A. Beifiori

The KMOS3D survey: design, first results, and the evolution of galaxy kinematics from 0.7 ≤ z ≤ 2.7

We present the KMOS3D survey, a new integral field survey of over 600 galaxies at 0.7 1, implying that the star-forming main sequence is primarily composed of rotating galaxies at both redshift regimes. When considering additional stricter criteria, the Hα kinematic maps indicate that at least ~70% of the resolved galaxies are disk-like systems. Our high-quality KMOS data confirm the elevated velocity dispersions reported in previous integral field spectroscopy studies at z 0.7. For rotation-dominated disks, the average intrinsic velocity dispersion decreases by a factor of two from 50 km s–1at z ~ 2.3 to 25 km s–1at z ~ 0.9. Combined with existing results spanning z ~ 0-3, we show that disk velocity dispersions follow an evolution that is consistent with the dependence of velocity dispersion on gas fractions predicted by marginally stable disk theory.

Stellar masses of SDSS-III/BOSS galaxies at z ∼ 0.5 and constraints to galaxy formation models

We calculate stellar masses for ∼400 000 massive luminous galaxies at redshift ∼0.2–0.7 using the first two years of data from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). Stellar masses are obtained by fitting model spectral energy distributions to u, g, r, i, z magnitudes, and simulations with mock galaxies are used to understand how well the templates recover the stellar mass. Accurate BOSS spectroscopic redshifts are used to constrain the fits. We find that the distribution of stellar masses in BOSS is narrow (Δlog M ∼ 0.5 dex) and peaks at about log M/M⊙ ∼ 11.3 (for a Kroupa initial stellar mass function), and that the mass sampling is uniform over the redshift range 0.2–0.6, in agreement with the intended BOSS target selection. The galaxy masses probed by BOSS extend over ∼1012 M⊙, providing unprecedented measurements of the high-mass end of the galaxy mass function. We find that the galaxy number density above ∼2.5 × 1011 M⊙ agrees with previous determinations. We perform a comparison with semi-analytic galaxy formation models tailored to the BOSS target selection and volume, in order to contain incompleteness. The abundance of massive galaxies in the models compare fairly well with the BOSS data, but the models lack galaxies at the massive end. Moreover, no evolution with redshift is detected from ∼0.6 to 0.4 in the data, whereas the abundance of massive galaxies in the models increases to redshift zero. Additionally, BOSS data display colour–magnitude (mass) relations similar to those found in the local Universe, where the most massive galaxies are the reddest. On the other hand, the model colours do not display a dependence on stellar mass, span a narrower range and are typically bluer than the observations. We argue that the lack of a colour–mass relation for massive galaxies in the models is mostly due to metallicity, which is too low in the models.

Evidence for Wide-spread Active Galactic Nucleus-driven Outflows in the Most Massive z 1-2 Star-forming Galaxies

In this paper, we follow up on our previous detection of nuclear ionized outflows in the most massive (log(M */M ☉) ≥ 10.9) z ~ 1-3 star-forming galaxies by increasing the sample size by a factor of six (to 44 galaxies above log(M */M ☉) ≥ 10.9) from a combination of the SINS/zC-SINF, LUCI, GNIRS, and KMOS3Dspectroscopic surveys. We find a fairly sharp onset of the incidence of broad nuclear emission (FWHM in the Hα, [N II], and [S II] lines ~450-5300 km s–1), with large [N II]/Hα ratios, above log(M */M ☉) ~ 10.9, with about two-thirds of the galaxies in this mass range exhibiting this component. Broad nuclear components near and above the Schechter mass are similarly prevalent above and below the main sequence of star-forming galaxies, and at z ~ 1 and ~2. The line ratios of the nuclear component are fit by excitation from active galactic nuclei (AGNs), or by a combination of shocks and photoionization. The incidence of the most massive galaxies with broad nuclear components is at least as large as that of AGNs identified by X-ray, optical, infrared, or radio indicators. The mass loading of the nuclear outflows is near unity. Our findings provide compelling evidence for powerful, high-duty cycle, AGN-driven outflows near the Schechter mass, and acting across the peak of cosmic galaxy formation.

Stellar velocity dispersions and emission line properties of SDSS-III/BOSS galaxies

We perform a spectroscopic analysis of 492 450 galaxy spectra from the first two years of observations of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) III/Baryonic Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) collaboration. This data set has been released in the ninth SDSS data release, the first public data release of BOSS spectra. We show that the typical signal-to-noise ratio of BOSS spectra, despite being low, is sufficient to measure stellar velocity dispersion and emission line fluxes for individual objects. We show that the typical velocity dispersion of a BOSS galaxy is ~240 km s−1. The typical error in the velocity dispersion measurement is 14 per cent, and 93 per cent of BOSS galaxies have velocity dispersions with an accuracy of better than 30 per cent. The distribution in velocity dispersion is redshift independent between redshifts 0.15 and 0.7, which reflects the survey design targeting massive galaxies with an approximately uniform mass distribution in this redshift interval.We show that emission lines can be measured on BOSS spectra. However, the majority of BOSS galaxies lack detectable emission lines, as is to be expected because of the target selection design towards massive galaxies. We analyse the emission line properties and present diagnostic diagrams using the emission lines [O II], Hβ, [OIII], Hα and [N II] (detected in about 4 per cent of the galaxies) to separate star-forming objects and active galactic nuclei (AGN).We show that the emission line properties are strongly redshift dependent and that there is a clear correlation between observed frame colours and emission line properties.Within in the low-z sample (LOWZ) around 0.15< z < 0.3, half of the emission line galaxies have low-ionization nuclear emission-line region (LINER)-like emission line ratios, followed by Seyfert-AGN-dominated spectra, and only a small fraction of a few per cent are purely star-forming galaxies. AGN and LINER-like objects, instead, are less prevalent in the high-z sample (CMASS) around 0.4 < z < 0.7, where more than half of the emission line objects are star forming. This is a pure selection effect caused by the non-detection of weak Hβ emission lines in the BOSS spectra. Finally, we show that star-forming, AGN and emission line free galaxies are well separated in the g − r versus r − i target selection diagram.

Upper Limits on the Masses of 105 Supermassive Black Holes from Hubble Space Telescope/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph Archival Data

A method for the preparation of 1,3-diketones is disclosed wherein the method comprises the steps of:(A) mixing an alkali metal base with a hindered alcohol in an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent;(B) boiling the mixture and azeotropically distilling water formed by the reaction between the base and the alcohol, whereby a solution of a hindered alkali metal alkoxide is formed in situ in the solvent;(C) mixing an ester with the solution of the hindered alkali metal alkoxide in the aromatic hydrocarbon solvent; and then(D) adding a ketone to the mixture.

Strongly baryon-dominated disk galaxies at the peak of galaxy formation ten billion years ago

In the cold dark matter cosmology, the baryonic components of galaxies—stars and gas—are thought to be mixed with and embedded in non-baryonic and non-relativistic dark matter, which dominates the total mass of the galaxy and its dark-matter halo. In the local (low-redshift) Universe, the mass of dark matter within a galactic disk increases with disk radius, becoming appreciable and then dominant in the outer, baryonic regions of the disks of star-forming galaxies. This results in rotation velocities of the visible matter within the disk that are constant or increasing with disk radius—a hallmark of the dark-matter model. Comparisons between the dynamical mass, inferred from these velocities in rotational equilibrium, and the sum of the stellar and cold-gas mass at the peak epoch of galaxy formation ten billion years ago, inferred from ancillary data, suggest high baryon fractions in the inner, star-forming regions of the disks. Although this implied baryon fraction may be larger than in the local Universe, the systematic uncertainties (owing to the chosen stellar initial-mass function and the calibration of gas masses) render such comparisons inconclusive in terms of the mass of dark matter. Here we report rotation curves (showing rotation velocity as a function of disk radius) for the outer disks of six massive star-forming galaxies, and find that the rotation velocities are not constant, but decrease with radius. We propose that this trend arises because of a combination of two main factors: first, a large fraction of the massive high-redshift galaxy population was strongly baryon-dominated, with dark matter playing a smaller part than in the local Universe; and second, the large velocity dispersion in high-redshift disks introduces a substantial pressure term that leads to a decrease in rotation velocity with increasing radius. The effect of both factors appears to increase with redshift. Qualitatively, the observations suggest that baryons in the early (high-redshift) Universe efficiently condensed at the centres of dark-matter haloes when gas fractions were high and dark matter was less concentrated.

The morphology of galaxies in the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey

We study the morphology and size of the luminous and massive galaxies at 0.3 2.35 is able to select a sub-sample of BOSS galaxies with ≥90 per cent early-type morphology and thus more comparable to the earlier Luminous Red Galaxy (LRG) samples of Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)-I/II. The remaining ≃10 per cent of galaxies above this (g−i) cut have a late-type morphology and may be analogous to the ‘passive spirals’ found at lower redshift. We find that 23 ± 4 per cent of the early-type BOSS galaxies are unresolved multiple systems in the SDSS imaging. We estimate that at least 50 per cent of these multiples are likely real associations and not projection effects and may represent a significant ‘dry merger’ fraction. We study the SDSS pipeline sizes of BOSS galaxies which we find to be systematically larger (by 40 per cent) than those measured from HST images, and provide a statistical correction for the difference. These details of the BOSS galaxies will help users of the BOSS data fine-tune their selection criteria, dependent on their science applications. For example, the main goal of BOSS is to measure the cosmic distance scale and expansion rate of the Universe to per cent level precision – a point where systematic effects due to the details of target selection may become important.

THE HIGH-MASS END OF THE BLACK HOLE MASS FUNCTION: MASS ESTIMATES IN BRIGHTEST CLUSTER GALAXIES*

We present Hubble Space Telescope imaging and spectroscopic observations of three Brightest Cluster Galaxies, Abell 1836-BCG, Abell 2052-BCG, and Abell 3565-BCG, obtained with the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, the Advanced Camera for Surveys and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph. The data provide detailed information on the structure and mass profile of the stellar component, the dust optical depth, and the spatial distribution and kinematics of the ionized gas within the innermost region of each galaxy. Dynamical models, which account for the observed stellar mass profile and include the contribution of a central supermassive black hole (SBH), are constructed to reproduce the kinematics derived from the H? and [N II]??6548,6583 emission lines. Secure SBH detection with M ? = 3.61+0.41 ?0.50 ? 109 M ? and M ? = 1.34+0.21 ?0.19 ? 109 M ?, respectively, are obtained for Abell 1836-BCG and Abell 3565-BCG, which show regular rotation curves and strong central velocity gradients. In the case of Abell 2052-BCG, the lack of an orderly rotational motion prevents a secure determination, although an upper limit of M ? 4.60 ? 109 M ? can be placed on the mass of the central SBH. These measurements represent an important step forward in the characterization of the high-mass end of the SBH mass function.

THE SINFONI BLACK HOLE SURVEY: THE BLACK HOLE FUNDAMENTAL PLANE REVISITED AND THE PATHS OF (CO)EVOLUTION OF SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES AND BULGES

We investigate the correlations between the black hole mass

SN Ia host galaxy properties from Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II spectroscopy

M_{BH}