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Register a new userDiscovery of extremely low-metallicity circumgalactic gas at $z = 0.5$ toward Q0454-220
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We have obtained new observations of the absorption system at $z_mathrm{abs}=0.48$ toward QSO Q0454-220, which we use to constrain its chemical and physical conditions. The system features metal-enriched gas and previously unknown low-metallicity gas detected $sim 200 , mathrm{km , s^{-1}}$ blueward of the metal-enriched gas. The low-metallicity gas is detected in multiple Lyman series lines but is not detected in any metal lines. Our analysis includes low-ionization (e.g., Fe II, Mg II) metal lines, high-ionization (e.g., C IV, O VI, N V) metal lines, and several Lyman series lines. We use new UV spectra taken with HST/COS along with data taken from HST/STIS, Keck/HIRES, and VLT/UVES. We find that the absorption system can be explained with a photoionized low-ionization phase with $mathrm{[Fe/H]} sim -0.5$ and $n_mathrm{H} sim 10^{-2.3} , mathrm{cm}^{-3}$, a photoionized high-ionization phase with a conservative lower limit of $-3.3 < mathrm{[Fe/H]}$ and $n_mathrm{H} sim 10^{-3.8} , mathrm{cm}^{-3}$, and a low-metallicity component with a conservative upper limit of $mathrm{[Fe/H]} < -2.5$ that may be photoionized or collisionally ionized. We suggest that the low-ionization phase may be due to cold-flow accretion via large-scale filamentary structure or due to recycled accretion while the high-ionization phase is the result of ancient outflowing material from a nearby galaxy. The low-metallicity component may come from pristine accretion. The velocity spread and disparate conditions among the absorption systems components suggest a combination of gas arising near galaxies along with gas arising from intergroup material.
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We present an analysis of the metallicity distribution of the dense circumgalactic medium (CGM) of galaxies at 0.1 < z < 1.1 as probed by partial Lyman limit systems (pLLSs, 16.1 < log N(H I) < 17.2) and LLSs (17.2 < log N(H I) < 17.7 in our sample). The new H I-selected sample, drawn from our HST COS G140L snapshot survey of 61 QSOs, has 20 pLLSs and 10 LLSs. Combined with our previous survey, we have a total of 44 pLLSs and 11 LLSs. We find that the metallicity distribution of the pLLSs is bimodal at z < 1, with a minimum at [X/H] = -1. The low-metallicity peak comprises (57 +/- 8)% of the pLLSs and is centered at [X/H] ~ -1.87 (1.3% solar metallicity), while the high-metallicity peak is centered at [X/H] ~ -0.32 (48% solar metallicity). Although the sample of LLSs is still small, there is some evidence that the metallicity distributions of the LLSs and pLLSs are different, with a far lower fraction of very metal-poor ([X/H] < -1.4) LLSs than pLLSs. The fraction of LLSs with [X/H] < -1 is similar to that found in pLLSs (~56%). However, higher H I column density absorbers (log N(H I) > 19.0) show a much lower fraction of metal-poor gas; therefore, the metallicity distribution of gas in and around galaxies depends sensitively on N(H I) at z < 1. We interpret the high-metallicity ([X/H] > -1) pLLSs and LLSs as arising in outflows, recycling winds, and tidally-stripped gas around galaxies. The low-metallicity pLLSs and LLSs imply that the CGM of z < 1 galaxies is also host to a substantial mass of cool, dense, low-metallicity gas that may ultimately accrete onto the galaxies.
We report ALMA observations of the most massive (star forming) galaxy in the redshift range 3<z<4 within the whole GOODS-S field. We detect a large elongated structure of molecular gas around the massive primeval galaxy, traced by the CO(4-3) emission, and extended over 40 kpc. We infer a mass of the large gaseous structure of Mgas~2-6x10^11 Msun. About 60% of this mass is not directly associated with either the central galaxy or its two lower mass satellites. The CO extended structure is also detected in continuum thermal emission. The kinematics of the molecular gas shows the presence of different components, which cannot be ascribed to simple rotation. Furthermore, on even larger scales, we detect nine additional CO systems within a radius of 250 kpc from the massive galaxy and mostly distributed in the same direction as the CO elongated structure found in the central 40 kpc. The stacked images of these CO systems show detections in the thermal continuum and in the X-rays, suggesting that these systems are forming stars at a rate of 30-120 Msun/yr. We suggest that the extended gas structure, combined with its kinematic properties, and the gas rich star forming systems detected on larger scales, are tracing the inner and densest regions of large scale accreting streams, feeding the central massive galaxy. These results corroborate models of galaxy formation, in which accreting streams are clumpy and undergo some star formation (hence enriching the streams with metals) even before accreting onto the central galaxy.
One of the greatest challenges to theoretical models of massive galaxy formation is the regulation of star formation at early times. The relative roles of molecular gas expulsion, depletion, and stabilization are uncertain as direct observational constraints of the gas reservoirs in quenched or quenching galaxies at high redshift are scant. We present ALMA observations of CO(2-1) in a massive ($log M_{star}/M_{odot}=11.2$), recently quenched galaxy at $z=1.522$. The optical spectrum of this object shows strong Balmer absorption lines, which implies that star formation ceased $sim$0.8 Gyr ago. We do not detect CO(2-1) line emission, placing an upper limit on the molecular $mathrm{H_2}$ gas mass of 1.1$times10^{10},M_{odot}$. The implied gas fraction is $f_{rm{H_2}}{equiv M_{H_2}/M_{star}}<7%$, $sim10times$ lower than typical star forming galaxies at similar stellar masses at this redshift, among the lowest gas fractions at this specific star formation rate at any epoch, and the most stringent constraint on the gas contents of a $z>1$ passive galaxy to date. Our observations show that the depletion of $mathrm{H_2}$ from the interstellar medium of quenched objects can be both efficient and fairly complete, in contrast to recent claims of significant cold gas in recently quenched galaxies. We explore the variation in observed gas fractions in high-$z$ galaxies and show that galaxies with high stellar surface density have low $f_{rm{H_2}}$, similar to recent correlations between specific star formation rate and stellar surface density.
In order to construct a sample of ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs, with infrared luminosity, $L_{rm IR} > 10^{12}$ L$_{odot}$) at 0.5 < z < 1, we are conducting an optical follow-up program for bright 90-$mu$m FIR sources with a faint optical (i < 20) counterpart selected in the AKARI Far-Infrared Surveyor (FIS) Bright Source catalog (Ver.2). AKARI-FIS-V2 J0916248+073034, identified as a ULIRG at z = 0.49 in the spectroscopic follow-up observation, indicates signatures of an extremely strong outflow in its emission line profiles. Its [OIII] 5007AA emission line shows FWHM of 1830 km s$^{-1}$ and velocity shift of -770 km s$^{-1}$ in relative to the stellar absorption lines. Furthermore, low-ionization [OII] 3726AA 3729AA doublet also shows large FWHM of 910 km s$^{-1}$ and velocity shift of -380 km s$^{-1}$. After the removal of an unresolved nuclear component, the long-slit spectroscopy 2D image possibly shows that the outflow extends to radius of 4 kpc. The mass outflow and energy ejection rates are estimated to be 500 M$_{odot}$ yr$^{-1}$ and $4times10^{44}$ erg s$^{-1}$, respectively, which imply that the outflow is among the most powerful ones observed in ULIRGs and QSOs at 0.3 < z < 1.6. The co-existence of the strong outflow and intense star formation (star formation rate of 990 M$_{odot}$ yr$^{-1}$) indicates that the feedback of the strong outflow has not severely affect the star-forming region of the galaxy.
We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Band 5 observations of a galaxy at $z=1.91$, GDS24569, in search of molecular gas in its vicinity via the [C I] $^3$P$_1$-$^3$P$_0$ line. GDS24569 is a massive ($log M_*/M_odot=11$) passively evolving galaxy, and characterized by compact morphology with an effective radius of $sim0.5$ kpc. We apply two blind detection algorithms to the spectral data cubes, and find no promising detection in or around GDS24569 out to projected distance of $sim320$ kpc, while a narrow tentative line ($4.1 sigma$) is identified at $+1200$ km/s by one of the algorithms. From the non-detection of [C I], we place a $3sigma$ upper limit on molecular hydrogen mass, $sim 7.1 times 10^9 M_odot$, which converts to an extremely low gas-to-stellar mass fraction, $< 5 %$. We conduct a spectral energy distribution modeling by including optical-to-far-infrared data, and find a considerably high ($sim0.1%$) dust-to-stellar mass ratio, $sim10$-$100times$ higher than those of local early-type galaxies. In combination with a previous result of an insufficient number of surrounding satellite galaxies, it is suggested that GDS24569 is unlikely to experience significant size evolution via satellite mergers. We discuss possible physical mechanisms that quenched GDS24569.
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