ORCID Profile
0000-0003-1614-196X
Current Organisation
IT University of Copenhagen
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Sensory Processes, Perception and Performance | Psychology | Behavioural Ecology |
Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences | Expanding Knowledge in Psychology and Cognitive Sciences | Expanding Knowledge in Technology
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 26-10-2023
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 28-09-2022
Abstract: Galaxy sizes and their evolution over cosmic time have been studied for decades and serve as key tests of galaxy formation models. However, at z ≳ 1 these studies have been limited by a lack of deep, high-resolution rest-frame infrared imaging that accurately traces stellar mass distributions. Here, we leverage the new capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to measure the 4.4 μ m sizes of ∼1000 galaxies with log M * / M ⊙ ≥ 9 and 1.0 ≤ z ≤ 2.5 from public CEERS imaging in the Extended Groth Strip deep field. We compare the sizes of galaxies measured from NIRCam imaging at 4.4 μ m ( λ rest ∼ 1.6 μ m) with sizes measured at 1.5 μ m ( λ rest ∼ 5500 Å). We find that, on average, galaxy half-light radii are ∼9% smaller at 4.4 μ m than 1.5 μ m in this s le. This size difference is markedly stronger at higher stellar masses and redder rest-frame V − J colors: galaxies with M * ∼ 10 11 M ⊙ have 4.4 μ m sizes that are ∼30% smaller than their 1.5 μ m sizes. Our results indicate that galaxy mass profiles are significantly more compact than their rest-frame optical light profiles at cosmic noon, and demonstrate that spatial variations in age and attenuation are important, particularly for massive galaxies. The trend we find here impacts our understanding of the size growth and evolution of galaxies, and suggests that previous studies based on rest-frame optical light may not have captured the mass-weighted structural evolution of galaxies. This paper represents a first step toward a new understanding of the morphologies of early massive galaxies enabled by JWST’s infrared window into the distant universe.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 23-05-2023
Abstract: We select and characterize a s le of massive (log( M * / M ⊙ ) 10.6) quiescent galaxies (QGs) at 3 z 5 in the latest Cosmological Evolution Survey catalog (COSMOS2020). QGs are selected using a new rest-frame color-selection method, based on their probability of belonging to the quiescent group defined by a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) trained on rest-frame colors ( NUV − U , U − V , V − J ) of similarly massive galaxies at 2 z 3. We calculate the quiescent probability threshold above which a galaxy is classified as quiescent using simulated galaxies from the shark semi-analytical model. We find that, at z ≥ 3 in shark , the GMM/ NUVU − VJ method outperforms classical rest-frame UVJ selection and is a viable alternative. We select galaxies as quiescent based on their probability in COSMOS2020 at 3 z 5, and compare the selected s le to both UVJ - and NUVrJ -selected s les. We find that, although the new selection matches UVJ and NUVrJ in number, the overlap between color selections is only ∼50%–80%, implying that rest-frame color commonly used at lower-redshift selections cannot be equivalently used at z 3. We compute median rest-frame spectral energy distributions for our s le and find the median QG at 3 z 5 has a strong Balmer/4000 Å break, and residual NUV flux indicating recent quenching. We find the number densities of the entire quiescent population (including post-starbursts) more than doubles from 3.5 ± 2.2 × 10 −6 Mpc −3 at 4 z 5 to 1.4 ± 0.4 × 10 −5 Mpc −3 at 3 z 4, confirming that the onset of massive galaxy quenching occurs as early as 3 z 5.
Publisher: EDP Sciences
Date: 06-2018
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201732448
Abstract: Context. The merging of galaxies is one key aspect in our favourite hierarchical ΛCDM Universe and is an important channel leading to massive quiescent elliptical galaxies. Understanding this complex transformational process is ongoing. Aims. We aim to study NGC 7252, which is one of the nearest major-merger galaxy remnants, observed ~1 Gyr after the collision of presumably two gas-rich disc galaxies. It is therefore an ideal laboratory to study the processes inherent to the transformation of disc galaxies to ellipticals. Methods. We obtained wide-field IFU spectroscopy with the VLT-VIMOS integral-field spectrograph covering the central 50′′ × 50′′ of NGC 7252 to map the stellar and ionised gas kinematics, and the distribution and conditions of the ionised gas, revealing the extent of ongoing star formation and recent star formation history. Results. Contrary to previous studies, we find the inner gas disc not to be counter-rotating with respect to the stars. In addition, the stellar kinematics appear complex with a clear indication of a prolate-like rotation component which suggests a polar merger configuration. The ongoing star formation rate is 2.2 ± 0.6 M ⊙ yr −1 and implies a typical depletion time of ~2 Gyr given the molecular gas content. Furthermore, the spatially resolved star formation history suggests a slight radial dependence, moving outwards at later times. We confirm a large AGN-ionised gas cloud previously discovered ~5 kpc south of the nucleus, and find a higher ionisation state of the ionised gas at the galaxy centre relative to the surrounding gas disc. Although the higher ionisation towards the centre is potentially degenerate within the central star forming ring, it may be associated with a low-luminosity AGN. Conclusions. Although NGC 7252 has been classified as post-starburst galaxy at the centre, the elliptical-like major-merger remnant still appears very active. A central kpc-scale gas disc has presumably re-formed quickly within the last 100 Myr after final coalescence. The disc features ongoing star formation, implying Gyr long timescale to reach the red sequence through gas consumption alone. While NGC 7252 is useful to probe the transformation from discs to ellipticals, it is not well-suited to study the transformation from blue to red at this point.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 05-2023
Abstract: With just a month of data, JWST is already transforming our view of the universe, revealing and resolving starlight in unprecedented populations of galaxies. Although “HST-dark” galaxies have previously been detected at long wavelengths, these observations generally suffer from a lack of spatial resolution, which limits our ability to characterize their sizes and morphologies. Here we report on a first view of starlight from a subset of the HST-dark population that is bright with JWST/NIRCam (4.4 μ m 24.5 mag) and very faint or even invisible with HST ( .6 μ m). In this Letter we focus on a dramatic and unanticipated population of physically extended galaxies (≳0.″25). These 12 galaxies have photometric redshifts 2 z 6, high stellar masses M ⋆ ≳ 10 10 M ⊙ , and significant dust-attenuated star formation. Surprisingly, the galaxies have elongated projected axis ratios at 4.4 μ m, suggesting that the population is disk dominated or prolate and we hence refer to them as ultrared flattened objects. Most of the galaxies appear red at all radii, suggesting significant dust attenuation throughout. With R e (F444W) ∼ 1–2 kpc, the galaxies are similar in size to compact massive galaxies at z ∼ 2 and the cores of massive galaxies and S0s at z ∼ 0. The stellar masses, sizes, and morphologies of the s le suggest that some could be progenitors of lenticular or fast-rotating galaxies in the local universe. The existence of this population suggests that our previous censuses of the universe may have missed massive, dusty edge-on disks, in addition to dust-obscured starbursts.
Publisher: EDP Sciences
Date: 09-2023
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 02-2023
Abstract: The advent of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) signals a new era in exploring galaxies in the high- z universe. Current and upcoming JWST imaging will potentially detect galaxies at z ∼ 20, creating a new urgency in the quest to infer accurate photometric redshifts (photo- z ) for in idual galaxies from their spectral energy distributions, as well as masses, ages, and star formation rates. Here we illustrate the utility of informed priors encoding previous observations of galaxies across cosmic time in achieving these goals. We construct three joint priors encoding empirical constraints of redshifts, masses, and star formation histories in the galaxy population within the Prospector Bayesian inference framework. In contrast with uniform priors, our model breaks an age–mass–redshift degeneracy, and thus reduces the mean bias error in masses from 0.3 to 0.1 dex, and in ages from 0.6 to 0.2 dex in tests done on mock JWST observations. Notably, our model recovers redshifts at least as accurately as the state-of-the-art photo- z code EAzY in deep JWST fields, but with two advantages: tailoring a model based on a particular survey is rendered mostly unnecessary given well-motivated priors obtaining joint posteriors describing stellar, active galactic nuclei, gas, and dust contributions becomes possible. We can now confidently use the joint distribution to propagate full non-Gaussian redshift uncertainties into inferred properties of the galaxy population. This model, “ Prospector - β ,” is intended for fitting galaxy photometry where the redshift is unknown, and will be instrumental in ensuring the maximum science return from forthcoming photometric surveys with JWST. The code is made publicly available online as a part of Prospector 9 9 The version used in this work corresponds to the state of the Git repository at commit d-j rospector/commit/820ad72363a1f9c22cf03610bfe6e361213385cd . .
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 09-2023
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 11-2022
Abstract: The first few 100 Myr at z 10 mark the last major uncharted epoch in the history of the universe, where only a single galaxy (GN-z11 at z ≈ 11) is currently spectroscopically confirmed. Here we present a search for luminous z 10 galaxies with JWST/NIRCam photometry spanning ≈1–5 μ m and covering 49 arcmin 2 from the public JWST Early Release Science programs (CEERS and GLASS). Our most secure candidates are two M UV ≈ −21 systems: GLASS-z12 and GLASS-z10. These galaxies display abrupt ≳1.8 mag breaks in their spectral energy distributions (SEDs), consistent with complete absorption of flux bluewards of Ly α that is redshifted to z = 12.4 − 0.3 + 0.1 and z = 10.4 − 0.5 + 0.4 . Lower redshift interlopers such as quiescent galaxies with strong Balmer breaks would be comfortably detected at σ in multiple bands where instead we find no flux. From SED modeling we infer that these galaxies have already built up ∼10 9 solar masses in stars over the ≲300–400 Myr after the Big Bang. The brightness of these sources enable morphological constraints. Tantalizingly, GLASS-z10 shows a clearly extended exponential light profile, potentially consistent with a disk galaxy of r 50 ≈ 0.7 kpc. These sources, if confirmed, join GN-z11 in defying number density forecasts for luminous galaxies based on Schechter UV luminosity functions, which require a survey area × larger than we have studied here to find such luminous sources at such high redshifts. They extend evidence from lower redshifts for little or no evolution in the bright end of the UV luminosity function into the cosmic dawn epoch, with implications for just how early these galaxies began forming. This, in turn, suggests that future deep JWST observations may identify relatively bright galaxies to much earlier epochs than might have been anticipated.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 03-04-2020
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 29-07-2023
Abstract: We present the results of a search for high-redshift (z & 9) galaxy candidates in the JWST UNCOVER survey, using deep NIRCam and NIRISS imaging in seven bands over ∼45 arcmin2 and ancillary Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations. The NIRCam observations reach a 5σ limiting magnitude of ∼29.2 AB. The identification of high-z candidates relies on a combination of a dropout selection and photometric redshifts. We find 16 candidates at 9 & z & 12 and three candidates at 12 & z & 13, eight candidates are deemed very robust. Their lensing lification ranges from μ = 1.2 to 11.5. Candidates have a wide range of (lensing corrected) luminosities and young ages, with low stellar masses [6.8 & log(M⋆/M⊙) & 9.5] and low star formation rates (SFR = 0.2–7 M⊙ yr−1), confirming previous findings in early JWST observations of z & 9. A few galaxies at z ∼ 9−10 appear to show a clear Balmer break between the F356W and F444W/F410M bands, which helps constrain their stellar mass. We estimate blue UV continuum slopes between β = −1.8 and −2.3, typical for early galaxies at z & 9 but not as extreme as the bluest recently discovered sources. We also find evidence for a rapid redshift-evolution of the mass-luminosity relation and a redshift evolution of the UV continuum slope for a given range of intrinsic magnitude, in line with theoretical predictions. These findings suggest that deeper JWST observations are needed to reach the fainter galaxy population at those early epochs, and follow-up spectroscopy will help better constrain the physical properties and star formation histories of a larger s le of galaxies.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 25-07-2023
Abstract: Recent JWST/NIRCam imaging taken for the ultra-deep UNCOVER program reveals a very red dropout object at z phot ≃ 7.6, triply imaged by the galaxy cluster A2744 ( z d = 0.308). All three images are very compact, i.e., unresolved, with a delensed size upper limit of r e ≲ 35 pc. The images have apparent magnitudes of m F444W ∼ 25−26 AB, and the magnification-corrected absolute UV magnitude of the source is M UV,1450 = −16.81 ± 0.09. From the sum of observed fluxes and from a spectral energy distribution (SED) analysis, we obtain estimates of the bolometric luminosities of the source of L bol ≳ 10 43 erg s −1 and L bol ∼ 10 44 –10 46 erg s −1 , respectively. Based on its compact, point-like appearance, its position in color–color space, and the SED analysis, we tentatively conclude that this object is a UV-faint dust-obscured quasar-like object, i.e., an active galactic nucleus at high redshift. We also discuss other alternative origins for the object’s emission features, including a massive star cluster, Population III, supermassive, or dark stars, or a direct-collapse black hole. Although populations of red galaxies at similar photometric redshifts have been detected with JWST, this object is unique in that its high-redshift nature is corroborated geometrically by lensing, that it is unresolved despite being magnified—and thus intrinsically even more compact—and that it occupies notably distinct regions in both size–luminosity and color–color space. Planned UNCOVER JWST/NIRSpec observations, scheduled in Cycle 1, will enable a more detailed analysis of this object.
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Start Date: 2014
End Date: 12-2017
Amount: $360,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
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