Showing papers by "A. J. Noble published in 2022"

ALMA Measures Molecular Gas Reservoirs Comparable to Field Galaxies in a Low-mass Galaxy Cluster at z = 1.3

Abstract: We report the serendipitous discovery of an overdensity of CO emitters in an X-ray-identified cluster (Log10 M halo/M ⊙ ∼ 13.6 at z = 1.3188) using ALMA. We present spectroscopic confirmation of six new cluster members exhibiting CO(2–1) emission, adding to two existing optical/IR spectroscopic members undetected in CO. This is the lowest-mass cluster to date at z > 1 with molecular gas measurements, bridging the observational gap between galaxies in the more extreme, well-studied clusters (Log10 M halo/M ⊙ ≳ 14) and those in group or field environments at cosmic noon. The CO sources are concentrated on the sky (within ∼1 arcmin diameter) and phase space analysis indicates the gas resides in galaxies already within the cluster environment. We find that CO sources sit in similar phase space as CO-rich galaxies in more massive clusters at similar redshifts (have similar accretion histories) while maintaining field-like molecular gas reservoirs, compared to scaling relations. This work presents the deepest CO survey to date in a galaxy cluster at z > 1, uncovering gas reservoirs down to MH2>1.6×1010 M ⊙ (5σ at 50% primary beam). Our deep limits rule out the presence of gas content in excess of the field scaling relations; however, combined with literature CO detections, cluster gas fractions in general appear systematically high, on the upper envelope or above the field. This study is the first demonstration that low-mass clusters at z ∼ 1–2 can host overdensities of CO emitters with surviving gas reservoirs, in line with the prediction that quenching is delayed after first infall while galaxies consume the gas bound to the disk.

The Evolution of AGN Activity in Brightest Cluster Galaxies

Abstract: We present the results of an analysis of Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) observations of the full 2500 deg2 South Pole Telescope (SPT)-Sunyaev–Zel’dovich cluster sample. We describe a process for identifying active galactic nuclei (AGN) in brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) based on WISE mid-IR color and redshift. Applying this technique to the BCGs of the SPT-SZ sample, we calculate the AGN-hosting BCG fraction, which is defined as the fraction of BCGs hosting bright central AGNs over all possible BCGs. Assuming an evolving single-burst stellar population model, we find statistically significant evidence (>99.9%) for a mid-IR excess at high redshift compared to low redshift, suggesting that the fraction of AGN-hosting BCGs increases with redshift over the range of 0 < z < 1.3. The best-fit redshift trend of the AGN-hosting BCG fraction has the form (1 + z)4.1±1.0. These results are consistent with previous studies in galaxy clusters as well as as in field galaxies. One way to explain this result is that member galaxies at high redshift tend to have more cold gas. While BCGs in nearby galaxy clusters grow mostly by dry mergers with cluster members, leading to no increase in AGN activity, BCGs at high redshift could primarily merge with gas-rich satellites, providing fuel for feeding AGNs. If this observed increase in AGN activity is linked to gas-rich mergers rather than ICM cooling, we would expect to see an increase in scatter in the P cav versus L cool relation at z > 1. Last, this work confirms that the runaway cooling phase, as predicted by the classical cooling-flow model, in the Phoenix cluster is extremely rare and most BCGs have low (relative to Eddington) black hole accretion rates.

From Clusters to Proto-Clusters: The Infrared Perspective on Environmental Galaxy Evolution

Abstract: Environment is one of the primary drivers of galaxy evolution; via multiple mechanisms, it can control the critical process of transforming galaxies from star forming to quiescent, commonly termed “quenching”. Despite its importance, however, we still do not have a clear view of how environmentally-driven quenching proceeds even in the most extreme environments: galaxy clusters and their progenitor proto-clusters. Recent advances in infrared capabilities have enabled transformative progress not only in the identification of these structures but in detailed analyses of quiescence, obscured star formation, and molecular gas in (proto-)cluster galaxies across cosmic time. In this review, we will discuss the current state of the literature regarding the quenching of galaxies in (proto-)clusters from the observational, infrared perspective. Our improved understanding of environmental galaxy evolution comes from unique observables across the distinct regimes of the near-, mid-, and far-infrared, crucial in the push to high redshift where massive galaxy growth is dominated by highly extinct, infrared-bright galaxies.

A Large-scale Kinematic Study of Molecular Gas in High-z Cluster Galaxies: Evidence for High Levels of Kinematic Asymmetry

Abstract: We investigate the resolved kinematics of the molecular gas, as traced by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in CO (2−1), of 25 cluster member galaxies across three different clusters at a redshift of z ∼ 1.6. This is the first large-scale analysis of the molecular gas kinematics of cluster galaxies at this redshift. By separately estimating the rotation curve of the approaching and receding sides of each galaxy via kinematic modeling, we quantify the difference in total circular velocity to characterize the overall kinematic asymmetry of each galaxy. 3/14 of the galaxies in our sample that we are able to model have similar degrees of asymmetry as that observed in galaxies in the field at similar redshift based on observations of mainly ionized gas. However, this leaves 11/14 galaxies in our sample with significantly higher asymmetry, and some of these galaxies have degrees of asymmetry of up to ∼50 times higher than field galaxies observed at similar redshift. Some of these extreme cases also have one-sided tail-like morphology seen in the molecular gas, supporting a scenario of tidal and/or ram pressure interaction. Such stark differences in the kinematic asymmetry in clusters versus the field suggest the evolutionary influence of dense environments, established as being a major driver of galaxy evolution at low redshift, is also active in the high-redshift universe.

An Assessment of the In Situ Growth of the Intracluster Light in the High-redshift Galaxy Cluster SpARCS1049+56

Abstract: The formation of the stellar mass within galaxy cluster cores is a poorly understood process. It features the complicated physics of cooling flows, active galactic nucleus feedback, star formation, and more. Here we study the growth of the stellar mass in the vicinity of the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) in a z = 1.7 cluster, SpARCS1049+56. We synthesize a reanalysis of existing Hubble Space Telescope imaging, a previously published measurement of the star formation rate, and the results of new radio molecular gas spectroscopy. These analyses represent the past, present, and future star formation, respectively, within this system. We show that a large amount of stellar mass—between (2.2 ± 0.5) × 1010 M ⊙ and (6.6 ± 1.2) × 1010 M ⊙ depending on the data processing—exists in a long and clumpy tail-like structure that lies roughly 12 kpc off the BCG. Spatially coincident with this stellar mass is a similarly massive reservoir ((1.0 ± 0.7) × 1011 M ⊙) of molecular gas that we suggest is the fuel for the immense star formation rate of 860 ± 130 M ⊙ yr−1, as measured by infrared observations. Hlavacek-Larrondo et al. surmised that massive, runaway cooling of the hot intracluster X-ray gas was feeding this star formation, a process that had not been observed before at high redshift. We conclude, based on the amount of fuel and current stars, that this event may be rare in the lifetime of a cluster, producing roughly 15%–21% of the intracluster light mass in one go, though perhaps a common event for all galaxy clusters.

A Gradual Decline of Star Formation since Cluster In-fall: New Kinematic Insights into Environmental Quenching at 0.3 $

Abstract: The environments where galaxies reside play a key role in shaping their star formation histories over cosmic time, yet such environmental effects remain elusive at high redshifts. We update this environmental process by adopting an advanced measure for cluster in-fall time using kinematics and reveal that galaxies experience a gradual decline of star formation after they fall into cluster environments up to z ∼ 1. This conclusion is drawn from a uniform analysis of a remarkably large sample of 105 clusters and 1626 spectroscopically-confirmed member galaxies from the SPT and ACT Sunyaev-Zel’dovich surveys at 0.26 < z < 1.13. Intriguingly, we find clear evidence for a gradual increase in the mean age ( ∼ 0.71 ± 0.4 Gyr based on a 4000 ˚A break, D n 4000) of the galaxy’s stellar populations with the time spent in the cluster environment. This environmental quenching effect is found regardless of galaxy luminosity (faint or bright) and redshift (low- z or high- z ), although the exact stellar age of galaxies depends on both parameters at fixed environmental effect. Such a systematic increase of D n 4000 with in-fall proxy would suggest that galaxies that were accreted into hosts earlier were quenched earlier, due to longer exposure to environmental effects such as ram pressure stripping and strangulation. Thus, our results provide new insights into environmental quenching effects spanning a large range in cosmic time ( ∼ 5 . 2 Gyr, z = 0 . 26–1.13) and demonstrate the power of using a kinematically-derived in-fall time proxy.