Grants related:
General
Starsbursts play a key role in the cosmic evolution of galaxies, and thus in the star formation (SF) history of the universe, the production of metals, and the feedback coupling galaxies with the cosmic web. Extreme SF conditions prevail early on during the formation of the first stars and galaxies, therefore, the starburst phenomenon constitutes a fundamental ingredient of our understanding of the Universe. Starbursts are observed throughout, from the giant HII regions in nearby spirals, to the massive clumps typical of high redshift objects. This project is aimed at carrying out a comprehensive study of the physics of local massive SF regions in order to enlarge our understanding of the most distant galaxies and most extreme starbursts. We combine observational studies (using ground-based and space-borne spectrophotometry) along with our self-consistent theoretical models. Among the observational facilities, the team is directly involved in the development and scientific exploitation of the GTC instruments EMIR and MEGARA, which will become operational during the timespan of the project.
We have structured our research for the next three years around five main objectives:
1) The interplay between massive SF and the interstellar medium within galaxies.
2) Understanding the formation of disk galaxies.
3) The role of the environment on massive SF and the evolution of galaxies.
4) Extreme starbursting in the early Universe.
5) Participation in the science verification and building of new instrumentation.
The main results expected from this project include: i) constraining the chemical evolution of galaxies using a combination of integral-field spectroscopy and fully bi-dimensional models, ii) understanding the role of molecular gas and high-energy background photons on the formation of galaxies, iii) developing a technique to image the cosmic web gas that feeds the starbursts, iv) characterizing the chemical and dynamical properties of the gas that is falling into the galaxies, v) deciphering the different ways in which the environment can affect the SF in star-forming galaxies along cosmic time; paying special attention to the triggering of violent SF bursts in the lowest metallicity galaxies. vi) explaining how very massive and compact starbursts may evolve in the so-called positive feedback mode, accounting for extreme starbursts in local galaxy analogs to the objects present in the primeval universe. vii) understanding the SF in Lya and Ly-break galaxies, viii) constraining the existence of candidate stars analog to PopIII in extremely metal-poor galaxies, both in the local universe and at high redshift, ix) developing the know-how needed for effective use of EMIR and MEGARA. We aim at getting the most from these new instruments by leading science cases during verification phase and later on.
Members
Results
- Local anticorrelation between star formation rate and gas-phase metallicity in disc galaxies Using a representative sample of 14 star-forming dwarf galaxies in the local Universe, we show the existence of a spaxel-to-spaxel anticorrelation between the index N2 ≡ log ([N II]λ 6583/H α ) and the H α flux.
- Discovery of a high-metallicity low mass galaxy, confirming the stochasticity of the cosmic web gas feed star formation
- Pyroclastic Blowout: Dust Survival in Supernovi Events
- A simultaneous search for high-z LAEs and LBGs in the SHARDS survey.We derive redshifts, star formation rates, Lyα equivalent widths, and luminosity functions (LFs). Grouping within our sample is also studied, finding 92 pairs or small groups of galaxies
- A possible binary AGN has been found in Mrk 622.
Scientific activity
Related publications
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Mapping the core of the Tarantula Nebula with VLT-MUSE. I. Spectral and nebular content around R136
We introduce VLT-MUSE observations of the central 2'× 2' (30 × 30 pc) of the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The observations provide an unprecedented spectroscopic census of the massive stars and ionised gas in the vicinity of R136, the young, dense star cluster located in NGC 2070, at the heart of the richest star-forming region
Castro, N. et al.Advertised on:
62018 -
Towards an improvement in the spectral description of central stars of planetary nebulae
Context. There are more than 3000 known Galactic planetary nebulae, but only 492 central stars of Galactic planetary nebulae (CSPN) have known spectral types. It is vital to increase this number in order to have reliable statistics, which will lead to an increase of our understanding of these amazing objects. Aims: We aim to contribute to the
Weidmann, W. et al.Advertised on:
72018 -
Neutron-capture Elements in Planetary Nebulae: First Detections of Near-infrared [Te III] and [Br V] Emission Lines
We have identified two new near-infrared (NIR) emission lines in the spectra of planetary nebulae arising from heavy elements produced by neutron-capture reactions: [Te III] 2.1019 μm and [Br V] 1.6429 μm. [Te III] was detected in both NGC 7027 and IC 418, while [Br V] was seen in NGC 7027. The observations were obtained with the medium-resolution
Madonna, S. et al.Advertised on:
72018 -
An unusual transient in the extremely metal-poor Galaxy SDSS J094332.35+332657.6 (Leoncino Dwarf)
We have serendipitously discovered that Leoncino Dwarf, an ultrafaint, low-metallicity record-holder dwarf galaxy, may have hosted a transient source, and possibly exhibited a change in morphology, a shift in the centre of brightness, and peak variability of the main (host) source in images taken approximately 40 yr apart; it is highly likely that
Filho, M. E. et al.Advertised on:
82018 -
A simultaneous search for high-z LAEs and LBGs in the SHARDS survey
We have undertaken a comprehensive search for both Lyman alpha emitters (LAEs) and Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) in the Survey for High-z Absorption Red and Dead Sources (SHARDS) Survey of the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey North field. SHARDS is a deep imaging survey, made with the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias, employing 25 medium band
Arrabal Haro, P. et al.Advertised on:
82018 -
The Origin of the Relation between Metallicity and Size in Star-forming Galaxies
For the same stellar mass, physically smaller star-forming galaxies are also metal richer. What causes the relation remains unclear. The central star-forming galaxies in the EAGLE cosmological numerical simulation reproduce the observed trend. We use them to explore the origin of the relation assuming that the physical mechanism responsible for the
Sánchez Almeida, J. et al.Advertised on:
62018 -
NOEMA Observations of a Molecular Cloud in the Low-metallicity Galaxy Kiso 5639
A giant star-forming region in a metal-poor dwarf galaxy has been observed in optical lines with the 10 m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) and in the emission line of CO(1–0) with the Northern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) mm-wave interferometer. The metallicity was determined to be 12+{log}({{O}}/{{H}})=7.83+/- 0.09, from which we estimate a
Elmegreen, B. G. et al.Advertised on:
62018 -
Precipitable water vapour forecasting: a tool for optimizing IR observations at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory
We validate the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model for precipitable water vapour (PWV) forecasting as a fully operational tool for optimizing astronomical infrared observations at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (ORM). For the model validation, we used GNSS-based (Global Navigation Satellite System) data from the PWV monitor located at
Pérez-Jordán, G et al.Advertised on:
72018 -
Machine learning in APOGEE. Unsupervised spectral classification with K-means
Context. The volume of data generated by astronomical surveys is growing rapidly. Traditional analysis techniques in spectroscopy either demand intensive human interaction or are computationally expensive. In this scenario, machine learning, and unsupervised clustering algorithms in particular, offer interesting alternatives. The Apache Point
Garcia-Dias, R. et al.Advertised on:
52018 -
The Fourteenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: First Spectroscopic Data from the Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey and from the Second Phase of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment
The fourth generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV) has been in operation since 2014 July. This paper describes the second data release from this phase, and the 14th from SDSS overall (making this Data Release Fourteen or DR14). This release makes the data taken by SDSS-IV in its first two years of operation (2014–2016 July) public
Abolfathi, B. et al.Advertised on:
42018 -
Local anticorrelation between star formation rate and gas-phase metallicity in disc galaxies
Using a representative sample of 14 star-forming dwarf galaxies in the local Universe, we show the existence of a spaxel-to-spaxel anticorrelation between the index N2 ≡ log ([N II]λ 6583/H α ) and the H α flux. These two quantities are commonly employed as proxies for gas-phase metallicity and star formation rate (SFR), respectively. Thus, the
Sánchez Almeida, J. et al.Advertised on:
62018 -
SHARDS Frontier Fields: Physical Properties of a Low-mass Lyα Emitter at z = 5.75
We analyze the properties of a multiply imaged Lyα (Lyα) emitter at z = 5.75 identified through SHARDS Frontier Fields intermediate-band imaging of the Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) cluster Abell 370. The source, A370-L57, has low intrinsic luminosity (M UV ∼ ‑16.5), steep UV spectral index (β = ‑2.4 ± 0.1), and extreme rest-frame equivalent width
Hernán-Caballero, A. et al.Advertised on:
112017 -
Gas Accretion and Star Formation Rates
Cosmological numerical simulations of galaxy evolution show that accretion of metal-poor gas from the cosmic web drives the star formation in galaxy disks. Unfortunately, the observational support for this theoretical prediction is still indirect, and modeling and analysis are required to identify hints as actual signs of star formation feeding
Sánchez Almeida, J.Advertised on:
12017 -
The molecular environment of the pillar-like features in the H ii region G46.5-0.2
At the interface of H ii regions and molecular gas, peculiar structures appear, some of them with pillar-like shapes. Understanding their origin is important for characterizing triggered star formation and the impact of massive stars on the interstellar medium. In order to study the molecular environment and influence of radiation on two pillar
Paron, S. et al.Advertised on:
102017 -
Gran Telescopio Canarias observations of an overdense region of Lyman α emitters at z = 6.5
We present the results of our search near the end of the Reionization Epoch for faint galaxies. This has been done using very deep OSIRIS images obtained at the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). Our observations focus around two close, massive Lyman α emitters (LAEs) at redshift 6.5, discovered in the SXDS field within a large-scale overdense region
Chanchaiworawit, K. et al.Advertised on:
82017 -
A comparison between the soft X-ray and [O III] morphologies of active galactic nuclei
Several studies of nearby active galactic nuclei (AGNs) have shown that the soft X-ray emission presents a size and morphology resembling that of the narrow-line region (NLR) traced by [O III]. Since the NLR is mainly constituted by gas photoionized by the AGN, it seems logical to assume that this is also the primary source of the soft X-ray
Gómez-Guijarro, Carlos et al.Advertised on:
82017 -
Hints on the Gradual Resizing of the Torus in AGNs through Decomposition of Spitzer/IRS Spectra
Several authors have claimed that less luminous active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are not capable of sustaining a dusty torus structure. Thus, a gradual resizing of the torus is expected when the AGN luminosity decreases. Our aim is to examine mid-infrared observations of local AGNs of different luminosities for the gradual resizing and disappearance
González-Martín, Omaira et al.Advertised on:
52017 -
The Nearest Ultra Diffuse Galaxy: UGC 2162
We describe the structural, stellar population and gas properties of the nearest ultra diffuse galaxy discovered so far: UGC 2162 (z = 0.00392 {R}e,g=1.7(+/- 0.2) kpc; {μ }g(0) = 24.4 ± 0.1 mag arcsec‑2 g-i = 0.33 ± 0.02). This galaxy, located at a distance of 12.3(±1.7) Mpc, is a member of the M77 group. UGC 2162 has a stellar mass of ∼ 2{(}-1+2)
Trujillo, I. et al.Advertised on:
22017 -
On the Dearth of Ultra-faint Extremely Metal-poor Galaxies
Local extremely metal-poor galaxies (XMPs) are of particular astrophysical interest since they allow us to look into physical processes characteristic of the early universe, from the assembly of galaxy disks to the formation of stars in conditions of low metallicity. Given the luminosity–metallicity relationship, all galaxies fainter than M r ≃ ‑13
Sánchez Almeida, J. et al.Advertised on:
22017 -
Star formation in AGNs at the hundred parsec scale using MIR high-resolution images
It has been well established in the past decades that the central black hole masses of galaxies correlate with dynamical properties of their harbouring bulges. This notion begs the question of whether there are causal connections between the active galactic nucleus (AGN) and its immediate vicinity in the host galaxy. In this paper, we analyse the
Ruschel-Dutra, D. et al.Advertised on:
42017
