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Redshift Distribution (redshift + distribution)
Selected AbstractsEstimating the redshift distribution of photometric galaxy samples , II.MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2009Applications, tests of a new method ABSTRACT In Lima et al. we presented a new method for estimating the redshift distribution, N(z), of a photometric galaxy sample, using photometric observables and weighted sampling from a spectroscopic subsample of the data. In this paper, we extend this method and explore various applications of it, using both simulations and real data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). In addition to estimating the redshift distribution for an entire sample, the weighting method enables accurate estimates of the redshift probability distribution, p(z), for each galaxy in a photometric sample. Use of p(z) in cosmological analyses can substantially reduce biases associated with traditional photometric redshifts, in which a single redshift estimate is associated with each galaxy. The weighting procedure also naturally indicates which galaxies in the photometric sample are expected to have accurate redshift estimates, namely those that lie in regions of photometric-observable space that are well sampled by the spectroscopic subsample. In addition to providing a method that has some advantages over standard photo- z estimates, the weights method can also be used in conjunction with photo- z estimates e.g. by providing improved estimation of N(z) via deconvolution of N(zphot) and improved estimates of photo- z scatter and bias. We present a publicly available p(z) catalogue for ,78 million SDSS DR7 galaxies. [source] A highly obscured and strongly clustered galaxy population discovered with the Spitzer Space TelescopeMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2007M. Magliocchetti ABSTRACT The ,800 optically unseen (R > 25.5) 24-,m selected sources in the complete Spitzer First Look Survey sample with F24 ,m, 0.35 mJy are found to be very strongly clustered. If, as indicated by several lines of circumstantial evidence, they are ultraluminous far-infrared galaxies at z, 1.6,2.7, the amplitude of their spatial correlation function is very high. The associated comoving clustering length is estimated to be r0= 14.0+2.1,2.4 Mpc, value which puts these sources amongst the most strongly clustered populations of our known Universe. Their 8,24 ,m colours suggest that the active galactic nucleus contribution dominates above F24 ,m, 0.8 mJy, consistent with earlier analyses. The properties of these objects (number counts, redshift distribution, clustering amplitude) are fully consistent with those of proto-spheroidal galaxies in the process of forming most of their stars and of growing their active nucleus, as described by the Granato et al. model. In particular, the inferred space density of such galaxies at z, 2 is much higher than what is expected from most semi-analytic models. Matches of the observed projected correlation function w(,) with models derived within the so-called halo occupation scenario show that these sources have to be hosted by haloes more massive than ,1013.4 M,. This value is significantly higher than that for the typical galactic haloes hosting massive elliptical galaxies, suggesting a duration of the starburst phase of massive high-redshift dusty galaxies of TB, 0.5 Gyr. [source] Deep radio imaging of the SCUBA 8-mJy survey fields: submillimetre source identifications and redshift distributionMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 1 2002R. J. Ivison Abstract The SCUBA 8-mJy survey is the largest submillimetre (submm) extragalactic mapping survey undertaken to date, covering 260 arcmin2 to a 4 , detection limit of ,8 mJy at 850 ,m, centred on the Lockman Hole and ELAIS N2 regions. Here, we present the results of new 1.4-GHz imaging of these fields, of the depth and resolution necessary to reliably identify radio counterparts for 18 of 30 submm sources, with possible detections of a further 25 per cent. Armed with this greatly improved positional information, we present and analyse new optical, near-infrared (near-IR) and XMM,Newton X-ray imaging to identify optical/IR host galaxies to half of the submm-selected sources in those fields. As many as 15 per cent of the submm sources detected at 1.4 GHz are resolved by the 1.4-arcsec beam and a further 25 per cent have more than one radio counterpart, suggesting that radio and submm emission arise from extended starbursts and that interactions are common. We note that less than a quarter of the submm-selected sample would have been recovered by targeting optically faint radio sources, underlining the selective nature of such surveys. At least 60 per cent of the radio-confirmed optical/IR host galaxies appear to be morphologically distorted; many are composite systems , red galaxies with relatively blue companions; just over one half are found to be very red (I , K > 3.3) or extremely red (I , K > 4); contrary to popular belief, most are sufficiently bright to be tackled with spectrographs on 8-m telescopes. We find one submm source which is associated with the steep-spectrum lobe of a radio galaxy, at least two more with flatter radio spectra typical of radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN), one of them variable. The latter is amongst four sources (,15 per cent of the full sample) with X-ray emission consistent with obscured AGN, though the AGN would need to be Compton thick to power the observed far-IR luminosity. We exploit our well-matched radio and submm data to estimate the median redshift of the S850,m , 8 mJy submm galaxy population. If the radio/far-IR correlation holds at high redshift, and our sample is unbiased, we derive a conservative limit of ,z, ,2.0, or ,2.4 using spectral templates more representative of known submm galaxies. [source] Probing the dark ages with redshift distribution of gamma-ray burstsMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2002T. Roy Choudhury Abstract In this article, we explore the possibility of using the properties of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) to probe the physical conditions in the epochs prior to reionization. The redshift distribution of GRBs is modelled using the Press,Schechter formalism with an assumption that they follow the cosmic star formation history. We reproduce the observed star formation rate obtained from galaxies in the redshift range 0 < z < 5, as well as the redshift distribution of the GRBs inferred from the luminosity,variability correlation of the burst light curve. We show that the fraction of GRBs at high redshifts, the afterglows of which cannot be observed in the R and I bands owing to H i Gunn,Peterson optical depth can, at the most, account for one third of the dark GRBs. The observed redshift distribution of GRBs, with much less scatter than the one available today, can put stringent constraints on the epoch of reionization and the nature of gas cooling in the epochs prior to reionization. [source] Gigamasers: the key to the dust-obscured star formation history of the Universe?MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2001R.H.D. Townsend We discuss the possibility of using OH and H2O gigamasers to trace the redshift distribution of luminous, dust-obscured, star-forming galaxies. It has long been thought that ultraluminous, interacting galaxies should host gigamasers, owing to their vast pumping infrared (IR) luminosity, the large column density of molecules available to populate the maser states and the turbulent motion of the gas in these dynamically complex systems, which allows unsaturated maser emission. OH masers may thus be well suited to the redshift-blind detection of ultraluminous and hyperluminous infrared galaxies such as those uncovered by the SCUBA submillimetre camera. The bandwidth requirement is low, <1 GHz for (lower still if additional redshift constraints are available) and the dual-line 1665-/1667-MHz OH spectral signature can act as a check on the reality of detections. [source] On the evolution of young radio-loud AGNMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2000I. A. G. Snellen This paper describes an investigation of the early evolution of extragalactic radio sources using samples of faint and bright gigahertz peaked spectrum (GPS) and compact steep spectrum (CSS) radio galaxies. Correlations found between their peak frequency, peak flux density and angular size provide strong evidence that synchrotron self-absorption is the cause of the spectral turnovers, and indicate that young radio sources evolve in a self-similar way. In addition, the data seem to suggest that the sources are in equipartition while they evolve. If GPS sources evolve to large size radio sources, their redshift dependent birth-functions should be the same. Therefore, since the lifetimes of radio sources are thought to be short compared to the Hubble time, the observed difference in redshift distribution between GPS and large size sources must be due to a difference in slope of their luminosity functions. We argue that this slope is strongly affected by the luminosity evolution of the individual sources. A scenario for the luminosity evolution is proposed in which GPS sources increase in luminosity and large-scale radio sources decrease in luminosity with time. This evolution scenario is expected for a ram-pressure confined radio source in a surrounding medium with a King profile density. In the inner parts of the King profile, the density of the medium is constant and the radio source builds up its luminosity, but after it grows large enough the density of the surrounding medium declines and the luminosity of the radio source decreases. A comparison of the local luminosity function (LLF) of GPS galaxies with that of extended sources is a good test for this evolution scenario. Unfortunately, only a handful of GPS sources are known at low redshift, and an LLF can only be derived, assuming that their cosmological number density evolution is similar to that of steep spectrum sources. The LLF derived in this way is shown to be in good agreement with the proposed evolution scenario. However, the uncertainties are large, and larger, homogeneously selected samples of GPS sources are needed. [source] The redshift distribution of FIRST radio sources at 1 mJyMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2000M. Magliocchetti We present spectra for a sample of radio sources from the FIRST survey, and use them to define the form of the redshift distribution of radio sources at mJy levels. We targeted 365 sources and obtained 46 redshifts (13 per cent of the sample). We find that our sample is complete in redshift measurement to R,18.6, corresponding to z,0.2. Galaxies were assigned spectral types based on emission-line strengths. Early-type galaxies represent the largest subset (45 per cent) of the sample and have redshifts 0.15,z,0.5; late-type galaxies make up 15 per cent of the sample and have redshifts 0.05,z,0.2; starbursting galaxies are a small fraction (,6 per cent), and are very nearby (z,0.05). Some 9 per cent of the population have Seyfert 1/quasar-type spectra, all at z,0.8, and 4 per cent are Seyfert 2 type galaxies at intermediate redshifts (z,0.2). Using our measurements and data from the Phoenix survey (Hopkins et al.), we obtain an estimate for N(z) at S1.4 GHz,1 mJy and compare this with model predictions. At variance with previous conclusions, we find that the population of starbursting objects makes up ,5 per cent of the radio population at S,1 mJy. [source] Short Gamma-ray bursts: a bimodal origin?MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY: LETTERS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2008R. Salvaterra ABSTRACT Short-hard Gamma-Ray Bursts (SGRBs) are currently thought to arise from gravitational wave driven coalescences of double neutron star systems forming either in the field or dynamically in globular clusters. For both channels, we fit the peak flux distribution of BATSE SGRBs to derive the local burst formation rate and luminosity function. We then compare the resulting redshift distribution with Swift 2-yr data, showing that both formation channels are needed in order to reproduce the observations. Double neutron stars forming in globular clusters are found to dominate the distribution at z, 0.3, whereas the field population from primordial binaries can account for the high- z SGRBs. This result is not in contradiction with the observed host galaxy type of SGRBs. [source] Millimetric properties of gamma-ray burst host galaxiesMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 3 2006R. S. Priddey ABSTRACT We present millimetre (mm) and submillimetre (submm) photometry of a sample of five host galaxies of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), obtained using the Max Planck Millimetre Bolometer (MAMBO2) array and Submillimetre Common-User Bolometer Array (SCUBA). These observations were obtained as part of an ongoing project to investigate the status of GRBs as indicators of star formation. Our targets include two of the most unusual GRB host galaxies, selected as likely candidate submm galaxies: the extremely red (R,K, 5) host of GRB 030115, and the extremely faint (R > 29.5) host of GRB 020124. Neither of these galaxies is detected, but the deep upper limits for GRB 030115 impose constraints on its spectral energy distribution, requiring a warmer dust temperature than is commonly adopted for submillimetre galaxies (SMGs). As a framework for interpreting these data, and for predicting the results of forthcoming submm surveys of Swift -derived host samples, we model the expected flux and redshift distributions based on luminosity functions of both submm galaxies and GRBs, assuming a direct proportionality between the GRB rate density and the global star formation rate density. We derive the effects of possible sources of uncertainty in these assumptions, including (1) introducing an anticorrelation between GRB rate and the global average metallicity, and (2) varying the dust temperature. [source] | ||||||||||