Engineering topics

Weiner, Benjamin J.

Publications and source records attributed to Weiner, Benjamin J..

8 records

DOE OSTI2022

Extending the SAGA Survey (xSAGA). I. Satellite Radial Profiles as a Function of Host-galaxy Properties

We present "Extending the Satellites Around Galactic Analogs Survey" (xSAGA), a method for identifying low-z galaxies on the basis of optical imaging and results on the spatial distributions of xSAGA satellites around host galaxies. Using spectroscopic redshift catalogs from the SAGA Survey as a training data set, we have optimized a convolutional neural network (CNN) to identify z < 0.03 galaxies from more-distant objects using image cutouts from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys. From the sample of >100,000 CNN-selected low-z galaxies, we identify >20,000 probable satellites located between 36–300 projected kpc from NASA-Sloan Atlas central galaxies in the stellar-mass range $9.5\lt \mathrm{log}({M}_{\star }/{M}_{\odot })\lt 11$. We characterize the incompleteness and contamination for CNN-selected samples and apply corrections in order to estimate the true number of satellites as a function of projected radial distance from their hosts. Satellite richness depends strongly on host stellar mass, such that more-massive host galaxies have more satellites, and on host morphology, such that elliptical hosts have more satellites than disky hosts with comparable stellar masses. We also find a strong inverse correlation between satellite richness and the magnitude gap between a host and its brightest satellite. The normalized satellite radial distribution between 36–300 kpc does not depend on host stellar mass, morphology, or magnitude gap. The satellite abundances and radial distributions we measure are in reasonable agreement with predictions from hydrodynamic simulations. Our results deliver unprecedented statistical power for studying satellite galaxy populations and highlight the promise of using machine-learning for extending galaxy samples of wide-area surveys.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS2014

Kinematic Evolution of Simulated Star-Forming Galaxies

Recent observations have shown that star-forming galaxies like our own Milky Way evolve kinematically into ordered thin disks over the last approximately 8 billion years since z = 1.2, undergoing a process of "disk settling." For the first time, we study the kinematic evolution of a suite of four state of the art "zoom in" hydrodynamic simulations of galaxy formation and evolution in a fully cosmological context and compare with these observations. Until now, robust measurements of the internal kinematics of simulated galaxies were lacking as the simulations suffered from low resolution, overproduction of stars, and overly massive bulges. The current generation of simulations has made great progress in overcoming these difficulties and is ready for a kinematic analysis. We show that simulated galaxies follow the same kinematic trends as real galaxies: they progressively decrease in disordered motions (sigma(sub g)) and increase in ordered rotation (V(sub rot)) with time. The slopes of the relations between both sigma(sub g) and V(sub rot) with redshift are consistent between the simulations and the observations. In addition, the morphologies of the simulated galaxies become less disturbed with time, also consistent with observations. This match between the simulated and observed trends is a significant success for the current generation of simulations, and a first step in determining the physical processes behind disk settling.

Evolution↗

NASA NTRS2013

Confirmation of Small Dynamical and Stellar Masses for Extreme Emission Line Galaxies at z Approx. 2

Spectroscopic observations from the Large Binocular Telescope and the Very Large Telescope reveal kinematically narrow lines (approx. 50 km/s) for a sample of 14 extreme emission line galaxies at redshifts 1.4 < z < 2.3. These measurements imply that the total dynamical masses of these systems are low (< or approx. 3 × 10(exp 9) M). Their large [O III] (lambda)5007 equivalent widths (500-1100 Angstroms) and faint blue continuum emission imply young ages of 10-100 Myr and stellar masses of 10(exp 8)-10(exp 9)M, confirming the presence of a violent starburst. The dynamical masses represent the first such determinations for low-mass galaxies at z > 1. The stellar mass formed in this vigorous starburst phase represents a large fraction of the total (dynamical) mass, without a significantly massive underlying population of older stars. The occurrence of such intense events in shallow potentials strongly suggests that supernova-driven winds must be of critical importance in the subsequent evolution of these systems.

Confirmation↗

NASA NTRS2013

High-Resolution Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of an Equivalent Width-Selected Sample of Starbursting Dwarf Galaxies

Spectroscopic observations from the Large Binocular Telescope and the Very Large Telescope reveal kinematically narrow lines (approx. 50 km/s) for a sample of 14 Extreme Emission Line Galaxies (EELGs) at redshifts 1.4 < zeta < 2.3. These measurements imply that the total dynamical masses of these systems are low ( 3 × 10(exp 9) M). Their large [O III]5007 equivalent widths (500 − 1100 A) and faint blue continuum emission imply young ages of 10−100 Myr and stellar masses of 10(exp 8)−10(exp 9) M, confirming the presence of a violent starburst. The stellar mass formed in this vigorous starburst phase thus represents a large fraction of the total (dynamical) mass, without a significantly massive underlying population of older stars. The occurrence of such intense events in shallow potentials strongly suggests that supernova-driven winds must be of critical importance in the subsequent evolution of these systems.

Spectroscopy↗

NASA NTRS2013

The DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey: Design, Observations, Data Reduction, and Redshifts

We describe the design and data analysis of the DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey, the densest and largest high-precision redshift survey of galaxies at z approx. 1 completed to date. The survey was designed to conduct a comprehensive census of massive galaxies, their properties, environments, and large-scale structure down to absolute magnitude MB = −20 at z approx. 1 via approx.90 nights of observation on the Keck telescope. The survey covers an area of 2.8 Sq. deg divided into four separate fields observed to a limiting apparent magnitude of R(sub AB) = 24.1. Objects with z approx. < 0.7 are readily identifiable using BRI photometry and rejected in three of the four DEEP2 fields, allowing galaxies with z > 0.7 to be targeted approx. 2.5 times more efficiently than in a purely magnitude-limited sample. Approximately 60% of eligible targets are chosen for spectroscopy, yielding nearly 53,000 spectra and more than 38,000 reliable redshift measurements. Most of the targets that fail to yield secure redshifts are blue objects that lie beyond z approx. 1.45, where the [O ii] 3727 Ang. doublet lies in the infrared. The DEIMOS 1200 line mm(exp −1) grating used for the survey delivers high spectral resolution (R approx. 6000), accurate and secure redshifts, and unique internal kinematic information. Extensive ancillary data are available in the DEEP2 fields, particularly in the Extended Groth Strip, which has evolved into one of the richest multiwavelength regions on the sky. This paper is intended as a handbook for users of the DEEP2 Data Release 4, which includes all DEEP2 spectra and redshifts, as well as for the DEEP2 DEIMOS data reduction pipelines. Extensive details are provided on object selection, mask design, biases in target selection and redshift measurements, the spec2d two-dimensional data-reduction pipeline, the spec1d automated redshift pipeline, and the zspec visual redshift verification process, along with examples of instrumental signatures or other artifacts that in some cases remain after data reduction. Redshift errors and catastrophic failure rates are assessed through more than 2000 objects with duplicate observations. Sky subtraction is essentially photon-limited even under bright OH sky lines; we describe the strategies that permitted this, based on high image stability, accurate wavelength solutions, and powerful B-spline modeling methods. We also investigate the impact of targets that appear to be single objects in ground-based targeting imaging but prove to be composite in Hubble Space Telescope data; they constitute several percent of targets at z approx. 1, approaching approx. 5%-10% at z > 1.5. Summary data are given that demonstrate the superiority of DEEP2 over other deep high-precision redshift surveys at z approx. 1 in terms of redshift accuracy, sample number density, and amount of spectral information. We also provide an overview of the scientific highlights of the DEEP2 survey thus far.

Galaxy↗

NASA NTRS2012

The Epoch of Disk Settling: Z Approximately Equal to 1 to Now

We present evidence from a sample of 544 galaxies from the DEEP2 Survey for evolution of the internal kinematics of blue galaxies over 0.2 < z < 1.2. DEEP2 provides a large sample of high resolution galaxy spectra and dual-band Hubble imaging from which we measure emission-line kinematics and galaxy inclinations, respectively. Our large sample allows us to overcome scatter intrinsic to galaxy properties, in order to examine trends. At a fixed stellar mass, galaxies systematically decrease in disturbed motions and increase in rotation velocity and potential well depth with time. The most massive galaxies are the most well-ordered at all times, with higher rotation velocities and less disturbed motions compared to less massive galaxies. We quantify disturbed motions with an integrated gas velocity dispersion (sigma(sub g)), which is unlike the typical pressure-supported velocity dispersion measured for early type galaxies and galaxy bulges. Due to finite slit width and seeing, sigma(sub g) integrates over unresolved velocity gradients which can correspond to non-ordered gas kinematics such as small-scale velocity gradients, gas motions due to star-formation, or super-imposed clumps along the line-of-sight. We compile surveys of galaxy kinematics over 1.2 < z < 3.8 and do not find any trends with redshift, likely because these studies are biased toward the most highly star-forming systems. In summary, over the last approx 8 billion years since z = 1.2, blue galaxies evolve from disturbed to ordered systems as they settle to become the rotation-dominated disk galaxies observed in the Universe today, with the most massive galaxies always being the most evolved at any time.

Kassin, Susan A.↗

NASA NTRS2011

A CANDELS WFC3 Grism Study of Emission-Line Galaxies at Z approximates 2: A mix of Nuclear Activity and Low-Metallicity Star Formation

We present Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 slitless grism spectroscopy of 28 emission-line galaxies at z approximates 2, in the GOODS-S region of the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS). The high sensitivity of these grism observations, with > 5-sigma detections of emission lines to f > 2.5 X 10(exp -18( erg/s/ square cm, means that the galaxies in the sample are typically approximately 7 times less massive (median M(star). = 10(exp 9.5)M(solar)) than previously studied z approximates 2 emission-line galaxies. Despite their lower mass, the galaxies have [O-III]/H-Beta ratios which are very similar to previously studied z approximates 2 galaxies and much higher than the typical emission-line ratios of local galaxies. The WFC3 grism allows for unique studies of spatial gradients in emission lines, and we stack the two-dimensional spectra of the galaxies for this purpose. In the stacked data the [O-III] emission line is more spatially concentrated than the H-Beta emission line with 98.1% confidence. We additionally stack the X-ray data (all sources are individually undetected), and find that the average L(sub [O-III])/L(sub 0.5.10keV) ratio is intermediate between typical z approximates 0 obscured active galaxies and star-forming galaxies. Together the compactness of the stacked [O-III] spatial profile and the stacked X-ray data suggest that at least some of these low-mass, low-metallicity galaxies harbor weak active galactic nuclei.

Trump, Jonathan R.↗

NASA NTRS2004

The X-ray halo of an extremely luminous LSB disk galaxy

We are continuing to refine our upper limit on emission from halo gas in Malin 2. The upper limit is, of course, below the detected flux, but is made more difficult to quantify by the disk and possible AGN sources. We are also exploring spectral and spatial-size constraints to help separate the sources of emission. On the theory side, more recent work on the X-ray halo luminosity from halo gas leftover from galaxy formation has lowered the prediction for disk galaxies (e.g. Toft et al. 2002, MNRAS, 335, 799). While our upper limit is well below the original prediction, refinements in model have moved the theoretical goalposts, so that the observation may be consistent with newer models. A recent theoretical development, which our observations of Malin 2 appear to support, is that a substantial amount of mass can be accreted onto galaxies without being heated at a virial shock. The previous standard theory was that gas accreting into a halo hits a virial shock and is heated to high temperatures, which could produce X-ray halos in massive galaxies. Recent models show that "smooth accretion" of matter bypasses the virial shocking (Murali e t al. 2002, ApJ, 571, 1; Birnboim & Dekel 2003, MNRAS, 345, 349). Additionally, new hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy mergers by UCSC graduate student T. J. Cox show that hot gas halos can be created by gas blown out from the merger, taking up orbital energy of the merging galaxies (Cox et al. 2004, ApJ, 607, L87). If mergers rather than virial shocking are the origin of hot gas halos, the existence of an X-ray halo should depend more on past merger activity than halo mass. Then it makes sense that elliptical galaxies and poor groups with ellipticals, which are probably formed in mergers, have X-ray gas halos; while a giant, quiescent LSB disk galaxy like Malin 2, which has never suffered a major merger, does not have an X-ray halo. While both the observational expectations and theoretical models have changed since we began this project, which has forced us to re-evaluate the goals, we are pressing forward to firm up the observations and put them in context of the current models for X-ray halos of massive galaxies.

Weiner, Benjamin J.↗