ORCID Profile
0000-0001-7039-9078
Current Organisation
University of Oxford
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Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 30-11-2020
Abstract: The Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) will observe several Deep Drilling Fields (DDFs) to a greater depth and with a more rapid cadence than the main survey. In this paper, we describe the ‘DeepDrill’ survey, which used the Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) to observe three of the four currently defined DDFs in two bands, centred on 3.6 and 4.5 μm. These observations expand the area that was covered by an earlier set of observations in these three fields by the Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey (SERVS). The combined DeepDrill and SERVS data cover the footprints of the LSST DDFs in the Extended Chandra Deep Field–South (ECDFS) field, the ELAIS-S1 field (ES1), and the XMM-Large-Scale Structure Survey field (XMM-LSS). The observations reach an approximate 5σ point-source depth of 2 μJy (corresponding to an AB magnitude of 23.1 sufficient to detect a 10$^{11} \\, \\mathrm{M}_{\\odot}$ galaxy out to z ≈ 5) in each of the two bands over a total area of $\\approx 29\\,$ deg2. The dual-band catalogues contain a total of 2.35 million sources. In this paper, we describe the observations and data products from the survey, and an overview of the properties of galaxies in the survey. We compare the source counts to predictions from the Shark semi-analytic model of galaxy formation. We also identify a population of sources with extremely red ([3.6]−[4.5] & .2) colours which we show mostly consists of highly obscured active galactic nuclei.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 18-11-2022
Abstract: We present deep 1.4 GHz source counts from ∼5 deg2 of the continuum Early Science data release of the MeerKAT International Gigahertz Tiered Extragalactic Exploration survey down to S1.4GHz ∼15 $\\mu$Jy. Using observations over two extragalactic fields (COSMOS and XMM-LSS), we provide a comprehensive investigation into correcting the incompleteness of the raw source counts within the survey to understand the true underlying source count population. We use a variety of simulations that account for: errors in source detection and characterization, clustering, and variations in the assumed source model used to simulate sources within the field and characterize source count incompleteness. We present these deep source count distributions and use them to investigate the contribution of extragalactic sources to the sky background temperature at 1.4 GHz using a relatively large sky area. We then use the wealth of ancillary data covering a subset of the COSMOS field to investigate the specific contributions from both active galactic nuclei (AGN) and star-forming galaxies (SFGs) to the source counts and sky background temperature. We find, similar to previous deep studies, that we are unable to reconcile the sky temperature observed by the ARCADE 2 experiment. We show that AGN provide the majority contribution to the sky temperature contribution from radio sources, but the relative contribution of SFGs rises sharply below 1 mJy, reaching an approximate 15–25 per cent contribution to the total sky background temperature (Tb ∼100 mK) at ∼15 $\\mu$Jy.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 29-04-2023
Abstract: Source classifications, stellar masses, and star-formation rates are presented for ≈80 000 radio sources from the first data release of the Low Frequency Array Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) Deep Fields, which represents the widest deep radio survey ever undertaken. Using deep multi-wavelength data spanning from the ultraviolet to the far-infrared, spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting is carried out for all of the LoTSS Deep host galaxies using four different SED codes, two of which include modelling of the contributions from an active galactic nucleus (AGN). Comparing the results of the four codes, galaxies that host a radiative AGN are identified, and an optimized consensus estimate of the stellar mass and star-formation rate for each galaxy is derived. Those galaxies with an excess of radio emission over that expected from star formation are then identified, and the LoTSS Deep sources are ided into four classes: star-forming galaxies, radio-quiet AGN, and radio-loud high-excitation and low-excitation AGN. Ninety-five per cent of the sources can be reliably classified, of which more than two-thirds are star-forming galaxies, ranging from normal galaxies in the nearby Universe to highly-starbursting systems at z & 4. Star-forming galaxies become the dominant population below 150-MHz flux densities of ≈1 mJy, accounting for 90 per cent of sources at S150MHz ∼ 100 μJy. Radio-quiet AGN comprise ≈10 per cent of the overall population. Results are compared against the predictions of the SKADS and T-RECS radio sky simulations, and improvements to the simulations are suggested.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 08-07-2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 26-06-2020
Abstract: Galaxy clusters have long been theorized to quench the star formation of their members. This study uses integral-field unit observations from the K-band MultiObject Spectrograph (KMOS) – Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) survey (K-CLASH) to search for evidence of quenching in massive galaxy clusters at redshifts 0.3 & z & 0.6. We first construct mass-matched s les of exclusively star-forming cluster and field galaxies, then investigate the spatial extent of their H α emission and study their interstellar medium conditions using emission line ratios. The average ratio of H α half-light radius to optical half-light radius ($r_{\\mathrm{e}, {\\rm {H}\\,\\alpha }}/r_{\\mathrm{e}, R_{\\mathrm{c} } }$) for all galaxies is 1.14 ± 0.06, showing that star formation is taking place throughout stellar discs at these redshifts. However, on average, cluster galaxies have a smaller $r_{\\mathrm{e}, {\\rm {H}\\alpha }}/r_{\\mathrm{e}, R_{\\mathrm{c} } }$ ratio than field galaxies: 〈$r_{\\mathrm{e}, {\\rm {H}\\alpha }}/r_{\\mathrm{e}, R_{\\mathrm{c} } }$〉 = 0.96 ± 0.09 compared to 1.22 ± 0.08 (smaller at a 98 per cent credibility level). These values are uncorrected for the wavelength difference between H α emission and Rc-band stellar light but implementing such a correction only reinforces our results. We also show that whilst the cluster and field s les follow indistinguishable mass–metallicity (MZ) relations, the residuals around the MZ relation of cluster members correlate with cluster-centric distance galaxies residing closer to the cluster centre tend to have enhanced metallicities (significant at the 2.6σ level). Finally, in contrast to previous studies, we find no significant differences in electron number density between the cluster and field galaxies. We use simple chemical evolution models to conclude that the effects of disc strangulation and ram-pressure stripping can quantitatively explain our observations.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 14-12-2020
Abstract: We report the discovery of two new giant radio galaxies (GRGs) using the MeerKAT International GHz Tiered Extragalactic Exploration (MIGHTEE) survey. Both GRGs were found within a ${\\sim}1\\,$ deg2 region inside the COSMOS field. They have redshifts of z = 0.1656 and z = 0.3363 and physical sizes of 2.4 and 2.0 Mpc, respectively. Only the cores of these GRGs were clearly visible in previous high-resolution Very Large Array observations, since the diffuse emission of the lobes was resolved out. However, the excellent sensitivity and uv coverage of the new MeerKAT telescope allowed this diffuse emission to be detected. The GRGs occupy an unpopulated region of radio power – size parameter space. Based on a recent estimate of the GRG number density, the probability of finding two or more GRGs with such large sizes at z & 0.4 in a ${\\sim}1\\,$ deg2 field is only 2.7 × 10−6, assuming Poisson statistics. This supports the hypothesis that the prevalence of GRGs has been significantly underestimated in the past due to limited sensitivity to low surface brightness emission. The two GRGs presented here may be the first of a new population to be revealed through surveys like MIGHTEE that provide exquisite sensitivity to diffuse, extended emission.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 22-05-2020
Abstract: We present the KMOS-CLASH (K-CLASH) survey, a K-band Multi-Object Spectrograph (KMOS) survey, of the spatially resolved gas properties and kinematics of 191 (pre-dominantly blue) H α-detected galaxies at 0.2 ≲ z ≲ 0.6 in field and cluster environments. K-CLASH targets galaxies in four Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) fields in the KMOS IZ-band, over 7 arcmin radius (≈2–3 Mpc) fields of view. K-CLASH aims to study the transition of star-forming galaxies from turbulent, highly star-forming disc-like and peculiar systems at z ≈ 1–3, to the comparatively quiescent, ordered late-type galaxies at z ≈ 0, and to examine the role of clusters in the build-up of the red sequence since z ≈ 1. In this paper, we describe the K-CLASH survey, present the s le, and provide an overview of the K-CLASH galaxy properties. We demonstrate that our s le comprises star-forming galaxies typical of their stellar masses and epochs, residing both in field and cluster environments. We conclude K-CLASH provides an ideal s le to bridge the gap between existing large integral-field spectroscopy surveys at higher and lower redshifts. We find that star-forming K-CLASH cluster galaxies at intermediate redshifts have systematically lower stellar masses than their star-forming counterparts in the field, hinting at possible ‘downsizing’ scenarios of galaxy growth in clusters at these epochs. We measure no difference between the star formation rates of H α-detected, star-forming galaxies in either environment after accounting for stellar mass, suggesting that cluster quenching occurs very rapidly during the epochs probed by K-CLASH, or that star-forming K-CLASH galaxies in clusters have only recently arrived there, with insufficient time elapsed for quenching to have occurred.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 20-06-2020
Abstract: Modern radio telescopes are routinely reaching depths where normal star-forming galaxies are the dominant observed population. Realizing the potential of radio as a tracer of star formation and black hole activity over cosmic time involves achieving such depths over representative volumes, with radio forming part of a larger multiwavelength c aign. In pursuit of this, we used the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to image ∼5 deg2 of the VIDEO/XMM-LSS extragalactic deep field at 1–2 GHz. We achieve a median depth of 16 µJy beam−1 with an angular resolution of 4.5 arcsec. Comparisons with existing radio observations of XMM-LSS showcase the improved survey speed of the upgraded VLA: we cover 2.5 times the area and increase the depth by ∼20 per cent in 40 per cent of the time. Direction-dependent calibration and wide-field imaging were required to suppress the error patterns from off-axis sources of even modest brightness. We derive a catalogue containing 5762 sources from the final mosaic. Sub-band imaging provides in-band spectral indices for 3458 (60 per cent) sources, with the average spectrum becoming flatter than the canonical synchrotron slope below 1 mJy. Positional and flux density accuracy of the observations, and the differential source counts are in excellent agreement with those of existing measurements. A public release of the images and catalogue accompanies this article.
Publisher: EDP Sciences
Date: 04-2021
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202038813
Abstract: We present the source associations, cross-identifications, and multi-wavelength properties of the faint radio source population detected in the deep tier of the LOFAR Two Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS): the LoTSS Deep Fields. The first LoTSS Deep Fields data release consists of deep radio imaging at 150 MHz of the ELAIS-N1, Lockman Hole, and Boötes fields, down to RMS sensitives of around 20, 22, and 32 μ Jy beam −1 , respectively. These fields are some of the best studied extra-galactic fields in the northern sky, with existing deep, wide-area panchromatic photometry from X-ray to infrared wavelengths, covering a total of ≈26 deg 2 . We first generated improved multi-wavelength catalogues in ELAIS-N1 and Lockman Hole combined with the existing catalogue for Boötes, we present forced, matched aperture photometry for over 7.2 million sources across the three fields. We identified multi-wavelength counterparts to the radio detected sources, using a combination of the Likelihood Ratio method and visual classification, which greatly enhances the scientific potential of radio surveys and allows for the characterisation of the photometric redshifts and the physical properties of the host galaxies. The final radio-optical cross-matched catalogue consists of 81 951 radio-detected sources, with counterparts identified and multi-wavelength properties presented for 79 820 ( %) sources. We also examine the properties of the host galaxies, and through stacking analysis find that the radio population with no identified counterpart is likely dominated by active galactic nuclei (AGN) at z ~ 3−4. This dataset contains one of the largest s les of radio-selected star-forming galaxies and AGN at these depths, making it ideal for studying the history of star-formation, and the evolution of galaxies and AGN across cosmic time.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 13-07-2020
Abstract: Our understanding of how active galactic nucleus feedback operates in galaxy clusters has improved in recent years owing to large efforts in multiwavelength observations and hydrodynamical simulations. However, it is much less clear how feedback operates in galaxy groups, which have shallower gravitational potentials. In this work, using very deep Very Large Array and new MeerKAT observations from the MIGHTEE survey, we compiled a s le of 247 X-ray selected galaxy groups detected in the COSMOS field. We have studied the relation between the X-ray emission of the intra-group medium and the 1.4 GHz radio emission of the central radio galaxy. For comparison, we have also built a control s le of 142 galaxy clusters using ROSAT and NVSS data. We find that clusters and groups follow the same correlation between X-ray and radio emission. Large radio galaxies hosted in the centres of groups and merging clusters increase the scatter of the distribution. Using statistical tests and Monte Carlo simulations, we show that the correlation is not dominated by biases or selection effects. We also find that galaxy groups are more likely than clusters to host large radio galaxies, perhaps owing to the lower ambient gas density or a more efficient accretion mode. In these groups, radiative cooling of the intra-cluster medium could be less suppressed by active galactic nucleus heating. We conclude that the feedback processes that operate in galaxy clusters are also effective in groups.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 08-05-2020
Abstract: We present an overview and description of the e-MERGE Survey (e-MERLIN Galaxy Evolution Survey) Data Release 1 (DR1), a large program of high-resolution 1.5-GHz radio observations of the GOODS-N field comprising ∼140 h of observations with enhanced-Multi-Element Remotely Linked Interferometer Network (e-MERLIN) and ∼40 h with the Very Large Array (VLA). We combine the long baselines of e-MERLIN (providing high angular resolution) with the relatively closely packed antennas of the VLA (providing excellent surface brightness sensitivity) to produce a deep 1.5-GHz radio survey with the sensitivity (${\\sim}1.5\\, \\mu$ Jy beam−1), angular resolution (0.2–0.7 arcsec) and field-of-view (∼15 × 15 arcmin2) to detect and spatially resolve star-forming galaxies and active galactic nucleus (AGN) at $z$ ≳ 1. The goal of e-MERGE is to provide new constraints on the deep, sub-arcsecond radio sky which will be surveyed by SKA1-mid. In this initial publication, we discuss our data analysis techniques, including steps taken to model in-beam source variability over an ∼20-yr baseline and the development of new point spread function rimary beam models to seamlessly merge e-MERLIN and VLA data in the uv plane. We present early science results, including measurements of the luminosities and/or linear sizes of ∼500 galaxies selected at 1.5 GHz. In combination with deep Hubble Space Telescope observations, we measure a mean radio-to-optical size ratio of re-MERGE/rHST ∼ 1.02 ± 0.03, suggesting that in most high-redshift galaxies, the ∼GHz continuum emission traces the stellar light seen in optical imaging. This is the first in a series of papers that will explore the ∼kpc-scale radio properties of star-forming galaxies and AGN in the GOODS-N field observed by e-MERGE DR1.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 20-12-2019
Abstract: Accurate methods for reverberation mapping using photometry are highly sought after since they are inherently less resource intensive than spectroscopic techniques. However, the effectiveness of photometric reverberation mapping for estimating black hole masses is sparsely investigated at redshifts higher than z ≈ 0.04. Furthermore, photometric methods frequently assume a d ed random walk (DRW) model, which may not be universally applicable. We perform photometric reverberation mapping using the javelin photometric DRW model for the QSO SDSS-J144645.44+625304.0 at z = 0.351 and estimate the Hβ lag of $65^{+6}_{-1}$ d and black hole mass of $10^{8.22^{+0.13}_{-0.15}}\\, \\mathrm{M_{\\odot }}$. An analysis of the reliability of photometric reverberation mapping, conducted using many thousands of simulated CARMA process light curves, shows that we can recover the input lag to within 6 per cent on average given our target’s observed signal-to-noise of & and average cadence of 14 d (even when DRW is not applicable). Furthermore, we use our suite of simulated light curves to deconvolve aliases and artefacts from our QSO’s posterior probability distribution, increasing the signal-to-noise on the lag by a factor of ∼2.2. We exceed the signal-to-noise of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping Project (SDSS-RM) c aign with a quarter of the observing time per object, resulting in a ∼200 per cent increase in signal-to-noise efficiency over SDSS-RM.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 09-03-2021
Abstract: Using high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope imaging data, we perform a visual morphological classification of ∼36 000 galaxies at z & 1 in the deep extragalactic visible legacy survey/cosmological evolution survey region. As the main goal of this study, we derive the stellar mass function (SMF) and stellar mass density (SMD) sub- ided by morphological types. We find that visual morphological classification using optical imaging is increasingly difficult at z & 1 as the fraction of irregular galaxies and merger systems (when observed at rest-frame UV/blue wavelengths) dramatically increases. We determine that roughly two-thirds of the total stellar mass of the Universe today was in place by z ∼ 1. Double-component galaxies dominate the SMD at all epochs and increase in their contribution to the stellar mass budget to the present day. Elliptical galaxies are the second most dominant morphological type and increase their SMD by ∼2.5 times, while by contrast, the pure-disc population significantly decreases by $\\sim 85{{\\ \\rm per\\ cent}}$. According to the evolution of both high- and low-mass ends of the SMF, we find that mergers and in situ evolution in discs are both present at z & 1, and conclude that double-component galaxies are predominantly being built by the in situ evolution in discs (apparent as the growth of the low-mass end with time), while mergers are likely responsible for the growth of ellipticals (apparent as the increase of intermediate/high-mass end).
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 08-2022
Abstract: We present the first measurements of H i galaxy scaling relations from a blind survey at z 0.15. We perform spectral stacking of 9023 spectra of star-forming galaxies undetected in H i at 0.23 z 0.49, extracted from MIGHTEE-H i Early Science data cubes, acquired with the MeerKAT radio telescope. We stack galaxies in bins of galaxy properties (stellar mass M * , star formation rateSFR, and specific star formation rate sSFR, with sSFR ≡ M * /SFR), obtaining ≳5 σ detections in most cases, the strongest H i -stacking detections to date in this redshift range. With these detections, we are able to measure scaling relations in the probed redshift interval, finding evidence for a moderate evolution from the median redshift of our s le z med ∼ 0.37 to z ∼ 0. In particular, low- M * galaxies ( log 10 ( M * / M ⊙ ) ∼ 9 ) experience a strong H i depletion (∼0.5 dex in log 10 ( M H I / M ⊙ ) ), while massive galaxies ( log 10 ( M * / M ⊙ ) ∼ 11 ) keep their H i mass nearly unchanged. When looking at the star formation activity, highly star-forming galaxies evolve significantly in M H I ( f H I , where f H I ≡ M H I / M * ) at fixed SFR (sSFR), while at the lowest probed SFR (sSFR) the scaling relations show no evolution. These findings suggest a scenario in which low- M * galaxies have experienced a strong H i depletion during the last ∼5 Gyr, while massive galaxies have undergone a significant H i replenishment through some accretion mechanism, possibly minor mergers. Interestingly, our results are in good agreement with the predictions of the simba simulation. We conclude that this work sets novel important observational constraints on galaxy scaling relations.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 14-12-2021
Abstract: Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are typically identified through radio, mid-infrared, or X-ray emission or through the presence of broad and/or narrow emission lines. AGN can also leave an imprint on a galaxy’s spectral energy distribution (SED) through the re-processing of photons by the dusty torus. Using the SED fitting code ProSpect with an incorporated AGN component, we fit the far-ultraviolet to far-infrared SEDs of ∼494 000 galaxies in the D10-COSMOS field and ∼230 000 galaxies from the GAMA survey. By combining an AGN component with a flexible star formation and metallicity implementation, we obtain estimates for the AGN luminosities, stellar masses, star formation histories, and metallicity histories for each of our galaxies. We find that ProSpect can identify AGN components in 91 per cent of galaxies pre-selected as containing AGN through narrow-emission line ratios and the presence of broad lines. Our ProSpect-derived AGN luminosities show close agreement with luminosities derived for X-ray selected AGN using both the X-ray flux and previous SED fitting results. We show that incorporating the flexibility of an AGN component when fitting the SEDs of galaxies with no AGN has no significant impact on the derived galaxy properties. However, in order to obtain accurate estimates of the stellar properties of AGN host galaxies, it is crucial to include an AGN component in the SED fitting process. We use our derived AGN luminosities to map the evolution of the AGN luminosity function for 0 & z & 2 and find good agreement with previous measurements and predictions from theoretical models.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 21-10-2021
Abstract: MIGHTEE is a galaxy evolution survey using simultaneous radio continuum, spectropolarimetry, and spectral line observations from the South African MeerKAT telescope. When complete, the survey will image ∼20 deg2 over the COSMOS, E-CDFS, ELAIS-S1, and XMM-Newton Large Scale Structure field (XMM-LSS) extragalactic deep fields with a central frequency of 1284 MHz. These were selected based on the extensive multiwavelength data sets from numerous existing and forthcoming observational c aigns. Here, we describe and validate the data processing strategy for the total intensity continuum aspect of MIGHTEE, using a single deep pointing in COSMOS (1.6 deg2) and a three-pointing mosaic in XMM-LSS (3.5 deg2). The processing includes the correction of direction-dependent effects, and results in thermal noise levels below 2 $\\mathrm{\\mu }$Jy beam−1 in both fields, limited in the central regions by classical confusion at ∼8 arcsec angular resolution, and meeting the survey specifications. We also produce images at ∼5 arcsec resolution that are ∼3 times shallower. The resulting image products form the basis of the Early Science continuum data release for MIGHTEE. From these images we extract catalogues containing 9896 and 20 274 radio components in COSMOS and XMM-LSS, respectively. We also process a close-packed mosaic of 14 additional pointings in COSMOS and use these in conjunction with the Early Science pointing to investigate methods for primary beam correction of broad-band radio images, an analysis that is of relevance to all full-band MeerKAT continuum observations, and wide-field interferometric imaging in general. A public release of the MIGHTEE Early Science continuum data products accompanies this article.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 11-2021
Abstract: We present the 1.4 GHz radio luminosity functions (RLFs) of galaxies in the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field, measured above and below the 5σ detection threshold, using a Bayesian model-fitting technique. The radio flux densities from Very Large Array (VLA)-COSMOS 3-GHz data are extracted at the position of stellar-mass-selected galaxies. We fit a local RLF model, which is a combination of active galactic nuclei and star-forming galaxies (SFGs), in 10 redshift bins with a pure luminosity evolution model. Our RLF exceeds previous determinations at low radio luminosities at z & 1.6 with the same radio data, due to our ability to directly constrain the knee and faint-end slope of the RLF. Beyond z ∼ 2, we find that the SFG part of the RLF exhibits a negative evolution (L* moves to lower luminosities) due to the decrease in low stellar-mass galaxies in our s le at high redshifts. From the RLF for SFGs, we determine the evolution in the cosmic star formation rate density (SFRD), which we find to be consistent with the established behaviour up to z ∼ 1 using far-infrared data, but exceeds that from the previous radio-based work for the reasons highlighted above. Beyond z ∼ 1.5 the cosmic SFRD declines. We note that the relation between radio luminosity and star formation rate is crucial in measuring the cosmic SFRD from radio data at z & 1.5. We investigate the effects of stellar mass on the total RLF by splitting our s le into low (108.5 ≤ M/M⊙ ≤ 1010) and high ($M\\gt 10^{10}\\, \\mathrm{M}_{\\odot }$) stellar-mass subsets. We find that the SFRD is dominated by sources in the high stellar masses bin, at all redshifts.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 05-06-2021
Abstract: The Deep Extragalactic VIsible Legacy Survey (DEVILS) is an ongoing high-completeness, deep spectroscopic survey of ∼60 000 galaxies to Y & 21.2 mag, over ∼6 deg2 in three well-studied deep extragalactic fields: D10 (COSMOS), D02 (XMMLSS), and D03 (ECDFS). Numerous DEVILS projects all require consistent, uniformly derived and state-of-the-art photometric data with which to measure galaxy properties. Existing photometric catalogues in these regions either use varied photometric measurement techniques for different facilities/wavelengths leading to inconsistencies, older imaging data and/or rely on source detection and photometry techniques with known problems. Here, we use the ProFound image analysis package and state-of-the-art imaging data sets (including Subaru-HSC, VST-VOICE, VISTA-VIDEO, and UltraVISTA-DR4) to derive matched-source photometry in 22 bands from the FUV to 500 $\\mu$m. This photometry is found to be consistent, or better, in colour analysis to previous approaches using fixed-size apertures (which are specifically tuned to derive colours), but produces superior total source photometry, essential for the derivation of stellar masses, star formation rates, star formation histories, etc. Our photometric catalogue is described in detail and, after internal DEVILS team projects, will be publicly released for use by the broader scientific community.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 09-11-2021
Abstract: We present the evolution of the star formation dispersion–stellar mass relation (σSFR–M⋆) in the DEVILS D10 region using new measurements derived using the ProSpect spectral energy distribution fitting code. We find that σSFR–M⋆ shows the characteristic ‘U-shape’ at intermediate stellar masses from 0.1 & z & 0.7 for a number of metrics, including using the deconvolved intrinsic dispersion. A physical interpretation of this relation is the combination of stochastic star formation and stellar feedback causing large scatter at low stellar masses and AGN feedback causing asymmetric scatter at high stellar masses. As such, the shape of this distribution and its evolution encodes detailed information about the astrophysical processes affecting star formation, feedback and the lifecycle of galaxies. We find that the stellar mass that the minimum σSFR occurs evolves linearly with redshift, moving to higher stellar masses with increasing lookback time and traces the turnover in the star-forming sequence. This minimum σSFR point is also found to occur at a fixed specific star formation rate (sSFR) at all epochs (sSFR ∼ 10−9.6 Gyr−1). The physical interpretation of this is that there exists a maximum sSFR at which galaxies can internally self-regulate on the tight sequence of star formation. At higher sSFRs, stochastic stellar processes begin to cause galaxies to be pushed both above and below the star-forming sequence leading to increased SFR dispersion. As the Universe evolves, a higher fraction of galaxies will drop below this sSFR threshold, causing the dispersion of the low stellar mass end of the star-forming sequence to decrease with time.
Publisher: EDP Sciences
Date: 04-2021
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202038809
Abstract: The Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) is a sensitive, high-resolution 120-168 MHz survey split across multiple tiers over the northern sky. The first LoTSS Deep Fields data release consists of deep radio continuum imaging at 150 MHz of the Boötes, European Large Area Infrared Space Observatory Survey-North 1, and Lockman Hole fields, down to rms sensitivities of ~32, 20, and 22 μ Jy beam −1 , respectively. In this paper we present consistent photometric redshift (photo- z ) estimates for the optical source catalogues in all three fields – totalling over 7 million sources (~5 million after limiting to regions with the best photometric coverage). Our photo- z estimation uses a hybrid methodology that combines template fitting and machine learning and is optimised to produce the best possible performance for the radio continuum selected sources and the wider optical source population. Comparing our results with spectroscopic redshift s les, we find a robust scatter ranging from 1.6 to 2% for galaxies and 6.4 to 7% for identified optical, infrared, or X-ray selected active galactic nuclei. Our estimated outlier fractions (| z phot − z spec |/(1+ z spec ) .15) for the corresponding subsets range from 1.5 to 1.8% and 18 to 22%, respectively. Replicating trends seen in analyses of previous wide-area radio surveys, we find no strong trend in photo- z quality as a function of radio luminosity for a fixed redshift. We exploit the broad wavelength coverage available within each field to produce galaxy stellar mass estimates for all optical sources at z 1.5. Stellar mass functions derived for each field are used to validate our mass estimates, with the resulting estimates in good agreement between each field and with published results from the literature.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 08-2022
Abstract: We study the nature of the faint radio source population detected in the MeerKAT International GHz Tiered Extragalactic Exploration (MIGHTEE) Early Science data in the COSMOS field, focusing on the properties of the radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Using the extensive multiwavelength data available in the field, we are able to classify 88 per cent of the 5223 radio sources in the field with host galaxy identifications as AGNs (35 per cent) or star-forming galaxies (54 per cent). We select a s le of radio-loud AGNs with redshifts out to z ∼ 6 and radio luminosities 1020 & L1.4 GHz/W Hz−1 & 1027 and classify them as high-excitation and low-excitation radio galaxies (HERGs and LERGs). The classification catalogue is released with this work. We find no significant difference in the host galaxy properties of the HERGs and LERGs in our s le. In contrast to previous work, we find that the HERGs and LERGs have very similar Eddington-scaled accretion rates in particular we identify a population of very slowly accreting AGNs that are formally classified as HERGs at these low radio luminosities, where separating into HERGs and LERGs possibly becomes redundant. We investigate how black hole mass affects jet power, and find that a black hole mass ≳ 107.8 M⊙ is required to power a jet with mechanical power greater than the radiative luminosity of the AGN (Lmech/Lbol & 1). We discuss that both a high black hole mass and black hole spin may be necessary to launch and sustain a dominant radio jet.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 30-04-2022
Abstract: We present a complete structural analysis of the ellipticals (E), diffuse bulges (dB), compact bulges (cB), and discs (D) within a redshift range 0 & z & 1, and stellar mass log10(M*/M⊙) ≥ 9.5 volume-limited s le drawn from the combined DEVILS and HST-COSMOS region. We use the profit code to profile over ∼35 000 galaxies for which visual classification into single or double component was pre-defined in Paper-I. Over this redshift range, we see a growth in the total stellar mass density (SMD) of a factor of 1.5. At all epochs we find that the dominant structure, contributing to the total SMD, is the disc, and holds a fairly constant share of $\\sim 60{{\\ \\rm per\\ cent}}$ of the total SMD from z = 0.8 to z = 0.2, dropping to $\\sim 30{{\\ \\rm per\\ cent}}$ at z = 0.0 (representing $\\sim 33{{\\ \\rm per\\ cent}}$ decline in the total disc SMD). Other classes (E, dB, and cB) show steady growth in their numbers and integrated stellar mass densities. By number, the most dramatic change across the full mass range is in the growth of diffuse bulges. In terms of total SMD, the biggest gain is an increase in massive elliptical systems, rising from 20 per cent at z = 0.8 to equal that of discs at z = 0.0 (30 per cent) representing an absolute mass growth of a factor of 2.5. Overall, we see a clear picture of the emergence and growth of all three classes of spheroids over the past 8 Gyr, and infer that in the later half of the Universe’s timeline spheroid-forming processes and pathways (secular evolution, mass-accretion, and mergers) appear to dominate mass transformation over quiescent disc growth.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 05-2022
Abstract: In the local universe, OH megamasers (OHMs) are detected almost exclusively in infrared-luminous galaxies, with a prevalence that increases with IR luminosity, suggesting that they trace gas-rich galaxy mergers. Given the proximity of the rest frequencies of OH and the hyperfine transition of neutral atomic hydrogen (H i ), radio surveys to probe the cosmic evolution of H i in galaxies also offer exciting prospects for exploiting OHMs to probe the cosmic history of gas-rich mergers. Using observations for the Looking At the Distant Universe with the MeerKAT Array (LADUMA) deep H i survey, we report the first untargeted detection of an OHM at z 0.5, LADUMA J033046.20−275518.1 (nicknamed “Nkalakatha”). The host system, WISEA J033046.26−275518.3, is an infrared-luminous radio galaxy whose optical redshift z ≈ 0.52 confirms the MeerKAT emission-line detection as OH at a redshift z OH = 0.5225 ± 0.0001 rather than H i at lower redshift. The detected spectral line has 18.4 σ peak significance, a width of 459 ± 59 km s −1 , and an integrated luminosity of (6.31 ± 0.18 [statistical] ± 0.31 [systematic]) × 10 3 L ⊙ , placing it among the most luminous OHMs known. The galaxy’s far-infrared luminosity L FIR = (1.576 ±0.013) × 10 12 L ⊙ marks it as an ultraluminous infrared galaxy its ratio of OH and infrared luminosities is similar to those for lower-redshift OHMs. A comparison between optical and OH redshifts offers a slight indication of an OH outflow. This detection represents the first step toward a systematic exploitation of OHMs as a tracer of galaxy growth at high redshifts.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 26-02-2021
Abstract: We present a revised measurement of the optical extragalactic background light (EBL), based on the contribution of resolved galaxies to the integrated galaxy light (IGL). The cosmic optical background radiation (COB), encodes the light generated by star formation, and provides a wealth of information about the cosmic star formation history (CSFH). We combine wide and deep galaxy number counts from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly survey (GAMA) and Deep Extragalactic VIsible Legacy Survey (DEVILS), along with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) archive and other deep survey data sets, in nine multiwavelength filters to measure the COB in the range from 0.35 μm to 2.2 μm. We derive the luminosity density in each band independently and show good agreement with recent and complementary estimates of the optical-EBL from very high-energy (VHE) experiments. Our error analysis suggests that the IGL and γ-ray measurements are now fully consistent to within $\\sim 10{{\\ \\rm per\\ cent}}$, suggesting little need for any additional source of diffuse light beyond the known galaxy population. We use our revised IGL measurements to constrain the CSFH, and place litude constraints on a number of recent estimates. As a consistency check, we can now demonstrate convincingly, that the CSFH, stellar mass growth, and the optical-EBL provide a fully consistent picture of galaxy evolution. We conclude that the peak of star formation rate lies in the range 0.066–0.076 M⊙ yr−1 Mpc−3 at a lookback time of 9.1 to 10.9 Gyr.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 05-06-2019
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 15-01-2020
Abstract: We present the radio luminosity function (RLF) of optically selected quasars below 1 mJy, constructed by applying a Bayesian-fitting stacking technique to objects well below the nominal radio flux density limit. We test the technique using simulated data, confirming that we can reconstruct the RLF over three orders of magnitude below the typical 5σ detection threshold. We apply our method to 1.4-GHz flux densities from the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters (FIRST) survey, extracted at the positions of optical quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey over seven redshift bins up to z = 2.15, and measure the RLF down to two orders of magnitude below the FIRST detection threshold. In the lowest redshift bin (0.2 & z & 0.45), we find that our measured RLF agrees well with deeper data from the literature. The RLF for the radio-loud quasars flattens below $\\log _{10}[L_{1.4}/{\\rm W\\, Hz}^{-1}] \\approx 25.5$ and becomes steeper again below $\\log _{10}[L_{1.4}/{\\rm W\\, Hz}^{-1}] \\approx 24.8$, where radio-quiet quasars start to emerge. The radio luminosity where radio-quiet quasars emerge coincides with the luminosity where star-forming galaxies are expected to start dominating the radio source counts. This implies that there could be a significant contribution from star formation in the host galaxies, but additional data are required to investigate this further. The higher redshift bins show a similar behaviour to the lowest z bin, implying that the same physical process may be responsible.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 23-03-2023
Abstract: The transformation and evolution of a galaxy is strongly influenced by interactions with its environment. Neutral hydrogen (H i) is an excellent way to trace these interactions. Here, we present H i observations of the spiral galaxy NGC 895, which was previously thought to be isolated. High-sensitivity H i observations from the MeerKAT large survey project MIGHTEE reveal possible interaction features, such as extended spiral arms and the two newly discovered H i companions, that drive us to change the narrative that it is an isolated galaxy. We combine these observations with deep optical images from the Hyper Suprime Camera to show an absence of tidal debris between NGC 895 and its companions. We do find an excess of light in the outer parts of the companion galaxy MGTH$\\_$J022138.1-052631, which could be an indication of external perturbation and thus possible sign of interactions. Our analysis shows that NGC 895 is an actively star-forming galaxy with a SFR of 1.75 ± 0.09[M⊙/yr], a value typical for high-stellar mass galaxies on the star-forming main sequence. It is reasonable to state that different mechanisms may have contributed to the observed features in NGC 895, and this emphasizes the need to revisit the target with more detailed observations. Our work shows the high potential and synergy of using state-of-the-art data in both H i and optical to reveal a more complete picture of galaxy environments.
Publisher: EDP Sciences
Date: 04-2021
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202039343
Abstract: In this paper, we investigate the relationship between 150 MHz luminosity and the star-formation rate – the SFR- L 150 MHz relation – using 150 MHz measurements for a near-infrared selected s le of 118 517 z 1 galaxies. New radio survey data offer compelling advantages over previous generation surveys for studying star formation in galaxies, including huge increases in sensitivity, survey speed, and resolution, while remaining impervious to extinction. The LOFAR Surveys Key Science Project is transforming our understanding of the low-frequency radio sky, with the 150 MHz data over the European Large Area Infrared Space Observatory Survey-North 1 field reaching an rms sensitivity of 20 μ Jy beam −1 over 10 deg 2 at 6 arcsec resolution. All of the galaxies studied have SFR and stellar mass estimates that were derived from energy balance spectral energy distribution fitting using redshifts and aperture-matched forced photometry from the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) Deep Fields data release. The impact of active galactic nuclei (AGN) is minimised by leveraging the deep ancillary data in the LoTSS data release, alongside median-likelihood methods that we demonstrate are resistant to AGN contamination. We find a linear and non-evolving SFR- L 150 MHz relation, apparently consistent with expectations based on calorimetric arguments, down to the lowest SFRs 0.01 M ⊙ yr −1 . However, we also recover compelling evidence for stellar mass dependence in line with previous work on this topic, in the sense that higher mass galaxies have a larger 150 MHz luminosity at a given SFR, suggesting that the overall agreement with calorimetric arguments may be a coincidence. We conclude that, in the absence of AGN, 150 MHz observations can be used to measure accurate galaxy SFRs out to z = 1 at least, but it is necessary to account for stellar mass in the estimation in order to obtain 150 MHz-derived SFRs accurate to better than 0.5 dex. Our best-fit relation is log 10 ( L 150 MHz ∕W Hz −1 ) = (0.90 ± 0.01)log 10 ( ψ ∕ M ⊙ yr −1 ) + (0.33 ± 0.04)log 10 ( M ∕10 10 M ⊙ ) + 22.22 ± 0.02.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 16-05-2023
Abstract: We have measured the angular autocorrelation function of near-infrared galaxies in SERVS + DeepDrill, the Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey and its follow-up survey of the Deep Drilling Fields, in three large fields totalling over 20 deg2 on the sky, observed in two bands centred on 3.6 and 4.5 μm. We performed this analysis on the full s le as well as on sources selected by [3.6]–[4.5] colour in order to probe clustering for different redshift regimes. We estimated the spatial correlation strength as well, using the redshift distribution from S-COSMOS with the same source selection. The strongest clustering was found for our bluest subs le, with 〈z〉 ∼ 0.7, which has the narrowest redshift distribution of all our subs les. We compare these estimates to previous results from the literature, but also to estimates derived from mock s les, selected in the same way as the observational data, using deep light-cones generated from the SHARK semi-analytical model of galaxy formation. For all simulated (sub)s les, we find a slightly steeper slope than for the corresponding observed ones, but the spatial clustering length is comparable in most cases.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 15-07-2021
Abstract: We examine the distribution of radio emission from ∼42 000 quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, as measured in the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS). We present a model of the radio luminosity distribution of the quasars that assumes that every quasar displays a superposition of two sources of radio emission: active galactic nuclei (jets) and star formation. Our two-component model provides an excellent match to the observed radio flux density distributions across a wide range of redshifts and quasar optical luminosities this suggests that the jet-launching mechanism operates in all quasars but with different powering efficiency. The wide distribution of jet powers allows for a smooth transition between the ‘radio-quiet’ and ‘radio-loud’ quasar regimes, without need for any explicit bimodality. The best-fitting model parameters indicate that the star formation rate of quasar host galaxies correlates strongly with quasar luminosity and also increases with redshift at least out to z ∼ 2. For a model where star formation rate scales as $L_{\\rm bol}^{\\alpha } (1+z)^{\\beta }$, we find α = 0.47 ± 0.01 and β = 1.61 ± 0.05, in agreement with far-infrared studies. Quasars contribute ≈0.15 per cent of the cosmic star formation rate density at z = 0.5, rising to 0.4 per cent by z ∼ 2. The typical radio jet power is seen to increase with both increasing optical luminosity and black hole mass independently, but does not vary with redshift, suggesting intrinsic properties govern the production of the radio jets. We discuss the implications of these results for the triggering of quasar activity and the launching of jets.
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Matt Jarvis.