Brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) are excellent laboratories to study galaxy evolution in dense Mpc-scale environments. We have observed in CO(1-0), CO(2-1), CO(3-2), or CO(4-3), with the IRAM-30m, 18 BCGs at $z\sim0.2-0.9$ that are drawn from the CLASH survey. Our sample includes RX1532, which is our primary target, being among the BCGs with the highest star formation rate (SFR$\gtrsim100~M_\odot$/yr) in the CLASH sample. We unambiguously detected both CO(1-0) and CO(3-2) in RX1532, yielding a large reservoir of molecular gas, $M_{H_2}=(8.7\pm1.1)\times10^{10}~M_\odot$, and a high level of excitation $r_{31}=0.75\pm0.12$. A morphological analysis of the HST I-band image of RX1532 reveals the presence of clumpy substructures both within and outside the half-light radius $r_e=(11.6\pm0.3)$ kpc, similarly to those found independently both in ultraviolet and in H$_α$ in previous work. We tentatively detected CO(1-0) or CO(2-1) in four other BCGs, with molecular gas reservoirs in the range $M_{H_2}=2\times10^{10-11} M_\odot$. For the remaining 13 BCGs we set robust upper limits of $M_{H_2}/M_\star\lesssim0.1$, which are among the lowest molecular gas to stellar mass ratios found for distant ellipticals and BCGs. By comparison with distant cluster galaxies observed in CO our study shows that RX1532 ($M_{H_2}/M_\star = 0.40\pm0.05$) belongs to the rare population of star forming and gas-rich BCGs in the distant universe. By using available X-ray based estimates of the central intra-cluster medium entropy, we show that the detection of large reservoirs of molecular gas $M_{H_2}\gtrsim10^{10}~M_\odot$ in distant BCGs is possible when the two conditions are met: i) high SFR and ii) low central entropy, which favors the condensation and the inflow of gas onto the BCGs themselves, similarly to what has been previously found for some local BCGs.
The CLASH X-ray selected sample of 20 galaxy clusters contains ten brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) that exhibit significant ($>$5 $σ$) extinction-corrected star formation rates (SFRs). Star formation activity is inferred from photometric estimates of UV and H$α$+[\ion{N}{2}] emission in knots and filaments detected in CLASH HST ACS and WFC3 observations. UV-derived SFRs in these BCGs span two orders of magnitude, including two with a SFR $\gtrsim$ 100 M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$. These measurements are supplemented with [\ion{O}{2}], [\ion{O}{3}], and H$β$ fluxes measured from spectra obtained wit…
Brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) are usually quiescent, but many exhibit star formation. Here we exploit the opportunity provided by rest-frame UV imaging of galaxy clusters in the CLASH (Cluster Lensing and Supernovae with Hubble) Multi-Cycle Treasury Project to reveal the diversity of UV morphologies in BCGs and to compare them with recent simulations of the cool, star-forming gas structures produced by precipitation-driven feedback. All of the CLASH BCGs are detected in the rest-frame UV (280 nm), regardless of their star-formation activity, because evolved stellar populations produce a mo…
We study the nature of feedback mechanisms in the 11 CLASH brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) that exhibit extended ultraviolet and nebular line emission features. We estimate star formation rates (SFRs), dust masses, and starburst durations using a Bayesian photometry-fitting technique that accounts for both stellar and dust emission from the UV through far IR. By comparing these quantities to intracluster medium (ICM) cooling times and free-fall times derived from X-ray observations and lensing estimates of the cluster mass distribution, we discover a tight relationship between the BCG SFR an…
In the context of large scale structure formation, clusters of galaxies are located at the nodes of the cosmic web, and continue to accrete galaxies and groups along filaments. They show sometimes a very large extension and a preferential direction. Brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) are believed to grow through the accretion of many small galaxies, and their structural properties are expected to vary with redshift. In some cases BCGs show an orientation comparable to that of the cluster to which they belong. We analyse the morphological properties of 38 BCGs from the DAFT/FADA and CLASH survey…
The radial acceleration relation (RAR) in galaxies describes a tight empirical scaling law between the total acceleration $g_\mathrm{tot}(r)=GM_\mathrm{tot}(<r)/r^2$ observed in galaxies and that expected from their baryonic mass $g_\mathrm{bar}(r)=GM_\mathrm{bar}(<r)/r^2$, with a characteristic acceleration scale of $g_\dagger\simeq 1.2\times 10^{-10}$ms$^{-2}$. Here, we examine if such a correlation exists in galaxy clusters using weak-lensing, strong-lensing, and X-ray data sets available for 20 high-mass clusters targeted by the CLASH survey. By combining our CLASH data with stellar mass e…
We present accurate photometric redshifts for galaxies observed by the Cluster Lensing and Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH). CLASH observed 25 massive galaxy cluster cores with the Hubble Space Telescope in 16 filters spanning 0.2 - 1.7 $μ$m. Photometry in such crowded fields is challenging. Compared to our previously released catalogs, we make several improvements to the photometry, including smaller apertures, ICL subtraction, PSF matching, and empirically measured uncertainties. We further improve the Bayesian Photometric Redshift (BPZ) estimates by adding a redder elliptical template a…
We examine the stellar mass assembly in galaxy cluster cores using data from the Cluster Lensing and Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH). We measure the growth of brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) stellar mass, the fraction of the total cluster light which is in the intracluster light (ICL) and the numbers of mergers that occur in the BCG over the redshift range of the sample, 0.18<z<0.90. We find that BCGs grow in stellar mass by a factor of 1.4 on average from accretion of their companions, and this growth is reduced to a factor of 1.2 assuming 50% of the accreted stellar mass becomes ICL, in …
We present high-resolution ($\sim 1"$), 1.5 GHz continuum observations of the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) of 13 CLASH (Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble) clusters at $0.18<z<0.69$ with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA). Radio emission is clearly detected and characterized for 11 BCGs, while for two of them we obtain only upper limits to their radio flux ($<0.1$ mJy at 5$σ$ confidence level). We also consider five additional clusters whose BCG is detected in FIRST or NVSS. We find radio powers in the range from $2\times 10^{23}$ to $\sim 10^{26}$ $W~Hz^{-1}$ and ra…
We aim at constraining the assembly history of clusters by studying the intra cluster light (ICL) properties, estimating its contribution to the fraction of baryons in stars, f*, and understanding possible systematics/bias using different ICL detection techniques. We developed an automated method, GALtoICL, based on the software GALAPAGOS to obtain a refined version of typical BCG+ICL maps. We applied this method to our test case MACS J1206.2-0847, a massive cluster located at z=0.44, that is part of the CLASH sample. Using deep multi-band SUBARU images, we extracted the surface brightness (SB…
We study shapes and alignments of 45 dark matter (DM) haloes and their brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) using a sample of 39 massive clusters from Hubble Frontier Field (HFF), Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH), and Reionization Lensing Cluster Survey (RELICS). We measure shapes of the DM haloes by strong gravitational lensing, whereas BCG shapes are derived from their light profiles in Hubble Space Telescope images. Our measurements from a large sample of massive clusters presented here provide new constraints on dark matter and cluster astrophysics. We find that DM hal…
We reconstruct the two-dimensional (2D) matter distributions in 20 high-mass galaxy clusters selected from the CLASH survey by using the new approach of performing a joint weak lensing analysis of 2D shear and azimuthally averaged magnification measurements. This combination allows for a complete analysis of the field, effectively breaking the mass-sheet degeneracy. In a Bayesian framework, we simultaneously constrain the mass profile and morphology of each individual cluster assuming an elliptical Navarro-Frenk-White halo characterized by the mass, concentration, projected axis ratio, and pos…
Context: The shape of the mass density profiles of cosmological halos informs us of the nature of DM and DM-baryons interactions. Previous estimates of the inner slope of the mass density profiles of clusters of galaxies are in opposition to predictions derived from numerical simulations of CDM. Aims: We determine the inner slope of the DM density profile of a massive cluster of galaxies, Abell S1063 (RXC J2248.7$-$4431) at $z=0.35$, with a dynamical analysis based on an extensive spectroscopic campaign carried out with the VIMOS and MUSE spectrographs at the ESO VLT. This new data set provide…
Molecular gas properties of star-forming brightest group galaxies at $z \sim 0.3$
Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna（博洛尼亚大学）；INAF - Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna（意大利国家天体物理研究所波伦亚天文台）；Zentrum für Astronomie, Universität Heidelberg（海德堡大学天文中心）；Observatoire de Paris, Collège de France, PSL University, Sorbonne University, CNRS, LUX（巴黎天文台，法兰西学院，PSL大学，索邦大学，法国国家科学研究中心，LUX）；Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)（毫米波射电天文研究所）；INFN - Sezione di Bologna（意大利国家核物理研究所博洛尼亚分部）；ITP, Universität Heidelberg（海德堡大学理论物理研究所）
The stellar mass assembly of brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) is still debated. We have observed in CO with the IRAM-30m two star forming BCGs belonging to SpARCS clusters, 3C 244.1 ($z=0.4$) and SDSS J161112.65+550823.5 ($z=0.9$), and compared their molecular gas and star formation properties with those of a compilation of $\sim100$ distant cluster galaxies, including nine additional distant BCGs at ${z\sim0.4-3.5}$. We have set robust upper limits of $M_{{\rm H}_2}<1.0\times10^{10}~M_\odot$ and $<2.8\times10^{10}~M_\odot$ to their molecular gas content, respectively, as well as to the molec…
We present a multi-wavelength photometric and spectroscopic study of 42 Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) in two samples of galaxy clusters chosen for a gravitational lensing study. The study's initial sample combines 25 BCGs from the Cluster Lensing and Supernova Survey with Hubble (CLASH) sample and 37 BCGs from the Sloan Giant Arcs Survey (SGAS) with a total redshift range of 0.2 < z < 0.7. Using archival GALEX, Hubble Space Telescope, Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Herschel, and Very Large Array data we determine the BCGs' stellar mass, radio power, and star formation rates. The radi…
Massive foreground galaxy clusters magnify and distort the light of objects behind them, permitting a view into both the extremely distant and intrinsically faint galaxy populations. We present here the z ~ 6 - 8 candidate high-redshift galaxies from the Reionization Lensing Cluster Survey (RELICS), a Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescope survey of 41 massive galaxy clusters spanning an area of ~200 arcmin^2. These clusters were selected to be excellent lenses and we find similar high-redshift sample sizes and magnitude distributions as CLASH. We discover 321 candidate galaxies with photometric r…
There is evidence that the star formation process is linked to the intricate net of filaments in molecular clouds, which may be also due to gas compression from external triggers. We studied the southern region of the Perseus NGC 1333 molecular cloud, known to be heavily shaped by similar external triggers, to shed light on the process that perturbed the filament where the Class 0 IRAS4 protostars lie. We use new IRAM-NOEMA observations of SiO and CH3OH, both known to trace violent events as shocks, toward IRAS 4A as part of the Large Program Seeds Of Life in Space (SOLIS). We detected three p…
We present ALMA CO (2-1) detections of 24 star-forming Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) over $0.2<z<1.2$, constituting the largest and most distant sample of molecular gas measurements in BCGs to date. The BCGs are selected from the Spitzer Adaptation of the Red-Sequence Cluster Survey (SpARCS) to be IR-bright and therefore star-forming. We find that molecular gas is common in star-forming BCGs, detecting CO at a detection rate of 80% in our target sample of 30 objects. We additionally provide measurements of the star formation rate (SFR) and stellar mass, calculated from existing MIPS 24 $μ$…
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has been providing tremendous survey efficiency via its pure-parallel mode, by observing another field in parallel with the primary instrument in operation for the primary observation. In this study, we present a new archival project, SuperBoRG, which aims at compiling data taken in extragalactic parallel programs of HST with WFC3 in the past decade; including pure-parallel (BoRG, HIPPIES, and COS-GTO) and coordinated-parallel (CLASH and RELICS) programs. The total effective area reaches $\sim0.41$deg$^2$ from 4.1Msec, or 47days, of observing time, which is the…
We present new ALMA observations of the molecular gas and far-infrared continuum around the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) in the cool-core cluster MACS 1931.8-2635. Our observations reveal $1.9 \pm 0.3 \times 10^{10}$ M$_{\odot}$ of molecular gas, on par with the largest known reservoirs of cold gas in a cluster core. We detect CO(1-0), CO(3-2), and CO(4-3) emission from both diffuse and compact molecular gas components that extend from the BCG center out to $\sim30$ kpc to the northwest, tracing the UV knots and H$α$ filaments observed by HST. Due to the lack of morphological symmetry, we hy…
To advance our understanding of the fuelling and feedback processes which power the Universe's most massive black holes, we require a significant increase in our knowledge of the molecular gas which exists in their immediate surroundings. However, the behaviour of this gas is poorly understood due to the difficulties associated with observing it directly. We report on a survey of 18 brightest cluster galaxies lying in cool cores, from which we detect molecular gas in the core regions of eight via carbon monoxide (CO), cyanide (CN) and silicon monoxide (SiO) absorption lines. These absorption l…
Active galactic nuclei play a crucial role in the accretion and ejection of gas in galaxies. Although their outflows are well studied, finding direct evidence of accretion has proved very difficult and has so far been done for very few sources. A promising way to study the significance of cold accretion is by observing the absorption of an active galactic nucleus's extremely bright radio emission by the cold gas lying along the line-of-sight. As such, we present ALMA CO(1-0) and CO(2-1) observations of the Hydra-A brightest cluster galaxy (z=0.054) which reveal the existence of cold, molecular…
We report the detection of CO(2-1) emission coincident with the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) of the high-redshift galaxy cluster SpARCS1049+56, with the Redshift Search Receiver (RSR) on the Large Millimetre Telescope (LMT). We confirm a spectroscopic redshift for the gas of z = 1.7091+/-0.0004, which is consistent with the systemic redshift of the cluster galaxies of z = 1.709. The line is well-fit by a single component Gaussian with a RSR resolution-corrected FWHM of 569+/-63 km/s. We see no evidence for multiple velocity components in the gas, as might be expected from the multiple image …
We report ALMA Early Science observations of the Abell 1835 brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) in the CO (3-2) and CO (1-0) emission lines. We detect $5\times 10^{10}~\rm M_\odot$ of molecular gas within 10 kpc of the BCG. Its ensemble velocity profile width of $\sim 130 ~\rm km~s^{-1}$ FWHM is too narrow for the molecular cloud sto be supported in the galaxy by dynamic pressure. The gas may instead be supported in a rotating, turbulent disk oriented nearly face-on. Roughly $10^{10}~\rm M_\odot$ of molecular gas is projected $3-10 ~\rm kpc$ to the north-west and to the east of the nucleus with lin…
We reveal the importance of ongoing in-situ star formation in the Brightest Cluster Galaxy in the massive cool-core CLASH cluster MACS 1931.8-2635 at z=0.35. Using a multi-wavelength approach, we assess the stellar and warm ionized medium components, spatially resolved by the VLT-MUSE spectroscopy, and link them to the molecular gas by incorporating sub-mm ALMA observations. We measure the fluxes of strong emission lines, allowing us to determine the physical conditions of the warm ionized gas. The ionized gas flux brightness peak corresponds to the location of the supermassive black hole and …
A recent observational result finds that the quenching of satellites in groups at $z=0.08$ has an angular dependence relative to the semi-major axis of the central galaxy. This observation is described as `anisotropic quenching' or `angular conformity'. In this paper I study the variation in the colour of a mass limited sample of satellite galaxies relative to their angle from the major axis of the Brightest Cluster Galaxy in the CLASH clusters up to $z\sim0.5$, 4 Gyr further in lookback time. The same result is found: galaxies close to the major axis are more quenched than those along the min…
We present ALMA Cycle 4 observations of CO(1-0), CO(3-2), and $^{13}$CO(3-2) line emission in the brightest cluster galaxy of RXJ0821+0752. This is one of the first detections of $^{13}$CO line emission in a galaxy cluster. Half of the CO(3-2) line emission originates from two clumps of molecular gas that are spatially offset from the galactic center. These clumps are surrounded by diffuse emission that extends $8~{\rm kpc}$ in length. The detected $^{13}$CO emission is confined entirely to the two bright clumps, with any emission outside of this region lying below our detection threshold. Two…
We investigate the role of the environment in processing molecular gas in radio galaxies (RGs). We observed five RGs at $z=0.4-2.6$ in dense Mpc-scale environment with the IRAM-30m telescope. We set four upper-limits and report a tentative CO(7$\rightarrow$6) detection for COSMOS-FRI 70 at $z=2.63$, which is the most distant brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) candidate detected in CO. We speculate that the cluster environment might have played a role in preventing the refueling via environmental mechanisms such as galaxy harassment, strangulation, ram-pressure, or tidal stripping. The RGs of this …
We present high-resolution (synthesised beam size 0."088x0."083 or 25x23 pc$^2$) Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) $^{12}$CO(2-1) line and 236 GHz continuum observations, as well as 5 GHz enhanced Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (e-MERLIN) continuum observations, of NGC 0708; the brightest galaxy in the low-mass galaxy cluster Abell 262. The line observations reveal a turbulent, rotating disc of molecular gas in the core of the galaxy, and a high-velocity, blue-shifted feature ~0."4 (~113 pc) from its centre. The sub-millimetre continuum emission peaks at th…
We present a recent ALMA observation of the CO(1-0) line emission in the central galaxy of the Zw 3146 galaxy cluster ($z=0.2906$). We also present updated X-ray cavity measurements from archival Chandra observations. The $5\times 10^{10}\,M_{\odot}$ supply of molecular gas, which is confined to the central 4 kpc, is marginally resolved into three extensions that are reminiscent of the filaments observed in similar systems. No velocity structure that would be indicative of ordered motion is observed. The three molecular extensions all trail X-ray cavities, and are potentially formed from the c…
The excitation of the filamentary gas structures surrounding giant elliptical galaxies at the center of cool-core clusters, a.k.a BCGs (brightest cluster galaxies), is key to our understanding of active galactic nucleus feedback, and of the impact of environmental and local effects on star formation. We investigate the contribution of the thermal radiation from the cooling flow surrounding BCGs to the excitation of the filaments. We explore the effects of small levels of extra-heating (turbulence), and of metallicity, on the optical and infrared lines. Using the Cloudy code, we model the photo…
Supernova (SN) 1987A is the only young SN in which H_2 has been detected in the ejecta. The properties of the H_2 are important for understanding the explosion and the ejecta chemistry. Here, we present new VLT/SINFONI observations of H_2 in SN 1987A, focussing on the 2.12 μm (1,0)S(1) line. We find that the 3D emissivity is dominated by a single clump in the southern ejecta, with weaker emission being present in the north along the plane of the circumstellar ring. The lowest observed velocities are in the range 400-800 km/s, in agreement with previous limits on inward mixing of H. The brighte…
We have used the SINFONI integral field spectrograph to map the near-infrared K-band emission lines of molecular and ionised hydrogen in the central regions of two cool core galaxy clusters, Abell 2597 and Sersic 159-03. Gas is detected out to 20 kpc from the nuclei of the brightest cluster galaxies and found to be distributed in clumps and filaments around it. The ionised and molecular gas phases trace each other closely in extent and dynamical state. Both gas phases show signs of interaction with the active nucleus. Within the nuclear regions the kinetic luminosity of this gas is found to be…
We present the first fully calibrated H$_2$, 1-0 S(1) image of the entire 30 Doradus nebula. The observations were conducted using the NOAO Extremely Wide-Field Infrared Imager on the CTIO 4-meter Blanco Telescope. Together with a NEWFIRM Br$γ$ image of 30 Doradus, our data reveal the morphologies of the warm molecular gas and ionized gas in 30 Doradus. The brightest H$_2$-emitting area, which extends from the northeast to the southwest of R136, is a photodissociation region viewed face-on, while many clumps and pillar features located at the outer shells of 30 Doradus are photodissociation re…
We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations of the brightest cluster galaxy Hydra-A, a nearby ($z=0.054$) giant elliptical galaxy with powerful and extended radio jets. The observations reveal CO(1-0), CO(2-1), $^{13}$CO(2-1), CN(2-1), SiO(5-4), HCO$^{+}$(1-0), HCO$^{+}$(2-1), HCN(1-0), HCN(2-1), HNC(1-0) and H$_{2}$CO(3-2) absorption lines against the galaxy's bright and compact active galactic nucleus. These absorption features are due to at least 12 individual molecular clouds which lie close to the centre of the galaxy and have velocities of approximately $-50$ to …
Reflection of X-ray emission on molecular clouds in the inner $\sim$ 100 pc of our Galaxy reveals that, despite being extremely quiet at the moment, our supermassive black hole Sgr A* should have experienced bright flares of X-ray emission in the recent past. Thanks to the improving characterisation of the reflection signal, we are able to infer parameters of the most recent flare(s) (age, duration and luminosity) and relative line-of-sight disposition of the brightest individual molecular complexes. We show that combining these data with measurements of polarisation in the reflected X-ray con…
Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) are typically massive ellipticals at the centers of clusters. They are believed to experience strong environmental processing, and their mass assembly and star formation history are still debated. We have selected three star forming BCGs in the equatorial field of the Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS) at intermediate redshifts. We have observed them with the IRAM-30m telescope in the first three CO transitions. We remarkably detected all BCGs at high signal-to-noise ratio ${\rm S/N}\simeq(3.8-10.2)$, for a total of 7 detected lines out of 8, corresponding to a success…
An ALMA Spectroscopic Survey of the Brightest Submillimeter Galaxies in the SCUBA-2-COSMOS Field (AS2COSPEC): Physical Properties of z=2-5 Ultra- and Hyperluminous Infrared Galaxies
We have obtained K-band spectra at R~5,000 and angular resolution 0.3" of a section of the Herbig-Haro 7 (HH7) bow shock, using the Near-Infrared Integral Field Spectrograph at Gemini North. Present in the portion of the data cube corresponding to the brightest part of the bow shock are emission lines of H2 with upper state energies ranging from ~6,000 K up to the dissociation energy of H2, ~50,000 K. Because of low signal-to-noise ratios, the highest excitation lines cannot be easily seen elsewhere in the observed region. However, excitation temperatures, measured throughout much of the obser…
Intensity mapping, which images a single spectral line from unresolved galaxies across cosmological volumes, is a promising technique for probing the early universe. Here we present predictions for the intensity map and power spectrum of the CO(1-0) line from galaxies at z ~ 2.4 -2.8, based on a parameterized model for the galaxy-halo connection, and demonstrate the extent to which properties of high-redshift galaxies can be directly inferred from such observations. We find that our fiducial prediction should be detectable by a realistic experiment. Motivated by significant modeling uncertaint…
Using Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) spectroscopy, we analyse the stellar kinematics of 18 brightest group early-type (BGEs) galaxies, selected from the Complete Local-Volume Groups Sample (CLoGS). We analyse the kinematic maps for distinct features, and measure specific stellar angular momentum within one effective radius ($λ_{e}$). We classify the BGEs as fast (10/18) or slow (8/18) rotators, suggesting at least two different evolution paths. We quantify the anti-correlation between higher-order kinematic moment $h_{3}$ and V/$σ$ (using the $ξ_{3}$ parameter), and the kinematic mis…
Two selected regions in the molecular gas spiral arms in M51 were mapped with the Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) mm-interferometer in the 12CO(2-1), 13CO(1-0), C18O(1-0), HCN(1-0) and HCO+(1-0) emission lines. The CO data have been combined with the 12CO(1-0) data from Aalto et al. (1999) covering the central 3.5kpc to study the physical properties of the molecular gas. All CO data cubes were short spacing corrected using IRAM 30m (12CO(1-0): NRO 45m) single dish data. A large velocity gradient (LVG) analysis finds that the giant molecular clouds (GMCs) are similar to Galactic GMCs when…
In the accretion-driven growth scenario, part of the intracluster light is formed in the group environment. We report the serendipitous discovery of a group of galaxies with signs of diffuse light in the foreground of the known galaxy cluster MACS J0329-0211 at z=0.45. Our investigation began with the detection of diffuse light streams around a pair of bright galaxies in the southeastern region of a Suprime-Cam image of the galaxy cluster MACS J0329-0211. Our analysis is based on the extended CLASH-VLT redshift catalog and on new spectroscopic data obtained ad hoc with the Italian Telescopio N…
We use the CARMA millimeter interferometer to map the Antennae Galaxies (NGC4038/39), tracing the bulk of the molecular gas via the 12CO(1-0) line and denser molecular gas via the high density transitions HCN(1-0), HCO+(1-0), CS(2-1), and HNC(1-0). We detect bright emission from all tracers in both the two nuclei and three locales in the overlap region between the two nuclei. These three overlap region peaks correspond to previously identified "supergiant molecular clouds". We combine the CARMA data with Herschel infrared (IR) data to compare observational indicators of the star formation effi…
The origin of the cold gas in central galaxies in groups is still a matter of debate. We present Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) observations of 18 optically selected local Brightest Group Galaxies (BGGs) to study the kinematics and distribution of the optical emission-line gas. MUSE observations reveal a distribution of gas morphologies including ten complex networks of filaments extending up to 10 kpc to two compact (<3 kpc) and five extended (>5 kpc) disk-dominated structures. Some rotating disks show rings and elongated structures arising from the central disk. The kinematics of t…
We present the highest resolution (1") $^{12}$CO(1-0) observations of molecular gas in the dwarf starburst galaxy NGC 625, to date, obtained with ALMA. Molecular gas is distributed in discrete clouds within an area of $0.4$ kpc$^2$ and does not have well-ordered large-scale motions. We measure a total molecular mass in NGC 625 of $5.3\times 10^6 M_\odot$, assuming a Milky Way CO-to-H$_2$ conversion factor. We use the CPROPS package to identify molecular clouds and measure their properties. The 19 resolved CO clouds have a median radius of 20 pc, a median line width 2.5 km s$^{-1}$, and a media…
Cool gas (T$\sim$10$^{4}$~K) traced by hydrogen Ly$α$ emission is now routinely detected around $z\sim3$ quasars, but little is known about their molecular gas reservoirs. Here, we present an APEX spectroscopic survey of the CO(6-5), CO(7-6) and [CI](2-1) emission lines for 9 quasars from the QSO MUSEUM survey which have similar UV luminosities, but very diverse Ly$α$ nebulae. These observations ($\langle~\rm rms~\rangle=2.6$~mJy in 300~km~s$^{-1}$) detected three CO(6-5) lines with 3.4$\leq I_{\rm CO(6-5)} \leq$5.1~Jy~km~s$^{-1}$, 620$\leq$FWHM$\leq$707~km~s$^{-1}$, and three [CI](2-1) lines …
We present recent {\it Chandra} X-ray observations of the RXJ0821.0+0752 galaxy cluster in addition to ALMA observations of the CO(1-0) and CO(3-2) line emission tracing the molecular gas in its central galaxy. All of the CO line emission, originating from a $10^{10}\,M_{\odot}$ molecular gas reservoir, is located several kpc away from the nucleus of the central galaxy. The cold gas is concentrated into two main clumps surrounded by a diffuse envelope. They form a wide filament coincident with a plume of bright X-ray emission emanating from the cluster core. This plume encompasses a putative X…
We present new observations of [CII] fine structure line emission from an isolated molecular cloud using the upGREAT instrument onboard SOFIA. These data are analyzed together with archival CO=1-0 and HI 21 cm emission spectra to investigate the role of converging atomic gas flows in the formation of molecular clouds. Bright [CII] emission is detected throughout the mapped area that likely originates from photodissociation regions excited by UV radiation fields produced by newborn stars within the cloud. Upon spatial averaging of the [CII] spectra, we identify weak [CII] emission within veloci…
Recent molecular line observations with ALMA and NOEMA in several Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCG) have revealed the large-scale filamentary structure at the center of cool core clusters. These filaments extend over 20-100kpc, they are tightly correlated with ionized gas (H$α$, [NII]) emission, and have characteristic shapes: either radial and straight, or also showing a U-turn, like a horse-shoe structure. The kinematics is quite regular and laminar, and the derived infall time is much longer than the free-fall time. The filaments extend up to the radius where the cooling time becomes larger …
Galaxies often contain large reservoirs of molecular gas which shape their evolution. This can be through cooling of the gas -- which leads to star formation, or accretion onto the central supermassive black hole -- which fuels AGN activity and produces powerful feedback. Molecular gas has been detected in early-type galaxies on scales of just a few tens to hundreds of solar masses by searching for absorption against their compact radio cores. Using this technique, ALMA has found absorption in several brightest cluster galaxies, some of which show molecular gas moving towards their galaxy's co…
We present the ALMA detection of molecular outflowing gas in the central regions of NGC4945, one of the nearest starbursts and also one of the nearest hosts of an active galactic nucleus (AGN). We detect four outflow plumes in CO (3-2) at ~0.3" resolution that appear to correspond to molecular gas located near the edges of the known ionized outflow cone and its (unobserved) counterpart behind the disk. The fastest and brightest of these plumes has emission reaching observed line-of-sight projected velocities of over 450 km/s beyond systemic, equivalent to an estimated physical outflow velocity…
We employ Gaia, 2MASS, and ALLWISE photometry, as well as astrometric data from Gaia, to search for relatively bright very metal-poor ([Fe/H] $< -2.0$; VMP) giant star candidates using three different criteria: 1) our derived Gaia photometric metallicities, 2) the lack of stellar molecular absorption near 4.6 microns, and 3) their high tangential velocities. With different combinations of these criteria, we have identified six samples of candidates with $G <$ 15: the Gold sample (24,304 candidates), the Silver GW sample (40,157 candidates), the Silver GK sample (120,452 candidates), the Bronze…
We present recent ALMA observations of the CO(1-0) and CO(3-2) emission lines in the brightest cluster galaxy of RXCJ1504.1$-$0248, which is one of the most extreme cool core clusters known. The central galaxy contains $1.9\times 10^{10}~M_{\odot}$ of molecular gas. The molecular gas morphology is complex and disturbed, showing no evidence for a rotationally-supported structure in equilibrium. $80\%$ of the gas is situated within the central 5 kpc of the galactic center, while the remaining gas is located in a 20 kpc long filament. The cold gas has likely condensed out of the hot atmosphere. T…
