HST/WFC3 Confirmation of the Inside-out Growth of Massive Galaxies at 0 < z < 2 and Identification of Their Star-forming Progenitors at z ~ 3
TL;DR: In this article, the structural evolution of massive galaxies was studied by linking progenitors and descendants at a constant cumulative number density of n $_c$ = 1.4 {times} 10$-4}$ Mpc$^{-3}$ to z ~{} 3.
Abstract: We study the structural evolution of massive galaxies by linking progenitors and descendants at a constant cumulative number density of n $_c$ = 1.4 { imes} 10$^{-4}$ Mpc$^{-3}$ to z ~{} 3. Structural parameters were measured by fitting Sersic profiles to high-resolution CANDELS HST WFC3 J $_{125}$ and H $_{160}$ imaging in the UKIDSS-UDS at 1 {lt} z {lt} 3 and ACS I $_{814}$ imaging in COSMOS at 0.25 {lt} z {lt} 1. At a given redshift, we selected the HST band that most closely samples a common rest-frame wavelength so as to minimize systematics from color gradients in galaxies. At fixed n $_c$, galaxies grow in stellar mass by a factor of ~{}3 from z ~{} 3 to z ~{} 0. The size evolution is complex: galaxies appear roughly constant in size from z ~{} 3 to z ~{} 2 and then grow rapidly to lower redshifts. The evolution in the surface mass density profiles indicates that most of the mass at r {lt} 2 kpc was in place by z ~{} 2, and that most of the new mass growth occurred at larger radii. This inside-out mass growth is therefore responsible for the larger sizes and higher Sersic indices of the descendants toward low redshift. At z {lt} 2, the effective radius evolves with the stellar mass as r$_e$ vpropM $^{2.0}$, consistent with scenarios that find dissipationless minor mergers to be a key driver of size evolution. The progenitors at z ~{} 3 were likely star-forming disks with r$_e$ ~{} 2 kpc, based on their low Sersic index of n ~{} 1, low median axis ratio of b/a ~{} 0.52, and typical location in the star-forming region of the U - V versus V - J diagram. By z ~{} 1.5, many of these star-forming disks disappeared, giving rise to compact quiescent galaxies. Toward lower redshifts, these galaxies continued to assemble mass at larger radii and became the local ellipticals that dominate the high-mass end of the mass function at the present epoch. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute. STScI is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.
Citations
More filters
TL;DR: In this article, a variety of plausible subresolution models were proposed to estimate the inflow to and outflow from forming galaxies because observations indicating low formation efficiency and strong circumgalactic presence of gas are persuasive.
Abstract: Numerical simulations have become a major tool for understanding galaxy formation and evolution. Over the decades the field has made significant progress. It is now possible to simulate the formation of individual galaxies and galaxy populations from well-defined initial conditions with realistic abundances and global properties. An essential component of the calculation is to correctly estimate the inflow to and outflow from forming galaxies because observations indicating low formation efficiency and strong circumgalactic presence of gas are persuasive. Energetic “feedback” from massive stars and accreting supermassive black holes—generally unresolved in cosmological simulations—plays a major role in driving galactic outflows, which have been shown to regulate many aspects of galaxy evolution. A surprisingly large variety of plausible subresolution models succeeds in this exercise. They capture the essential characteristics of the problem, i.e., outflows regulating galactic gas flows, but their predicti...
434 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors presented a catalog covering 1.62 deg^2 of the COSMOS/UltraVISTA field with PSF-matched photometry in 30 photometric bands.
Abstract: We present a catalog covering 1.62 deg^2 of the COSMOS/UltraVISTA field with PSF-matched photometry in 30 photometric bands. The catalog covers the wavelength range 0.15um - 24um including the available GALEX, Subaru, CFHT, VISTA and Spitzer data. Catalog sources have been selected from the DR1 UltraVISTA Ks band imaging that reaches a depth of K_{s,tot} = 23.4 AB (90% completeness). The PSF-matched catalog is generated using position-dependent PSFs ensuring accurate colors across the entire field. Also included is a catalog of photometric redshifts (z_phot) for all galaxies computed with the EAZY code. Comparison with spectroscopy from the zCOSMOS 10k bright sample shows that up to z ~ 1.5 the z_phot are accurate to dz/(1 + z) = 0.013, with a catastrophic outlier fraction of only 1.6%. The z_phot also show good agreement with the z_phot from the NEWFIRM Medium Band Survey (NMBS) out to z ~ 3. A catalog of stellar masses and stellar population parameters for galaxies determined using the FAST spectral energy distribution fitting code is provided for all galaxies. Also included are rest-frame U-V and V-J colors, L_2800 and L_IR. The UVJ color-color diagram confirms that the galaxy bi-modality is well-established out to z ~ 2. Star-forming galaxies also obey a star forming "main sequence" out to z ~ 2.5, and this sequence evolves in a manner consistent with previous measurements. The COSMOS/UltraVISTA Ks-selected catalog covers a unique parameter space in both depth, area, and multi-wavelength coverage and promises to be a useful tool for studying the growth of the galaxy population out to z ~ 3 - 4.
429 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors presented a catalog covering 1.62 deg{sup 2} of the COSMOS/UltraVISTA field with point-spread function (PSF) matched photometry in 30 photometric bands.
Abstract: We present a catalog covering 1.62 deg{sup 2} of the COSMOS/UltraVISTA field with point-spread function (PSF) matched photometry in 30 photometric bands. The catalog covers the wavelength range 0.15-24 {mu}m including the available GALEX, Subaru, Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, VISTA, and Spitzer data. Catalog sources have been selected from the DR1 UltraVISTA K{sub s} band imaging that reaches a depth of K {sub s,tot} = 23.4 AB (90% completeness). The PSF-matched catalog is generated using position-dependent PSFs ensuring accurate colors across the entire field. Also included is a catalog of photometric redshifts (z {sub phot}) for all galaxies computed with the EAZY code. Comparison with spectroscopy from the zCOSMOS 10k bright sample shows that up to z {approx} 1.5 the z {sub phot} are accurate to {Delta}z/(1 + z) = 0.013, with a catastrophic outlier fraction of only 1.6%. The z {sub phot} also show good agreement with the z {sub phot} from the NEWFIRM Medium Band Survey out to z {approx} 3. A catalog of stellar masses and stellar population parameters for galaxies determined using the FAST spectral energy distribution fitting code is provided for all galaxies. Also included are rest-frame U - V and V - J colors, L {submore » 2800} and L {sub IR}. The UVJ color-color diagram confirms that the galaxy bi-modality is well-established out to z {approx} 2. Star-forming galaxies also obey a star-forming 'main sequence' out to z {approx} 2.5, and this sequence evolves in a manner consistent with previous measurements. The COSMOS/UltraVISTA K{sub s} -selected catalog covers a unique parameter space in both depth, area, and multi-wavelength coverage and promises to be a useful tool for studying the growth of the galaxy population out to z {approx} 3-4.« less
419 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors presented the redshift evolution of galaxy effective radius r_e obtained from the HST samples of ~190,000 galaxies at z=0-10, evaluating the optical-to-UV morphological K-correction and the selection bias of photo-z galaxies+LBGs.
Abstract: We present redshift evolution of galaxy effective radius r_e obtained from the HST samples of ~190,000 galaxies at z=0-10. Our HST samples consist of 176,152 photo-z galaxies at z=0-6 from the 3D-HST+CANDELS catalogue and 10,454 LBGs at z=4-10 identified in CANDELS, HUDF09/12, and HFF parallel fields, providing the largest data set to date for galaxy size evolution studies. We derive r_e with the same technique over the wide-redshift range of z=0-10, evaluating the optical-to-UV morphological K-correction and the selection bias of photo-z galaxies+LBGs as well as the cosmological surface brightness dimming effect. We find that r_e values at a given luminosity significantly decrease towards high-z, regardless of statistics choices. For star-forming galaxies, there is no evolution of the power-law slope of the size-luminosity relation and the median Sersic index (n~1.5). Moreover, the r_e-distribution is well represented by log-normal functions whose standard deviation \sigma_{\ln{r_e}} does not show significant evolution within the range of \sigma_{\ln{r_e}}~0.45-0.75. We calculate the stellar-to-halo size ratio from our r_e measurements and the dark-matter halo masses estimated from the abundance matching study, and obtain a nearly constant value of r_e/r_vir=1.0-3.5% at z=0-8. The combination of the r_e-distribution shape+standard deviation, the constant r_e/r_vir, and n~1.5 suggests a picture that typical high-z star-forming galaxies have disk-like stellar components in a sense of dynamics and morphology over cosmic time of z~0-6. If high-z star-forming galaxies are truly dominated by disks, the r_e/r_vir value and the disk formation model indicate that the specific angular momentum of the disk normalized by the host halo is j_d/m_d=0.5-1. These are statistical results for galaxies' major stellar components, and the detailed study of clumpy sub-components is presented in the paper II.
341 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a study on the evolution of the slope and scatter of the SFR-stellar mass relation for galaxies at 3.5? z? 6.5 using multi-wavelength photometry in GOODS-S from the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) and Spitzer Extended Deep Survey.
Abstract: Distant star-forming galaxies show a correlation between their star formation rates (SFRs) and stellar masses, and this has deep implications for galaxy formation. Here, we present a study on the evolution of the slope and scatter of the SFR-stellar mass relation for galaxies at 3.5 ? z ? 6.5 using multi-wavelength photometry in GOODS-S from the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) and Spitzer Extended Deep Survey. We describe an updated, Bayesian spectral-energy distribution fitting method that incorporates effects of nebular line emission, star formation histories that are constant or rising with time, and different dust-attenuation prescriptions (starburst and Small Magellanic Cloud). From z = 6.5 to z = 3.5 star-forming galaxies in CANDELS follow a nearly unevolving correlation between stellar mass and SFR that follows SFR?~? with a =0.54 ? 0.16 at z ~ 6 and 0.70 ? 0.21 at z ~ 4. This evolution requires a star formation history that increases with decreasing redshift (on average, the SFRs of individual galaxies rise with time). The observed scatter in the SFR-stellar mass relation is tight, ?(log SFR/M ? yr?1) 9?dex. Assuming that the SFR is tied to the net gas inflow rate (SFR?~ ), then the scatter in the gas inflow rate is also smaller than 0.3?0.4?dex for star-forming galaxies in these stellar mass and redshift ranges, at least when averaged over the timescale of star formation. We further show that the implied star formation history of objects selected on the basis of their co-moving number densities is consistent with the evolution in the SFR-stellar mass relation.
329 citations
References
More filters
TL;DR: In this article, the spectral evolution of stellar populations at ages between 100,000 yr and 20 Gyr at a resolution of 3 A across the whole wavelength range from 3200 to 9500 A for a wide range of metallicities.
Abstract: We present a new model for computing the spectral evolution of stellar populations at ages between 100,000 yr and 20 Gyr at a resolution of 3 A across the whole wavelength range from 3200 to 9500 A for a wide range of metallicities. These predictions are based on a newly available library of observed stellar spectra. We also compute the spectral evolution across a larger wavelength range, from 91 A to 160 micron, at lower resolution. The model incorporates recent progress in stellar evolution theory and an observationally motivated prescription for thermally-pulsing stars on the asymptotic giant branch. The latter is supported by observations of surface brightness fluctuations in nearby stellar populations. We show that this model reproduces well the observed optical and near-infrared colour-magnitude diagrams of Galactic star clusters of various ages and metallicities. Stochastic fluctuations in the numbers of stars in different evolutionary phases can account for the full range of observed integrated colours of star clusters in the Magellanic Clouds. The model reproduces in detail typical galaxy spectra from the Early Data Release (EDR) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We exemplify how this type of spectral fit can constrain physical parameters such as the star formation history, metallicity and dust content of galaxies. Our model is the first to enable accurate studies of absorption-line strengths in galaxies containing stars over the full range of ages. Using the highest-quality spectra of the SDSS EDR, we show that this model can reproduce simultaneously the observed strengths of those Lick indices that do not depend strongly on element abundance ratios [abridged].
10,384 citations
TL;DR: A review of the present-day mass function and initial mass function in various components of the Galaxy (disk, spheroid, young, and globular clusters) and in conditions characteristic of early star formation is presented in this paper.
Abstract: We review recent determinations of the present-day mass function (PDMF) and initial mass function (IMF) in various components of the Galaxy—disk, spheroid, young, and globular clusters—and in conditions characteristic of early star formation. As a general feature, the IMF is found to depend weakly on the environment and to be well described by a power-law form forM , and a lognormal form below, except possibly for m!1 early star formation conditions. The disk IMF for single objects has a characteristic mass around M , m!0.08 c and a variance in logarithmic mass , whereas the IMF for multiple systems hasM , and . j!0.7 m!0.2 j!0.6 c The extension of the single MF into the brown dwarf regime is in good agreement with present estimates of L- and T-dwarf densities and yields a disk brown dwarf number density comparable to the stellar one, n!n! BD " pc !3 .T he IMF of young clusters is found to be consistent with the disk fi eld IMF, providing the same correction 0.1 for unresolved binaries, confirming the fact that young star clusters and disk field stars represent the same stellar population. Dynamical effects, yielding depletion of the lowest mass objects, are found to become consequential for ages!130 Myr. The spheroid IMF relies on much less robust grounds. The large metallicity spread in the local subdwarf photometric sample, in particular, remains puzzling. Recent observations suggest that there is a continuous kinematic shear between the thick-disk population, present in local samples, and the genuine spheroid one. This enables us to derive only an upper limit for the spheroid mass density and IMF. Within all the uncertainties, the latter is found to be similar to the one derived for globular clusters and is well represented also by a lognormal form with a characteristic mass slightly larger than for the disk, M , ,e xcluding as ignif icant population of m!0.2-0.3 c brown dwarfs in globular clusters and in the spheroid. The IMF characteristic of early star formation at large redshift remains undetermined, but different observational constraints suggest that it does not extend below!1M , .T hese results suggest a characteristic mass for star formation that decreases with time, from conditions prevailing at large redshift to conditions characteristic of the spheroid (or thick disk) to present-day conditions.Theseconclusions,however, remain speculative, given the large uncertainties in the spheroid and early star IMF determinations. These IMFs allow a reasonably robust determination of the Galactic present-day and initial stellar and brown dwarf contents. They also have important galactic implications beyond the Milky Way in yielding more accurate mass-to-light ratio determinations. The mass-to-light ratios obtained with the disk and the spheroid IMF yield values 1.8-1.4 times smaller than for a Salpeter IMF, respectively, in agreement with various recent dynamical determinations. This general IMF determination is examined in the context of star formation theory. None of the theories based on a Jeans-type mechanism, where fragmentation is due only to gravity, can fulfill all the observational constraints on star formation and predict a large number of substellar objects. On the other hand, recent numerical simulations of compressible turbulence, in particular in super-Alfvenic conditions, seem to reproduce both qualitatively and quantitatively the stellar and substellar IMF and thus provide an appealing theoretical foundation. In this picture, star formation is induced by the dissipation of large-scale turbulence to smaller scales through radiative MHD shocks, producing filamentary structures. These shocks produce local nonequilibrium structures with large density contrasts, which collapse eventually in gravitationally bound objects under the combined influence of turbulence and gravity. The concept of a single Jeans mass is replaced by a distribution of local Jeans masses, representative of the lognormal probability density function of the turbulent gas. Objects below the mean thermal Jeans mass still have a possibility to collapse, although with a decreasing probability.
8,218 citations
"HST/WFC3 Confirmation of the Inside..." refers background in this paper
...Stellar masses are based on a Chabrier initial mass function (IMF; Chabrier 2003)....
[...]
TL;DR: In this article, far-infrared (FIR) photometry at 150 and 205 micron(s) of eight low-redshift starburst galaxies obtained with the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) ISOPHOT is presented.
Abstract: We present far-infrared (FIR) photometry at 150 and 205 micron(s) of eight low-redshift starburst galaxies obtained with the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) ISOPHOT. Five of the eight galaxies are detected in both wave bands, and these data are used, in conjunction with IRAS archival photometry, to model the dust emission at lambda approximately greater than 40 microns. The FIR spectral energy distributions (SEDs) are best fitted by a combination of two modified Planck functions, with T approx. 40 - 55 K (warm dust) and T approx. 20-23 K (cool dust) and with a dust emissivity index epsilon = 2. The cool dust can be a major contributor to the FIR emission of starburst galaxies, representing up to 60% of the total flux. This component is heated not only by the general interstellar radiation field, but also by the starburst itself. The cool dust mass is up to approx. 150 times larger than the warm dust mass, bringing the gas-to-dust ratios of the starbursts in our sample close to Milky Way values, once resealed for the appropriate metallicity. The ratio between the total dust FIR emission in the range 1-1000 microns and the IRAS FIR emission in the range 40 - 120 microns is approx. 1.75, with small variations from galaxy to galaxy. This ratio is about 40% larger than previously inferred from data at millimeter wavelengths. Although the galaxies in our sample are generally classified as "UV bright," for four of them the UV energy emerging shortward of 0.2 microns is less than 15% of the FIR energy. On average, about 30% of the bolometric flux is coming out in the UV-to-near-IR wavelength range; the rest is emitted in the FIR. Energy balance calculations show that the FIR emission predicted by the dust reddening of the UV-to-near-IR stellar emission is within a factor of approx. 2 of the observed value in individual galaxies and within 20% when averaged over a large sample. If our sample of local starbursts is representative of high-redshift (z approx. greater than 1), UV - bright star-forming galaxies, these galaxies' FIR emission will be generally undetected in submillimeter surveys, unless: (1) their bolometric luminosity is comparable to or larger than that of ultraluminous FIR galaxies and (2) their FIR SED contains a cool dust component.
5,255 citations
"HST/WFC3 Confirmation of the Inside..." refers methods in this paper
...We used best-fit Schechter parameters from Set 7 in that work, which used solar metallicity BC03 models with a Chabrier IMF and a Calzetti et al. (2000) dust law to determine stellar 4 masses, similar to the SFHs employed in this work....
[...]
TL;DR: GALFIT as mentioned in this paper is a two-dimensional fitting algorithm designed to extract structural components from galaxy images, with emphasis on closely modeling light profiles of spatially well-resolved, nearby galaxies observed with the Hubble Space Telescope.
Abstract: We present a two-dimensional fitting algorithm (GALFIT) designed to extract structural components from galaxy images, with emphasis on closely modeling light profiles of spatially well-resolved, nearby galaxies observed with the Hubble Space Telescope. Our algorithm improves on previous techniques in two areas: by being able to simultaneously fit a galaxy with an arbitrary number of components and with optimization in computation speed, suited for working on large galaxy images. We use two-dimensional models such as the "Nuker" law, the Sersic (de Vaucouleurs) profile, an exponential disk, and Gaussian or Moffat functions. The azimuthal shapes are generalized ellipses that can fit disky and boxy components. Some potential applications of our program include: standard modeling of global galaxy profiles; extracting bars, stellar disks, double nuclei, and compact nuclear sources; and measuring absolute dust extinction or surface brightness fluctuations after removing the galaxy model. When examined in detail, we find that even simple looking galaxies generally require at least three components to be modeled accurately, rather than the one or two components more often employed. Many galaxies with complex isophotes, ellipticity changes, and position angle twists can be modeled accurately in two dimensions. We illustrate this by way of 11 case studies, which include regular and barred spiral galaxies, highly disky lenticular galaxies, and elliptical galaxies displaying various levels of complexities. A useful extension of this algorithm is to accurately extract nuclear point sources in galaxies. We compare two-dimensional and one-dimensional extraction techniques on simulated images of galaxies having nuclear slopes with different degrees of cuspiness, and we then illustrate the application of the program to several examples of nearby galaxies with weak nuclei.
2,670 citations
University of Edinburgh1, Imperial College London2, University of Nottingham3, Durham University4, University of Leicester5, University of Hertfordshire6, UK Astronomy Technology Centre7, Cardiff University8, Queen Mary University of London9, University of Cambridge10, Liverpool John Moores University11
TL;DR: The final version published in MNRAS August 2007 included significant revisions including significant revisions to the original version April 2006.
Abstract: Final published version including significant revisions. Twenty four pages, fourteen figures. Original version April 2006; final version published in MNRAS August 2007
2,562 citations
"HST/WFC3 Confirmation of the Inside..." refers methods in this paper
...…1 < z < 3 We study the structural properties of massive galaxies at high redshift (1 < z < 3) using a combination of data from the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS; Lawrence et al. 2007) and the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS; Grogin et al. 2011)....
[...]