The Astrophysical Journal Letters (Jan 2023)
PHANGS–JWST First Results: Tracing the Diffuse Interstellar Medium with JWST Imaging of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Emission in Nearby Galaxies
- Karin M. Sandstrom,
- Eric W. Koch,
- Adam K. Leroy,
- Erik Rosolowsky,
- Eric Emsellem,
- Rowan J. Smith,
- Oleg V. Egorov,
- Thomas G. Williams,
- Kirsten L. Larson,
- Janice C. Lee,
- Eva Schinnerer,
- David A. Thilker,
- Ashley T. Barnes,
- Francesco Belfiore,
- F. Bigiel,
- Guillermo A. Blanc,
- Alberto D. Bolatto,
- Médéric Boquien,
- Yixian Cao,
- Jérémy Chastenet,
- Mélanie Chevance,
- I-Da Chiang,
- Daniel A. Dale,
- Christopher M. Faesi,
- Simon C. O. Glover,
- Kathryn Grasha,
- Brent Groves,
- Hamid Hassani,
- Jonathan D. Henshaw,
- Annie Hughes,
- Jaeyeon Kim,
- Ralf S. Klessen,
- Kathryn Kreckel,
- J. M. Diederik Kruijssen,
- Laura A. Lopez,
- Daizhong Liu,
- Sharon E. Meidt,
- Eric J. Murphy,
- Hsi-An Pan,
- Miguel Querejeta,
- Toshiki Saito,
- Amy Sardone,
- Mattia C. Sormani,
- Jessica Sutter,
- Antonio Usero,
- Elizabeth J. Watkins
Affiliations
- Karin M. Sandstrom
- ORCiD
- Center for Astrophysics & Space Sciences, Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, CA 92093, USA [email protected]
- Eric W. Koch
- ORCiD
- Center for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian , 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Adam K. Leroy
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, The Ohio State University , 140 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Erik Rosolowsky
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E1, Canada
- Eric Emsellem
- ORCiD
- European Southern Observatory , Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 2, D-85748 Garching, Germany; Univ Lyon, Univ Lyon1 , ENS de Lyon, CNRS, Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de Lyon UMR5574, F-69230 Saint-Genis-Laval, France
- Rowan J. Smith
- ORCiD
- Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester , Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
- Oleg V. Egorov
- ORCiD
- Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg , Mönchhofstraße 12-14, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Thomas G. Williams
- ORCiD
- Sub-department of Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford , Keble Road, Oxford, OX1 3RH, UK; Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie , Königstuhl 17, D-69117, Heidelberg, Germany
- Kirsten L. Larson
- ORCiD
- AURA for the European Space Agency (ESA), Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Janice C. Lee
- ORCiD
- Gemini Observatory/NSF's NOIRLab , 950 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Steward Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- Eva Schinnerer
- ORCiD
- Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie , Königstuhl 17, D-69117, Heidelberg, Germany
- David A. Thilker
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Ashley T. Barnes
- ORCiD
- Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Universität Bonn , Auf dem Hügel 71, D-53121, Bonn, Germany
- Francesco Belfiore
- ORCiD
- INAF—Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory , Largo E. Fermi 5, I-50125, Florence, Italy
- F. Bigiel
- ORCiD
- Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Universität Bonn , Auf dem Hügel 71, D-53121, Bonn, Germany
- Guillermo A. Blanc
- ORCiD
- The Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science , 813 Santa Barbara St., Pasadena 91101, CA, USA; Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile , Camino del Observatorio 1515, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
- Alberto D. Bolatto
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy and Joint Space-Science Institute, University of Maryland , College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Médéric Boquien
- ORCiD
- Centro de Astronomía (CITEVA), Universidad de Antofagasta , Avenida Angamos 601, Antofagasta, Chile
- Yixian Cao
- ORCiD
- Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik (MPE) , Giessenbachstr. 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- Jérémy Chastenet
- ORCiD
- Sterrenkundig Observatorium, Universiteit Gent , Krijgslaan 281 S9, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
- Mélanie Chevance
- ORCiD
- Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg , Albert-Ueberle-Strasse 2, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Cosmic Origins of Life (COOL) Research DAO, coolresearch.io
- I-Da Chiang
- ORCiD
- Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics , Academia Sinica, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Daniel A. Dale
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wyoming , Laramie, WY 82071, USA
- Christopher M. Faesi
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, University of Connecticut , 196A Auditorium Road, Unit 3046, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Simon C. O. Glover
- ORCiD
- Universität Heidelberg , Zentrum für Astronomie, Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik, Albert-Ueberle-Straße 2, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Kathryn Grasha
- ORCiD
- Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University , Canberra, ACT 2611, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions (ASTRO 3D) , Australia
- Brent Groves
- ORCiD
- International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, University of Western Australia , 7 Fairway, Crawley, 6009 WA, Australia
- Hamid Hassani
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E1, Canada
- Jonathan D. Henshaw
- ORCiD
- Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie , Königstuhl 17, D-69117, Heidelberg, Germany; Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University , 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK
- Annie Hughes
- ORCiD
- IRAP, Université de Toulouse , CNRS, CNES, UPS, (Toulouse), France
- Jaeyeon Kim
- ORCiD
- Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg , Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik, Albert-Ueberle-Str. 2, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Ralf S. Klessen
- ORCiD
- Universität Heidelberg , Zentrum für Astronomie, Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik, Albert-Ueberle-Straße 2, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Universität Heidelberg , Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Wissenschaftliches Rechnen, Im Neuenheimer Feld 205, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Kathryn Kreckel
- ORCiD
- Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg , Mönchhofstraße 12-14, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- J. M. Diederik Kruijssen
- ORCiD
- Cosmic Origins of Life (COOL) Research DAO, coolresearch.io
- Laura A. Lopez
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, The Ohio State University , 140 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Center for Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics , 191 West Woodruff Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Flatiron Institute , Center for Computational Astrophysics, NY 10010, USA
- Daizhong Liu
- ORCiD
- Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik (MPE) , Giessenbachstr. 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
- Sharon E. Meidt
- ORCiD
- Sterrenkundig Observatorium, Universiteit Gent , Krijgslaan 281 S9, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
- Eric J. Murphy
- ORCiD
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory , 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
- Hsi-An Pan
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Tamkang University , No.151, Yingzhuan Road, Tamsui District, New Taipei City 251301, Taiwan
- Miguel Querejeta
- ORCiD
- Observatorio Astronómico Nacional (IGN) , C/Alfonso XII, 3, E-28014 Madrid, Spain
- Toshiki Saito
- ORCiD
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan , 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8588, Japan
- Amy Sardone
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, The Ohio State University , 140 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Center for Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics , 191 West Woodruff Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Mattia C. Sormani
- ORCiD
- Universität Heidelberg , Zentrum für Astronomie, Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik, Albert-Ueberle-Str 2, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Jessica Sutter
- ORCiD
- Center for Astrophysics & Space Sciences, Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, CA 92093, USA [email protected]
- Antonio Usero
- ORCiD
- Observatorio Astronómico Nacional (IGN) , C/Alfonso XII, 3, E-28014 Madrid, Spain
- Elizabeth J. Watkins
- ORCiD
- Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg , Mönchhofstraße 12-14, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aca972
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 944,
no. 2
p. L8
Abstract
JWST observations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission provide some of the deepest and highest resolution views of the cold interstellar medium (ISM) in nearby galaxies. If PAHs are well mixed with the atomic and molecular gas and illuminated by the average diffuse interstellar radiation field, PAH emission may provide an approximately linear, high-resolution, high-sensitivity tracer of diffuse gas surface density. We present a pilot study that explores using PAH emission in this way based on Mid-Infrared Instrument observations of IC 5332, NGC 628, NGC 1365, and NGC 7496 from the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS-JWST Treasury. Using scaling relationships calibrated in Leroy et al., scaled F1130W provides 10–40 pc resolution and 3 σ sensitivity of Σ _gas ∼ 2 M _⊙ pc ^−2 . We characterize the surface densities of structures seen at <7 M _⊙ pc ^−2 in our targets, where we expect the gas to be H i -dominated. We highlight the existence of filaments, interarm emission, and holes in the diffuse ISM at these low surface densities. Below ∼10 M _⊙ pc ^−2 for NGC 628, NGC 1365, and NGC 7496 the gas distribution shows a “Swiss cheese”-like topology due to holes and bubbles pervading the relatively smooth distribution of the diffuse ISM. Comparing to recent galaxy simulations, we observe similar topology for the low-surface-density gas, though with notable variations between simulations with different setups and resolution. Such a comparison of high-resolution, low-surface-density gas with simulations is not possible with existing atomic and molecular gas maps, highlighting the unique power of JWST maps of PAH emission.
Keywords
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- Interstellar atomic gas
- Interstellar medium
- Astronomical simulations
