Browsing by Author "Farrah, D."
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- The Complex Physics of Dusty Star-Forming Galaxies at High Redshifts as Revealed by Herschel and SpitzerLo Faro, B.; Franceschini, A.; Vaccari, M.; Silva, L.; Rodighiero, G.; Berta, S.; Bock, J.; Burgarella, D.; Buat, V.; Cava, A.; Clements, D. L.; Cooray, A.; Farrah, D.; Feltre, A.; Solares, E. A. G.; Hurley, P.; Lutz, D.; Magdis, G. E.; Magnelli, B.; Marchetti, L.; Oliver, S. J.; Page, M. J.; Popesso, P.; Pozzi, F.; Rigopoulou, D.; Rowan-Robinson, M.; Roseboom, I. G.; Scott, D.; Smith, A. J.; Symeonidis, M.; Wang, L.; Wuyts, S. (IOP Publishing Ltd., 2013-01)We combine far-infrared photometry from Herschel (PEP/HerMES) with deep mid-infrared spectroscopy from Spitzer to investigate the nature and the mass assembly history of a sample of 31 luminous and ultraluminous infrared galaxies ((U)LIRGs) at z similar to 1 and 2 selected in GOODS-S with 24 mu m fluxes between 0.2 and 0.5 mJy. We model the data with a self-consistent physical model (GRASIL) which includes a state-of-the-art treatment of dust extinction and reprocessing. We find that all of our galaxies appear to require massive populations of old (>1 Gyr) stars and, at the same time, to host a moderate ongoing activity of star formation (SFR <= 100 M-circle dot yr(-1)). The bulk of the stars appear to have been formed a few Gyr before the observation in essentially all cases. Only five galaxies of the sample require a recent starburst superimposed on a quiescent star formation history. We also find discrepancies between our results and those based on optical-only spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting for the same objects; by fitting their observed SEDs with our physical model we find higher extinctions (by Delta A(V) similar to 0.81 and 1.14) and higher stellar masses (by Delta log(M-*) similar to 0.16 and 0.36 dex) for z similar to 1 and z similar to 2 (U)LIRGs, respectively. The stellar mass difference is larger for the most dust-obscured objects. We also find lower SFRs than those computed from LIR using the Kennicutt relation due to the significant contribution to the dust heating by intermediate-age stellar populations through "cirrus" emission (similar to 73% and similar to 66% of the total L-IR for z similar to 1 and z similar to 2 (U)LIRGs, respectively).
- A deep X-ray view of the bare AGN Ark 120: V. Spin determination from disc-Comptonisation efficiency methodPorquet, D.; Done, C.; Reeves, J.N.; Grosso, N.; Marinucci, A.; Matt, G.; Lobban, A.; Nardini, E.; Braito, V.; Marin, F.; Kubota, A.; Ricci, C.; Koss, M.; Stern, D.; Ballantyne, D.; Farrah, D. (EDP Sciences, 2019-02-25)Context. The spin of supermassive black holes (SMBH) in active galactic nuclei (AGN) can be determined from spectral signature(s) of relativistic reflection such as the X-ray iron Kα line profile, but this can be rather uncertain when the line of sight intersects the so-called warm absorber and/or other wind components as these distort the continuum shape. Therefore, AGN showing no (or very weak) intrinsic absorption along the line-of-sight such as Ark 120, a so-called bare AGN, are the ideal targets for SMBH spin measurements. However, in our previous work on Ark 120, we found that its 2014 X-ray spectrum is dominated by Comptonisation, while the relativistic reflection emission only originates at tens of gravitational radii from the SMBH. As a result, we could not constrain the SMBH spin from disc reflection alone. Aims. Our aim is to determine the SMBH spin in Ark 120 from an alternative technique based on the global energetics of the disc-corona system. Indeed, the mass accretion rate (M) through the outer disc can be measured from the optical-UV emission, while the bolometric luminosity (L bol ) can be fairly well constrained from the optical to hard X-rays spectral energy distribution, giving access to the accretion efficiency η = L bol /(M c 2 ) which depends on the SMBH spin. Methods. The spectral analysis uses simultaneous XMM-Newton (OM and pn) and NuSTAR observations on 2014 March 22 and 2013 February 18. We applied the OPTXCONV model (based on OPTXAGNF) to self consistently reproduce the emission from the inner corona (warm and hot thermal Comptonisation) and the outer disc (colour temperature corrected black body), taking into account both the disc inclination angle and relativistic effects. For self-consistency, we modelled the mild relativistic reflection of the incident Comptonisation components using the XILCONV convolution model. Results. We infer a SMBH spin of 0.83 +0.05 -0.03 , adopting the SMBH reverberation mass of 1.50 × 10 8 M · . In addition, we find that the coronal radius decreases with increasing flux (by about a factor of two), from 85 +13 -10 R g in 2013 to 14 ± 3 R g in 2014. Conclusions. This is the first time that such a constraint is obtained for a SMBH spin from this technique, thanks to the bare properties of Ark 120, its well determined SMBH reverberation mass, and the presence of a mild relativistic reflection component in 2014 which allows us to constrain the disc inclination angle. We caution that these results depend on the detailed disc-corona structure, which is not yet fully established. However, the realistic parameter values (e.g. L bol /L Edd , disc inclination angle) found suggest that this is a promising method to determine spin in moderate-M AGN. © 2019 ESO.
- Diagnostics of AGN-driven molecular outflows in ULIRGs from Herschel-PACS observations of OH at 119 μmSpoon, H. W. W.; Farrah, D.; Lebouteiller, V.; Gonzalez-Alfonso, E.; Bernard-Salas, J.; Urrutia, T.; Rigopoulou, D.; Westmoquette, M. S.; Smith, H. A.; Afonso, J.; Pearson, C.; Cormier, D.; Efstathiou, A.; Borys, C.; Verma, A.; Etxaluze, M.; Clements, D. L. (IOP Publishing Ltd., 2013-10)We report on our observations of the 79 and 119 mu m doublet transitions of OH for 24 local (z < 0.262) ULIRGs observed with Herschel-PACS as part of the Herschel ULIRG Survey (HERUS). Some OH 119 mu m profiles display a clear P-Cygni shape and therefore imply outflowing OH gas, while other profiles are predominantly in absorption or are completely in emission. We find that the relative strength of the OH emission component decreases as the silicate absorption increases. This result locates the OH outflows inside the obscured nuclei. The maximum outflow velocities for our sources range from less than 100 to similar to 2000 km s(-1), with 15/24 (10/24) sources showing OH absorption at velocities exceeding 700 km s(-1) (1000 km s(-1)). Three sources show maximum OH outflow velocities exceeding that of Mrk231. Since outflow velocities above 500-700 km s(-1) are thought to require an active galactic nucleus (AGN) to drive them, about two-thirds of our ULIRG sample may host AGN-driven molecular outflows. This finding is supported by the correlation we find between the maximum OH outflow velocity and the IR-derived bolometric AGN luminosity. No such correlation is found with the IR-derived star formation rate. The highest outflow velocities are found among sources that are still deeply embedded. We speculate that the molecular outflows in these sources may be in an early phase of disrupting the nuclear dust veil before these sources evolve into less-obscured AGNs. Four of our sources show high-velocity wings in their [C II] fine-structure line profiles, implying neutral gas outflow masses of at least (2-4.5) x 10(8) M-circle dot.
- Evolution of cosmic star formation in the SCUBA-2 Cosmology Legacy SurveyBourne, N.; Dunlop, J. S.; Merlin, E.; Parsa, S.; Schreiber, C.; Castellano, M.; Conselice, C. J.; Coppin, K. E. K.; Farrah, D.; Fontana, A.; Geach, J. E.; Halpern, M.; Knudsen, K. K.; Michalowski, M. J.; Mortlock, A.; Santini, P.; Scott, D.; Shu, X. W.; Simpson, C.; Simpson, J. M.; Smith, D. J. B.; Werf, P. V. D. (2017-01)We present a new exploration of the cosmic star-formation history and dust obscuration in massive galaxies at redshifts $0.5< z<6$. We utilize the deepest 450 and 850$\mu$m imaging from SCUBA-2 CLS, covering 230arcmin$^2$ in the AEGIS, COSMOS and UDS fields, together with 100-250$\mu$m imaging from Herschel. We demonstrate the capability of the T-PHOT deconfusion code to reach below the confusion limit, using multi-wavelength prior catalogues from CANDELS/3D-HST. By combining IR and UV data, we measure the relationship between total star-formation rate (SFR) and stellar mass up to $z\sim5$, indicating that UV-derived dust corrections underestimate the SFR in massive galaxies. We investigate the relationship between obscuration and the UV slope (the IRX-$\beta$ relation) in our sample, which is similar to that of low-redshift starburst galaxies, although it deviates at high stellar masses. Our data provide new measurements of the total SFR density (SFRD) in $M_\ast>10^{10}M_\odot$ galaxies at $0.510$. One third of this is accounted for by 450$\mu$m-detected sources, while one fifth is attributed to UV-luminous sources (brighter than $L^\ast_{UV}$), although even these are largely obscured. By extrapolating our results to include all stellar masses, we estimate a total SFRD that is in good agreement with previous results from IR and UV data at $z\lesssim3$, and from UV-only data at $z\sim5$. The cosmic star-formation history undergoes a transition at $z\sim3-4$, as predominantly unobscured growth in the early Universe is overtaken by obscured star formation, driven by the build-up of the most massive galaxies during the peak of cosmic assembly.
- The evolution of the dust and gas content in galaxiesSantini, P.; Maiolino, R.; Magnelli, B.; Lutz, D.; Lamastra, A.; Causi, G. L.; Eales, S.; Andreani, P.; Berta, S.; Buat, V.; Cooray, A.; Cresci, G.; Daddi, E.; Farrah, D.; Fontana, A.; Franceschini, A.; Genzel, R.; Granato, G.; Grazian, A.; Le Floc'h, E.; Magdis, G. E.; Magliocchetti, M.; Mannucci, F.; Menci, N.; Nordon, R.; Oliver, S.; Popesso, P.; Pozzi, F.; Riguccini, L.; Rodighiero, G.; Rosario, D. J.; Salvato, M.; Scott, D.; Silva, L.; Tacconi, L.; Viero, M.; Wang, L.; Wuyts, S.; Xu, K. (EDP SCIENCES, 2014-02)We use deep Herschel observations taken with both PACS and SPIRE imaging cameras to estimate the dust mass of a sample of galaxies extracted from the GOODS-S, GOODS-N and the COSMOS fields. We divide the redshift-stellar mass (M-star)-star formation rate (SFR) parameter space into small bins and investigate average properties over this grid. In the first part of the work we investigate the scaling relations between dust mass, stellar mass and SFR out to z = 2.5. No clear evolution of the dust mass with redshift is observed at a given SFR and stellar mass. We find a tight correlation between the SFR and the dust mass, which, under reasonable assumptions, is likely a consequence of the Schmidt-Kennicutt (S-K) relation. The previously observed correlation between the stellar content and the dust content flattens or sometimes disappears when considering galaxies with the same SFR. Our finding suggests that most of the correlation between dust mass and stellar mass obtained by previous studies is likely a consequence of the correlation between the dust mass and the SFR combined with the main sequence, i.e., the tight relation observed between the stellar mass and the SFR and followed by the majority of star-forming galaxies. We then investigate the gas content as inferred from dust mass measurements. We convert the dust mass into gas mass by assuming that the dust-to-gas ratio scales linearly with the gas metallicity (as supported by many observations). For normal star-forming galaxies (on the main sequence) the inferred relation between the SFR and the gas mass (integrated S-K relation) broadly agrees with the results of previous studies based on CO measurements, despite the completely different approaches. We observe that all galaxies in the sample follow, within uncertainties, the same S-K relation. However, when investigated in redshift intervals, the S-K relation shows a moderate, but significant redshift evolution. The bulk of the galaxy population at z similar to 2 converts gas into stars with an efficiency (star formation efficiency, SFE = SFR/M-gas, equal to the inverse of the depletion time) about 5 times higher than at z similar to 0. However, it is not clear what fraction of such variation of the SFE is due to an intrinsic redshift evolution and what fraction is simply a consequence of high-z galaxies having, on average, higher SFR, combined with the super-linear slope of the S-K relation (while other studies find a linear slope). We confirm that the gas fraction (f(gas) = M-gas/(M-gas + M-star)) decreases with stellar mass and increases with the SFR. We observe no evolution with redshift once M-star and SFR are fixed. We explain these trends by introducing a universal relation between gas fraction, stellar mass and SFR that does not evolve with redshift, at least out to z similar to 2.5. Galaxies move across this relation as their gas content evolves across the cosmic epochs. We use the 3D fundamental f(gas)-M-star-SFR relation, along with the evolution of the main sequence with redshift, to estimate the evolution of the gas fraction in the average population of galaxies as a function of redshift and as a function of stellar mass: we find that M-star greater than or similar to 10(11) M-circle dot galaxies show the strongest evolution at z greater than or similar to 1. 3 and a flatter trend at lower redshift, while f(gas) decreases more regularly over the entire redshift range probed in M-star less than or similar to 10(11) M-circle dot galaxies, in agreement with a downsizing scenario.
- Far-infrared fine-structure line diagnostics of ultraluminous infrared galaxiesFarrah, D.; Lebouteiller, V.; Spoon, H. W. W.; Bernard-Salas, J.; Pearson, C.; Rigopoulou, D.; Smith, H. A.; Gonzalez-Alfonso, E.; Clements, D. L.; Efstathiou, A.; Cormier, D.; Afonso, J.; Petty, S. M.; Harris, K.; Hurley, P.; Borys, C.; Verma, A.; Cooray, A.; Salvatelli, V. (IOP Publishing Ltd., 2013-10)We present Herschel observations of 6 fine-structure lines in 25 ultraluminous infrared galaxies at z < 0.27. The lines, [O III]52 mu m, [N III] 57 mu m, [O I]63 mu m, [N II]122 mu m, [O I]145 mu m, and [C II]158 mu m, are mostly single Gaussians with widths < 600 km s(-1) and luminosities of 10(7)-10(9) L-circle dot. There are deficits in the [O I] 63/L-IR, [N II]/L-IR, [O I]145/L-IR, and [C II]/L-IR ratios compared to lower luminosity systems. The majority of the line deficits are consistent with dustier H II regions, but part of the [C II] deficit may arise from an additional mechanism, plausibly charged dust grains. This is consistent with some of the [C II] originating from photodissociation regions or the interstellar medium (ISM). We derive relations between far-IR line luminosities and both the IR luminosity and star formation rate. We find that [N II] and both [O I] lines are good tracers of the IR luminosity and star formation rate. In contrast, [C II] is a poor tracer of the IR luminosity and star formation rate, and does not improve as a tracer of either quantity if the [C II] deficit is accounted for. The continuum luminosity densities also correlate with the IR luminosity and star formation rate. We derive ranges for the gas density and ultraviolet radiation intensity of 10(1) < n < 10(2.5) and 10(2.2) < G(0) < 10(3.6), respectively. These ranges depend on optical type, the importance of star formation, and merger stage. We do not find relationships between far-IR line properties and several other parameters: active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity, merger stage, mid-IR excitation, and SMBH mass. We conclude that these far-IR lines arise from gas heated by starlight, and that they are not strongly influenced by AGN activity.
- Gravitational lens models based on submillimeter array imaging of Herschel-selected strongly lensed sub-millimeter galaxies at z > 1.5Bussmann, R. S.; Perez-Fournon, I.; Amber, S.; Calanog, J. A.; Gurwell, M. A.; Dannerbauer, H.; De Bernardis, F.; Fu, H.; Harris, A. I.; Krips, M.; Lapi, A.; Maiolino, R.; Omont, A.; Riechers, D. A.; Wardlow, J.; Baker, A. J.; Birkinshaw, M.; Bock, J.; Bourne, N.; Clements, D. L.; Cooray, A.; De Zotti, G.; Dunne, L.; Dye, S.; Eales, S.; Farrah, D.; Gavazzi, R.; Nuevo, J. G.; Hopwood, R.; Ibar, E.; Ivison, R. J.; Laporte, N.; Maddox, S.; Martinez-Navajas, P.; Michalowski, M. J.; Negrello, M.; Oliver, S. J.; Roseboom, I. G.; Scott, D.; Serjeant, S.; Smith, A. J.; Smith, M.; Streblyanska, A.; Valiante, E.; van der Werf, P.; Verma, A.; Vieira, J. D.; Wang, L.; Wilner, D. (IOP Publishing Ltd., 2013-12)Strong gravitational lenses are now being routinely discovered in wide-field surveys at (sub-)millimeter wavelengths. We present Submillimeter Array (SMA) high-spatial resolution imaging and Gemini-South and Multiple Mirror Telescope optical spectroscopy of strong lens candidates discovered in the two widest extragalactic surveys conducted by the Herschel Space Observatory: the Herschel-Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey (H-ATLAS) and the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey (HerMES). From a sample of 30 Herschel sources with S-500 > 100 mJy, 21 are strongly lensed (i.e., multiply imaged), 4 are moderately lensed (i.e., singly imaged), and the remainder require additional data to determine their lensing status. We apply a visibility-plane lens modeling technique to the SMA data to recover information about the masses of the lenses as well as the intrinsic (i.e., unlensed) sizes (r(half)) and far-infrared luminosities (L-FIR) of the lensed submillimeter galaxies (SMGs). The sample of lenses comprises primarily isolated massive galaxies, but includes some groups and clusters as well. Several of the lenses are located at z(lens) > 0.7, a redshift regime that is inaccessible to lens searches based on Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectroscopy. The lensed SMGs are amplified by factors that are significantly below statistical model predictions given the 500 mu m flux densities of our sample. We speculate that this may reflect a deficiency in our understanding of the intrinsic sizes and luminosities of the brightest SMGs. The lensed SMGs span nearly one decade in L-FIR (median L-FIR = 7.9 x 10(12) L-circle dot) and two decades in FIR luminosity surface density (median Sigma(FIR) = 6.0 x 10(11) L-circle dot kpc(-2)). The strong lenses in this sample and others identified via (sub-) mm surveys will provide a wealth of information regarding the astrophysics of galaxy formation and evolution over a wide range in redshift.
- HerMES: a deficit in the surface brightness of the cosmic infrared background due to galaxy cluster gravitational lensingZemcov, M.; Blain, A.; Cooray, A.; Bethermin, M.; Bock, J.; Clements, D. L.; Conley, A.; Conversi, L.; Dowell, C. D.; Farrah, D.; Glenn, J.; Griffin, M.; Halpern, M.; Jullo, E.; Kneib, J. P.; Marsden, G.; Nguyen, H. T.; Oliver, S. J.; Richard, J.; Roseboom, I. G.; Schulz, B.; Scott, D.; Shupe, D. L.; Smith, A. J.; Valtchanov, I.; Viero, M.; Wang, L.; Wardlow, J. (IOP Publishing Ltd., 2013-06)We have observed four massive galaxy clusters with the SPIRE instrument on the Herschel Space Observatory and measure a deficit of surface brightness within their central region after removing detected sources. We simulate the effects of instrumental sensitivity and resolution, the source population, and the lensing effect of the clusters to estimate the shape and amplitude of the deficit. The amplitude of the central deficit is a strong function of the surface density and flux distribution of the background sources. We find that for the current best fitting faint end number counts, and excellent lensing models, the most likely amplitude of the central deficit is the full intensity of the cosmic infrared background (CIB). Our measurement leads to a lower limit to the integrated total intensity of the CIB of I-250 mu m > 0.69(-0.03)(+0.03)(stat.)(-0.06)(+0.11)(sys.) MJy sr(-1), with more CIB possible from both low-redshift sources and from sources within the target clusters. It should be possible to observe this effect in existing high angular resolution data at other wavelengths where the CIB is bright, which would allow tests of models of the faint source component of the CIB.
- HerMES: candidate gravitationally lensed galaxies and lensing statistics at submillimeter wavelengthsWardlow, J. L.; Cooray, A.; De Bernardis, F.; Amblard, A.; Arumugam, V.; Aussel, H.; Baker, A. J.; Bethermin, M.; Blundell, R.; Bock, J.; Boselli, A.; Bridge, C. R.; Buat, V.; Burgarella, D.; Bussmann, R. S.; Cabrera-Lavers, A.; Calanog, J. A.; Carpenter, J. M.; Casey, C. M.; Castro-Rodriguez, N.; Cava, A.; Chanial, P.; Chapin, E.; Chapman, S. C.; Clements, D. L.; Conley, A.; Cox, P.; Dowell, C. D.; Dye, S.; Eales, S.; Farrah, D.; Ferrero, P.; Franceschini, A.; Frayer, D. T.; Frazer, C.; Fu, H.; Gavazzi, R.; Glenn, J.; Solares, E. A. G.; Griffin, M.; Gurwell, M. A.; Harris, A. I.; Hatziminaoglou, E.; Hopwood, R.; Hyde, A.; Ibar, E.; Ivison, R. J.; Kim, S.; Lagache, G.; Levenson, L.; Marchetti, L.; Marsden, G.; Martinez-Navajas, P.; Negrello, M.; Neri, R.; Nguyen, H. T.; O'Halloran, B.; Oliver, S. J.; Omont, A.; Page, M. J.; Panuzzo, P.; Papageorgiou, A.; Pearson, C. P.; Perez-Fournon, I.; Pohlen, M.; Riechers, D. A.; Rigopoulou, D.; Roseboom, I. G.; Rowan-Robinson, M.; Schulz, B.; Scott, D.; Scoville, N.; Seymour, N.; Shupe, D. L.; Smith, A. J.; Streblyanska, A.; Strom, A.; Symeonidis, M.; Trichas, M.; Vaccari, M.; Vieira, J. D.; Viero, M.; Wang, L.; Xu, C. K.; Yan, L.; Zemcov, M. (IOP Publishing Ltd., 2013-01)We present a list of 13 candidate gravitationally lensed submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) from 95 deg(2) of the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey, a surface density of 0.14 +/- 0.04 deg(-2). The selected sources have 500 mu m flux densities (S-500) greater than 100 mJy. Gravitational lensing is confirmed by follow-up observations in 9 of the 13 systems (70%), and the lensing status of the four remaining sources is undetermined. We also present a supplementary sample of 29 (0.31 +/- 0.06 deg(-2)) gravitationally lensed SMG candidates with S-500 = 80-100 mJy, which are expected to contain a higher fraction of interlopers than the primary candidates. The number counts of the candidate lensed galaxies are consistent with a simple statistical model of the lensing rate, which uses a foreground matter distribution, the intrinsic SMG number counts, and an assumed SMG redshift distribution. The model predicts that 32%-74% of our S-500 >= 100 mJy candidates are strongly gravitationally lensed (mu >= 2), with the brightest sources being the most robust; this is consistent with the observational data. Our statistical model also predicts that, on average, lensed galaxies with S-500 = 100 mJy are magnified by factors of similar to 9, with apparently brighter galaxies having progressively higher average magnification, due to the shape of the intrinsic number counts. 65% of the sources are expected to have intrinsic 500 mu m flux densities less than 30 mJy. Thus, samples of strongly gravitationally lensed SMGs, such as those presented here, probe below the nominal Herschel detection limit at 500 mu m. They are good targets for the detailed study of the physical conditions in distant dusty, star-forming galaxies, due to the lensing magnification, which can lead to spatial resolutions of similar to 0 ''.01 in the source plane.
- HerMES: candidate high-redshift galaxies discovered with Herschel/SPIREDowell, C. D.; Conley, A.; Glenn, J.; Arumugam, V.; Asboth, V.; Aussel, H.; Bertoldi, F.; Bethermin, M.; Bock, J.; Boselli, A.; Bridge, C. R.; Buat, V.; Burgarella, D.; Cabrera-Lavers, A.; Casey, C. M.; Chapman, S. C.; Clements, D. L.; Conversi, L.; Cooray, A.; Dannerbauer, H.; De Bernardis, F.; Ellsworth-Bowers, T. P.; Farrah, D.; Franceschini, A.; Griffin, M.; Gurwell, M. A.; Halpern, M.; Hatziminaoglou, E.; Heinis, S.; Ibar, E.; Ivison, R. J.; Laporte, N.; Marchetti, L.; Martinez-Navajas, P.; Marsden, G.; Morrison, G. E.; Nguyen, H. T.; O'Halloran, B.; Oliver, S. J.; Omont, A.; Page, M. J.; Papageorgiou, A.; Pearson, C. P.; Petitpas, G.; Perez-Fournon, I.; Pohlen, M.; Riechers, D. A.; Rigopoulou, D.; Roseboom, I. G.; Rowan-Robinson, M.; Sayers, J.; Schulz, B.; Scott, D.; Seymour, N.; Shupe, D. L.; Smith, A. J.; Streblyanska, A.; Symeonidis, M.; Vaccari, M.; Valtchanov, I.; Vieira, J. D.; Viero, M.; Wang, L.; Wardlow, J.; Xu, C. K.; Zemcov, M. (IOP Publishing Ltd., 2014-01)We present a method for selecting z > 4 dusty, star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) using Herschel/Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver 250/350/500 mu m flux densities to search for red sources. We apply this method to 21 deg(2) of data from the HerMES survey to produce a catalog of 38 high-z candidates. Follow-up of the first five of these sources confirms that this method is efficient at selecting high-z DSFGs, with 4/5 at z = 4.3-6.3 (and the remaining source at z = 3.4), and that they are some of the most luminous dusty sources known. Comparison with previous DSFG samples, mostly selected at longer wavelengths (e. g., 850 mu m) and in single-band surveys, shows that our method is much more efficient at selecting high-z DSFGs, in the sense that a much larger fraction are at z > 3. Correcting for the selection completeness and purity, we find that the number of bright (S-500 (mu m) >= 30 mJy), red Herschel sources is 3.3 +/- 0.8 deg(-2). This is much higher than the number predicted by current models, suggesting that the DSFG population extends to higher redshifts than previously believed. If the shape of the luminosity function for high-z DSFGs is similar to that at z similar to 2, rest-frame UV based studies may be missing a significant component of the star formation density at z = 4-6, even after correction for extinction.
- HerMES: cosmic infrared background anisotropies and the clustering of dusty star-forming galaxiesViero, M. P.; Wang, L.; Zemcov, M.; Addison, G.; Amblard, A.; Arumugam, V.; Aussel, H.; Bethermin, M.; Bock, J.; Boselli, A.; Buat, V.; Burgarella, D.; Casey, C. M.; Clements, D. L.; Conley, A.; Conversi, L.; Cooray, A.; De Zotti, G.; Dowell, C. D.; Farrah, D.; Franceschini, A.; Glenn, J.; Griffin, M.; Hatziminaoglou, E.; Heinis, S.; Ibar, E.; Ivison, R. J.; Lagache, G.; Levenson, L.; Marchetti, L.; Marsden, G.; Nguyen, H. T.; O'Halloran, B.; Oliver, S. J.; Omont, A.; Page, M. J.; Papageorgiou, A.; Pearson, C. P.; Perez-Fournon, I.; Pohlen, M.; Rigopoulou, D.; Roseboom, I. G.; Rowan-Robinson, M.; Schulz, B.; Scott, D.; Seymour, N.; Shupe, D. L.; Smith, A. J.; Symeonidis, M.; Vaccari, M.; Valtchanov, I.; Vieira, J. D.; Wardlow, J.; Xu, C. K. (IOP Publishing Ltd., 2013-07)We present measurements of the auto-and cross-frequency power spectra of the cosmic infrared background (CIB) at 250, 350, and 500 mu m (1200, 860, and 600 GHz) from observations totaling similar to 70 deg(2) made with the SPIRE instrument aboard the Herschel Space Observatory. We measure a fractional anisotropy delta I/I = 14% +/- 4%, detecting signatures arising from the clustering of dusty star-forming galaxies in both the linear (2-halo) and nonlinear (1-halo) regimes; and that the transition from the 2- to 1-halo terms, below which power originates predominantly from multiple galaxies within dark matter halos, occurs at k(theta) similar to 0.10-0.12 arcmin(-1) (l similar to 2160-2380), from 250 to 500 mu m. New to this paper is clear evidence of a dependence of the Poisson and 1-halo power on the flux-cut level of masked sources-suggesting that some fraction of the more luminous sources occupy more massive halos as satellites, or are possibly close pairs. We measure the cross-correlation power spectra between bands, finding that bands which are farthest apart are the least correlated, as well as hints of a reduction in the correlation between bands when resolved sources are more aggressively masked. In the second part of the paper, we attempt to interpret the measurements in the framework of the halo model. With the aim of fitting simultaneously with one model the power spectra, number counts, and absolute CIB level in all bands, we find that this is achievable by invoking a luminosity-mass relationship, such that the luminosity-to-mass ratio peaks at a particular halo mass scale and declines toward lower and higher mass halos. Our best-fit model finds that the halo mass which is most efficient at hosting star formation in the redshift range of peak star-forming activity, z similar to 1-3, is log( M-peak/M-circle dot) similar to 12.1 +/- 0.5, and that the minimum halo mass to host infrared galaxies is log(Mmin/M-circle dot) similar to 10.1 +/- 0.6.
- HerMES: the contribution to the cosmic infrared background from galaxies selected by mass and redshiftViero, M. P.; Moncelsi, L.; Quadri, R. F.; Arumugam, V.; Assef, R. J.; Bethermin, M.; Bock, J.; Bridge, C. R.; Casey, C. M.; Conley, A.; Cooray, A.; Farrah, D.; Glenn, J.; Heinis, S.; Ibar, E.; Ikarashi, S.; Ivison, R. J.; Kohno, K.; Marsden, G.; Oliver, S. J.; Roseboom, I. G.; Schulz, B.; Scott, D.; Serra, P.; Vaccari, M.; Vieira, J. D.; Wang, L.; Wardlow, J.; Wilson, G. W.; Yun, M. S.; Zemcov, M. (IOP Publishing Ltd., 2013-12)We quantify the fraction of the cosmic infrared background (CIB) that originates from galaxies identified in the UV/optical/near-infrared by stacking 81,250 (similar to 35.7 arcmin(-2)) K-selected sources (K-AB < 24.0) split according to their rest-frame U-V versus V-J colors into 72,216 star-forming and 9034 quiescent galaxies, on maps from Spitzer/MIPS (24 mu m), Herschel/PACS (100, 160 mu m), Herschel/SPIRE (250, 350, 500 mu m), and AzTEC (1100 mu m). The fraction of the CIB resolved by our catalog is (69% +/- 15%) at 24 mu m, (78% +/- 17%) at 70 mu m, (58% +/- 13%) at 100 mu m, (78% +/- 18%) at 160 mu m, (80% +/- 17%) at 250 mu m, (69% +/- 14%) at 350 mu m, (65% +/- 12%) at 500 mu m, and (45% +/- 8%) at 1100 mu m. Of that total, about 95% originates from star-forming galaxies, while the remaining 5% is from apparently quiescent galaxies. The CIB at lambda less than or similar to 200 mu m appears to be sourced predominantly from galaxies at z less than or similar to 1, while at. greater than or similar to 200 mu m the bulk originates from 1 less than or similar to z less than or similar to 2. Galaxies with stellar masses log(M/M-circle dot) = 9.5-11 are responsible for the majority of the CIB, with those in the log(M/M-circle dot) = 9.5-10 bin contributing mostly at lambda < 250 mu m, and those in the log(M/M circle dot) = 10-11 bin dominating at lambda > 350 mu m. The contribution from galaxies in the log(M/M-circle dot) = 9.0-9.5 (lowest) and log(M/M-circle dot) = 11.0-12.0 (highest) stellar-mass bins contribute the least-both of order 5%-although the highest stellar-mass bin is a significant contributor to the luminosity density at z greater than or similar to 2. The luminosities of the galaxies responsible for the CIB shifts from combinations of "normal" and luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) at lambda less than or similar to 160 mu m, to LIRGs at 160 less than or similar to lambda less than or similar to 500 mu m, to finally LIRGs and ultra-luminous infrared galaxies at lambda greater than or similar to 500 mu m. Stacking analyses were performed using SIMSTACK, a novel algorithm designed to account for possible biases in the stacked flux density due to clustering. It is made available to the public at www.astro.caltech.edu/similar to viero/viero_homepage/toolbox.html.
- HerMES: the far-infrared emission from dust-obscured galaxiesCalanog, J. A.; Wardlow, J.; Fu, H.; Cooray, A.; Assef, R. J.; Bock, J.; Casey, C. M.; Conley, A.; Farrah, D.; Ibar, E.; Kartaltepe, J.; Magdis, G. E.; Marchetti, L.; Oliver, S. J.; Perez-Fournon, I.; Riechers, D. A.; Rigopoulou, D.; Roseboom, I. G.; Schulz, B.; Scott, D.; Symeonidis, M.; Vaccari, M.; Viero, M.; Zemcov, M. (IOP Publishing Ltd., 2013-09)Dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs) are an ultraviolet-faint, infrared-bright galaxy population that reside at z similar to 2 and are believed to be in a phase of dusty star-forming and active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity. We present far-infrared (far-IR) observations of a complete sample of DOGs in the 2 deg(2) of the Cosmic Evolution Survey. The 3077 DOGs have < z > = 1.9 +/- 0.3 and are selected from 24 mu m and r(+) observations using a color cut of r(+) -[24] >= 7.5 (AB mag) and S-24 >= 100 mu Jy. Based on the near-IR spectral energy distributions, 47% are bump DOGs (star formation dominated) and 10% are power-law DOGs (AGN-dominated). We use SPIRE far-IR photometry from the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey to calculate the IR luminosity and characteristic dust temperature for the 1572 (51%) DOGs that are detected at 250 mu m (>= 3 sigma). For the remaining 1505 (49%) that are undetected, we perform a median stacking analysis to probe fainter luminosities. Herschel-detected and undetected DOGs have average luminosities of (2.8 +/- 0.4) x 10(12) L-circle dot and (0.77 +/- 0.08) x 10(12) L-circle dot, and dust temperatures of (33 +/- 7) K and (37 +/- 5) K, respectively. The IR luminosity function for DOGs with S-24 >= 100 mu Jy is calculated, using far-IR observations and stacking. DOGs contribute 10%-30% to the total star formation rate (SFR) density of the universe at z = 1.5-2.5, dominated by 250 mu m detected and bump DOGs. For comparison, DOGs contribute 30% to the SFR density for all z = 1.5-2.5 galaxies with S-24 >= 100 mu Jy. DOGs have a large scatter about the star formation main sequence and their specific SFRs show that the observed phase of star formation could be responsible for their total observed stellar mass at z similar to 2.
- HERSCHEL observations of far-infrared cooling lines in intermediate redshift (ultra)-luminous infrared galaxiesRigopoulou, D.; Hopwood, R.; Magdis, G. E.; Thatte, N.; Swinyard, B. M.; Farrah, D.; Huang, J. S.; Alonso-Herrero, A.; Bock, J. J.; Clements, D. L.; Cooray, A.; Griffin, M. J.; Oliver, S.; Pearson, C.; Riechers, D. A.; Scott, D.; Smith, A.; Vaccari, M.; Valtchanov, I.; Wang, L. (IOP Publishing Ltd., 2014-01)We report the first results from a spectroscopic survey of the [C II] 158 mu m line from a sample of intermediate redshift (0.2 < z < 0.8) (ultra)-luminous infrared galaxies, (U) LIRGs (L-IR > 10(11.5) L-circle dot), using the Spectral and Photometric Imaging REceiver-Fourier Transform Spectrometer on board the Herschel Space Observatory. This is the first survey of [C II] emission, an important tracer of star formation, at a redshift range where the star formation rate density of the universe increases rapidly. We detect strong [C II] 158 mu m line emission from over 80% of the sample. We find that the [C II] line is luminous, in the range (0.8-4) x 10(-3) of the far-infrared continuum luminosity of our sources, and appears to arise from photodissociation regions on the surface of molecular clouds. The L-[C II]/L-IR ratio in our intermediate redshift (U) LIRGs is on average similar to 10 times larger than that of local ULIRGs. Furthermore, we find that the L-[C II]/L-IR and L-[C II]/LCO(1-0) ratios in our sample are similar to those of local normal galaxies and high-z star-forming galaxies. ULIRGs at z similar to 0.5 show many similarities to the properties of local normal and high-z star-forming galaxies. Our findings strongly suggest that rapid evolution in the properties of the star-forming regions of (U) LIRGs is likely to have occurred in the last 5 billion years.
- Herschel PEP/HerMES: the redshift evolution (0 <= z <= 4) of dust attenuation and of the total (UV plus IR) star formation rate densityBurgarella, D.; Gruppioni, C.; Cucciati, O.; Heinis, S.; Berta, S.; Bethermin, M.; Bock, J.; Cooray, A.; Dunlop, J. S.; Farrah, D.; Franceschini, A.; Le Floc'h, E.; Lutz, D.; Magnelli, B.; Nordon, R.; Oliver, S. J.; Page, M. J.; Popesso, P.; Pozzi, F.; Riguccini, L.; Vaccari, M.; Viero, M. (EDP Sciences, 2013-06)Using new homogeneous luminosity functions (LFs) in the far-ultraviolet (FUV) from VVDS and in the far-infrared (FIR) from Herschel/PEP and Herschel/HerMES, we studied the evolution of the dust attenuation with redshift. With this information, we were able to estimate the redshift evolution of the total (FUV + FIR) star formation rate density (SFRDTOT). By integrating SFRDTOT, we followed the mass building and analyzed the redshift evolution of the stellar mass density (SMD). This article aims at providing a complete view of star formation from the local Universe to z similar to 4 and, using assumptions on earlier star formation history, compares this evolution with previously published data in an attempt to draw a homogeneous picture of the global evolution of star formation in galaxies. Our main conclusions are that: 1) the dust attenuation A(FUV) is found to increase from z = 0 to z similar to 1.2 and then starts to decrease until our last data point at z = 3 : 6; 2) the estimated SFRD confirms published results to z similar to 2. At z > 2, we observe either a plateau or a small increase up to z similar to 3 and then a likely decrease up to z = 3.6; 3) the peak of AFUV is delayed with respect to the plateau of SFRDTOT and a probable origin might be found in the evolution of the bright ends of the FUV and FIR LFs; 4) using assumptions (exponential rise and linear rise with time) for the evolution of the star formation density from z = 3 : 6 to z(form) = 10, we integrated SFRDTOT and obtained a good agreement with the published SMDs.
- Herschel-ATLAS: A binary HyLirg pinpointing a cluster of starbursting protoellipticalsIvison, R. J.; Swinbank, A. M.; Smail, I.; Harris, A. I.; Bussmann, R. S.; Cooray, A.; Cox, P.; Fu, H.; Kovacs, A.; Krips, M.; Narayanan, D.; Negrello, M.; Neri, R.; Penarrubia, J.; Richard, J.; Riechers, D. A.; Rowlands, K.; Staguhn, J. G.; Targett, T. A.; Amber, S.; Baker, A. J.; Bourne, N.; Bertoldi, F.; Bremer, M.; Calanog, J. A.; Clements, D. L.; Dannerbauer, H.; Dariush, A.; De Zotti, G.; Dunne, L.; Eales, S. A.; Farrah, D.; Fleuren, S.; Franceschini, A.; Geach, J. E.; George, R. D.; Helly, J. C.; Hopwood, R.; Ibar, E.; Jarvis, M. J.; Kneib, J. P.; Maddox, S.; Omont, A.; Scott, D.; Serjeant, S.; Smith, M. W. L.; Thompson, M. A.; Valiante, E.; Valtchanov, I.; Vieira, J.; van der Werf, P. (IOP PUBLISHING LTD, 2013-08)Panchromatic observations of the best candidate hyperluminous infrared galaxies from the widest Herschel extragalactic imaging survey have led to the discovery of at least four intrinsically luminous z = 2.41 galaxies across an approximate to 100 kpc region-a cluster of starbursting protoellipticals. Via subarcsecond interferometric imaging we have measured accurate gas and star formation surface densities. The two brightest galaxies span similar to 3 kpc FWHM in submillimeter/radio continuum and CO J = 4-3, and double that in CO J = 1-0. The broad CO line is due partly to the multitude of constituent galaxies and partly to large rotational velocities in two counter-rotating gas disks-a scenario predicted to lead to the most intense starbursts, which will therefore come in pairs. The disks have M-dyn of several x 10(11) M-circle dot, and gas fractions of similar to 40%. Velocity dispersions are modest so the disks are unstable, potentially on scales commensurate with their radii: these galaxies are undergoing extreme bursts of star formation, not confined to their nuclei, at close to the Eddington limit. Their specific star formation rates place them greater than or similar to 5x above the main sequence, which supposedly comprises large gas disks like these. Their high star formation efficiencies are difficult to reconcile with a simple volumetric star formation law. N-body and dark matter simulations suggest that this system is the progenitor of a B(inary)-type approximate to 10(14.6)-M-circle dot cluster.
- Mid- to far-infrared properties of star-forming galaxies and active galactic nucleiMagdis, G. E.; Rigopoulou, D.; Helou, G.; Farrah, D.; Hurley, P.; Alonso-Herrero, A.; Bock, J.; Burgarella, D.; Chapman, S.; Charmandaris, V.; Cooray, A.; Dai, Y. S.; Dale, D.; Elbaz, D.; Feltre, A.; Hatziminaoglou, E.; Huang, J. S.; Morrison, G.; Oliver, S.; Page, M.; Scott, D.; Shi, Y. (EDP SCIENCES, 2013-10)We study the mid- to far-IR properties of a 24 mu m-selected flux-limited sample (S-24 > 5mJy) of 154 intermediate redshift (< z > similar to 0.15), infrared luminous galaxies, drawn from the 5 Milli-Jansky Unbiased Spitzer Extragalactic Survey. By combining existing mid-IR spectroscopy and new Herschel SPIRE submm photometry from the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey, we derived robust total infrared luminosity (L-IR) and dust mass (M-dust) estimates and infered the relative contribution of the AGN to the infrared energy budget of the sources. We found that the total (8-1000 mu m) infrared emission of galaxies with weak 6.2 mu m PAH emission (EW6.2 <= 0.2 mu m) is dominated by AGN activity, while for galaxies with EW6.2 > 0.2 mu m more than 50% of the L-IR arises from star formation. We also found that for galaxies detected in the 250-500 mu m Herschel bands an AGN has a statistically insignificant effect on the temperature of the cold dust and the far-IR colours of the host galaxy, which are primarily shaped by star formation activity. For star-forming galaxies we reveal an anti-correlation between the L-IR-to-rest-frame 8 mu m luminosity ratio, IR8 = L-IR/L-8 and the strength of PAH features. We found that this anti-correlation is primarily driven by variations in the PAHs emission, and not by variations in the 5-15 mu m mid-IR continuum emission. Using the [NeIII]/[NeII] line ratio as a tracer of the hardness of the radiation field, we confirm that galaxies with harder radiation fields tend to exhibit weaker PAH features, and found that they have higher IR8 values and higher dust-mass-weighted luminosities (L-IR/M-dust), the latter being a proxy for the dust temperature (T-d). We argue that these trends originate either from variations in the environment of the star-forming regions or are caused by variations in the age of the starburst. Finally, we provide scaling relations that will allow estimating L-IR, based on single-band observations with the mid-infrared instrument, on board the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope.
- Modified Dark Matter in Galaxies and Galaxy ClustersEdmonds, Douglas; Farrah, D.; Minic, Djordje; Ng, Y. J.; Takeuchi, Tatsu (2017-12)Modified Dark Matter (MDM) is a phenomenological model of dark matter, inspired by gravitational thermodynamics, that naturally accounts for the universal acceleration constant observed in galactic rotation curve data; a critical acceleration related to the cosmological constant, $\Lambda$, appears as a phenomenological manifestation of MDM. We show that the resulting mass profiles, which are sensitve to $\Lambda$, are consistent with observations at the galactic and galaxy cluster scales. Our results suggest that dark matter mass profiles contain information about the cosmological constant in a non-trivial way.
- A New Population of High-z, Dusty Lyα Emitters and Blobs Discovered by WISE: Feedback Caught in the Act?Bridge, C. R.; Blain, A.; Borys, C. J. K.; Petty, S.; Benford, D.; Eisenhardt, P.; Farrah, D.; Griffith, R. L.; Jarrett, T.; Lonsdale, C.; Stanford, S. A.; Stern, D.; Tsai, C. W.; Wright, E. L.; Wu, J. W. (IOP PUBLISHING LTD, 2013-06)By combining data from the NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission with optical spectroscopy from the W. M. Keck telescope, we discover a mid-IR color criterion that yields a 78% success rate in identifying rare, typically radio-quiet, 1.6 less than or similar to z less than or similar to 4.6 dusty Ly alpha emitters (LAEs). Of these, at least 37% have emission extended on scales of 30-100 kpc and are considered Ly alpha "blobs" (LABs). The objects have a surface density of only similar to 0.1 deg(-2), making them rare enough that they have been largely missed in deep, small area surveys. We measured spectroscopic redshifts for 92 of these galaxies, and find that the LAEs (LABs) have a median redshift of 2.3 (2.5). The WISE photometry coupled with data from Herschel (Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA) reveals that these galaxies are in the Hyper Luminous IR galaxy regime (L-IR greater than or similar to 10(13)-10(14) L-circle dot) and have warm colors. They are typically more luminous and warmer than other dusty, z similar to 2 populations such as submillimeter-selected galaxies and dust-obscured galaxies. These traits are commonly associated with the dust being illuminated by intense active galactic nucleus activity. We hypothesize that the combination of spatially extended Ly alpha, large amounts of warm IR-luminous dust, and rarity (implying a short-lived phase) can be explained if the galaxies are undergoing brief, intense "feedback" transforming them from an extreme dusty starburst/QSO into a mature galaxy.
- The nuclear spectroscopic telescope array (NuSTAR) high-energy x-ray missionHarrison, F. A.; Craig, W. W.; Christensen, F. E.; Hailey, C. J.; Zhang, W. W.; Boggs, S. E.; Stern, D.; Cook, W. R.; Forster, K.; Giommi, P.; Grefenstette, B. W.; Kim, Y.; Kitaguchi, T.; Koglin, J. E.; Madsen, K. K.; Mao, P. H.; Miyasaka, H.; Mori, K.; Perri, M.; Pivovaroff, M. J.; Puccetti, S.; Rana, V. R.; Westergaard, N. J.; Willis, J.; Zoglauer, A.; An, H. J.; Bachetti, M.; Barriere, N. M.; Bellm, E. C.; Bhalerao, V.; Brejnholt, N. F.; Fuerst, F.; Liebe, C. C.; Markwardt, C. B.; Nynka, M.; Vogel, J. K.; Walton, D. J.; Wik, D. R.; Alexander, D. M.; Cominsky, L. R.; Hornschemeier, A. E.; Hornstrup, A.; Kaspi, V. M.; Madejski, G. M.; Matt, G.; Molendi, S.; Smith, D. M.; Tomsick, J. A.; Ajello, M.; Ballantyne, D. R.; Balokovic, M.; Barret, D.; Bauer, F. E.; Blandford, R. D.; Brandt, W. N.; Brenneman, L. W.; Chiang, J.; Chakrabarty, D.; Chenevez, J.; Comastri, A.; Dufour, F.; Elvis, M.; Fabian, A. C.; Farrah, D.; Fryer, C. L.; Gotthelf, E. V.; Grindlay, J. E.; Helfand, D. J.; Krivonos, R.; Meier, D. L.; Miller, J. M.; Natalucci, L.; Ogle, P.; Ofek, E. O.; Ptak, A.; Reynolds, S. P.; Rigby, J. R.; Tagliaferri, G.; Thorsett, S. E.; Treister, E.; Urry, C. M. (IOP Publishing Ltd., 2013-06)The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) mission, launched on 2012 June 13, is the first focusing high-energy X-ray telescope in orbit. NuSTAR operates in the band from 3 to 79 keV, extending the sensitivity of focusing far beyond the similar to 10 keV high-energy cutoff achieved by all previous X-ray satellites. The inherently low background associated with concentrating the X-ray light enables NuSTAR to probe the hard X-ray sky with a more than 100-fold improvement in sensitivity over the collimated or coded mask instruments that have operated in this bandpass. Using its unprecedented combination of sensitivity and spatial and spectral resolution, NuSTAR will pursue five primary scientific objectives: (1) probe obscured active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity out to the peak epoch of galaxy assembly in the universe (at z less than or similar to 2) by surveying selected regions of the sky; (2) study the population of hard X-ray-emitting compact objects in the Galaxy by mapping the central regions of the Milky Way; (3) study the non-thermal radiation in young supernova remnants, both the hard X-ray continuum and the emission from the radioactive element Ti-44; (4) observe blazars contemporaneously with ground-based radio, optical, and TeV telescopes, as well as with Fermi and Swift, to constrain the structure of AGN jets; and (5) observe line and continuum emission from core-collapse supernovae in the Local Group, and from nearby Type Ia events, to constrain explosion models. During its baseline two-year mission, NuSTAR will also undertake a broad program of targeted observations. The observatory consists of two co-aligned grazing-incidence X-ray telescopes pointed at celestial targets by a three-axis stabilized spacecraft. Deployed into a 600 km, near-circular, 6 degrees inclination orbit, the observatory has now completed commissioning, and is performing consistent with pre-launch expectations. NuSTAR is now executing its primary science mission, and with an expected orbit lifetime of 10 yr, we anticipate proposing a guest investigator program, to begin in late 2014.