[en] Using the cosmological baryonic accretion rate and normal star formation (SF) efficiencies, we present a very simple model for star-forming galaxies that accounts for the mass and redshift dependences of the star formation rate (SFR)-mass and Tully-Fisher (TF) relations from z ∼ 2 to the present. The time evolution follows from the fact that each modeled galaxy approaches a steady state where the SFR follows the (net) cold gas accretion rate. The key feature of the model is a halo mass floor M _min ≅ 10¹¹ M_sun below which accretion is quenched in order to simultaneously account for the observed slopes of the SFR-mass and TF relations. The same successes cannot be achieved via an SF threshold (or delay) nor by varying the SF efficiency or the feedback efficiency. Combined with the mass ceiling for cold accretion due to virial shock heating, the mass floor M_min explains galaxy 'downsizing', where more massive galaxies formed earlier and over a shorter period of time. It turns out that the model also accounts for the observed galactic baryon and gas fractions as a function of mass and time, and the cosmic SFR density, which are all resulting from the mass floor M _min. The model helps us to understand that it is the cosmological decline of accretion rate that drives the decrease of cosmic SFR density between z ∼ 2 and z = 0 and the rise of the cosmic SFR density from z ∼ 6 to z ∼ 2 that allows us to put a constraint on our main parameter M _min ≅ 10¹¹ M_sun. Among the physical mechanisms that could be responsible for the mass floor, our view is that photoionization feedback (from first in situ hot stars) lowering the cooling efficiency is likely to play a large role.

[en] We present deep and high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope NIC2 F160W imaging at 1.6 μm of six z ∼ 2 star-forming galaxies with existing near-infrared integral field spectroscopy from SINFONI at the Very Large Telescope. The unique combination of rest-frame optical imaging and nebular emission-line maps provides simultaneous insight into morphologies and dynamical properties. The overall rest-frame optical emission of the galaxies is characterized by shallow profiles in general (Sersic index n < 1), with median effective radii of R_e ∼ 5 kpc. The morphologies are significantly clumpy and irregular, which we quantify through a non-parametric morphological approach, estimating the Gini (G), multiplicity (Ψ), and M₂₀ coefficients. The estimated strength of the rest-frame optical emission lines in the F160W bandpass indicates that the observed structure is not dominated by the morphology of line-emitting gas, and must reflect the underlying stellar mass distribution of the galaxies. The sizes and structural parameters in the rest-frame optical continuum and Hα emission reveal no significant differences, suggesting similar global distributions of the ongoing star formation and more evolved stellar population. While no strong correlations are observed between stellar population parameters and morphology within the NIC2/SINFONI sample itself, a consideration of the sample in the context of a broader range of z ∼ 2 galaxy types (K-selected quiescent, active galactic nucleus, and star forming; 24 μm selected dusty, infrared-luminous) indicates that these galaxies probe the high specific star formation rate and low stellar mass surface density part of the massive z ∼ 2 galaxy population, with correspondingly large effective radii, low Sersic indices, low G, and high Ψ and M₂₀. The combined NIC2 and SINFONI data set yields insights of unprecedented detail into the nature of mass accretion at high redshift.

[en] The structure of a sample of high-redshift (z ∼ 2), rotating galaxies with high star formation rates and turbulent gas velocities of σ ∼ 40-80 km s^-1 is investigated. Fitting the observed disk rotational velocities and radii with a Mo et al. (MMW) model requires unusually large disk spin parameters λ_d>0.1 and disk-to-dark halo mass fractions of m_d ∼ 0.2, close to the cosmic baryon fraction. The galaxies segregate into dispersion-dominated systems with 1 ≤ v_max/σ ≤ 3, maximum rotational velocities v_max≤ 200 km s^-1, and disk half-light radii r_1/2∼ 1-3 kpc, and rotation-dominated systems with v_max> 200 km s^-1, v_max/σ>3, and r_1/2∼ 4-8 kpc. For the dispersion-dominated sample, radial pressure gradients partly compensate the gravitational force, reducing the rotational velocities. Including this pressure effect in the MMW model, dispersion-dominated galaxies can be fitted well with spin parameters of λ_d = 0.03-0.05 for high disk mass fractions of m_d ∼ 0.2 and with λ_d = 0.01-0.03 for m_d ∼ 0.05. These values are in good agreement with cosmological expectations. For the rotation-dominated sample, however, pressure effects are small and better agreement with theoretically expected disk spin parameters can only be achieved if the dark halo mass contribution in the visible disk regime (2-3 x r_1/2) is smaller than predicted by the MMW model. We argue that these galaxies can still be embedded in standard cold dark matter halos if the halos do not contract adiabatically in response to disk formation. In this case, the data favor models with small disk mass fractions of m_d = 0.05 and disk spin parameters of λ_d ∼ 0.035. It is shown that the observed high turbulent gas motions of the galaxies are consistent with a Toomre instability parameter Q = 1 which is equal to the critical value, expected for gravitational disk instability to be the major driver of turbulence. The dominant energy source of turbulence is then the potential energy of the gas in the disk.

[en] We study the properties of luminous stellar 'clumps' identified in deep, high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope NIC2/F160W imaging at 1.6 μm of six z ∼ 2 star-forming galaxies with existing near-infrared integral field spectroscopy from SINFONI at the Very Large Telescope. Individual clumps contribute ∼0.5%-15% of the galaxy-integrated rest-frame ∼5000 A emission, with median of ∼2%; the total contribution of clump light ranges from 10% to 25%. The median intrinsic clump size and stellar mass are ∼1 kpc and ∼10⁹ M_sun, in the ranges for clumps identified in rest-UV or line emission in other studies. The clump sizes and masses in the subset of disks are broadly consistent with expectations for clump formation through gravitational instabilities in gas-rich, turbulent disks given the host galaxies' global properties. By combining the NIC2 data with Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS)/F814W imaging available for one source, and adaptive-optics-assisted SINFONI Hα data for another, we infer modest color, M/L, and stellar age variations within each galaxy. In these two objects, sets of clumps identified at different wavelengths do not fully overlap; NIC2-identified clumps tend to be redder/older than ACS- or Hα-identified clumps without rest-frame optical counterparts. There is evidence for a systematic trend of older ages at smaller galactocentric radii among the clumps, consistent with scenarios where inward migration of clumps transports material toward the central regions. From constraints on a bulge-like component at radii ∼< 1-3 kpc, none of the five disks in our sample appears to contain a compact massive stellar core, and we do not discern a trend of bulge stellar mass fraction with stellar age of the galaxy. Further observations are necessary to probe the buildup of stellar bulges and the role of clumps in this process.

[en] We present the modeling of SINFONI integral field dynamics of 18 star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 2 from Hα line emission. The galaxies are selected from the larger sample of the SINS survey, based on the prominence of ordered rotational motions with respect to more complex merger-induced dynamics. The quality of the data allows us to carefully select systems with kinematics dominated by rotation, and to model the gas dynamics across the whole galaxy using suitable exponential disk models. We obtain a good correlation between the dynamical mass and the stellar mass, finding that large gas fractions (M _gas ∼ M _*) are required to explain the difference between the two quantities. We use the derived stellar mass and maximum rotational velocity V _max from the modeling to construct for the first time the stellar mass Tully-Fisher relation at z ∼ 2.2. The relation obtained shows a slope similar to what is observed at lower redshift, but we detect an evolution of the zero point. We find that at z ∼ 2.2 there is an offset in log(M _*) for a given rotational velocity of 0.41 ± 0.11 with respect to the local universe. This result is consistent with the predictions of the latest N-body/hydrodynamical simulations of disk formation and evolution, which invoke gas accretion onto the forming disk in filaments and cooling flows. This scenario is in agreement with other dynamical evidence from SINS, where gas accretion from the halo is required to reproduce the observed properties of a large fraction of the z ∼ 2 galaxies.

[en] We present the Spectroscopic Imaging survey in the near-infrared (near-IR) with SINFONI (SINS) of high-redshift galaxies. With 80 objects observed and 63 detected in at least one rest-frame optical nebular emission line, mainly Hα, SINS represents the largest survey of spatially resolved gas kinematics, morphologies, and physical properties of star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 1-3. We describe the selection of the targets, the observations, and the data reduction. We then focus on the 'SINS Hα sample', consisting of 62 rest-UV/optically selected sources at 1.3 < z < 2.6 for which we targeted primarily the Hα and [N II] emission lines. Only ∼30% of this sample had previous near-IR spectroscopic observations. The galaxies were drawn from various imaging surveys with different photometric criteria; as a whole, the SINS Hα sample covers a reasonable representation of massive M_* ∼> 10¹⁰ M_sun star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 1.5-2.5, with some bias toward bluer systems compared to pure K-selected samples due to the requirement of secure optical redshift. The sample spans 2 orders of magnitude in stellar mass and in absolute and specific star formation rates, with median values ∼3 x 10¹⁰ M_sun, ∼70 M_sun yr^-1, and ∼3 Gyr^-1. The ionized gas distribution and kinematics are spatially resolved on scales ranging from ∼1.5 kpc for adaptive optics assisted observations to typically ∼4-5 kpc for seeing-limited data. The Hα morphologies tend to be irregular and/or clumpy. About one-third of the SINS Hα sample galaxies are rotation-dominated yet turbulent disks, another one-third comprises compact and velocity dispersion-dominated objects, and the remaining galaxies are clear interacting/merging systems; the fraction of rotation-dominated systems increases among the more massive part of the sample. The Hα luminosities and equivalent widths suggest on average roughly twice higher dust attenuation toward the H II regions relative to the bulk of the stars, and comparable current and past-averaged star formation rates.

[en] We have studied the properties of giant star-forming clumps in five z ∼ 2 star-forming disks with deep SINFONI AO spectroscopy at the ESO VLT. The clumps reside in disk regions where the Toomre Q-parameter is below unity, consistent with their being bound and having formed from gravitational instability. Broad Hα/[N II] line wings demonstrate that the clumps are launching sites of powerful outflows. The inferred outflow rates are comparable to or exceed the star formation rates, in one case by a factor of eight. Typical clumps may lose a fraction of their original gas by feedback in a few hundred million years, allowing them to migrate into the center. The most active clumps may lose much of their mass and disrupt in the disk. The clumps leave a modest imprint on the gas kinematics. Velocity gradients across the clumps are 10-40 km s^-1 kpc^-1, similar to the galactic rotation gradients. Given beam smearing and clump sizes, these gradients may be consistent with significant rotational support in typical clumps. Extreme clumps may not be rotationally supported; either they are not virialized or they are predominantly pressure supported. The velocity dispersion is spatially rather constant and increases only weakly with star formation surface density. The large velocity dispersions may be driven by the release of gravitational energy, either at the outer disk/accreting streams interface, and/or by the clump migration within the disk. Spatial variations in the inferred gas phase oxygen abundance are broadly consistent with inside-out growing disks, and/or with inward migration of the clumps.