We explore the possible dependencies of galaxy metal abundance and star-formation rate (SFR) on local environment, focusing on the volume of space in and around the Bootes Void. Our sample of star-forming galaxies comes from the second catalog of the H-alpha-selected KPNO International Spectroscopic Survey (KISS) which overlaps the void. This sample represents a statistically complete, line-flux-limited ensemble of 820 star-forming galaxies, all of which possess metallicity and SFR estimates. We carry out two distinct analyses of the KISS galaxies: one which probes the properties of the entire sample as a function of local density, and a second which details the properties of 33 KISS star-forming galaxies located within the Bootes Void. In both cases we find no evidence that either the metallicity of the KISS galaxies or their SFRs depend on the environments within which the galaxies are located. Our global analysis does show weak trends for decreasing stellar mass, decreasing metallicity, and decreasing SFRs with decreasing local densities. However, we argue that the metallicity and SFR trends are artifacts of the stellar mass - local density trend. In particular, the change in metallicity with density is precisely what one would predict from the mass-metallicity relation given the observed drop in stellar mass with decreasing metallicity. Likewise, the SFR trend with density disappears when one instead considers the mass-normalized specific SFR. The KISS galaxies dwelling in the Bootes Void are found to have nearly identical metallicity and SFR properties to a matched comparison sample, despite the fact that the former are located in density environments that are, on average, more than 16 times lower.
We present a deep far and near-ultraviolet (FUV and NUV) wide-field imaging survey of galaxies in the Bootes Void using Ultra-Violet Imaging Telescope onboard {\em AstroSat}. Our data reach $5σ$ limiting magnitudes for point sources at 23.0 and 24.0 AB mag in FUV and NUV respectively. We report a total of six star-forming galaxies residing in the Bootes Void alongside the full catalog, and of these, three are newly detected in our FUV observation. Our void galaxy sample spans a range of UV colors $(-0.35\, \leq$ FUV$-$NUV $\leq\, 0.68)$ and absolute magnitudes $(-14.16\, \leq\, \mathrm{M_{NUV}…
The origin of star-formation in customarily passively evolving early-type massive galaxies is poorly understood. We present a case study of a massive galaxy, I~Zw~81, inside the Bootes void. The void galaxy is known to host an active galactic nuclei (AGN). Our detailed 2D decomposition of the surface brightness distribution in the $Canada$ $France$ $Hawaii$ $Telescope$ ($CFHT$) g- and r-bands revealed multiple structural components such as a nuclear point source, a bar, a ring, and an inner exponential disk followed by an outer low surface brightness (LSB) disk. I~Zw~81 turns out to be a disk-…
We present medium-resolution spectra of 16 radial velocity red-giant members of the low-luminosity Bootes I dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy, that have sufficient S/N for abundance determination, based on the strength of the Ca II K line. Assuming [Ca/Fe] ~ +0.3, the abundance range in the sample is Delta [Fe/H] ~ 1.7 dex, with one star having [Fe/H] = -3.4. The dispersion is sigma([Fe/H]) = 0.45 +/- 0.08 -- similar to those of the Galaxy's more luminous dSph systems and Omega Centauri. This suggests that the large mass (greater than approximately 10 million solar masses) normally assumed to fos…
The Molecular and Atomic Hydrogen Gas Content of the Boötes Void galaxy CG 910
National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences(中国科学院国家天文台);Physical Research Laboratory(物理研究实验室);Indian Institute of Astrophysics(印度天体物理研究所);Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie (MPIfR)(马克斯·普朗克射电天文研究所)
We present an AAOmega spectroscopic study of red giant stars in Bootes I, which is an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy, and Segue 1, suggested to be either an extremely low-luminosity dwarf galaxy or a star cluster. Our focus is quantifying the mean abundance and abundance dispersion in iron and carbon, and searching for distant radial-velocity members, in these systems. The primary conclusion of our investigation is that the spread of carbon abundance in both Bootes I and Segue 1 is large. For Bootes I, 4 of our 16 velocity members have [C/H] < ~-3.1, while 2 have [C/H] > ~-2.3, suggesting a range of…
We explore the structure and kinematics of a dispersed filament of galaxies residing between the Local Void and the Virgo cluster. For such purpose, we consider a sample of 361 galaxies with radial velocities $V_{LG} < 2000$ km/s inside the sky area of RA = [13.0 ... 18.0]$^h$ and Dec. = [$-$5 ... $+$10]$^\circ$. At present, 161 of them have individual distance estimates. The galaxy distribution on peculiar velocities along the strip exhibits the known Virgo-centric infall at RA < 14$^h$ and some signs of outflow from the Local Void at RA > 17$^h$. Majority of the Bootes strip galaxies (56%) b…
Ultra-faint dwarf galaxies recently discovered around the Milky Way (MW) contain extremely metal-poor stars, and might represent the building blocks of low-metallicity components of the MW. Among them, the Boötes I dwarf spheroidal galaxy is of particular interest because of its exclusively old stellar population. We determine chemical compositions of six red giant stars in Boötes I, based on the high-resolution spectra obtained with the High Dispersion Spectrograph mounted on the Subaru Telescope. Abundances of 12 elements, including C, Na, alpha, Fe-peak, and neutron capture elements, were d…
We present a double-blind analysis of high-dispersion spectra of seven red giant members of the Boötes I ultra-faint dwarf spheroidal galaxy, complemented with re-analysis of a similar spectrum of an eighth member star. The stars cover [Fe/H] from -3.7 to -1.9, and include a CEMP-no star with [Fe/H] = -3.33. We conclude from our chemical abundance data that Boötes I has evolved as a self-enriching star-forming system, from essentially primordial initial abundances. This allows us uniquely to investigate the place of CEMP-no stars in a chemically evolving system, in addition to limiting the tim…
Bootes filament of galaxies is a dispersed chain of groups residing on sky between the Local Void and the Virgo cluster. We consider a sample of 361 galaxies inside the sky area of $RA = 13.0^h ... 18.5^h$ and $Dec = -5^\circ ... +10^\circ$ with radial velocities $V_{LG} < 2000$ km/s to clarify its structure and kinematics. In this region, 161 galaxies have individual distance estimates. We use these data to draw the Hubble relation for galaxy groups, pairs as well as the field galaxies, and to examine the galaxy distribution on peculiar velocities. Our analysis exposes the known Virgo-centric…
We present high-resolution, high-S/N spectra of an extremely metal- poor giant star Boo-1137 in the "ultra-faint" dwarf spheroidal galaxy (dSph) Bootes I (absolute magnitude Mv ~ -6.3). With [Fe/H] = -3.7, this the most metal-poor star yet identified in an ultra-faint dSph. Comparison of relative abundances, [X/Fe], for some 15 elements with those of the extremely metal-poor giants of the Galactic halo shows Boo-1137 is "normal" with respect to C and N, the odd-Z elements Na and Al, the Fe-peak elements, and the n-capture elements Sr and Ba, in comparison with the bulk of the halo with [Fe/H] …
Aim: We establish the mean metallicity from high-resolution spectroscopy for the recently found dwarf spheroidal galaxy Bootes I and test whether it is a common feature for ultra-faint dwarf spheroidal galaxies to show signs of inhomogeneous chemical evolution (e.g. as found in the Hercules dwarf spheroidal galaxy). Methods: We analyse high-resolution, moderate signal-to-noise spectra for seven red giant stars in the Bootes I dSph galaxy using standard abundance analysis techniques. In particular, we assume local thermodynamic equilibrium and employ spherical model atmospheres and codes that t…
We present chemical abundance measurements of two metal-poor red giant stars in the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Bootes I, based on Magellan/MIKE high-resolution spectra. For Boo I-980, with [Fe/H]=-3.1, we present the first elemental abundance measurements while Boo I-127, with [Fe/H]=-2.0, shows abundances in good agreement with previous measurements. Light and iron-peak element abundance ratios in the two Bootes I stars, as well as those of most other Boootes I members, collected from the literature, closely resemble those of regular metal-poor halo stars. Neutron-capture element abundances Sr …
We consider a sample of 412 galaxies with radial velocities $V_{\rm LG} < 2500$ km s$^{-1}$ situated in the sky region of ${\rm RA}=13^h\hspace{-0.4em}.\,0$ ... $19^h\hspace{-0.4em}.\,0$, ${\rm Dec}=+10^{\circ}$ ... $+40^{\circ}$ between the Local Void and the Supergalactic plane. One hundred and eighty-one of them have individual distance estimates. Peculiar velocities of the galaxies as a function of Supergalactic latitude SGB show signs of Virgocentric infall at $SGB < 10^{\circ}$ and motion from the Local Void at $SGB > 60^{\circ}$. A half of the Hercules-Bootes galaxies belong to 17 group…
For three stars in the ultra-faint dwarf (UFD) galaxy Bootes I we have determined the atmospheric parameters, performed a new reduction of high-resolution spectra from the Subaru archive, and derived the abundances of eight chemical elements without using the LTE assumption. As a result, among the galaxies of its class Bootes I now has the largest sample of stars (11) with a homogeneous set of atmospheric parameters and chemical abundances, and this makes it the most promising for studying the chemical evolution of UFD galaxies. We show that in the range -3<[Fe/H]<-2 for each of the three $α$-…
We present high-resolution Magellan/MIKE spectra of the four brightest confirmed red giant stars in the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Bootes II (Boo II). These stars all inhabit the metal-poor tail of the Boo II metallicity distribution function. The chemical abundance pattern of all detectable elements in these stars is consistent with that of the Galactic halo. However, all four stars have undetectable amounts of neutron-capture elements Sr and Ba, with upper limits comparable to the lowest ever detected in the halo or in other dwarf galaxies. One star exhibits significant radial velocity variati…
We study how the void environment affects galactic chemical evolution by comparing the oxygen and nitrogen abundances of dwarf galaxies in voids with dwarf galaxies in denser regions. Using spectroscopic observations from SDSS DR7, we estimate oxygen, nitrogen, and neon abundances of 889 void dwarf galaxies and 672 dwarf galaxies in denser regions. A substitute for the [OII] 3727 doublet is developed, permitting oxygen abundance estimates of SDSS dwarf galaxies at all redshifts with the Direct Te method. We find that void dwarf galaxies have about the same oxygen abundance and Ne/O ratio, slig…
We present a chemical abundance study of the brightest confirmed member star of the ultrafaint dwarf galaxy Bootes II from Keck/HIRES high-resolution spectroscopy at moderate signal-to-noise ratios. At [Fe/H] = -2.93 +/- 0.03 (stat.) +/- 0.17 (sys.) this star chemically resembles metal-poor halo field stars and the signatures of other faint dwarf spheroidal galaxies at the same metallicities in that it shows enhanced [alpha/Fe] ratios, Solar Fe-peak element abundances, and low upper limits on the neutron-capture element Ba. Moreover, this star shows no chemical peculiarities in any of the eigh…
The abundance of active galactic nuclei (AGN) in cosmic voids is relatively unexplored in the literature, but can potentially provide new constraints on the environmental dependence of AGN activity and the AGN-host co-evolution. We investigated AGN fraction in one of the largest samples of optically selected cosmic voids from SDSS Data Release 12 for redshift range 0.2-0.7 for moderately bright and bright AGN. We separated inner and outer void regions based on the void size, given by its effective void radius. We classified galaxies at a distance < 0.6Reff as inner void members and galaxies in…
Cosmic voids have been shown to be an effective probe of cosmology, complementary to galaxy clusters. In this work, we present a simple theoretical framework for predicting of the size of the largest voids expected within a given redshift and volume. Our model is based on the exact extreme-value statistics which has previously been successfully applied to massive galaxy clusters. We implement our formalism using the void-abundance models and compare the extreme-void predictions to simulations and observations. We find that the simplest void models can only explain the extreme-void abundance wi…
We present the results of a low-resolution spectral abundance study of 25 stars in the Bootes I dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy. The data were obtained with the LRIS instrument at Keck Observatory, and allow us to measure [Fe/H], [C/Fe], and [alpha/Fe] for each star. We find both a large spread in metallicity (2.1 dex in [Fe/H]) as well as the low average metallicity in this system, <[Fe/H]>=-2.59, matching previous estimates. This sample includes a newly discovered extremely metal-poor star, with [Fe/H]=-3.8, that is one of the most metal-poor stars yet found in a dSph. We compare the metallic…
We examine how the cosmic environment affects the chemical evolution of galaxies in the Universe by comparing the N/O ratio of dwarf galaxies in voids with dwarf galaxies in more dense regions. Ratios of the forbidden [O III] and [S II] transitions provide estimates of a region's electron temperature and number density. We estimate the abundances of oxygen and nitrogen using these temperature and density estimates and the emission line fluxes [O II] 3727, [O III] 4959, 5007, and [N II] 6548, 6584 with the direct Te method. Using spectroscopic observations from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data…
We present the detection of molecular gas from galaxies located in nearby voids using the CO line emission as a tracer. The observations were done using the 45m Nobeyama Radio Telescope. Void galaxies lie in the most under dense parts of our universe and a significant fraction of them are gas rich, late type spiral galaxies. Although isolated, they have ongoing star formation but appear to be slowly evolving compared to galaxies in denser environments. Not much is known about their star formation properties or cold gas content. In this study we searched for molecular gas in five void galaxies.…
We present a sample of 66 galaxies belonging to the equatorial part (Dec.= -7$^o$, +7$^o$) of the large so called Eridanus void (after Fairall 1998). The void galaxies are selected as to be separated from the luminous galaxies ($M_{\rm B} < M_{\rm B}^{*} +1$), delineating the void, by more than 2 Mpc. Our main goal is to study systematically the evolutionary parameters of the void sample (metallicity and gas content) and to compare the void galaxy properties with their counterparts residing in denser environments. Besides the general galaxy parameters, compiled mainly from the literature, we p…
We present the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) abundances of up to 10 chemical species in a sample of 59 very metal-poor (VMP, -4 < [Fe/H] < -2) stars in seven dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) and in the Milky Way (MW) halo. Our results are based on high-resolution spectroscopic datasets and homogeneous and accurate atmospheric parameters determined in PaperI. We show that once the NLTE effects are properly taken into account, all massive galaxies in our sample, that is, the MW halo and the classical dSphs Sculptor, Ursa Minor, Sextans, and Fornax, reveal a similar plateau at [alph…
We provide the most accurate estimate yet of the bright end of the infrared (IR) luminosity functions (LFs) and the abundance of hyperluminous IR galaxies (HLIRGs) with IR luminosities > 10^13 L_solar, thanks to the combination of the high sensitivity, angular resolution, and large area of the LOFAR Deep Fields, which probes an unprecedented dynamic range of luminosity and volume. We cross-match Herschel sources and LOFAR sources in Bootes (8.63 deg^2), Lockman Hole (10.28 deg^2), and ELAIS-N1 (6.74 deg^2) with rms sensitivities of around 32, 22, and 20 mJy per beam, respectively. We divide th…
Chemodynamic evidence of pristine gas accretion in the void galaxy VGS 12
Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg(海德堡大学天文学计算研究所);Special Astrophysical Observatory, Russian Academy of Sciences(俄罗斯科学院特别天文台);Lomonosov Moscow State University, Sternberg Astronomical Institute(莫斯科罗蒙诺索夫国立大学斯登伯格天文研究所);Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México(墨西哥国立自治大学天文研究所);Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen(格罗宁根大学卡普坦天文研究所);Department of Astronomy, Columbia University(哥伦比亚大学天文学系)
We present a study of spectral properties of galaxies in underdense large-scale structures, voids. Our void galaxy sample (75,939 galaxies) is selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 7 (DR7) with $\rm z < 0.107$. We find that there are no significant differences in the luminosities, stellar masses, stellar populations, and specific star formation rates between void galaxies of specific spectral types and their wall counterparts. However, the fraction of star-forming galaxies in voids is significantly higher ($\ge 9\%$) than that in walls. Void galaxies, when considering …
In the framework of an ongoing project aimed at searching for and studying eXtremely Metal-Poor (XMP) very gas-rich blue dwarfs in nearby voids, we conducted spectroscopy with the 11-m Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) of 26 candidates, preselected in the first paper of this series (PEPK19). For 23 of them, we detected Oxygen lines, allowing us to estimate the gas O/H ratio. For ten of them, the oxygen abundance is found to be very low, in the range of 12+log(O/H)=6.95-7.30 dex. Of those, four void dwarfs have 12+log(O/H) < 7.19, or Z < Zo/30. For the majority of observed galaxies, the f…
Does the void environment have a sizable effect on the evolution of dwarf galaxies? If yes, the best probes should be the most fragile least massive dwarfs. We compiled a sample of about one hundred dwarfs with M_B in the range -12 to -18 mag, falling within the nearby Lynx-Cancer void. The goal is to study their evolutionary parameters -- gas metallicity and gas mass-fraction, and to address the epoch of the first substantial episode of Star Formation. Here we present and discuss the results of O/H measurements in 38 void galaxies, among which several the most metal-poor galaxies are found wi…
We present a detailed study of the extremely isolated Sdm galaxy UGC4722 (M_B = -17.4) located in the nearby Lynx-Cancer void. UGC4722 is a member of the catalogue of isolated galaxies, and has also been identified as one of the most isolated galaxies in the Local Supercluster. Optical images of the galaxy however show that it has a peculiar morphology with an elongated ~ 14 kpc long plume. New observations with the Russian 6-m telescope (BTA) and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) of the ionised and neutral gas in UGC4722 reveal the second component responsible for the disturbed morph…
Cosmic voids provide a unique environment to study galaxy formation and evolution. In this paper, we analyse a set of hydrodynamic zoom-in simulations of voids, to analyse in detail their inner structures. These voids were identified in a cosmological simulation and classified according to their surrounding dynamics at very large scales: whether they are in expansion or contraction at their outskirts. We study how these environments and the dynamics of voids impact the baryonic processes inside haloes and their mechanisms of formation and evolution. We find an under-abundance of processed gas …
The Apache Point Observatory extra-Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOeGEE): Chemical Abundance Trends for Seven Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies in the APOGEE Survey
The current Lambda CDM cosmological model predicts that galaxy evolution proceeds more slowly in lower density environments, suggesting that voids are a prime location to search for relatively pristine galaxies that are representative of the building blocks of early massive galaxies. To test the assumption that void galaxies are more pristine, we compare the evolutionary properties of a sample of dwarf galaxies selected specifically to lie in voids with a sample of similar isolated dwarf galaxies in average density environments. We measure gas-phase oxygen abundances and gas fractions for eigh…
We study how the cosmic environment affects galaxy evolution in the Universe by comparing the metallicities of dwarf galaxies in voids with dwarf galaxies in more dense regions. Ratios of the fluxes of emission lines, particularly those of the forbidden [O III] and [S II] transitions, provide estimates of a region's electron temperature and number density. From these two quantities and the emission line fluxes [O II] 3727, [O III] 4363, and [O III] 4959,5007, we estimate the abundance of oxygen with the Direct Te method. We estimate the metallicity of 42 blue, star-forming void dwarf galaxies …
We present a large homogeneous set of stellar parameters and abundances across a broad range of metallicities, involving $13$ classical dwarf spheroidal (dSph) and ultra-faint dSph (UFD) galaxies. In total this study includes $380$ stars in Fornax, Sagittarius, Sculptor, Sextans, Carina, Ursa Minor, Draco, Reticulum II, Bootes I, Ursa Major II, Leo I, Segue I, and Triangulum II. This sample represents the largest, homogeneous, high-resolution study of dSph galaxies to date. With our homogeneously derived catalog, we are able to search for similar and deviating trends across different galaxies.…
The KBC void is a local underdensity with the observed relative density contrast $δ\equiv 1 - ρ/ρ_{0} = 0.46 \pm 0.06$ between 40 and 300 Mpc around the Local Group. If mass is conserved in the Universe, such a void could explain the $5.3σ$ Hubble tension. However, the MXXL simulation shows that the KBC void causes $6.04σ$ tension with standard cosmology ($Λ$CDM). Combined with the Hubble tension, $Λ$CDM is ruled out at $7.09σ$ confidence. Consequently, the density and velocity distribution on Gpc scales suggest a long-range modification to gravity. In this context, we consider a cosmological …
We present a study of nearby dwarf galaxies selected from the ALFALFA blind HI survey. A primary goal of the project was to utilize a non-standard selection method with the hope of detecting previously unrecognized extremely metal-poor (XMP) galaxies. The study was motivated by the recent discovery of two XMP galaxies $-$ Leo P and Leoncino $-$ which were both originally found via the ALFALFA survey. We have obtained narrowband H$α$ images for 42 dwarf systems, many of which are located in the local void in front of the Pisces-Perseus Supercluster. Spectra for eleven of the best candidates res…
We present a homogeneous set of accurate atmospheric parameters for a complete sample of very and extremely metal-poor stars in the dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) Sculptor, Ursa Minor, Sextans, Fornax, Boötes I, Ursa Major II, and Leo IV. We also deliver a Milky Way (MW) comparison sample of giant stars covering the -4 < [Fe/H] < -1.7 metallicity range. We show that, in the [Fe/H] > -3.5 regime, the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) calculations with non-spectroscopic effective temperature (Teff) and surface gravity (log~g) based on the photometric methods and known distance provid…
We measure the HI mass function (HIMF) and velocity width function (WF) across environments over a range of masses $7.2<\log(M_{HI}/M_{\odot})<10.8$, and profile widths $1.3\log(km/s)<\log(W)<2.9\log(km/s)$, using a catalog of ~7,300 HI-selected galaxies from the ALFALFA Survey, located in the region of sky where ALFALFA and SDSS (Data Release 7) North overlap. We divide our galaxy sample into those that reside in large-scale voids (void galaxies) and those that live in denser regions (wall galaxies). We find the void HIMF to be well fit by a Schechter function with normalization $Φ^*=(1.37\pm…
We model the chemical evolution of six UFDs: Bootes I, Canes Venatici II, Coma Berenices, Hercules, Leo IV and Ursa Major I, based on their recently determined star formation histories. We show that two single-age bursts cannot explain the observed [$α$/Fe] vs [Fe/H] distribution in these galaxies and that some self-enrichment is required within the first burst. An alternative scenario is modelled, in which star formation is continuous except for short interruptions when one or more supernovae temporarily blow the dense gas out from the centre of the system. This model allows for self-enrichme…
We present high-resolution Magellan/MIKE spectroscopy of the brightest star in the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Leo IV. We measure an iron abundance of [Fe/H] = -3.2, adding to the rapidly growing sample of extremely metal-poor stars being identified in Milky Way satellite galaxies. The star is enhanced in the alpha elements Mg, Ca, and Ti by ~0.3 dex, very similar to the typical Milky Way halo abundance pattern. All of the light and iron-peak elements follow the trends established by extremely metal-poor halo stars, but the neutron-capture elements Ba and Sr are significantly underabundant. These…
In order to understand the Barium abundance distribution in the Galactic disk based on Cepheids, one must first be aware of important effects of the corotation resonance, situated a little beyond the solar orbit. The thin disk of the Galaxy is divided in two regions that are separated by a barrier situated at that radius. Since the gas cannot get across that barrier, the chemical evolution is independent on the two sides of it. The barrier is caused by the opposite directions of flows of gas, on the two sides, in addition to a Cassini-like ring void of HI (caused itself by the flows). A step i…
We present updated chemical evolution models of two dwarf spheroidal galaxies (Sculptor and Carina) and the first detailed chemical evolution models of two ultra-faint dwarfs (Hercules and Boötes I). Our results suggest that the dwarf spheroidals evolve with a low efficiency of star formation, confirming previous results, and the ultra-faint dwarfs with an even lower one. Under these assumptions, we can reproduce the stellar metallicity distribution function, the $[α/Fe]$ vs. $[Fe/H]$ abundance patterns and the total stellar and gas masses observed at the present time in these objects. In part…
Extremely metal-poor (XMP) galaxies are low-mass, star-forming galaxies with gas-phase oxygen abundances below 12+log(O/H) = 7.35 (~1/20 Zsun). Galaxy evolution scenarios suggest three pathways to form an XMP: (1) secular evolution at low galaxy masses, (2) slow evolution in voids, or (3) dilution of measured abundances from infall of pristine gas. The recently discovered XMP galaxy Leoncino, with an oxygen abundance below 3% Zsun, provides an opportunity to explore these different scenarios. Using Hubble Space Telescope imaging of the resolved stellar populations of Leoncino, we measure the d…
An open question in cosmology and the theory of structure formation is to what extent does environment affect the properties of galaxies and haloes. The present paper aims at shedding light on this problem. The paper focuses on the analysis of a dark matter only simulation and it addresses the issue of how the environment affects the abundance of haloes, which are are assigned four attributes: their virial mass, an ambient density calculated with an aperture that scales with $R_{vir}$ ($Δ_M$), a fixed-aperture ($Δ_R$) ambient density, and a cosmic web classification (i.e. voids, sheets, filame…
When comparing nebular electron densities derived from collisionally excited lines (CELs) to those estimated using the emission measure, significant discrepancies are common. The standard solution is to view nebulae as aggregates of dense regions of constant density in an otherwise empty void. This porosity is parametrized by a filling factor $f<1$. Similarly, abundance and temperature discrepancies between optical recombination lines (ORLs) and CELs are often explained by invoking a dual delta distribution of a dense, cool, metal-rich component immersed in a diffuse, warm, metal-poor plasma. …
We utilize metal-poor stars in the local, ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (UFDs; L_tot < 10^5 L_sun) to empirically constrain the formation process of the first galaxies. Since UFDs have much simpler star formation histories than the halo of the Milky Way, their stellar populations should preserve the fossil record of the first supernova (SN) explosions in their long-lived, low-mass stars. Guided by recent hydrodynamical simulations of first galaxy formation, we develop a set of stellar abundance signatures that characterize the nucleosynthetic history of such an early system if it was observed in …
Black hole masses are found to correlate with several global properties of their host galaxies, suggesting that black holes and galaxies have an intertwined evolution and that active galactic nuclei (AGN) have a significant impact on galaxy evolution. Since the large-scale environment can also affect AGN, this work studies how their formation and properties depend on the environment. We have used a reconstructed three-dimensional high-resolution density field obtained from a Bayesian large-scale structure reconstruction method applied to the 2M++ galaxy sample. A web-type classification relyin…
We present new constraints on the star formation histories of six ultra-faint dwarf galaxies: Bootes I, Canes Venatici II, Coma Berenices, Hercules, Leo IV, and Ursa Major I. Our analysis employs a combination of high-precision photometry obtained with the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope, medium-resolution spectroscopy obtained with the DEep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph on the W.M. Keck Observatory, and updated Victoria-Regina isochrones tailored to the abundance patterns appropriate for these galaxies. The data for five of these Milky Way satellites are best fit…
We study two M 51-type systems Arp 68 and Arp 58, which strongly differ by their stellar masses, gas content and environment. Long-slit spectral observations obtained at the 6-m telescope BTA were used to trace the distributions of a line-of-sight (LOS) velocity and a gas-phase oxygen abundance along the spectral cuts. Two systems are compared by their observed properties. We found a very strong large-scale non-circular motion of gas in both systems and a kpc-size saw-edged velocity profile along the tidal spiral arm of Arp 68, probably caused by the gas outflow due to the stellar feedback. A …
We perform a molecular (CO and CN) line observation using IRAM 30m telescope toward two small regions near the western edge of supernova remnant (SNR) W50/SS433. CO observation reveals spatial correspondence of two molecular clumps at the local-standard-of-rest (LSR) velocity around +53 km s$^{-1}$ with multiwavelength local features of W50/SS433 system. One of the two clumps appears to be embedded in a void of diffuse radio and X-ray emission. Toward the two clumps, asymmetric broad line profiles of the $^{12}$CO lines are obtained, which provide kinematic evidence of the association between …
IRC+10216 is a circumstellar envelope around a carbon-rich evolved star which contains a large variety of molecules. According to interferometric observations, molecules are distributed either concentrated around the central star or as a hollow shell with a radius of 15". We present ALMA Cycle 0 band 6 observations of the J=14-13 rotational transition of CH3CN in IRC+10216, obtained with an angular resolution of 0.76x0.61". The bulk of the emission is distributed as a hollow shell located at just 2" from the star, with a void of emission in the central region up to a radius of 1". This spatial…