Search

Galaxy evolution can be dramatically affected by the environment, especially by the dense environment of a galaxy cluster. Recent observational studies show that massive galaxies undergoing strong ram-pressure stripping (RPS) have an enhanced frequency of nuclear activity. We investigate this topic using a suite of wind-tunnel hydrodynamical simulations of a massive M star = 1011 M ⊙ disk galaxy with 39 pc resolution and including star formation and stellar feedback. We find that RPS increases the inflow of gas to the galaxy center regardless of the wind impact angle. This increase is driven by the mixing of interstellar and nonrotating intracluster media at all wind angles, and by increased torque on the inner disk gas, mainly from local pressure gradients when the intracluster medium (ICM) wind has an edge-on component. In turn, the strong pressure torques are driven by rising ram pressure. We estimate the black hole (BH) accretion using Bondi–Hoyle and torque models, and compare it with the mass flux in the central 140 pc region. We find that the torque model predicts much less accretion onto the BH of a RPS galaxy than the Bondi–Hoyle estimator. We argue that both models are incomplete: the commonly used torque model does not account for torques caused by the gas distribution or local pressure gradients, while the Bondi–Hoyle estimator depends on the sound speed of the hot gas, which includes the ICM in stripped galaxies. An estimator that accounts for this missing physics is required to capture BH accretion in a RPS galaxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New analyses of gravitational-wave events raise questions about the nature of some events. For example, LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA initially determined GW151226 to be a merger with a mass ratio q ≈ 0.5 and effective inspiral spin χ eff ≈ 0.2. However, recent works offer an alternative picture: GW151226 is a lower mass ratio event q ≈ 0.3 with slightly higher spin χ eff ≈ 0.3. This discrepancy has been challenging to resolve, as a wide range of differences are employed for each analysis. This work introduces a "deep follow-up" framework to efficiently compute the posterior odds between two different peaks in parameter space. In doing so, we aim to help resolve disputes about the true nature of gravitational-wave events associated with conflicting astrophysical interpretations. Our proposal is not a replacement for standard inference techniques; instead, our method provides a diagnostic tool to understand discrepancies between conflicting results. We demonstrate this method by studying three q–χ eff peaks proposed for GW151226. We find that the (q ∼ 0.5, χ eff ∼ 0.2) interpretation is only slightly preferred over the (q ∼ 0.3, χ eff ∼ 0.3) hypothesis with posterior odds of ∼1.7 ± 0.4, suggesting that neither of the two peaks can be ruled out. We discuss strategies to produce more reliable parameter estimation studies in gravitational-wave astronomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study conducted using CALIFA survey data has found that the orbital motions of neighbor galaxies are coherent with the spin direction of a target galaxy on scales of many megaparsecs. We study this so-called “large-scale coherence” phenomenon using N -body cosmological simulations. We confirm a strong coherence signal within 1 Mpc h âˆ'1 of a target galaxy, reaching out to 6 Mpc h âˆ'1. We divide the simulation halos into subsamples based on mass, spin, merger history, and local halo number density for both target and neighbor halos. We find a clear dependency on the mass of the target halo only. Another key parameter is the local number density of both target and neighbor halos, with high-density regions such as clusters and groups providing the strongest coherence signals, rather than filaments or lower-density regions. However we do not find a clear dependency on halo spin or time since last major merger. The most striking result we find is that the signal can be detected up to 15 Mpc h âˆ'1 from massive halos. These results provide valuable lessons on how observational studies could more clearly detect coherence, and we discuss the implications of our results for the origins of large-scale coherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We model long-term variations in the scintillation of binary pulsar PSR J1603âˆ'7202, observed by the 64 m Parkes radio telescope (Murriyang) between 2004 and 2016. We find that the time variation in the scintillation arc curvature is well-modeled by scattering from an anisotropic thin screen of plasma between the Earth and the pulsar. Using our scintillation model, we measure the inclination angle and longitude of ascending node of the orbit, yielding a significant improvement over the constraints from pulsar timing. From our measurement of the inclination angle, we place a lower bound on the mass of J1603âˆ'7202's companion of ≳0.5 M ⊙ assuming a pulsar mass of ≳1.2 M ⊙. We find that the scintillation arcs are most pronounced when the electron column density along the line of sight is increased, and that arcs are present during a known extreme scattering event. We measure the distance to the interstellar plasma and its velocity, and we discuss some structures seen in individual scintillation arcs within the context of our model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are promising environments for the assembly of merging binary black hole (BBH) systems. Interest in AGNs as nurseries for merging BBHs is rising, following the detection of gravitational waves from a BBH system from the purported pair-instability mass gap, most notably GW190521. AGNs have also been invoked to explain the formation of the high-mass-ratio system GW190814. We draw on simulations of BBH systems in AGNs to propose a phenomenological model for the distribution of black hole spins of merging binaries in AGN disks. The model incorporates distinct features that make the AGN channel potentially distinguishable from other channels, such as assembly in the field and in globular clusters. The model parameters can be mapped heuristically to the age and density of the AGN disks. We estimate the extent to which different populations of mergers in AGNs can be distinguished. If the majority of merging black holes are assembled in AGNs, future gravitational-wave observations may provide insights into the dynamics of AGN disks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results from MUSE spatially resolved spectroscopy of 21 post-starburst galaxies in the centers of eight clusters from z ∼ 0.3 to z ∼ 0.4. We measure spatially resolved star formation histories (SFHs), the time since quenching (t Q ), and the fraction of stellar mass assembled in the past 1.5 Gyr (μ 1.5). The SFHs display a clear enhancement of star formation prior to quenching for 16 out of 21 objects, with at least 10% (and up to >50%) of the stellar mass being assembled in the past 1.5 Gyr and t Q ranging from less than 100 to ∼800 Myr. By mapping t Q and μ 1.5, we analyze the quenching patterns of the galaxies. Most galaxies in our sample have quenched their star formation from the outside in or show a side-to-side/irregular pattern, both consistent with quenching by ram pressure stripping. Only three objects show an inside-out quenching pattern, all of which are at the high-mass end of our sample. At least two of them currently host an active galactic nucleus. In two post-starbursts, we identify tails of ionized gas indicating that these objects had their gas stripped by ram pressure very recently. Post-starburst features are also found in the stripped regions of galaxies undergoing ram pressure stripping in the same clusters, confirming the link between these classes of objects. Our results point to ram pressure stripping as the main driver of fast quenching in these environments, with active galactic nuclei playing a role at high stellar masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil cluster A2261 is well studied, but previous studies give contradictory results on its dynamical states, such as its X-ray central entropy and magnitude gap. To improve our understanding of its dynamical state, we conduct multiobject spectroscopic observations with Hectospec on the MMT, covering an area out to 5 virial radii from the cluster center, and get improved completeness and membership. Using these new data, we calculate multiple dynamical indicators, including Gaussianity, distance offset, and velocity offset. These indicators suggest that A2261 is moderately relaxed. However, a Dresslerâ€"Shectman test reveals a group candidate to the south at a projected distance that is near the virial radius and overlaps with an X-ray tail-like feature. One of the galaxies associated with that group would be sufficiently bright to reduce the fossil magnitude gap. This raises the possibility that A2261 could have recently transited in fossil status, if the group had previously crossed the cluster and is only now found outside. In the cluster outskirts, we see an extended feature of galaxies located on the opposite side of the cluster from the group candidate. On even larger scales, we find that this feature connects, both on the sky and in velocity space, with a long (4.4 Mpc) filamentary structure in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey data. This could support the idea that a group was fed into the cluster through the filament, temporarily breaking the fossil status and resulting in a minor merger that weakly disturbed the intracluster medium of the cluster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a multiwavelength study of the double radio-relic cluster A1240 at z = 0.195. Our Subaru-based weak-lensing analysis detects three mass clumps forming an ∼4 Mpc filamentary structure elongated in a northâ€"south orientation. The northern ( M 200 = 2.61 âˆ' 0.60 + 0.51 Ă— 10 14 M ⊙ ) and middle ( M 200 = 1.09 âˆ' 0.43 + 0.34 Ă— 10 14 M ⊙ ) mass clumps separated by ∼1.3 Mpc are associated with A1240 and colocated with the X-ray peaks and cluster galaxy overdensities revealed by Chandra and MMT/Hectospec observations, respectively. The southern mass clump ( M 200 = 1.78 âˆ' 0.55 + 0.44 Ă— 10 14 M ⊙ ), ∼1.5 Mpc to the south of the middle clump, coincides with the galaxy overdensity in A1237, the A1240 companion cluster at z = 0.194. Considering the positions, orientations, and polarization fractions of the double radio relics measured by the LOFAR study, we suggest that A1240 is a postmerger binary system in the returning phase with a time since collision of ∼1.7 Gyr. With the SDSS DR16 data analysis, we also find that A1240 is embedded in the much larger scale (∼80 Mpc) filamentary structure whose orientation is in remarkable agreement with the hypothesized merger axis of A1240. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our companion paper (Brought to Light I: Michea et al.), we reveal spectacular spiral-galaxy-like features in deep optical imaging of nine Virgo early-type dwarf galaxies, hidden beneath a dominating smooth stellar disk. Using a new combination of approaches, we find that bar- and spiral-like features contribute 2.2%–6.4% of the total flux within 2 Reff. In this study, we conduct high-resolution simulations of cluster harassment of passive dwarf galaxies. Following close pericenter passages of the cluster core, tidal triggering generates features in our model disks that bear a striking resemblance to the observed features. However, we find the disks must be highly rotationally supported (Vpeak/σ0 ∼ 3), much higher than typically observed. We propose that some early-type dwarfs may contain a few percent of their mass in a cold, thin disk that is buried in the light of a hot, diffuse disk and only revealed when they undergo tidal triggering. The red optical colors of our sample do not indicate any recent significant star formation, and our simulations show that very plunging pericenter passages (rperi < 0.25rvir) are required for tidal triggering. Thus, many cluster early-type dwarfs with less-plunging orbits may host a yet-undetected cold stellar disk component. We discuss possible origin scenarios and consider why similar-mass star-forming galaxies in the field are significantly more thin-disk dominated than in our cluster sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the stellar and gas kinematics of the brightest group galaxies (BGGs) in dynamically relaxed and unrelaxed galaxy groups for a sample of 154 galaxies in the SAMI galaxy survey. We characterize the dynamical state of the groups using the luminosity gap between the two most luminous galaxies and the BGG offset from the luminosity centroid of the group. We find that the misalignment between the rotation axis of gas and stellar components is more frequent in the BGGs in unrelaxed groups, although with quite low statistical significance. Meanwhile, galaxies whose stellar dynamics would be classified as "regular rotators" based on their kinemetry are more common in relaxed groups. We confirm that this dependency on group dynamical state remains valid at fixed stellar mass and Sérsic index. The observed trend could potentially originate from a differing BGG accretion history in virialized and evolving groups. Among the halo relaxation probes, the group BGG offset appears to play a stronger role than the luminosity gap on the stellar kinematic differences of the BGGs. However, both the group BGG offset and luminosity gap appear to roughly equally drive the misalignment between the gas and stellar component of the BGGs in one direction. This study offers the first evidence that the dynamical state of galaxy groups may influence the BGG's stellar and gas kinematics, and we call for further studies using a larger sample with higher signal-to-noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the stellar populations of passive spiral galaxies as a function of mass and environment, using integral field spectroscopy data from the Sydney-AAO Multi-object Integral field spectrograph Galaxy Survey. Our sample consists of 52 cluster passive spirals and 18 group/field passive spirals, as well as a set of S0s used as a control sample. The age and [Z/H] estimated by measuring Lick absorption line strength indices both at the center and within 1Re do not show a significant difference between the cluster and the field/group passive spirals. However, the field/group passive spirals with log(M⋆/M⊙) ≳ 10.5 show decreasing [α/Fe] along with stellar mass, which is ∼0.1 dex smaller than that of the cluster passive spirals. We also compare the stellar populations of passive spirals with S0s. In the clusters, we find that passive spirals show slightly younger age and lower [α/Fe] than the S0s over the whole mass range. In the field/group, stellar populations show a similar trend between passive spirals and S0s. In particular, [α/Fe] of the field/group S0s tend to be flattening with increasing mass above log(M⋆/M⊙) ≳ 10.5, similar to the field/group passive spirals. We relate the age and [α/Fe] of passive spirals to their mean infall time in phase space; we find a positive correlation, in agreement with the prediction of numerical simulations. We discuss the environmental processes that can explain the observed trends. The results lead us to conclude that the formation of the passive spirals and their transformation into S0s may significantly depend on their environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A521 has been a subject of extensive panchromatic studies from X-ray to radio. The cluster possesses a number of remarkable features, including a bright radio relic with a steep spectrum, more than three distinct galaxy groups forming a filament, and two disturbed X-ray peaks at odds with the distant position and tilted orientation of the radio relic. These lines of evidence indicate a complex merger. In this paper, we present a multiwavelength study of A521 based on Subaru optical, Hubble Space Telescope infrared, Chandra X-ray, Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope radio, and Multiple Mirror Telescope optical spectroscopic observations. Our weak-lensing (WL) analysis with improved systematics control reveals that A521 is mainly composed of three substructures aligned in the northwest to southeast orientation. These WL mass substructures are remarkably well-aligned with the cluster optical luminosity distribution constructed from our new enhanced cluster member catalog. These individual substructure masses are determined by simultaneously fitting three Navarro–Frenk–White profiles. We find that the total mass of A521 modeled by the superposition of the three halos is , a factor of 2 higher than the previous WL measurement. With these WL mass constraints combined with X-ray and radio features, we consider two merging scenarios, carry out the corresponding numerical simulations, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A clear link between a dwarf–dwarf merger event and enhanced star formation (SF) in the recent past was recently identified in the gas-dominated merger remnant VCC 848, offering by far the clearest view of a gas-rich late-stage dwarf–dwarf merger. We present a joint analysis of JVLA H i emission line mapping, optical imaging, and numerical simulations of VCC 848 in order to examine the effect of the merger on the stellar and gaseous distributions. VCC 848 has less than 30% of its H i gas concentrated within the central high-surface-brightness star-forming region, while the remaining H i is entrained in outlying tidal features. Particularly, a well-defined tidal arm reaches N(H i) comparable to the galaxy center but lacks SF. The molecular gas mass inferred from the current SF rate (SFR) dominates over the atomic gas mass in the central ∼1.5 kpc. VCC 848 is consistent with being a main-sequence star-forming galaxy for its current stellar mass and SFR. The H ii region luminosity distribution largely agrees with that of normal dwarf irregulars with similar luminosities, except that the brightest H ii region is extraordinarily luminous. Our N-body/hydrodynamical simulations imply that VCC 848 is a merger between a gas-dominated primary progenitor and a gas-bearing star-dominated secondary. The progenitors had their first passage on a near-radial noncoplanar orbit more than 1 Gyr ago. The merger did not build up a core as compact as typical compact dwarfs with a centralized starburst, which may be partly ascribed to the star-dominated nature of the secondary and, in a general sense, a negative stellar feedback following intense starbursts triggered at early stages of the merger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the serendipitous discovery of a collision ring galaxy, identified as 2MASX J06470249+4554022, which we have dubbed "Auriga's Wheel," found in a SUPRIME-CAM frame as part of a larger Milky Way survey. This peculiar class of galaxies is the result of a near head-on collision typically between a late-type and an early-type galaxy. Subsequent Gemini Multi-object Spectrograph North long-slit spectroscopy has confirmed both the relative proximity of the components of this interacting pair and has shown that it has a redshift of 0.111. Analysis of the spectroscopy reveals that the late-type galaxy is a LINER class active galactic nucleus (AGN) while the early-type galaxy is also potentially an AGN candidate: this is very uncommon among known collision ring galaxies. Preliminary modeling of the ring finds an expansion velocity of ~200 km s-1 consistent with our observations, making the collision about 50 Myr old. The ring currently has a radius of about 10 kpc and a bridge of stars and gas is also visible connecting the two galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]