The rapid assembly of an elliptical galaxy of 400 billion solar masses at a redshift of 2.3
| Autor: | Asantha Cooray, Andrew I. Harris, Ivan Valtchanov, R. Neri, Alain Omont, Lian-Tao Wang, Rob Ivison, Dominik Riechers, Mark Gurwell, Hai Fu, Scott Chapman, Antonio Cava, Herve Aussel, Marco P. Viero, J. Jia, P. Martinez-Navajas, Douglas Scott, S. J. Oliver, A. Conley, G. Marsden, Mattia Negrello, Bruno Altieri, Andrew Paul Smith, Ismael Perez-Fournon, Michael Boylan-Kolchin, J. A. Calanog, Mattia Vaccari, Mat Page, Julie Wardlow, Caitlin M. Casey, R. S. Bussmann, Duncan Farrah, Chiara Feruglio, David L. Clements, Benjamin L. Schulz, Georgios E. Magdis, Andrew J. Baker, J. J. Bock, R. Hopwood, Joaquin Vieira, Peter Timothy Cox, Carrie Bridge, Dave Frayer, M. Zemcov |
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| Přispěvatelé: | Department of Physics and Astronomy [Irvine], University of California [Irvine] (UCI), University of California-University of California, Institut de RadioAstronomie Millimétrique (IRAM), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC), Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), Department of Astronomy [Ithaca], Cornell University, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), Smithsonian Institution-Harvard University [Cambridge], Department of Astronomy [College Park], University of Maryland [College Park], University of Maryland System-University of Maryland System, Herschel Science Centre, European Space Agency (ESA), Astrophysique Interprétation Modélisation (AIM (UMR_7158 / UMR_E_9005 / UM_112)), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7), Computing and Mathematical Sciences [Pasadena]], California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy [Boulder] (CASA), University of Colorado [Boulder], Astronomy Centre, University of Sussex, Department of Physics and Astronomy [Milton Keynes], The Open University [Milton Keynes] (OU), Department of Physics and Astronomy [Vancouver], University of British Columbia (UBC), Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (IAP), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC), Dipartimento di Astronomia, Universita degli Studi di Padova, Cornell University [New York], Dipartimento di Astronomia [Padova], Department of Physics and Astronomy [South Africa], University of the Western Cape, University of California [Irvine] (UC Irvine), University of California (UC)-University of California (UC), Harvard University-Smithsonian Institution, Agence Spatiale Européenne = European Space Agency (ESA), Astrophysique Interprétation Modélisation (AIM (UMR7158 / UMR_E_9005 / UM_112)), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Università degli Studi di Padova = University of Padua (Unipd), University of the Western Cape (UWC) |
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2013 |
| Předmět: |
Physics
Luminous infrared galaxy Multidisciplinary Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO) 010308 nuclear & particles physics Radio galaxy Astronomy FOS: Physical sciences Astrophysics Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics Galaxy merger 01 natural sciences [PHYS.ASTR.GA]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/Galactic Astrophysics [astro-ph.GA] Galaxy group 0103 physical sciences Elliptical galaxy Astrophysics::Solar and Stellar Astrophysics [SDU.ASTR.GA]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/Galactic Astrophysics [astro-ph.GA] Astrophysics::Earth and Planetary Astrophysics Brightest cluster galaxy Interacting galaxy 010303 astronomy & astrophysics Lenticular galaxy Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics |
| Zdroj: | Nature Nature, Nature Publishing Group, 2013, 498 (7454), pp.338. ⟨10.1038/nature12184⟩ Nature, 2013, 498 (7454), pp.338. ⟨10.1038/nature12184⟩ |
| ISSN: | 1476-4687 0028-0836 1476-4679 |
| DOI: | 10.1038/nature12184⟩ |
| Popis: | Stellar archeology shows that massive elliptical galaxies today formed rapidly about ten billion years ago with star formation rates above several hundreds solar masses per year (M_sun/yr). Their progenitors are likely the sub-millimeter-bright galaxies (SMGs) at redshifts (z) greater than 2. While SMGs' mean molecular gas mass of 5x10^10 M_sun can explain the formation of typical elliptical galaxies, it is inadequate to form ellipticals that already have stellar masses above 2x10^11 M_sun at z ~ 2. Here we report multi-wavelength high-resolution observations of a rare merger of two massive SMGs at z = 2.3. The system is currently forming stars at a tremendous rate of 2,000 M_sun/yr. With a star formation efficiency an order-of-magnitude greater than that of normal galaxies, it will quench the star formation by exhausting the gas reservoir in only ~200 million years. At a projected separation of 19 kiloparsecs, the two massive starbursts are about to merge and form a passive elliptical galaxy with a stellar mass of ~4x10^11 M_sun. Our observations show that gas-rich major galaxy mergers, concurrent with intense star formation, can form the most massive elliptical galaxies by z ~ 1.5. Comment: Appearing in Nature online on May 22 and in print on May 30. Submitted here is the accepted version (including the Supplementary Information), see nature.com for the final version |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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