Full disc [C II] mapping of nearby star-forming galaxies

Context. As a major cooling line of interstellar gas, the far-infrared 158 μm line from singly ionised carbon [C II ] is an important tracer of various components of the interstellar medium in galaxies across all spatial and morphological scales. Yet, there is still not a strong constraint on the origins of [C II ] emission. Aims. In this work, we derive the resolved [C II ] star formation rate relation and aim to unravel the complexity of the origin of [C II ]. Methods. We used the Field-Imaging Far-Infrared Line Spectrometer on board the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy to map [C II ] in three nearby star-forming galaxies at sub-kiloparsec scales, namely, NGC 3627, NGC 4321, and NGC 6946, and we compared these [C II ] observations to the galactic properties derived from complementary data from the literature. Results. We find that the relationship between the [C II ] fine structure line and star formation rate shows variations between the galaxies as well as between different environments within each galaxy. Conclusions. Our results show that the use of [C II ] as a tracer for star formation is much more tangled than has previously been suggested within the extragalactic literature, which typically focuses on small regions of galaxies and/or uses large-aperture sampling of many different physical environments. As found within resolved observations of the Milky Way, the picture obtained from [C II ] observations is complicated by its local interstellar medium conditions. Future studies will require a larger sample and additional observational tracers, obtained on spatial scales within galaxies, in order to accurately disentangle the origin of [C II ] and calibrate its use as a star formation tracer.

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Publication Details

Journal
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Published
2024-12-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202450062
Citations
3
Primary Topic
Astronomy and Astrophysical Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.52

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article

Full disc [C II] mapping of nearby star-forming galaxies

A. Krabbe, C. Iserlohe, Sebastian Colditz, William D. Vacca et al.
3 citations
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy and Astrophysical Research
1.52
article

Full disc [C II] mapping of nearby star-forming galaxies

A. Krabbe, C. Iserlohe, Sebastian Colditz, William D. Vacca, Nina S. Sartorio, A. Leroy, I. De Looze, M. Baes, Ashley T. Barnes, Rodrigo Herrera-Camus, S. C. Madden, F. Bigiel, Leslie W. Looney, Aaron Bryant, Angelos Nersesian, N. Geis, Alberto D. Bolatto, Charlotte Froese Fischer, André Beck, R. Klein, A. Poglitsch, Stefan van der Giessen, I Kovačić
article en
3 citations

Abstract

Context. As a major cooling line of interstellar gas, the far-infrared 158 μm line from singly ionised carbon [C II ] is an important tracer of various components of the interstellar medium in galaxies across all spatial and morphological scales. Yet, there is still not a strong constraint on the origins of [C II ] emission. Aims. In this work, we derive the resolved [C II ] star formation rate relation and aim to unravel the complexity of the origin of [C II ]. Methods. We used the Field-Imaging Far-Infrared Line Spectrometer on board the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy to map [C II ] in three nearby star-forming galaxies at sub-kiloparsec scales, namely, NGC 3627, NGC 4321, and NGC 6946, and we compared these [C II ] observations to the galactic properties derived from complementary data from the literature. Results. We find that the relationship between the [C II ] fine structure line and star formation rate shows variations between the galaxies as well as between different environments within each galaxy. Conclusions. Our results show that the use of [C II ] as a tracer for star formation is much more tangled than has previously been suggested within the extragalactic literature, which typically focuses on small regions of galaxies and/or uses large-aperture sampling of many different physical environments. As found within resolved observations of the Milky Way, the picture obtained from [C II ] observations is complicated by its local interstellar medium conditions. Future studies will require a larger sample and additional observational tracers, obtained on spatial scales within galaxies, in order to accurately disentangle the origin of [C II ] and calibrate its use as a star formation tracer.

Astronomy and AstrophysicsVol. 694
University of Stuttgart (DE), Ames Research Center (US), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), European Southern Observatory (DE), University of Bonn (DE), University of Liège (BE), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US), University of Concepción (CL), Universidad de Granada (ES), Université Paris Cité (FR), National Radio Astronomy Observatory (US), Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR), Université Paris-Saclay (FR), Ghent University (BE), Astrophysique, Instrumentation et Modélisation (FR), Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (DE), CEA Paris-Saclay (FR), Community Science and Data Center (US), The Ohio State University (US), University of Maryland, College Park (US)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, European Space Agency, Universities Space Research Association, European Commission, Belgian Federal Science Policy Office, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Universidad de Concepción, Universität Stuttgart, Vlaamse regering, Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo
Openalex Percentile: Top 14%
Astronomy and Astrophysical Research
1.52
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