We present the first results of a survey of the [C II]157.7 {$μ$}m emission line in 241 luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) comprising the Great Observatories All-sky LIRG Survey (GOALS) sample,... Show moreWe present the first results of a survey of the [C II]157.7 {$μ$}m emission line in 241 luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) comprising the Great Observatories All-sky LIRG Survey (GOALS) sample, obtained with the PACS instrument on board the Herschel Space Observatory. The [C II] luminosities, L $_{[C II]}$, of the LIRGs in GOALS range from ~{}10$^{7}$ to 2 { imes} 10$^{9}$ L $_{⊙}$. We find that LIRGs show a tight correlation of [C II]/FIR with far-IR (FIR) flux density ratios, with a strong negative trend spanning from ~{}10$^{-2}$ to 10$^{-4}$, as the average temperature of dust increases. We find correlations between the [C II]/FIR ratio and the strength of the 9.7 {$μ$}m silicate absorption feature as well as with the luminosity surface density of the mid-IR emitting region ({$Sigma$}$_{MIR}$), suggesting that warmer, more compact starbursts have substantially smaller [C II]/FIR ratios. Pure star-forming LIRGs have a mean [C II]/FIR ~{} 4 { imes} 10$^{-3}$, while galaxies with low polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) equivalent widths (EWs), indicative of the presence of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), span the full range in [C II]/FIR. However, we show that even when only pure star-forming galaxies are considered, the [C II]/FIR ratio still drops by an order of magnitude, from 10$^{-2}$ to 10$^{-3}$, with {$Sigma$}$_{MIR}$ and {$Sigma$}$_{IR}$, implying that the [C II]157.7 {$μ$}m luminosity is not a good indicator of the star formation rate (SFR) for most local LIRGs, for it does not scale linearly with the warm dust emission most likely associated to the youngest stars. Moreover, even in LIRGs in which we detect an AGN in the mid-IR, the majority (2/3) of galaxies show [C II]/FIR {gt}= 10$^{-3}$ typical of high 6.2 {$μ$}m PAH EW sources, suggesting that most AGNs do not contribute significantly to the FIR emission. We provide an empirical relation between the [C II]/FIR and the specific SFR for star-forming LIRGs. Finally, we present predictions for the starburst size based on the observed [C II] and FIR luminosities which should be useful for comparing with results from future surveys of high-redshift galaxies with ALMA and CCAT. Show less
Appleton, P.; Guillard, P.; Boulanger, F.; Cluver, M.; Ogle, P.; Falgarone, E.; ... ; Xu, K. 2013
We present the first Herschel spectroscopic detections of the [O I] 63 {$μ$}m and [C II] 158 {$μ$}m fine-structure transitions, and a single para-H$_{2}$O line from the 35 { imes} 15 kpc$^{2}$... Show moreWe present the first Herschel spectroscopic detections of the [O I] 63 {$μ$}m and [C II] 158 {$μ$}m fine-structure transitions, and a single para-H$_{2}$O line from the 35 { imes} 15 kpc$^{2}$ shocked intergalactic filament in Stephan's Quintet. The filament is believed to have been formed when a high-speed intruder to the group collided with a clumpy intergroup gas. Observations with the PACS spectrometer provide evidence for broad ({gt}1000 km s$^{–1}$) luminous [C II] line profiles, as well as fainter [O I] 63 {$μ$}m emission. SPIRE FTS observations reveal water emission from the p-H$_{2}$O (1$_{11}$-0$_{00}$) transition at several positions in the filament, but no other molecular lines. The H$_{2}$O line is narrow and may be associated with denser intermediate-velocity gas experiencing the strongest shock-heating. The [C II]/PAH$_{tot}$ and [C II]/FIR ratios are too large to be explained by normal photo-electric heating in photodissociation regions. H II region excitation or X-ray/cosmic-ray heating can also be ruled out. The observations lead to the conclusion that a large fraction the molecular gas is diffuse and warm. We propose that the [C II], [O I], and warm H$_{2}$ line emission is powered by a turbulent cascade in which kinetic energy from the galaxy collision with the intergalactic medium is dissipated to small scales and low velocities, via shocks and turbulent eddies. Low-velocity magnetic shocks can help explain both the [C II]/[O I] ratio, and the relatively high [C II]/H$_{2}$ ratios observed. The discovery that [C II] emission can be enhanced, in large-scale turbulent regions in collisional environments, has implications for the interpretation of [C II] emission in high-z galaxies. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA. Show less
We present ~{}kiloparsec spatial resolution maps of the CO-to-H$_{2}$ conversion factor ({$α$}$_{CO}$) and dust-to-gas ratio (DGR) in 26 nearby, star-forming galaxies. We have simultaneously... Show moreWe present ~{}kiloparsec spatial resolution maps of the CO-to-H$_{2}$ conversion factor ({$α$}$_{CO}$) and dust-to-gas ratio (DGR) in 26 nearby, star-forming galaxies. We have simultaneously solved for {$α$}$_{CO}$ and the DGR by assuming that the DGR is approximately constant on kiloparsec scales. With this assumption, we can combine maps of dust mass surface density, CO-integrated intensity, and H I column density to solve for both {$α$}$_{CO}$ and the DGR with no assumptions about their value or dependence on metallicity or other parameters. Such a study has just become possible with the availability of high-resolution far-IR maps from the Herschel key program KINGFISH, $^{12}$CO J = (2-1) maps from the IRAM 30 m large program HERACLES, and H I 21 cm line maps from THINGS. We use a fixed ratio between the (2-1) and (1-0) lines to present our {$α$}$_{CO}$ results on the more typically used $^{12}$CO J = (1-0) scale and show using literature measurements that variations in the line ratio do not affect our results. In total, we derive 782 individual solutions for {$α$}$_{CO}$ and the DGR. On average, {$α$}$_{CO}$ = 3.1 M $_{☉}$ pc$^{–2}$ (K km s$^{–1}$)$^{–1}$ for our sample with a standard deviation of 0.3 dex. Within galaxies, we observe a generally flat profile of {$α$}$_{CO}$ as a function of galactocentric radius. However, most galaxies exhibit a lower {$α$}$_{CO}$ value in the central kiloparsec{mdash}a factor of ~{}2 below the galaxy mean, on average. In some cases, the central {$α$}$_{CO}$ value can be factors of 5-10 below the standard Milky Way (MW) value of {$α$}$_{CO, MW}$ = 4.4 M $_{☉}$ pc$^{–2}$ (K km s$^{–1}$)$^{–1}$. While for {$α$}$_{CO}$ we find only weak correlations with metallicity, the DGR is well-correlated with metallicity, with an approximately linear slope. Finally, we present several recommendations for choosing an appropriate {$α$}$_{CO}$ for studies of nearby galaxies. Show less
