Formation of Superthin Galaxies in IllustrisTNG

Superthin galaxies are observed to have stellar disks with extremely small minor-to-major axis ratios.In this work,we investigate the formation of superthin galaxies in the TNG100 simulation.We trace the merger history and investigate the evolution of galaxy properties of a selected sample of superthin galaxies and a control sample of galaxies that share the same joint probability distribution in the stellar-mass and color diagram.Through making comparisons between the two galaxy samples,we find that present-day superthin galaxies had similar morphologies as the control sample counterparts at higher redshifts,but have developed extended flat“superthin”morphologies since z~1.During this latter evolution stage,superthin galaxies undergo an overwhelmingly higher frequency of prograde mergers(with orbit-spin angleθ_(orb)≤40°).Accordingly the spins of their dark matter halos have grown significantly and become noticeably higher than those of their normal disk counterparts.This further results in the buildup of their stellar disks at larger distances much beyond the regimes of normal disk galaxies.We also discuss the formation scenario of those superthin galaxies that live in larger dark matter halos as satellite galaxies therein.

Possible Habitats for NH_(3),NH_(2)D,H^(13)CN,HC^(15)N,SO,and C^(18)O in the Initial Conditions of High-mass Star Formation

The initial condition of high-mass star formation is a complex area of study because of the high densities(n_(H_(2))>106cm^(-3))and low temperatures(T_(dust)<18 K)involved.Under such conditions,many molecules become depleted from the gas phase by freezing out onto dust grains.However,the N-bearing and deuterated species could remain gaseous under these extreme conditions,suggesting that they may serve as ideal tracers.In this paper,using the Plateau de Bure Interferometer and Very Large Array observations at 1.3 mm,3.5 mm,and 1.3 cm,we investigate the possible habitats for NH_(3),NH_(2)D,H^(13)CN,HC^(15)N,SO,and C^(18)O in eight massive precluster and protocluster clumps G18.17,G18.21,G23.97N,G23.98,G23.44,G23.97S,G25.38,and G25.71.We found that the NH3cores are in good agreement with the 3.5 mm peak emission,but the NH_(3)is much more extended than the 3.5 mm emission structure.The SO distributions agree well with the 3.5 mm peaks for the evolved star formation stage,but we did not detect any SO emission in the four earliest star formation sources.C^(18)O is a poor tracer in conditions of the cold(■18 K)and dense(■10^(4)cm^(-3))cores,e.g.,the prestellar cores.We also found that the NH_(2)D cores are mainly located in the temperature range of 13.0-20.0 K,and the NH_(2)D lines may be strongly depleted above 20 K.

Early Phases of Star Formation: Testing Chemical Tools

Star-forming processes strongly influence the ISM chemistry.Nowadays,many high-quality databases are available at millimeter wavelengths.Using them,it is possible to carry out studies that review and deepen previous results.If these studies involve large samples of sources,it is preferred to use direct tools to study the molecular gas.With the aim of testing these tools such as the use of the HCN/HNC ratio as a thermometer,and the use of H^(13)CO^(+),HC_(3)N,N_(2)H^(+) and C_(2)H as "chemical clocks," we present a molecular line study toward 55 sources representing massive young stellar objects at different evolutionary stages:infrared dark clouds(IRDCs),highmass protostellar objects(HMPOs),hot molecular cores(HMCs) and ultracompact H II regions.We found that the use of the HCN/HNC ratio as a universal thermometer in the ISM should be taken with care because the HCN optical depth is a big issue that can affect the method.Hence,this tool should be utilized only after a careful analysis of the HCN spectrum,checking that no line,neither the main nor the hyperfine ones,presents absorption features.We point out that the analysis of the emission of H^(13)CO^(+),HC_(3)N,N_(2)H^(+) and C_(2)H could be useful to trace and distinguish regions among IRDCs,HMPOs and HMCs.The molecular line widths of these four species increase from the IRDC to the HMC stage,which can be a consequence of the gas dynamics related to the starforming processes taking place in the molecular clumps.Our results not only contribute with more statistics,acting as a probe of such chemical tools,useful to obtain information in large samples of sources,but also complement previous works through the analysis of other types of sources.

What is the Role of Gravity,Turbulence and Magnetic Fields in High-mass Star Formation Clouds?

To explore the potential role of gravity,turbulence and magnetic fields in high-mass star formation in molecular clouds,this study revisits the velocity dispersion–size(σ–L)and density–size(ρ–L)scalings and the associated turbulent energy spectrum using an extensive data sample.The sample includes various hierarchical density structures in high-mass star formation clouds,across scales of 0.01–100 pc.We observeσ∝L^(0.26)andρ∝L^(-1.54)scalings,converging toward a virial equilibrium state.A nearly flat virial parameter–mass(α_(vir)-M)distribution is seen across all density scales,withα_(vir)values centered around unity,suggesting a global equilibrium maintained by the interplay between gravity and turbulence across multiple scales.Our turbulent energy spectrum(E(k))analysis,based on theσ–L andρ–L scalings,yields a characteristic E(k)∝k^(-1.52).These findings indicate the potential significance of gravity,turbulence,and possibly magnetic fields in regulating dynamics of molecular clouds and high-mass star formation therein.

Unveiling the Initial Conditions of Open Star Cluster Formation

Open clusters(OCs)are infrequent survivors of embedded clusters gestated in molecular clouds.Up to now,little is known about the initial conditions for the formation of OCs.Here,we studied this issue using high-precision astrometric parameters provided by Gaia data release 3.The statistics show that the peculiar motion velocities of OCs vary slightly from infancy to old age,providing a remarkable opportunity to use OCs to trace their progenitors.Adopting a dynamical method,we derived the masses of the progenitor clumps where OCs were born,which have statistical characteristics comparable to previously known results for clumps observed in the Galaxy.Moreover,the masses of the progenitor clumps of OCs indicate they should be capable of gestating massive O-type stars.In fact,after inspecting the observed OCs and O-type stars,we found that there are many O-type stars in OCs.The destructive stellar feedback from O-type stars may disintegrate the vast majority of embedded clusters,and only those sufficiently dense ones can survive as OCs.

How Common can the Origin of Clusters Cha Ⅰ, Cha Ⅱ, ∈Cha and η Cha be?

The trajectories of the groupings η Cha,∈Cha and Cha I,Cha II,constructed backward in time,have been studied.We concluded that the hypothesis about the joint formation of all four of these clusters from one molecular cloud cannot be completely excluded.However,10–15 Myr ago,all these four clusters were located at approximately the same height above the plane of the Galaxy.Thus,the gas-dust clouds from which all these four clusters were formed were located on one broad front.It is possible that the appearance of the Cha I,Cha II,∈Cha and η Cha clusters may be associated with the impact on such a front of shock waves formed after supernova explosions in the Scorpius–Centaurus association.New estimates of the kinematic ages of the clusters Cha I and Cha II are obtained as 0.12±0.19 and 0.05±0.15,respectively.It is shown that the minimum size of the Cha I-north and Cha I-south clusters corresponded to the time of 0.55±0.24 Myr and 0.04±0.18 Myr ago,respectively,and approximately1.5 Myr ago the distance between the trajectories of these two groupings was minimal.

Multiwavelength Observations of the Infrared Dust Bubble N75 and its Surroundings

Infrared dust bubbles play an important role in the study of star formation and the evolution of the interstellar medium.In this work,we study the infrared dust bubble N75 and the infrared dark cloud G38.93 mainly using the tracers C^(18)O,HCO^(+),HNC and N_(2)H^(+)observed by the 30 m IRAM telescope.We also study the targets using data from large-scale surveys:GLIMPSE,MIPSGAL,GRS,NRAO VLA Sky Survey and Bolocam Galactic Plane Survey.We found that the C^(18)O emission is morphologically similar to the Spitzer IRAC 8.0μm emission.The1.1 mm cold dust emission of G38.93 shows an elongated structure from southwest to northeast.The ionized gas from G38.93 is surrounded by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission,which may be excited by radiation from G38.93.We found that the identified young stellar objects tend to cluster around G38.93 and are mostly in class II with several class I cases distributed around N75,but no class II examples.We also found evidence of expanding feedback,which could have triggered star formation.

The ALMA-QUARKS Survey.Ⅱ.The ACA 1.3 mm Continuum Source Catalog and the Assembly of Dense Gas in Massive Star-Forming Clumps

Leveraging the high resolution,sensitivity,and wide frequency coverage of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array(ALMA),the QUARKS survey,standing for“Querying Underlying mechanisms of massive star formation with ALMA-Resolved gas Kinematics and Structures”,is observing 139 massive starforming clumps at ALMA Band 6(λ~1.3 mm).This paper introduces the Atacama Compact Array(ACA)7 m data of the QUARKS survey,describing the ACA observations and data reduction.Combining multiwavelength data,we provide the first edition of QUARKS atlas,offering insights into the multiscale and multiphase interstellar medium in high-mass star formation.The ACA 1.3 mm catalog includes 207 continuum sources that are called ACA sources.Their gas kinetic temperatures are estimated using three formaldehyde transitions with a non-LTE radiation transfer model,and the mass and density are derived from a dust emission model.The ACA sources are massive(16–84 percentile values of 6–160 M_(⊙)),gravity-dominated(M∝R^(1.1))fragments within massive clumps,with supersonic turbulence(M>1)and embedded star-forming protoclusters.We find a linear correlation between the masses of the fragments and the massive clumps,with a ratio of 6%between the two.When considering fragments as representative of dense gas,the ratio indicates a dense gas fraction(DGF)of 6%,although with a wide scatter ranging from 1%to 10%.If we consider the QUARKS massive clumps to be what is observed at various scales,then the size-independent DGF indicates a self-similar fragmentation or collapsing mode in protocluster formation.With the ACA data over four orders of magnitude of luminosity-to-mass ratio(L/M),we find that the DGF increases significantly with L/M,which indicates clump evolutionary stage.We observed a limited fragmentation at the subclump scale,which can be explained by a dynamic global collapse process.

Study of Complex Nitrogen and Oxygen-bearing Molecules toward the High-mass Protostar IRAS 18089–1732

The observation of oxygen(O)-and nitrogen(N)-bearing molecules gives an idea about the complex prebiotic chemistry in the interstellar medium.Recent millimeter and submillimeter wavelength observations have shown the presence of complex O-and N-bearing molecules in the star formation regions.So,the investigation of those molecules is crucial to understanding the chemical complexity in the star-forming regions.In this article,we present the identification of the rotational emission lines of N-bearing molecules ethyl cyanide(C_(2)H_(5)CN)and cyanoacetylene(HC_(3)N),and O-bearing molecule methyl formate(CH_(3)OCHO)toward high-mass protostar IRAS18089–1732 using the Atacama Compact Array.We also detected the emission lines of both the N-and O-bearing molecule formamide(NH_(2)CHO)in the envelope of IRAS 18089–1732.We have detected the v=0 and 1 state rotational emission lines of CH_(3)OCHO.We also detected the two vibrationally excited states of HC_(3)N(v7=1 and v7=2).The estimated fractional abundances of C_(2)H_(5)CN,HC_(3)N(v7=1),HC_(3)N(v7=2),and NH_(2)CHO toward IRAS 18089–1732 are(1.40±0.5)×10^(-10),(7.5±0.7)×10^(-11),(3.1±0.4)×10^(-11),and(6.25±0.82)×10^(-11)respectively.Similarly,the estimated fractional abundances of CH_(3)OCHO(v=0)and CH_(3)OCHO(v=1)are(1.90±0.9)×10^(-9)and(8.90±0.8)×10^(-10),respectively.We also created the integrated emission maps of the detected molecules,and the observed molecules may have originated from the extended envelope of the protostar.We show that C_(2)H_(5)CNand HC_(3)N are most probably formed via the subsequential hydrogenation of the CH_(2)CHCNand the reaction between C_(2)H_(2)and CN on the grain surface of IRAS 18089–1732.We found that NH_(2)CHO is probably produced due to the reaction between NH_(2)and H_(2)CO in the gas phase.Similarly,CH_(3)OCHO is possibly created via the reaction between radical CH_(3)O and radical HCO on the grain surface of IRAS 18089–1732.

Comparison of NH_(3) and ^(12)CO,^(13)CO,C^(18)O Molecular Lines in the Aquila Rift Cloud Complex

The observations of the Aquila Rift cloud complex at 23.708 and 115.271 GHz made using the Nanshan 26 m radio telescope and the 13.7 m millimeter-wavelength telescope are presented.We find that the CO(1-0)gas distribution is similar to the NH_(3)gas distribution in the Aquila Rift cloud complex.In some diffusion regions characterized by CO,we identified several dense clumps based on the distribution of detected ammonia molecular emission.Through the comparison of spectral line parameters for NH_(3),^(13)CO,and C^(18)O,our study reveals that the line center velocities of the NH_(3),^(13)CO,and C^(18)O lines are comparable and positively correlated,indicating that they originate from the same emission region.No significant correlation was identified for other parameters,including integrated intensity,line widths,main beam brightness temperature,as well as the column densities of NH_(3),^(13)CO,and C^(18)O.The absolute difference in line-center velocities between the^(13)CO and NH_(3)lines is less than both the average line width of NH_(3)and that of^(13)CO.This suggests that there are no significant movements of NH_(3)clumps in relation to their envelopes.The velocity deviation is likely due to turbulent activity within the clumps.

Periodic Variation Studies of the Two Short Period W UMa-type Eclipsing Binaries: LX Lyn and V0853 Aur

In this paper,new light curves(LCs) of contact eclipsing binary(CEB) systems LX Lyn and V0853 Aur are presented and analyzed by using the 2015 version of the Wilson-Devinney(W-D) code.In order to explain their asymmetric LCs,cool starspots on the components were employed.It is suggested that their fill-out degrees are f=12.0%(LX Lyn) and f=26.3%(V0853 Aur).At the same time,we found that LX Lyn is a W-type eclipsing binary(EB) with an orbital inclination of i=84°.88 and a mass ratio of q=2.31.V0853 Aur is also a W-type CEB with a mass ratio of q=2.77 and an orbital inclination of i= 79°.26.Based on all available times of light minimum,their orbital period changes are studied by using the O-C method.The O-C diagram of LX Lyn reveals a cyclic oscillation with a period of about 14.84 yr and an amplitude of 0.0019 days,which can be explained by the light-travel time effect(LTTE) due to the presence of a third body with a minimum mass of0.06M_⊙.For V0853 Aur,it is discovered that the O-C diagram of the system also shows a cyclic oscillation with a period of 9.64 yr and an amplitude of 0.03365 days.The cyclic oscillation of V0853 Aur can be attributed to the LTTE by means of a third body with a mass no less than 3.77M_⊙.The third body may play an important role in the formation and evolution of these systems.

The Effect of AGN and SNe Feedback on Star Formation,Reionization and the Near Infrared Background

Feedback from supernovae （SNe） and from active galactic nuclei （AGN） accom- panies the history of star formation and galaxy evolution. We present an analytic model to explain how and when the SNe and AGN exert their feedback effects on the star formation and galaxy evolution processes. By using SNe and AGN kinetic feedback mechanisms based on the Lambda Cold Dark Matter （LCDM） model, we explore how these feedback mecha- nisms affect the star formation history （SFH）, the Near-Infrared Background （NIRB） flux and the cosmological reionization. We find the values of the feedback strengths, εAGN = 1.0 -0.03^＋0.5 and εSN = 0.04 -0.02^＋0.02, can provide a reasonable explanation of most of the observational resuits, and that the AGN feedback effect on star formation history is quite different from the SNe feedback at high redshifts. Our conclusions manifest quantitatively that these feedback effects decrease star formation rate density （SFRD） and the NIRB flux （in 1.4 - 4.0 μm）, and postpone the time of completion of the cosmological reionization.

History of Star Formation and Chemical Enrichment in the Milky Way Disk

Based on a physical treatment of the star formation law similar to that given by Efstathiou, we have improved our two-component chemical evolution model for the Milky Way disk. Two gas infall rates are compared, one exponential, one Gaussian. It is shown that the star formation law adopted in this paper depends more strongly on the gas surface density than that in Chang et al. It has large effects on the history of star formation and gas evolution of the whole disk. In the solar neighborhood, the history of chemical evolution and star formation is not sensitive to whether the infall rate is Gaussian or exponential. For the same infall time scale, both forms predict the same behavior for the current properties of the Galactic disk. The model predictions do depend on whether or not the infall time scale varies with the radius, but current available observations cannot decide which case is the more realistic. Our results also show that it would be inadequate to describe the gradient evolution along the Galactic disk by only one word "flatter" or "steeper", as was suggested by Hou et al. and Chiapinni et al. We point out that both the absolute value and the evolution of the abundance gradient may be different in the inner and outer regions.

Investigation of star formation toward the Sharpless 155 H II region

We present a comprehensive study of star formation toward the H II re- gion Sharpless 155 （$155）. Star-formation activities therein were investigated based on multi-wavelength data from optical to the far-infrared. The surface density distri- bution of selected 2MASS sources toward S 155 indicates the existence of a compact cluster, which is spatially consistent with the position of the exciting source of the Htt region, HD 217086. A sample of more than 200 sources with excessive emission in the infrared were selected based on their 2MASS color indices. The spatial distri- bution of the sample sources reveals the existence of three young subclusters in this region, among which subcluster A is spatially coincident with the bright rim of the H II region. In addition, photometric data from the WISE survey were used to identify and classify young stellar objects （YSOs）. To further explore the evolutionary stages of the candidate YSOs, we fit the spectral energy distributions of 44 sources, which led to the identification of 14 Class I, 27 Class II and 3 Class Ⅲ YSOs. The spatial distribu- tion of the classified YSOs at different evolutionary stages presents a spatiotemporal gradient, which is consistent with a scenario of sequential star formation. On the other hand, Herschel PACS observations toward the interface between S 155 and the ambi- ent molecular cloud disclose an arc-shaped dust layer, the origin of which could be attributed to the UV dissipation from early type stars, e.g. HD 217061, in S155. Four dusty cores were revealed by the Herschel data, which hints at new generations of star formation.

Star formation associated with the infrared dust bubble N68

We investigated the environment of the infrared dust bubble N68 and searched for evidence of triggered star formation in its surroundings. We performed a multiwavelength study of the nebula with data taken from several large-scale surveys： GLIMPSE, MIPSGAL, IRAS, NVSS, GRS and JCMT. We analyzed the spectral pro- file and the distribution of the molecular gas （13CO J -- 1 - 0 and J -- 3 - 2）, and the dust in the environment of N68. The position-velocity diagram clearly shows that N68 may be expanding outward. We used two three-color images of the mid-infrared emis- sion to explore the physical environment, and one color-color diagram to investigate the distribution of young stellar objects （YSOs）. We found that the 24 p^m emission is surrounded by the 8.0 ~m emission. Morphologically, the 1.4 GHz continuum strongly correlates with the 24 gm emission, and the 13CO J -- 1 - 0 and J -- 3 - 2 emissions correlate well with the 8.0 p^m emission. We investigated two compact cores located in the shell of N68. The spectral intensity ratios of 13CO J -- 3 - 2 to J = 1 - 0 range from 5 to 0.3. In addition, YSOs, masers, IRAS and UC HII regions are distributed in the shell of the bubble. The active region may be triggered by the expansion of the bubble N68.

The current status of galaxy formation

Understanding galaxy formation is one of the most pressing issues in cos- mology. We review the current status of galaxy formation from both an observational and a theoretical perspective, and summarize the prospects for future advances.

Observational evidence for the evolution of nuclear metallicity and star formation rate with the merger stage

We investigate the evolution of nuclear gas-phase oxygen abundance and star formation rate（SFR） of local far-infrared selected star-forming galaxies along the merger sequence, as traced by their optical morphologies. The sample was drawn from a cross-correlation analysis of the IRAS Point Source Catalog Redshift Survey and 1 Jy ultraluminous infrared galaxy sample with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 database. The investigation is done by comparing our sample to a control sample matched in the normalized redshift distribution in two diagnostics, which are the nuclear gas-phase metallicity vs.stellar mass and the nuclear SFR vs. stellar mass diagrams. Galaxies with different morphological types show different mass-metallicity relations（MZRs）. Compared to the MZR defined by the control sample,isolated spirals have comparable metallicities with the control sample at a given stellar mass. Spirals in pairs and interacting galaxies with projected separations of rp 〉 20 kpc show a mild metallicity dilution of0.02–0.03 dex. Interacting galaxies with rp 〈 20 kpc, pre-mergers and advanced mergers are underabundant by～0.06,～0.05 and～0.04 dex, respectively. This shows an evolutionary trend that the metallicity is increasingly depressed as the merging proceeds and it is diluted most dramatically when two galaxies are closely interacting. Afterwards, the interstellar medium（ISM） is enriched when the galaxies coalesce.This is the first time that such ISM enrichment at the final coalescence stage has been observed, which demonstrates the importance of supernova explosions in affecting the nuclear metallicity. Moreover, the central SFR enhancement relative to the control sample evolves simultaneously with the nuclear gas-phase oxygen abundance. Our results support the predictions from numerical simulations.

The formation and evolution of massive galaxies

The discovery of massive galaxies at high redshifts,especially the passive ones,poses a big challenge for the current standard galaxy formation models.Here we use the semi-analytic galaxy formation model developed by Henriques et al.to explore the formation and evolution of massive galaxies(MGs,stellar-mass M*>1011 M⊙).Different from previous works,we focus on the ones just formed(e.g.just reach?1011 M⊙).We find that most of the MGs are formed around z=0.6,with the earliest formation at z>4.Interestingly,although most of the MGs in the local Universe are passive,we find that only 13%of the MGs are quenched at the formation time.Most of the quenched MGs at formation already host a very massive supermassive black hole(SMBH)which could power the very effective AGN feedback.For the star-forming MGs,the ones with more massive SMBH prefer to quench in shorter timescales;in particular,those with MSMBH>107.5 M⊙have a quenching timescale of~0.5 Gyr and the characteristic MSMBH depends on the chosen stellar mass threshold in the definition of MGs as a result of their co-evolution.We also find that the"in-situ"star formation dominates the stellar mass growth of MGs until they are formed.Over the whole redshift range,we find the quiescent MGs prefer to stay in more massive dark matter halos,and have more massive SMBH and less cold gas masses.Our results provide a new angle on the whole life of the growth of MGs in the Universe.

The HI gas and star formation in star-forming galaxies selected from ALFALFA

This paper presents the results of Hαimaging of 169 galaxies randomly selected from the α.40-SDSS catalog.The sample has excluded all low surface brightness galaxies (LSBGs) whose central surface brightness in B band (μ0(B)) fainter than 22.5 mag arcsec-2.It can be used as the counterparts sample to LSBGs.We observed their Hα and R band images by using the 2.16 m telescope at the Xinglong Observatory of the National Astronomical Observatories,Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC).The main goal of this work is to present the properties of those galaxies,together with Hαflux and star formation-,gas-,stellar mass-surface density.In addition,we confirm the correlations among HI content,stellar mass and star formation in ALFALFA galaxies.The HI mass increases with stellar mass,and the slope slows down at the higher stellar mass.The overall trend was that the specific star formation rate (s SFR) decreases with stellar mass,and the sSFR dropped sharply when the stellar mass is close to 1010.3~1010.5M⊙.The weak correlation between SFR/MHIand MHIimplies the HI contribute little to star formation.Our sample,which are mostly star-forming galaxies,follows the revisited Kennicutt-Schmidt law as well as the Kennicutt-Schmidt law.

The Status of ROSAT X-ray Active Young Stars toward Taurus-Auriga

We present an astrometric study of the candidates of T Tauri stars (TTS) and non-TTS X-ray sources around Tau-Aur, based on the Hipparcos Catalogue and the ACT Reference Catalogue. The ROSAT selected X-ray sources are found to be a mixed population. A few of them are associated with the Tau-Aur or Orion Star Forming Regions (SFR). Some, with distances similar to that of Tau-Aur but with discrepant proper motions, are probable or sure Pleiades super-cluster members or other late type young active stars with unresolved nature, more likely to originate in rapidly moving cloudlets, or else having originated from different sites other than Tau-Aur and moved to the present locations. A good many of the non-TTS X-ray sources are considered as Hyades cluster members. Some TTS candidates could be foreground pre-main sequence stars or actually young dwarfs not yet depleted of their Lithium. Under the hypothesis that the sources we studied are representative of the ROSAT selected TTS candidates discovered in the outskirts of the Tau-Aur region, we conclude that only up to one third of the weak-line TTS candidates could be expected to be physically associated with the Tau-Aur association. Along with the parallax and proper motion analysis of the non-TTS X-ray sources around the Tau-Aur SFR, our result suggests that the vast majority of the young active X-ray sources within an angular diameter of about 30° of the Tau-Aur SFR, belong to four main subgroups that are spatially separate.