Modelling galaxy spectra in presence of interstellar dust – II. From the ultraviolet to the far-infrared
11 Aug 2006-Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (Oxford University Press)-Vol. 370, Iss: 3, pp 1454-1478
TL;DR: In this article, the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of different morphological types of galaxies are derived by using a simple geometrical model for each type of galaxy, based on a robust model of chemical evolution that assumes a suitable prescription for gas infall, initial mass function, star formation rate and stellar ejecta.
Abstract: In this paper, we present spectrophotometric models for galaxies of different morphological type whose spectral energy distributions (SEDs) take into account the effect of dust in absorbing UV-optical light and re-emitting it in the infrared (IR). The models contain three main components: (i) the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) composed of gas and dust whose emission and extinction properties have already been studied in detail by Piovan et al. (2006), (ii) the large complexes of molecular clouds (MCs) in which new stars are formed and (iii) the stars of any age and chemical composition. The galaxy models stand on a robust model of chemical evolution that assuming a suitable prescription for gas infall, initial mass function, star formation rate and stellar ejecta provides the total amounts of gas and stars present at any age together with their chemical history. The chemical models are taylored in such a way to match the gross properties of galaxies of different morphological type. In order to describe the interaction between stars and ISM in building up the total SED of a galaxy, one has to know the spatial distribution of gas and stars. This is made adopting a simple geometrical model for each type of galaxy. The total gas and star mass provided by the chemical model are distributed over the whole volume by means of suitable density profiles, one for each component and depending on the galaxy type (spheroidal, disk and disk plus bulge). The galaxy is then split in suitable volume elements to each of which the appropriate amounts of stars, MCs and ISM are assigned. Each elemental volume bin is at the same time source of radiation from the stars inside and absorber and emitter of radiation from and to all other volume bins and the ISM in between. They are the elemental seeds to calculate the total SED. Using the results for the properties of the ISM and the Single Stellar Populations (SSPs) presented by Piovan et al. (2006) we derive the SEDs of galaxies of different morphological type. First the technical details of the method are described and the basic relations driving the interaction between the physical components of the galaxy are presented. Second, the main parameters are examined and their effects on the SED of three prototype galaxies (a disk, an elliptical and a starburster) are highlighted. The final part of the paper is devoted to assess the ability of our galaxy models in reproducing the SEDs of a few real galaxies of the Local Universe.
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the robustness of dust mass estimates based on modeling of broadband spectral energy distributions (SEDs) with two popular approaches: Draine & Li (2007, ApJ, 657, 810; DL07) and a modified blackbody (MBB).
Abstract: Combining the deepest Herschel extragalactic surveys (PEP, GOODS-H, HerMES), and Monte Carlo mock catalogs, we explore the robustness of dust mass estimates based on modeling of broadband spectral energy distributions (SEDs) with two popular approaches: Draine & Li (2007, ApJ, 657, 810; DL07) and a modified blackbody (MBB). We analyze the cause, drivers, and trends of uncertainties and systematics in thorough detail. As long as the observed SED extends to at least 160−200 μ m in the rest frame, M dust can be recovered with a >3σ significance and without the occurrence of systematics. An average offset of a factor ~1.5 exists between DL07- and MBB-based dust masses, based on consistent dust properties. The performance of DL07 modeling turns out to be more robust than that of MBB since relative errors on M dust are more mildly dependent on the maximum covered rest-frame wavelength and are less scattered. At the depth of the deepest Herschel surveys (in the GOODS-S field), it is possible to retrieve dust masses with a signal-to-noise ratio, S /N ≥ 3 for galaxies on the main sequence of star formation (MS) down to M ∗ ~ 1010 [M ⊙ ] up to z ~ 1. At higher redshift (z ≤ 2), the same result is only achieved for objects at the tip of the MS or for those objects lying above the tip owing to sensitivity and wavelength coverage limitations. Molecular gas masses, obtained by converting M dust through the metallicity-dependent gas-to-dust ratio δ GDR , are consistent with those based on the scaling of depletion time, τ dep , and on CO sub-mm spectroscopy. Focusing on CO-detected galaxies at z > 1, the δ GDR dependence on metallicity is consistent with the local relation, provided that a sufficient SED coverage is available. Once we established that Herschel-only and sub-mm-only estimates of dust masses can be affected by large uncertainties and possibly systematics in some cases, we combined far-IR Herschel data and sub-mm ALMA expected fluxes to study the advantages of a full SED coverage. The uncertainty on M dust reduces to galaxies, thus potentially facilitating a fast statistical study of M dust,gas for large samples, at least up to z ~ 2.
105 citations
Spanish National Research Council1, California Institute of Technology2, Nagoya University3, Imperial College London4, Cornell University5, University of Cambridge6, University of California, San Diego7, Goddard Space Flight Center8, Columbia University9, Johns Hopkins University10, Yonsei University11, Carnegie Institution for Science12, University of California, Los Angeles13, University of California, Berkeley14
TL;DR: In this article, the authors study the ultraviolet to far-infrared (hereafter UV-to-IR) SEDs of a sample of intermediate-redshift (0.2 ≤ z ≤ 0.7) galaxies from the ELAIS N1 and ELAis N2 fields by fitting a multi-wavelength data set to a library of GRASIL templates.
Abstract: We study the ultraviolet to far-infrared (hereafter UV-to-IR) SEDs of a sample of intermediate-redshift (0.2 ≤ z ≤ 0.7) UV-selected galaxies from the ELAIS N1 and ELAIS N2 fields by fitting a multi-wavelength data set to a library of GRASIL templates. Star formation related properties of the galaxies are derived from the library of models by using Bayesian statistics. We find a decreasing presence of galaxies with low attenuation and low total luminosity as redshift decreases, which does not hold for high total luminosity galaxies. In addition, the dust attenuation of low-mass galaxies increases as redshift decreases, and this trend seems to disappear for galaxies with M_* ≥ 10^(11) M_⊙. This result is consistent with a mass-dependent evolution of the dust-to-gas ratio, which could be driven by a mass-dependent efficiency of star formation in star-forming galaxies. The specific star formation rates (SSFR) decrease with increasing stellar mass at all redshifts, and for a given stellar mass the SSFR decreases with decreasing redshift. The differences in the slope of the M^*-SSFR relation found between this work and others at similar redshift could be explained by the adopted selection criteria of the samples, which for a UV-selected sample, favors blue, star-forming galaxies.
100 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored the robustness of dust mass estimates based on modeling of broad band spectral energy distributions (SEDs) with two popular approaches: Draine & Li (2007, DL07) and a modified black body (MBB).
Abstract: (Abridged) Combining the deepest Herschel extragalactic surveys (PEP, GOODS-H, HerMES), and Monte Carlo mock catalogs, we explore the robustness of dust mass estimates based on modeling of broad band spectral energy distributions (SEDs) with two popular approaches: Draine & Li (2007, DL07) and a modified black body (MBB). As long as the observed SED extends to at least 160-200 micron in the rest frame, M(dust) can be recovered with a >3 sigma significance and without the occurrence of systematics. An average offset of a factor ~1.5 exists between DL07- and MBB-based dust masses, based on consistent dust properties. At the depth of the deepest Herschel surveys (in the GOODS-S field) it is possible to retrieve dust masses with a S/N>=3 for galaxies on the main sequence of star formation (MS) down to M(stars)~1e10 [M(sun)] up to z~1. At higher redshift (z 1, the delta(GDR) dependence on metallicity is consistent with the local relation. We combine far-IR Herschel data and sub-mm ALMA expected fluxes to study the advantages of a full SED coverage.
90 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors conducted an archival Spitzer study of 38 early-type galaxies in order to determine the origin of the dust in approximately half of this population, and they used the Spitzer data to estimate dust masses, or establish upper limits, and found that all of the earlytype galaxies with dust lanes in the HST data are detected in all of Spitzer bands and have dust masses of approximately 10{sup 5}-10{sup 6.5} M{sub Sun }, while galaxies without dust lanes are not detected at 70 {mu}m
Abstract: We have conducted an archival Spitzer study of 38 early-type galaxies in order to determine the origin of the dust in approximately half of this population. Our sample galaxies generally have good wavelength coverage from 3.6 {mu}m to 160 {mu}m, as well as visible-wavelength Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images. We use the Spitzer data to estimate dust masses, or establish upper limits, and find that all of the early-type galaxies with dust lanes in the HST data are detected in all of the Spitzer bands and have dust masses of {approx}10{sup 5}-10{sup 6.5} M{sub Sun }, while galaxies without dust lanes are not detected at 70 {mu}m and 160 {mu}m and typically have <10{sup 5} M{sub Sun} of dust. The apparently dust-free galaxies do have 24 {mu}m emission that scales with the shorter-wavelength flux, yet substantially exceeds the expectations of photospheric emission by approximately a factor of three. We conclude this emission is dominated by hot, circumstellar dust around evolved stars that does not survive to form a substantial interstellar component. The order-of-magnitude variations in dust masses between galaxies with similar stellar populations rule out a substantial contribution from continual, internal production in spite of the clear evidence for circumstellarmore » dust. We demonstrate that the interstellar dust is not due to purely external accretion, unless the product of the merger rate of dusty satellites and the dust lifetime is at least an order of magnitude higher than expected. We propose that dust in early-type galaxies is seeded by external accretion, yet the accreted dust is maintained by continued growth in externally accreted cold gas beyond the nominal lifetime of individual grains. The several Gyr depletion time of the cold gas is long enough to reconcile the fraction of dusty early-type galaxies with the merger rate of gas-rich satellites. As the majority of dusty early-type galaxies are also low-luminosity active galactic nuclei and likely fueled by this cold gas, their lifetime should similarly be several Gyr.« less
67 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the star-formation and AGN activity of massive galaxies in the redshift range 0.4-2 were studied using the AKARI InfraRed (IR) astronomical satellite and the Subaru telescope toward the North Ecliptic Pole (NEP).
Abstract: We have studied the star-formation and AGN activity of massive galaxies in the redshift range $z=0.4-2$, which are detected in a deep survey field using the AKARI InfraRed (IR) astronomical satellite and {\em Subaru} telescope toward the North Ecliptic Pole (NEP). The AKARI/IRC Mid-InfraRed (MIR) multiband photometry is used to trace their star-forming activities with the Polycyclic-Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) emissions, which is also used to distinguish star-forming populations from AGN dominated ones and to estimate the Star Formation Rate (SFR) derived from their total emitting IR (TIR) luminosities. In combination with analyses of their stellar components, we have studied the MIR SED features of star-forming and AGN-harboring galaxies.
55 citations
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Abstract: The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) will provide the data to support detailed investigations of the distribution of luminous and non- luminous matter in the Universe: a photometrically and astrometrically calibrated digital imaging survey of pi steradians above about Galactic latitude 30 degrees in five broad optical bands to a depth of g' about 23 magnitudes, and a spectroscopic survey of the approximately one million brightest galaxies and 10^5 brightest quasars found in the photometric object catalog produced by the imaging survey. This paper summarizes the observational parameters and data products of the SDSS, and serves as an introduction to extensive technical on-line documentation.
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Donald G. York1, Jennifer Adelman2, John E. Anderson2, Scott F. Anderson3 +148 more•Institutions (29)
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Abstract: The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) will provide the data to support detailed investigations of the distribution of luminous and nonluminous matter in the universe: a photometrically and astrometrically calibrated digital imaging survey of π sr above about Galactic latitude 30° in five broad optical bands to a depth of g' ~ 23 mag, and a spectroscopic survey of the approximately 106 brightest galaxies and 105 brightest quasars found in the photometric object catalog produced by the imaging survey. This paper summarizes the observational parameters and data products of the SDSS and serves as an introduction to extensive technical on-line documentation.
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TL;DR: Starburst99 as mentioned in this paper is a comprehensive set of model predictions for spectrophotometric and related properties of galaxies with active star formation, which is an improved and extended version of the data set previously published by Leitherer & Heckman.
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