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High redshift at kpc scale with FRIDA

FRIDA and the nearest Universe

FRIDA in the Milky-Way - sub-parsec scale


 

High redshift at kpc scales with FRIDA

- FRIDA panoramic view:
  => Diffraction limit imaging in JHK on 40” x 40“ FoV

- FRIDA microscopic view:
  => 2D spec with <100 mas resolution and a suite of spectral resolutions

R= 75 km/s 

=> galaxy dynamics

=> Mass

R~ 200 km/s (JHK at once) 

=> Gas diagnosis

=> galaxy classification

The challenge for AO-assisted instrumentation at high redshift is to get targets with a bright star next to it. The figure below shows examples of  B-dropouts, from the HUDF, corresponding to  the redshift range 3.5 < z < 4.7 (Beckwith et al. 2006, AJ 132) . Object sizes are typically less than 0.5 arcsec and thus FRIDA spatial scales are ideal for their detailed spectroscopic study. Unfortunatly, these objects are difficult to observe with AO instruments due to the lack of a relatively bright star  next to it. Thus, we call the attention of the GTC community on the planning of current or future  surveys, we  encourage survey teams looking for possibilities to explore fields with a relatively bright star, V< 16, in it so that  potential targets for follow up 2D spectroscopy with FRIDA become possible.

Each image is 1.9 x 1.9 arcsec^2 (13 x 13 kpc at z ~ 4). The FoV of FRIDA at its highest angular resolution mode is about half of that. The sizes of these objects are typically < 0.5 arcsec, thus FRIDA spatial scales are ideal for the detailed spectroscopic study.

 

FRIDA and the nearest Universe

- FRIDA panoramic view:
  => Diffraction limit imaging in JHK on 40” x 40“ FoV


- FRIDA microscopic view:
 => 2D spec with 40-100 mas resolution and spectral resolution R= 75 km/s

FRIDA spatial resolutions allow us to study galaxies in the near Universe with unprecedented detail:

FWHM ~ 100 mas =>

~ 150 pc @  z=0.05

FWHM ~ 100 mas =>

~ 13 pc @ Virgo

=> galaxies across the Hubble sequence

FWHM ~  45 mas =>

~  0.7 pc @  M82

=> the nearest starburst

FWHM ~  45 mas =>

~  0.2 pc @  M31

=> the nearest spiral

A few examples of Adaptive Optics images of the central parsec of some of the nearest galaxies in the sky are shown in the figure bellow. These galaxies are part of the international program, PARSEC (Multiwavelength Investigation of the central PARSEC of galaxies) conducted with the VLT and Keck observatories. The objective of PARSEC is to uncover the central parsec of the brightest and nearest galaxies in the local Universe.

The panels show VLT NACO images of the central parsecs of nearby galaxies. The spatial resolution is ~ FWHM < 0.1 arcsec. The galaxy nucleus is resolved in two cases: Circinus, ~ 2 pc diameter at 2 µm (Prieto et al. 2004), and  NGC 1068, ~ 2 pc x 1 pc at 10 µm (Jaffe et 2004), and at 2 µm with Speckel interferometry (Weigelt et al. 2004). With Adaptive Optics, the size of the core of NGC 1068 is less than 4 pc FWHM (Prieto et al. 2010).

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Even closer: resolving stars in Andromeda

Andromeda, the nearest spiral galaxy to Earth, will be seen with FRIDA down to scales of 1/6 of pc at 2 µm. At these esolutions, it shall be possible to resolve stars down to the tip of the RGB and AGB stars, which in Andromeda are brigther than K<18 mag. Moreover, RGB stars span a wide range of ages, 106 to 109 yr, their detection across Andromeda shall make them suitable candles for:

=> tracing the different stellar population in the halo, disk, bulge, arms,  from which ages could be estimated and thus, clues on Andromeda history formation be derived.

=> tracing chemical enrichment across the galaxy.

=> kinematics of individual RGB stars => accurate determination of galaxy potential.

 

The figure shows the Spitzer view of Andromeda at 24 micron. The image reveals a spiral network of dust filaments across the disk. FRIDA will be able to see through this dust to explore the dynamic of multutud of proto star clusters forming behind this dust. FRIDA will attain a resolution 25 times superior than Spitzer, andd almost factor 2 superior than JWST. It will resolve Andromeda at a tenth of parsec in the J-band, and at a sixth of parsec in the K-band.

 

 

The figure shows a synthetic color-magnitude diagram (CMD) generated for a stellar population located at M31's distance (Marin-Franch, 2007). It can be seen that the tip of the RGB stars in Andromeda is brighter than K=18 and therefore these stars are easily accesible for FRIDA IFU spectroscopy.

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FRIDA in the Milky Way - sub parsec

- FRIDA panoramic view:
=> Diffraction limit imaging in JHK on 40” x 40“ FoV

- FRIDA microscopic view:

=> 2D spec with 45 mas resolution and spectral resolution down to R= 10 km /s

FRIDA  will allow us both, parsec-scale  studies of  a large number of galactic sources  (HII regions, HH objects, binaries, planetary nebulae, stellar disks …) but also accurate spectral diagnosis of many of these sources (stellar atmospheres, metalicities, ages) thanks to its very high  spectral resolution. The figure below illustrates the  case of ultra compact HII regions. These are very dusty regions where massive stars come to light. The new born stars  are embedded in their parental cloud and therefore the mechanisms by which star formation sparks can only be explored in the IR.

 

The left panel is an optical view of the compact HII region G61.48+0.09, the right panel shows the same region in the Infrared using the Adaptive Optics(AO) system ALPHA at the Calar Alto observatory. The IR -AO uncovers many hidden stars, among which the brightest, K=9 mag star, is thought to be the ionizing source of the HII region (Puga et al. 2004). FRIDA will provide similar images but with the add-on of a very  accurate spectral characterization of the sources with the IFU at resolutions of 10 km/s.


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