Context. Diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) are non-stellar weak absorption features of unknown origin found in the spectra of stars viewed through one or several clouds of the interstellar medium (ISM). Research of DIBs outside the Milky Way is currently very limited. In particular, spatially resolved investigations of DIBs outside of the Local Group are, to our knowledge, inexistent.
Aims. In this contribution, we explore the capability of the high-sensitivity integral field spectrograph, MUSE, as a tool for mapping diffuse interstellar bands at distances larger than 100 Mpc.
Methods. We used MUSE commissioning data for AM1353-272 B, the member with the highest extinction of the Dentist's Chair, an interacting system of two spiral galaxies. High signal-to-noise spectra were created by co-adding the signal of many spatial elements distributed in a geometry of concentric elliptical half-rings.
Results. We derived decreasing radial profiles for the equivalent width of the lambda 5780.5 DIB both in the receding and approaching side of the companion galaxy up to distances of similar to 4.6 kpc from the centre of the galaxy. The interstellar extinction as derived from the Ha/H beta line ratio displays a similar trend, with decreasing values towards the external parts. This translates into an intrinsic correlation between the strength of the DIB and the extinction within AM1353-272 B, consistent with the currently existing global trend between these quantities when using measurements for Galactic and extragalactic sightlines.
Conclusions. It seems feasible to map the DIB strength in the Local Universe, which has up to now only been performed for the Milky Way. This offers a new approach to studying the relationship between DIBs and other characteristics and species of the ISM in addition to using galaxies in the Local Group or sightlines towards very bright targets outside the Local Group.
We use a background quasar to detect the presence of circumgalactic gas around a z = 0.91 low-mass star-forming galaxy. Data from the new Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) on the Very Large Telescope show that the galaxy has a dust-corrected star formation rate (SFR) of 4.7 +/- 2.0. M-circle dot yr(-1), with no companion down to 0.22 M-circle dot yr(-1) (5 sigma) within 240 h(-1) kpc ("30"). Using a high-resolution spectrum of the background quasar, which is fortuitously aligned with the galaxy major axis (with an azimuth angle alpha of only 15 degrees), we find, in the gas kinematics traced by low-ionization lines, distinct signatures consistent with those expected for a "cold-flow disk" extending at least 12 kpc (3 x R-1/2). We estimate the mass accretion rate M-in to be at least two to three times larger than the SFR, using the geometric constraints from the IFU data and the H (I) column density of log N-H (I)/cm(-2) similar or equal to 20.4 obtained from a Hubble Space Telescope/COS near-UV spectrum. From a detailed analysis of the low-ionization lines (e.g., Zn II, Cr II, Ti II, MnII, Si II), the accreting material appears to be enriched to about 0.4 Z(circle dot) (albeit with large uncertainties: log Z/Z(circle dot) = -0.4 +/- 0.4), which is comparable to the galaxy metallicity (12 + log O/H = 8.7 +/- 0.2), implying a large recycling fraction from past outflows. Blueshifted Mg II and Fe II absorptions in the galaxy spectrum from the MUSE data reveal the presence of an outflow. The Mg II and Fe II absorption line ratios indicate emission infilling due to scattering processes, but the MUSE data do not show any signs of fluorescent Fe II* emission.
PopIII-star siblings in IZw18 and metal-poor WR galaxies unveiled from integral field spectroscopy
(2015)
Here, we highlight our recent results from the IFS study of Mrk178, the closest metal-poor WR galaxy, and of IZw18, the most metal-poor star-forming galaxy known in the local Universe. The IFS data of Mrk178 show the importance of aperture effects on the search for WR features, and the extent to which physical variations in the ISM properties can be detected. Our IFS data of IZw18 reveal its entire nebular HeIIλ4686-emitting region, and indicate for the very first time that peculiar, hot (nearly) metal-free ionizing stars (called here PopIII-star siblings) might hold the key to the HeII-ionization in IZw18.
Aims. We demonstrate the high multiplex advantage of crowded field 3D spectroscopy with the new integral field spectrograph MUSE by means of a spectroscopic analysis of more than 12 000 individual stars in the globular cluster NGC 6397. Methods. The stars are deblended with a point spread function fitting technique, using a photometric reference catalogue from HST as prior, including relative positions and brightnesses. This catalogue is also used for a first analysis of the extracted spectra, followed by an automatic in-depth analysis via a full-spectrum fitting method based on a large grid of PHOENIX spectra. Results. We analysed the largest sample so far available for a single globular cluster of 18 932 spectra from 12 307 stars in NGC 6397. We derived a mean radial velocity of v(rad) = 17.84 +/- 0.07 km s(-1) and a mean metallicity of [Fe/H] = -2.120 +/- 0.002, with the latter seemingly varying with temperature for stars on the red giant branch (RGB). We determine Teff and [Fe/H] from the spectra, and log g from HST photometry. This is the first very comprehensive Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (HRD) for a globular cluster based on the analysis of several thousands of stellar spectra, ranging from the main sequence to the tip of the RGB. Furthermore, two interesting objects were identified; one is a post-AGB star and the other is a possible millisecond-pulsar companion.
We present a detailed analysis of the kinematics of the Galactic globular cluster NGC 6397 based on more than similar to 18 000 spectra obtained with the novel integral field spectrograph MUSE. While NGC 6397 is often considered a core collapse cluster, our analysis suggests a flattening of the surface brightness profile at the smallest radii. Although it is among the nearest globular clusters, the low velocity dispersion of NGC 6397 of < 5 km s(-1) imposes heavy demands on the quality of the kinematical data. We show that despite its limited spectral resolution, MUSE reaches an accuracy of 1 km s(-1) in the analysis of stellar spectra. We find slight evidence for a rotational component in the cluster and the velocity dispersion profile that we obtain shows a mild central cusp. To investigate the nature of this feature, we calculate spherical Jeans models and compare these models to our kinematical data. This comparison shows that if a constant mass-to-light ratio is assumed, the addition of an intermediate-mass black hole with a mass of 600 M-circle dot brings the model predictions into agreement with our data, and therefore could be at the origin of the velocity dispersion profile. We further investigate cases with varying mass-to-light ratios and find that a compact dark stellar component can also explain our observations. However, such a component would closely resemble the black hole from the constant mass-to-light ratio models as this component must be confined to the central similar to 5 ' of the cluster and must have a similar mass. Independent constraints on the distribution of stellar remnants in the cluster or kinematic measurements at the highest possible spatial resolution should be able to distinguish the two alternatives.
Context. We map the interstellar medium (ISM) including the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) in absorption toward the globular cluster NGC6397 using VLT/MUSE. Assuming the absorbers are located at the rim of the Local Bubble we trace structures on the order of mpc (milliparsec, a few thousand AU). Aims. We aimed to demonstrate the feasibility to map variations of DIBs on small scales with MUSE. The sightlines defined by binned stellar spectra are separated by only a few arcseconds and we probe the absorption within a physically connected region. Methods. This analysis utilized the fitting residuals of individual stellar spectra of NGC6397 member stars and analyzed lines from neutral species and several DIBs in Voronoi-binned composite spectra with high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N). Results. This pilot study demonstrates the power of MUSE for mapping the local ISM on very small scales which provides a new window for ISM observations. We detect small scale variations in Na-I and K-I as well as in several DIBs within few arcseconds, or mpc with regard to the Local Bubble. We verify the suitability of the MUSE 3D spectrograph for such measurements and gain new insights by probing a single physical absorber with multiple sight lines.
Emission signatures from galactic winds provide an opportunity to directly map the outflowing gas, but this is traditionally challenging because of the low surface brightness. Using very deep observations (27 h) of the Hubble Deep Field South with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument, we identify signatures of an outflow in both emission and absorption from a spatially resolved galaxy at z = 1.29 with a stellar mass M-star = 8 x 10(9) M-circle dot, star formation rate SFR = 77(-25)(+40) M-circle dot yr(-1), and star formation rate surface brightness Sigma(SFR) = 1.6 M-circle dot kpc(-2) within the [OII] lambda lambda 3727, 3729 half-light radius R-1/2, ([OII]) = 2.76 +/- 0.17 kpc. From a component of the strong resonant Mg II and Fe II absorptions at -350 km s(-1), we infer a mass outflow rate that is comparable to the star formation rate. We detect non-resonant Fe II* emission, at lambda 2365, lambda 2396, lambda 2612, and lambda 2626, at 1.2-2.4-1.5-2.7 x 10-(18) erg s(-1) cm(-2) respectively. The flux ratios are consistent with the expectations for optically thick gas. By combining the four non-resonant Fe II* emission lines, we spatially map the Fe II* emission from an individual galaxy for the first time. The Fe II* emission has an elliptical morphology that is roughly aligned with the galaxy minor kinematic axis, and its integrated half-light radius, R-1/2, (Fe II*) = 4.1 +/- 0.4 kpc, is 70% larger than the stellar continuum (R-1/2,(star) similar or equal to 2.34 +/- 0.17) or the [O II] nebular line. Moreover, the Fe II* emission shows a blue wing extending up to -400 km s(-1), which is more pronounced along the galaxy minor kinematic axis and reveals a C-shaped pattern in a p - v diagram along that axis. These features are consistent with a bi-conical outflow.
We report the detection of extended Ly alpha emission around individual star-forming galaxies at redshifts z = 3-6 in an ultradeep exposure of the Hubble Deep Field South obtained with MUSE on the ESO-VLT. The data reach a limiting surface brightness (1 sigma) of similar to 1 x 10(-19) erg s(-1) cm(-2) arcsec(-2) in azimuthally averaged radial profiles, an order of magnitude improvement over previous narrowband imaging. Our sample consists of 26 spectroscopically confirmed Ly alpha-emitting, but mostly continuum-faint (m(AB) greater than or similar to 27) galaxies. In most objects the Ly alpha emission is considerably more extended than the UV continuum light. While five of the faintest galaxies in the sample show no significantly detected Ly alpha haloes, the derived upper limits suggest that this is due to insufficient S/N. Ly alpha haloes therefore appear to be ubiquitous even for low-mass (similar to 10(8)-10(9) M-circle dot) star-forming galaxies at z > 3. We decompose the Ly alpha emission of each object into a compact component tracing the UV continuum and an extended halo component, and infer sizes and luminosities of the haloes. The extended Ly alpha emission approximately follows an exponential surface brightness distribution with a scale length of a few kpc. While these haloes are thus quite modest in terms of their absolute sizes, they are larger by a factor of 5-15 than the corresponding rest-frame UV continuum sources as seen by HST. They are also much more extended, by a factor similar to 5, than Ly alpha haloes around low-redshift star-forming galaxies. Between similar to 40% and greater than or similar to 90% of the observed Ly alpha flux comes from the extended halo component, with no obvious correlation of this fraction with either the absolute or the relative size of the Ly alpha halo. Our observations provide direct insights into the spatial distribution of at least partly neutral gas residing in the circumgalactic medium of low to intermediate mass galaxies at z > 3.
A nova is a cataclysmic event on the surface of a white dwarf in a binary system that increases the overall brightness by several orders of magnitude. Although binary systems with a white dwarf are expected to be overabundant in globular clusters compared with in the Galaxy, only two novae from Galactic globular clusters have been observed. We present the discovery of an emission nebula in the Galactic globular cluster M 22 (NGC 6656) in observations made with the integral-field spectrograph MUSE. We extracted the spectrum of the nebula and used the radial velocity determined from the emission lines to confirm that the nebula is part of NGC 6656. Emission-line ratios were used to determine the electron temperature and density. It is estimated to have a mass of 1-17 x 10(-5) M-circle dot. This mass and the emission-line ratios indicate that the nebula is a nova remnant. Its position coincides with the reported location of a "guest star", an ancient Chinese term for transients, observed in May 48 BCE. With this discovery, this nova may be one of the oldest confirmed extra-solar events recorded in human history.
Recent theoretical models suggest that the early phase of galaxy formation could involve an epoch when galaxies are gas rich but inefficient at forming stars: a "dark galaxy" phase. Here, we report the results of our Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) survey for dark galaxies fluorescently illuminated by quasars at z > 3. Compared to previous studies which are based on deep narrowband (NB) imaging, our integral field survey provides a nearly uniform sensitivity coverage over a large volume in redshift space around the quasars as well as full spectral information at each location. Thanks to these unique features, we are able to build control samples at large redshift distances from the quasars using the same data taken under the same conditions. By comparing the rest-frame equivalent width (EW0) distributions of the Ly alpha sources detected in proximity to the quasars and in control samples, we detect a clear correlation between the locations of high-EW0 objects and the quasars. This correlation is not seen in other properties, such as Ly alpha luminosities or volume overdensities, suggesting the possible fluorescent nature of at least some of these objects. Among these, we find six sources without continuum counterparts and EW0 limits larger than 240 angstrom that are the best candidates for dark galaxies in our survey at z > 3.5. The volume densities and properties, including inferred gas masses and star formation efficiencies, of these dark galaxy candidates are similar to those of previously detected candidates at z approximate to 2.4 in NB surveys. Moreover, if the most distant of these are fluorescently illuminated by the quasar, our results also provide a lower limit of t - 60 Myr on the quasar lifetime.