The spatially resolved [C II] Cooling line deficit in galaxies

Journal article (2017)

Authors

J. -D. T. Smith Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie
K. V. Croxall Illumination Works LLC
A. Crocker Reed College
D. Dale University of Wyoming
M. Galametz European Southern Observatory
B. Groves Australian National University
George Helou California Institute of Technology
R. Herrera-Camus Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics Garching
L. Hunt INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri
R. C. Kennicutt University of Cambridge
Fabian Walter Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie
Mark Wolfire University of Maryland
Bruce Draine Princeton University
Ilse De Looze University of Cambridge
K. M. Sandstrom University of California
L. Armus Spitzer Science Center
Pedro Beirão Observatoire de Paris
A. Bolatto University of Maryland
M. Boquien Universidad de Antofagasta
B.R. Brandl Universiteit Leiden, Astrodynamics & Space Missions - Aerospace Engineering
Research Group
Astrodynamics & Space Missions (Aerospace Engineering) (TU Delft)
Copyright: © 2017 J. D T Smith, Kevin Croxall, Bruce Draine, Ilse De Looze, Karin Sandstrom, Lee Armus, Pedro Beirão, Alberto Bolatto, Mederic Boquien, B.R. Brandl, Alison Crocker, Daniel A. Dale, Maud Galametz, Brent Groves, George Helou, Rodrigo Herrera-Camus, Leslie Hunt, Robert Kennicutt, Fabian Walter, Mark Wolfire
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/834/1/5
Galaxies: ISM Dust, extinction Infrared: galaxies Techniques: spectroscopic
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Published Date

01-01-2017

Language

English

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Faculty

Aerospace Engineering

Department

Space Engineering

Research Group

Astrodynamics & Space Missions

Abstract

We present [C ii] 158 μm measurements from over 15,000 resolved regions within 54 nearby galaxies of the Kingfish program to investigate the so-called [C ii] "line-cooling deficit" long known to occur in galaxies with different luminosities. The [C ii]/TIR ratio ranges from above 1% to below 0.1% in the sample, with a mean value of 0.48 ± 0.21%. We find that the surface density of 24 μm emission dominates this trend, with [C ii]/TIR dropping as vIv (24 μm)increases. Deviations from this overall decline are correlated with changes in the gas-phase metal abundance, with higher metallicity associated with deeper deficits at a fixed surface brightness. We supplement the local sample with resolved [C ii] measurements from nearby luminous infrared galaxies and high-redshift sources from z = 1.8-6.4, and find that star formation rate density drives a continuous trend of deepening [C ii] deficit across six orders of magnitude in ΣSFR. The tightness of this correlation suggests that an approximate can be estimated directly from global measurements of [C ii]/TIR, and a relation is provided to do so. Several low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (AGN) hosts in the sample show additional and significant central suppression of [C ii]/TIR, but these deficit enhancements occur not in those AGNs with the highest X-ray luminosities, but instead those with the highest central starlight intensities. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the [C ii] line-cooling line deficit in galaxies likely arises from local physical phenomena in interstellar gas.

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