactic plane, while in situ formation is the major channel for dense gas in the distant tail of the gas-rich galaxy. Only 20% of the molecular clumps in the near wake originate from the intracluster medium (ICM); however, the fraction reaches 50% in the clumps located at 80 kpc from the galactic center since the cooling time of the RPS gas tends to be short owing to the ISM–ICM mixing (≲10 Myr). The tail region exhibits a star formation rate of 0.001–0.01 M⊙ yr−1, and most of the tail stars are born in the stripped wake within 10 kpc from the galactic plane. These stars induce bright Hα blobs in the tail, while Hα tails fainter than 6 × 1038 erg s−1 kpc−2 are mostly formed via collisional radiation and heating due to mixing. We also find that the stripped tails have intermediate X-ray-to-Hα surface brightness ratios (1.5 ≲ FX/FHα ≲ 20), compared to the ISM (≲1.5) or pure ICM (≫20). Our results suggest that jellyfish features emerge when the ISM from gas-rich galaxies is stripped by strong ram pressure, mixes with the ICM, and enhances the cooling in the tail.

Abstract:

We provide new planetary nebula luminosity function (pnlf) distances to 19 nearby spiral galaxies that were observed with VLT/MUSE by the PHANGS collaboration. Emission line ratios are used to separate planetary nebulae (pne) from other bright [O, III] emitting sources like compact supernovae remnants (snrs) or H ii regions. While many studies have used narrowband imaging for this purpose, the detailed spectral line information provided by integral field unit (ifu) spectroscopy grants a more robust way of categorizing different [O, III] emitters. We investigate the effects of snr contamination on the pnlf and find that we would fail to classify all objects correctly, when limited to the same data narrowband imaging provides. However, the few misclassified objects usually do not fall on the bright end of the luminosity function, and only in three cases does the distance change by more than 1σ. We find generally good agreement with literature values from other methods. Using metallicity constraints that have also been derived from the same ifu data, we revisit the pnlf zero-point calibration. Over a range of 8.34 < 12 + log (O/H) < 8.59, our sample is consistent with a constant zero-point and yields a value of M∗ = -4.542+0.103-0.059, mag, within 1σ of other literature values. MUSE pushes the limits of pnlf studies and makes galaxies beyond 20 Mpc accessible for this kind of analysis. This approach to the pnlf shows great promise for leveraging existing archival ifu data on nearby galaxies.

Abstract:

This paper documents the seventeenth data release (DR17) from the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys; the fifth and final release from the fourth phase (SDSS-IV). DR17 contains the complete release of the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey, which reached its goal of surveying over 10,000 nearby galaxies. The complete release of the MaNGA Stellar Library accompanies this data, providing observations of almost 30,000 stars through the MaNGA instrument during bright time. DR17 also contains the complete release of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment 2 survey that publicly releases infrared spectra of over 650,000 stars. The main sample from the Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS), as well as the subsurvey Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey data were fully released in DR16. New single-fiber optical spectroscopy released in DR17 is from the SPectroscipic IDentification of ERosita Survey subsurvey and the eBOSS-RM program. Along with the primary data sets, DR17 includes 25 new or updated value-added catalogs. This paper concludes the release of SDSS-IV survey data. SDSS continues into its fifth phase with observations already underway for the Milky Way Mapper, Local Volume Mapper, and Black Hole Mapper surveys.