An Oxford SWIFT Integral Field Spectroscopy study of 14 early-type galaxies in the Coma cluster

ArXiv 1205.4299 (2012)

Authors:

Nicholas Scott, Ryan CW Houghton, Roger L Davies, Michele Cappellari, Niranjan Thatte, Fraser J Clarke, Matthias Tecza

Abstract:

As a demonstration of the capabilities of the new Oxford SWIFT integral field spectrograph, we present first observations for a set of 14 early-type galaxies in the core of the Coma cluster. Our data consist of I- and z-band spatially resolved spectroscopy obtained with the Oxford SWIFT spectrograph, combined with r-band photometry from the SDSS archive for 14 early- type galaxies. We derive spatially resolved kinematics for all objects from observations of the calcium triplet absorption features at \sim 8500 {AA} . Using this kinematic information we classify galaxies as either Fast Rotators or Slow Rotators. We compare the fraction of fast and slow rotators in our sample, representing the densest environment in the nearby Universe, to results from the ATLAS3D survey, finding the slow rotator fraction is \sim 50 per cent larger in the core of the Coma cluster than in the Virgo cluster or field, a 1.2 σ increase given our selection criteria. Comparing our sample to the Virgo cluster core only (which is 24 times less dense than the Coma core) we find no evidence of an increase in the slow rotator fraction. Combining measurements of the effective velocity dispersion {σ_e} with the photometric data we determine the Fundamental Plane for our sample of galaxies. We find the use of the average velocity dispersion within 1 effective radius, {σ_e}, reduces the residuals by 13 per cent with respect to comparable studies using central velocity dispersions, consistent with other recent integral field Fundamental Plane determinations.

Monster black holes

(2012)

Herschel /PACS spectroscopy of NGC 4418 and Arp 220: H 2O, H 218O, OH, 18OH, O? I, HCN, and NH 3

Astronomy and Astrophysics 541 (2012)

Authors:

E González-Alfonso, J Fischer, J Graciá-Carpio, E Sturm, S Hailey-Dunsheath, D Lutz, A Poglitsch, A Contursi, H Feuchtgruber, S Veilleux, HWW Spoon, A Verma, N Christopher, R Davies, A Sternberg, R Genzel, L Tacconi

Abstract:

Full range Herschel/PACS spectroscopy of the (ultra)luminous infrared galaxies NGC 4418 and Arp 220, observed as part of the SHINING key programme, reveals high excitation in H 2O, OH, HCN, and NH 3. In NGC 4418, absorption lines were detected with E lower > 800 K (H 2O), 600 K (OH), 1075 K (HCN), and 600 K (NH 3), while in Arp 220 the excitation is somewhat lower. While outflow signatures in moderate excitation lines are seen in Arp 220 as have been seen in previous studies, in NGC 4418 the lines tracing its outer regions are redshifted relative to the nucleus, suggesting an inflow with M ≲ 12 M yr -1. Both galaxies have compact and warm (T dust ≳ 100 K) nuclear continuum components, together with a more extended and colder component that is much more prominent and massive in Arp 220. A chemical dichotomy is found in both sources: on the one hand, the nuclear regions have high H 2O abundances, ∼10 -5, and high HCN/H 2O and HCN/NH 3 column density ratios of 0.1-0.4 and 2-5, respectively, indicating a chemistry typical of evolved hot cores where grain mantle evaporation has occurred. On the other hand, the high OH abundance, with OH/H 2O ratios of ∼0.5, indicates the effects of X-rays and/or cosmic rays. The nuclear media have high surface brightnesses (≳ 10 13 L⊙/kpc 2) and are estimated to be very thick (N H≳ 10 25 cm -2). While NGC 4418 shows weak absorption in H 218O and 18OH, with a 16O-to- 18O ratio of ≳ 250-500, the relatively strong absorption of the rare isotopologues in Arp 220 indicates 18O enhancement, with 16O-to- 18O of 70-130. Further away from the nuclear regions, the H 2O abundance decreases to ≲ 10 -7 and the OH/H 2O ratio is reversed relative to the nuclear region to 2.5-10. Despite the different scales and morphologies of NGC 4418, Arp 220, and Mrk 231, preliminary evidence is found for an evolutionary sequence from infall, hot-core like chemistry, and solar oxygen isotope ratio to high velocity outflow, disruption of the hot core chemistry and cumulative high mass stellar processing of 18O. © ESO, 2012.

The SAURON project-XXI. The spatially-resolved UV-line strength relations of early-type galaxies

(2012)

Authors:

Hyunjin Jeong, Sukyoung K Yi, Martin Bureau, Roger L Davies, Roland Bacon, Michele Cappellari, P Tim de Zeeuw, Eric Emsellem, Jesus Falcon-Barroso, Davor Krajnovic, Harald Kuntschner, Richard M McDermid, Reynier F Peletier, Marc Sarzi, Remco CE van den Bosch, Glenn van de Ven

The ATLAS 3D project - XI. Dense molecular gas properties of CO-luminous early-type galaxies

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 421:2 (2012) 1298-1314

Authors:

A Crocker, M Krips, M Bureau, LM Young, TA Davis, E Bayet, K Alatalo, L Blitz, M Bois, F Bournaud, M Cappellari, RL Davies, PT de Zeeuw, PA Duc, E Emsellem, S Khochfar, D Krajnović, H Kuntschner, PY Lablanche, RM Mcdermid, R Morganti, T Naab, T Oosterloo, M Sarzi, N Scott, P Serra, AM Weijmans

Abstract:

Surveying 18 12CO-bright galaxies from the ATLAS 3D early-type galaxy sample with the Institut de Radio Astronomie Millimétrique (IRAM) 30-m telescope, we detect 13CO(1-0) and 13CO(2-1) in all 18 galaxies, HCN(1-0) in 12/18 and HCO +(1-0) in 10/18. We find that the line ratios 12CO(1-0)/ 13CO(1-0) and 12CO(1-0)/HCN(1-0) are clearly correlated with several galaxy properties: total stellar mass, luminosity-weighted mean stellar age, molecular-to-atomic gas ratio, dust temperature and dust morphology. We suggest that these correlations are primarily governed by the optical depth in the 12CO lines; interacting, accreting and/or starbursting early-type galaxies have more optically thin molecular gas while those with settled dust and gas discs host optically thick molecular gas. The ranges of the integrated line intensity ratios generally overlap with those of spirals, although we note some outliers in the 12CO(1-0)/ 13CO(1-0), 12CO(2-1)/ 13CO(2-1) and HCN/HCO +(1-0) ratios. In particular, three galaxies are found to have very low 12CO(1-0)/ 13CO(1-0) and 12CO(2-1)/ 13CO(2-1) ratios. Such low ratios may signal particularly stable molecular gas which creates stars less efficiently than 'normal' (i.e. below Schmidt-Kennicutt prediction), consistent with the low dust temperatures seen in these galaxies. © 2012 The Authors Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society © 2012 RAS.