Dust attenuation, dust content and geometry of star-forming galaxies

Junkai Zhang; Stijn Wuyts; Sam E. Cutler; Lamiya A. Mowla; Gabriel B. Brammer; Ivelina G. Momcheva; Katherine E. Whitaker; Pieter van Dokkum; Natascha M. Förster Schreiber; Erica J. Nelson; Patricia Schady; Carolin Villforth; David Wake; Arjen van der Wel

doi:10.1093/mnras/stad2066

Dust attenuation, dust content and geometry of star-forming galaxies

Junkai Zhang, Stijn Wuyts, Sam E. Cutler, Lamiya A. Mowla, Gabriel B. Brammer, Ivelina G. Momcheva, Katherine E. Whitaker, Pieter van Dokkum, Natascha M. Förster Schreiber, Erica J. Nelson, Patricia Schady, Carolin Villforth, David Wake, Arjen van der Wel

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Abstract

We analyse the joint distribution of dust attenuation and projected axis ratios, together with galaxy size and surface brightness profile information, to infer lessons on the dust content and star/dust geometry within star-forming galaxies at 0 < z < 2.5. To do so, we make use of large observational data sets from KiDS + VIKING + HSC-SSP and extend the analysis out to redshift z = 2.5 using the HST surveys CANDELS and 3D-DASH. We construct suites of SKIRT radiative transfer models for idealized galaxies observed under random viewing angles with the aim of reproducing the aforementioned distributions, including the level and inclination dependence of dust attenuation. We find that attenuation-based dust mass estimates are at odds with constraints from far-infrared observations, especially at higher redshifts, when assuming smooth star and dust geometries of equal extent. We demonstrate that UV-to-near-IR and far-infrared constraints can be reconciled by invoking clumpier dust geometries for galaxies at higher redshifts and/or very compact dust cores. We discuss implications for the significant wavelength- and redshift-dependent differences between half-light and half-mass radii that result from spatially varying dust columns within especially massive star-forming galaxies.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	4128-4147
Number of pages	20
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	524
Issue number	3
Early online date	27 Jul 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad2066
Publication status	Published - 1 Sept 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) collaboration includes the astronomical communities of Japan and Taiwan, and Princeton University. The HSC instrumentation and software were developed by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU), the University of Tokyo, the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), the Academia Sinica Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Taiwan (ASIAA), and Princeton University. Funding was contributed by the FIRST program from the Japanese Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), the Toray Science Foundation, NAOJ, Kavli IPMU, KEK, ASIAA, and Princeton University.

Funding Information:
We thank the authors of SKIRT, Maarten Baes and Peter Camps, for making their radiative transfer code publicly available. JZ gratefully acknowledges support from the China Scholarship Council (grant no. 201904910703). SW acknowledges support from the Chinese Academy of Sciences President’s International Fellowship Initiative (grant no.2022VMB0004). Support from NASA STScI grants HST-GO-16259, and HST-GO-16443 is gratefully acknowledged.

Funding Information:
The KiDS production team acknowledges support from: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, ERC, NOVA and NWO-M grants; Target; the University shed by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society.

Keywords

galaxies: ISM
galaxies: disc
galaxies: evolution
galaxies: general
galaxies: stellar content
galaxies: structure

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Access to Document

10.1093/mnras/stad2066Licence: CC BY

Cite this

Zhang, J., Wuyts, S., Cutler, S. E., Mowla, L. A., Brammer, G. B., Momcheva, I. G., Whitaker, K. E., Dokkum, P. V., Schreiber, N. M. F., Nelson, E. J., Schady, P., Villforth, C., Wake, D., & Wel, A. V. D. (2023). Dust attenuation, dust content and geometry of star-forming galaxies. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 524(3), 4128-4147. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad2066

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title = "Dust attenuation, dust content and geometry of star-forming galaxies",

abstract = "We analyse the joint distribution of dust attenuation and projected axis ratios, together with galaxy size and surface brightness profile information, to infer lessons on the dust content and star/dust geometry within star-forming galaxies at 0 < z < 2.5. To do so, we make use of large observational data sets from KiDS + VIKING + HSC-SSP and extend the analysis out to redshift z = 2.5 using the HST surveys CANDELS and 3D-DASH. We construct suites of SKIRT radiative transfer models for idealized galaxies observed under random viewing angles with the aim of reproducing the aforementioned distributions, including the level and inclination dependence of dust attenuation. We find that attenuation-based dust mass estimates are at odds with constraints from far-infrared observations, especially at higher redshifts, when assuming smooth star and dust geometries of equal extent. We demonstrate that UV-to-near-IR and far-infrared constraints can be reconciled by invoking clumpier dust geometries for galaxies at higher redshifts and/or very compact dust cores. We discuss implications for the significant wavelength- and redshift-dependent differences between half-light and half-mass radii that result from spatially varying dust columns within especially massive star-forming galaxies.",

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author = "Junkai Zhang and Stijn Wuyts and Cutler, {Sam E.} and Mowla, {Lamiya A.} and Brammer, {Gabriel B.} and Momcheva, {Ivelina G.} and Whitaker, {Katherine E.} and Dokkum, {Pieter van} and Schreiber, {Natascha M. F{\"o}rster} and Nelson, {Erica J.} and Patricia Schady and Carolin Villforth and David Wake and Wel, {Arjen van der}",

note = "Funding Information: The Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) collaboration includes the astronomical communities of Japan and Taiwan, and Princeton University. The HSC instrumentation and software were developed by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU), the University of Tokyo, the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), the Academia Sinica Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Taiwan (ASIAA), and Princeton University. Funding was contributed by the FIRST program from the Japanese Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), the Toray Science Foundation, NAOJ, Kavli IPMU, KEK, ASIAA, and Princeton University. Funding Information: We thank the authors of SKIRT, Maarten Baes and Peter Camps, for making their radiative transfer code publicly available. JZ gratefully acknowledges support from the China Scholarship Council (grant no. 201904910703). SW acknowledges support from the Chinese Academy of Sciences President{\textquoteright}s International Fellowship Initiative (grant no.2022VMB0004). Support from NASA STScI grants HST-GO-16259, and HST-GO-16443 is gratefully acknowledged. Funding Information: The KiDS production team acknowledges support from: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, ERC, NOVA and NWO-M grants; Target; the University shed by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society.",

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AU - Zhang, Junkai

AU - Wuyts, Stijn

AU - Cutler, Sam E.

AU - Mowla, Lamiya A.

AU - Brammer, Gabriel B.

AU - Momcheva, Ivelina G.

AU - Whitaker, Katherine E.

AU - Dokkum, Pieter van

AU - Schreiber, Natascha M. Förster

AU - Nelson, Erica J.

AU - Schady, Patricia

AU - Villforth, Carolin

AU - Wake, David

AU - Wel, Arjen van der

N1 - Funding Information: The Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) collaboration includes the astronomical communities of Japan and Taiwan, and Princeton University. The HSC instrumentation and software were developed by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU), the University of Tokyo, the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), the Academia Sinica Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Taiwan (ASIAA), and Princeton University. Funding was contributed by the FIRST program from the Japanese Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), the Toray Science Foundation, NAOJ, Kavli IPMU, KEK, ASIAA, and Princeton University. Funding Information: We thank the authors of SKIRT, Maarten Baes and Peter Camps, for making their radiative transfer code publicly available. JZ gratefully acknowledges support from the China Scholarship Council (grant no. 201904910703). SW acknowledges support from the Chinese Academy of Sciences President’s International Fellowship Initiative (grant no.2022VMB0004). Support from NASA STScI grants HST-GO-16259, and HST-GO-16443 is gratefully acknowledged. Funding Information: The KiDS production team acknowledges support from: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, ERC, NOVA and NWO-M grants; Target; the University shed by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society.

PY - 2023/9/1

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N2 - We analyse the joint distribution of dust attenuation and projected axis ratios, together with galaxy size and surface brightness profile information, to infer lessons on the dust content and star/dust geometry within star-forming galaxies at 0 < z < 2.5. To do so, we make use of large observational data sets from KiDS + VIKING + HSC-SSP and extend the analysis out to redshift z = 2.5 using the HST surveys CANDELS and 3D-DASH. We construct suites of SKIRT radiative transfer models for idealized galaxies observed under random viewing angles with the aim of reproducing the aforementioned distributions, including the level and inclination dependence of dust attenuation. We find that attenuation-based dust mass estimates are at odds with constraints from far-infrared observations, especially at higher redshifts, when assuming smooth star and dust geometries of equal extent. We demonstrate that UV-to-near-IR and far-infrared constraints can be reconciled by invoking clumpier dust geometries for galaxies at higher redshifts and/or very compact dust cores. We discuss implications for the significant wavelength- and redshift-dependent differences between half-light and half-mass radii that result from spatially varying dust columns within especially massive star-forming galaxies.

AB - We analyse the joint distribution of dust attenuation and projected axis ratios, together with galaxy size and surface brightness profile information, to infer lessons on the dust content and star/dust geometry within star-forming galaxies at 0 < z < 2.5. To do so, we make use of large observational data sets from KiDS + VIKING + HSC-SSP and extend the analysis out to redshift z = 2.5 using the HST surveys CANDELS and 3D-DASH. We construct suites of SKIRT radiative transfer models for idealized galaxies observed under random viewing angles with the aim of reproducing the aforementioned distributions, including the level and inclination dependence of dust attenuation. We find that attenuation-based dust mass estimates are at odds with constraints from far-infrared observations, especially at higher redshifts, when assuming smooth star and dust geometries of equal extent. We demonstrate that UV-to-near-IR and far-infrared constraints can be reconciled by invoking clumpier dust geometries for galaxies at higher redshifts and/or very compact dust cores. We discuss implications for the significant wavelength- and redshift-dependent differences between half-light and half-mass radii that result from spatially varying dust columns within especially massive star-forming galaxies.

KW - galaxies: ISM

KW - galaxies: disc

KW - galaxies: evolution

KW - galaxies: general

KW - galaxies: stellar content

KW - galaxies: structure

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U2 - 10.1093/mnras/stad2066

DO - 10.1093/mnras/stad2066

M3 - Article

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EP - 4147

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 3

ER -

Dust attenuation, dust content and geometry of star-forming galaxies

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

President's International Fellowship Initiative

3D-DASH: A Wide Field WFC3/IR Survey of COSMOS

Cite this

Dust attenuation, dust content and geometry of star-forming galaxies

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

President's International Fellowship Initiative

3D-DASH: A Wide Field WFC3/IR Survey of COSMOS

Cite this