ALBERT

Description: Observations of evolution in the dust-to-metal ratio allow us to constrain the dominant dust processing mechanisms. In this work, we present a study of the dust-to-metal and dust-to-gas ratios in a sub-sample of ~500 DustPedia galaxies. Using literature and MUSE emission line fluxes, we derived gas-phase metallicities (oxygen abundances) for over 10 000 individual regions and determine characteristic metallicities for each galaxy. We study how the relative dust, gas, and metal contents of galaxies evolve by using metallicity and gas fraction as proxies for evolutionary state. The global oxygen abundance and nitrogen-to-oxygen ratio are found to increase monotonically as galaxies evolve. Additionally, unevolved galaxies (gas fraction 〉60%, metallicity 12 + log(O∕H) 〈 8.2) have dust-to-metal ratios that are about a factor of 2.1 lower (a factor of six lower for galaxies with gas fraction 〉80%) than the typical dust-to-metal ratio (Md∕MZ ~ 0.214) for more evolved sources. However, for high gas fractions, the scatter is larger due to larger observational uncertainties as well as a potential dependence of the dust grain growth timescale and supernova dust yield on local conditions and star formation histories. We find chemical evolution models with a strong contribution from dust grain growth describe these observations reasonably well. The dust-to-metal ratio is also found to be lower for low stellar masses and high specific star formation rates (with the exception of some sources undergoing a starburst). Finally, the metallicity gradient correlates weakly with the HI-to-stellar mass ratio, the effective radius and the dust-to-stellar mass ratio, but not with stellar mass.

Description: We use a sub-set of the DustPedia galaxy sample (461 galaxies) to investigate the effect the environment has had on galaxies. We consider Virgo cluster and field samples and also assign a density contrast parameter to each galaxy, as defined by the local density of SDSS galaxies. We consider their chemical evolution (using MDust/MBaryon and MGas/MBaryon), their specific star formation rate (SFR/MStars), star formation efficiency (SFR/MGas), stars-to-dust mass ratio (MStars/MDust), gas-to-dust mass ratio (MGas/MDust) and the relationship between star formation rate per unit mass of dust and dust temperature (SFR/MDust and TDust). Late type galaxies (later than Sc) in all of the environments can be modelled using simple closed box chemical evolution and a simple star formation history (SFR(t) ∝ t exp−t/τ). For earlier type galaxies the physical mechanisms that give rise to their properties are clearly much more varied and require a more complicated model (mergers, gas in or outflow). However, we find little or no difference in the properties of galaxies of the same morphological type within the cluster, field or with different density contrasts. It appears that it is morphology, how and whenever this is laid down, and consistent internal physical processes that primarily determine the derived properties of galaxies in the DustPedia sample and not processes related to differences in the local environment.

Description: Aims. The purpose of this work is the characterization of the main scaling relations between all of the interstellar medium (ISM) components, namely dust, atomic, molecular, and total gas, and gas-phase metallicity, as well as other galaxy properties, such as stellar mass (Mstar) and galaxy morphology, for late-type galaxies in the Local Universe. Methods. This study was performed by extracting late-type galaxies from the entire DustPedia sample and by exploiting the large and homogeneous dataset available thanks to the DustPedia project. The sample consists of 436 galaxies with morphological stage spanning from T = 1−10, Mstar from 6 × 107 to 3 × 1011 M⊙, star formation rate from 6 × 10−4 to 60 M⊙ yr−1, and oxygen abundance from 12 + log(O/H) = 8−9.5. Molecular and atomic gas data were collected from the literature and properly homogenized. All the masses involved in our analysis refer to the values within the optical disks of galaxies. The scaling relations involving the molecular gas are studied by assuming both a constant and a metallicity-dependent CO-to-H2 conversion factor (XCO). The analysis was performed by means of the survival analysis technique, in order to properly take into account the presence of both detection and nondetection in the data. Results. We confirm that the dust mass correlates very well with the total gas mass, and find –for the first time– that the dust mass correlates better with the atomic gas mass than with the molecular one. We characterize important mass ratios such as the gas fraction, the molecular-to-atomic gas mass ratio, the dust-to-total gas mass ratio (DGR), and the dust-to-stellar mass ratio, and study how they relate to each other, to galaxy morphology, and to gas-phase metallicity. Only the assumption of a metallicity-dependent XCO reproduces the expected decrease of the DGR with increasing morphological stage and decreasing gas-phase metallicity, with a slope of about 1. The DGR, the gas-phase metallicity, and the dust-to-stellar mass ratio are, for our galaxy sample, directly linked to galaxy morphology. The molecular-to-atomic gas mass ratio and the DGR show a positive correlation for low molecular gas fractions, but for galaxies rich in molecular gas this trend breaks down. To our knowledge, this trend has never been found before, and provides new constraints for theoretical models of galaxy evolution and a reference for high-redshift studies. We discuss several scenarios related to this finding. Conclusions. The DustPedia database of late-type galaxies is an extraordinary tool for the study of the ISM scaling relations, thanks to its homogeneous collection of data for the different ISM components. The database is made publicly available to the whole community.

Description: The star formation rate and the mass of interstellar medium (ISM) have a high predictive power for the future evolution of a galaxy. Nevertheless, deriving such properties is not straightforward. Dust emission, an important diagnostic of star formation and ISM mass throughout the Universe, can be powered by sources unrelated to ongoing star formation. In the framework of the DustPedia project we set out to disentangle the radiation of the ongoing star formation from that of the older stellar populations. This is done through detailed 3D radiative transfer simulations of face-on spiral galaxies. We take special care in modelling the morphological features present for each source of radiation. In this particular study, we focus on NGC 1068, which in addition contains an active galactic nucleus (AGN). The effect of diffuse dust heating by an AGN (beyond the torus) has so far only been investigated for quasars. This additional dust heating source further contaminates the broadband fluxes that are used by classic galaxy modelling tools to derive physical properties. We aim to fit a realistic model to the observations of NGC 1068 and quantify the contribution of the several dust-heating sources. Our model is able to reproduce the global spectral energy distribution of the galaxy. It matches the resolved optical and infrared images fairly well, but deviates in the UV and the submillimetre (submm). This is partly due to beam smearing effects, but also because the input dust distribution is not sufficiently peaked in the centre. We find that AGN contamination of the broadband fluxes has a strong dependency on wavelength. It peaks in the mid-infrared, drops in the far-infrared, and then rises again at submm wavelengths. We quantify the contribution of the dust-heating sources in each 3D dust cell and find a median value of 83% for the star formation component. The AGN contribution is measurable at the percentage level in the disc, but quickly increases in the inner few hundred parsecs, peaking above 90%. This is the first time the phenomenon of an AGN heating the diffuse dust beyond its torus is quantified in a nearby star-forming galaxy. NGC 1068 only contains a weak AGN, meaning this effect could be stronger in galaxies with a more luminous AGN. This could significantly impact the derived star formation rates and ISM masses for such systems.

Description: Context. Dust plays an important role in shaping a galaxy’s spectral energy distribution (SED). It absorbs ultraviolet (UV) to near-infrared radiation and re-emits this energy in the far-infrared (FIR). The FIR is essential to understand dust in galaxies. However, deep FIR observations require a space mission, none of which are still active today. Aims. We aim to infer the FIR emission across six Herschel bands, along with dust luminosity, mass, and effective temperature, based on the available UV to mid-infrared (MIR) observations. We also want to estimate the uncertainties of these predictions, compare our method to energy balance SED fitting, and determine possible limitations of the model. Methods. We propose a machine learning framework to predict the FIR fluxes from 14 UV–MIR broadband fluxes. We used a low redshift sample by combining DustPedia and H-ATLAS, and extracted Bayesian flux posteriors through SED fitting. We trained shallow neural networks to predict the far-infrared fluxes, uncertainties, and dust properties. We evaluated them on a test set using a root mean square error (RMSE) in log-space. Results. Our results (RMSE = 0.19 dex) significantly outperform UV–MIR energy balance SED fitting (RMSE = 0.38 dex), and are inherently unbiased. We can identify when the predictions are off, for example when the input has large uncertainties on WISE 22 μm, or when the input does not resemble the training set. Conclusions. The galaxies for which we have UV–FIR observations can be used as a blueprint for galaxies that lack FIR data. This results in a “virtual FIR telescope”, which can be applied to large optical-MIR galaxy samples. This helps bridge the gap until the next FIR mission.

Description: Aims. We aim to study the fraction of stellar radiation absorbed by dust, fabs, in 814 galaxies of different morphological types. The targets constitute the vast majority (93%) of the DustPedia sample, including almost all large (optical diameter larger than 1′), nearby (v ≤ 3000 km s−1) galaxies observed with the Herschel Space Observatory. Methods. For each object, we modelled the spectral energy distribution from the ultraviolet to the sub-millimetre using the dedicated, aperture-matched DustPedia photometry and the Code Investigating GALaxy Evolution (CIGALE). The value of fabs was obtained from the total luminosity emitted by dust and from the bolometric luminosity, which are estimated by the fit. Results. On average, 19% of the stellar radiation is absorbed by dust in DustPedia galaxies. The fraction rises to 25% if only late-type galaxies are considered. The dependence of fabs on morphology, showing a peak for Sb-Sc galaxies, is weak; it reflects a stronger, yet broad, positive correlation with the bolometric luminosity, which is identified for late-type, disk-dominated, high-specific-star-formation rate, gas-rich objects. We find no variation of fabs with inclination, at odds with radiative transfer models of edge-on galaxies. These results call for a self-consistent modelling of the evolution of the dust mass and geometry along the build-up of the stellar content. We also provide template spectral energy distributions in bins of morphology and luminosity and study the variation of fabs with stellar mass and specific star-formation rate. We confirm that the local Universe is missing the high fabs, luminous and actively star-forming objects necessary to explain the energy budget in observations of the extragalactic background light.

Description: Aims. The DustPedia project is capitalising on the legacy of the Herschel Space Observatory, using cutting-edge modelling techniques to study dust in the 875 DustPedia galaxies – representing the vast majority of extended galaxies within 3000 km s-1 that were observed by Herschel. This work requires a database of multiwavelength imagery and photometry that greatly exceeds the scope (in terms of wavelength coverage and number of galaxies) of any previous local-Universe survey. Methods. We constructed a database containing our own custom Herschel reductions, along with standardised archival observations from GALEX, SDSS, DSS, 2MASS, WISE, Spitzer, and Planck. Using these data, we performed consistent aperture-matched photometry, which we combined with external supplementary photometry from IRAS and Planck. Results. We present our multiwavelength imagery and photometry across 42 UV-microwave bands for the 875 DustPedia galaxies. Our aperture-matched photometry, combined with the external supplementary photometry, represents a total of 21 857 photometric measurements. A typical DustPedia galaxy has multiwavelength photometry spanning 25 bands. We also present the Comprehensive & Adaptable Aperture Photometry Routine (CAAPR), the pipeline we developed to carry out our aperture-matched photometry. CAAPR is designed to produce consistent photometry for the enormous range of galaxy and observation types in our data. In particular, CAAPR is able to determine robust cross-compatible uncertainties, thanks to a novel method for reliably extrapolating the aperture noise for observations that cover a very limited amount of background. Our rich database of imagery and photometry is being made available to the community.

Description: Context. The thermal emission of dust grains is a powerful tool for probing cold, dense regions of molecular gas in the interstellar medium, and so constraining dust properties is key to obtaining accurate measurements of dust mass and temperature. Aims. By placing constraints on the dust emissivity spectral index, β, towards two star-forming infrared dark clouds – SDC18.888–0.476 and SDC24.489–0.689 – we aim to evaluate the role of mass concentration in the associated star-formation activity. Methods. We exploited the simultaneous 1.2 and 2.0 mm imaging capability of the NIKA camera on the IRAM 30 m telescope to construct maps of β for both clouds, and by incorporating Herschel observations, we created H2 column density maps with 13′′ angular resolution. Results. While we find no significant systematic radial variations around the most massive clumps in either cloud on ≳0.1 pc scales, their mean β values are significantly different, with β̅ = 2.07 ± 0.09 (random) ± 0.25 (systematic) for SDC18.888–0.476 and β̅ = 1.71 ± 0.09 (random) ± 0.25 (systematic) for SDC24.489–0.689. These differences could be a consequence of the very different environments in which both clouds lie, and we suggest that the proximity of SDC18.888–0.476 to the W39 H II region may raise β on scales of ~1 pc. We also find that the mass in SDC24.489–0.689 is more centrally concentrated and circularly symmetric than in SDC18.888–0.476, and is consistent with a scenario in which spherical globally-collapsing clouds concentrate a higher fraction of their mass into a single core than elongated clouds that will more easily fragment, distributing their mass into many cores. Conclusions. We demonstrate that β variations towards interstellar clouds can be robustly constrained with high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) NIKA observations, providing more accurate estimates of their masses. The methods presented here will be applied to the Galactic Star Formation with NIKA2 (GASTON) guaranteed time large programme, extending our analysis to a statistically significant sample of star-forming clouds.

Description: Aims. Within the framework of the DustPedia project we investigate the properties of cosmic dust and its interaction with stellar radiation (originating from different stellar populations) for 814 galaxies in the nearby Universe, all observed by the Herschel Space Observatory. Methods. We take advantage of the widely used fitting code CIGALE, properly adapted to include the state-of-the-art dust model THEMIS. For comparison purposes, an estimation of the dust properties is provided by approximating the emission at far-infrared and sub-millimeter wavelengths with a modified blackbody. Using the DustPedia photometry we determine the physical properties of the galaxies, such as the dust and stellar mass, the star-formation rate, the bolometric luminosity, the unattenuated and the absorbed by dust stellar light, for both the old (〉 200 Myr) and young (≤200 Myr) stellar populations. Results. We show how the mass of stars, dust, and atomic gas, as well as the star-formation rate and the dust temperature vary between galaxies of different morphologies and provide recipes to estimate these parameters given their Hubble stage (T). We find a mild correlation between the mass fraction of the small a-C(:H) grains with the specific star-formation rate. On average, young stars are very efficient in heating the dust, with absorption fractions reaching as high as ∼77% of the total unattenuated luminosity of this population. On the other hand, the maximum absorption fraction of old stars is ∼24%. Dust heating in early-type galaxies is mainly due to old stars, up to a level of ∼90%. Young stars progressively contribute more for “typical” spiral galaxies and they become the dominant source of dust heating for Sm-type and irregular galaxies, with ∼60% of their luminosity contributing to that purpose. Finally, we find a strong correlation of the dust heating fraction by young stars with morphology and the specific star-formation rate.