CIGALE: a python Code Investigating GALaxy Emission
read the original abstract
Context. Measuring how the physical properties of galaxies change across cosmic times is essential to understand galaxy formation and evolution. With the advent of numerous ground-based and space-borne instruments launched over the past few decades we now have exquisite multi-wavelength observations of galaxies from the FUV to the radio domain. To tap into this mine of data and obtain new insight into the formation and evolution of galaxies, it is essential that we are able to extract information from their SED. Aims. We present a completely new implementation of CIGALE. Written in python, its main aims are to easily and efficiently model the FUV to radio spectrum of galaxies and estimate their physical properties such as star formation rate, attenuation, dust luminosity, stellar mass, and many other physical quantities. Methods. To compute the spectral models, CIGALE builds composite stellar populations from simple stellar populations combined with highly flexible star formation histories, calculates the emission from gas ionised by massive stars, and attenuates both the stars and the ionised gas with a highly flexible attenuation curve. Based on an energy balance principle, the absorbed energy is then re-emitted by the dust in the mid- and far-infrared domains while thermal and non-thermal components are also included, extending the spectrum far into the radio range. A large grid of models is then fitted to the data and the physical properties are estimated through the analysis of the likelihood distribution. Results. CIGALE is a versatile and easy-to-use tool that makes full use of the architecture of multi-core computers, building grids of millions of models and analysing samples of thousands of galaxies, both at high speed. Beyond fitting the SEDs of galaxies and parameter estimations, it can also be used as a model-generation tool or serve as a library to build new applications.
This paper has not been read by Pith yet.
Forward citations
Cited by 60 Pith papers
-
A massive barred spiral galaxy at z = 5.102 discovered by JWST
Discovery and characterization of the highest-redshift barred spiral galaxy candidate at z=5.102, with bar length ~4.5 kpc, stellar mass 10^10.45 solar masses, SFR 144 solar masses per year, and evidence for AGN and i...
-
Stellar winds of O-type stars traced by high ionization fine-structure emission lines with JWST/MIRI
JWST/MIRI detects [Ne V] 14.3 micron emission from O-star winds in 5 of 22 observed stars, enabling wind speed and mass-loss rate estimates even in weak-wind regimes.
-
MEGA and SMILES Find Fewer Dusty Galaxies than Expected at Cosmic Noon
JWST MIRI observations of 634 galaxies at 0.2<z<2 yield IR luminosity functions with faint-end slope α≈0.147, implying lower dust-obscured SFRD than previous ALMA/Herschel/Spitzer studies.
-
Multiphase images of a powerful supernova-driven wind in the early Universe
Resolved multiphase observations reveal a supernova-driven wind in a z=5.3 galaxy removing gas at twice the star-formation rate, potentially quenching it within 100 Myr and matching local superwind properties.
-
NOEMA$^\rm{3D}$: A deep view of cold gas flows in a barred spiral galaxy at $z\sim1$
Deep interferometric observations of a z≈1.12 barred spiral reveal bar-driven molecular inflows at a rate matching the galaxy's star formation rate of ~36 M⊙/yr.
-
Discovery of a Featureless Tidal Disruption Event at z~1 with the Wide Field Survey Telescope
Discovery of the highest-redshift non-jetted TDE at z=1.037 with constant ~19,000 K blackbody temperature and peak luminosity ~8e44 erg/s.
-
Discovery of a Featureless Tidal Disruption Event at z~1 with the Wide Field Survey Telescope
Discovery of the highest-redshift non-jetted tidal disruption event at z=1.037 showing a featureless blue continuum, constant ~19,000 K temperature, and peak luminosity ~8e44 erg/s.
-
SDSS-V: Revealing a weak accretion state in X-ray selected red quasars
Red quasars are intrinsically X-ray weak with low alpha_OX values, tracing a distinct evolutionary stage of suppressed black hole accretion relative to stellar mass growth.
-
Peering down the barrel with DESI DR2: 10 000+ inflows at $z$ < 0.6 reveal how galaxies accrete cold gas
A large DESI sample reveals thousands of infalling cold gas absorbers at low redshift, with velocity distributions indicating multiple accretion pathways including radial inflows and satellite accretion.
-
A systematic evaluation of vision-language models for observational astronomical reasoning tasks
Vision-language models underperform specialized astronomical methods on real observational data, with accuracy improving when physical explanations are provided in prompts and when raw numerical measurements replace r...
-
Discovery of a $z\simeq 4.9$ Lyman-$\alpha$ Emitter Protocluster: Wavelength-Dependent Environmental Effects on Galaxy Structure
A z=4.9 LAE protocluster exhibits 40% larger rest-optical sizes than field LAEs with no UV difference, indicating wavelength-dependent environmental influences on galaxy structure.
-
Dust in the Average Galaxy: Attenuation, Emission, and Opacity from 0<z<7
UV/optical attenuation underpredicts IR luminosity by 3-10x across 0<z<7 while κ_UV/κ_FIR falls by over an order of magnitude, pointing to evolving dust grain properties in average galaxies.
-
The Edge-on Galaxies in the DESI survey (EGIDE): sample building and photometry
The EGIDE project releases a tenfold larger catalogue of edge-on galaxies with griz photometry, stellar masses, redshifts and star formation rates, finding that red-sequence galaxies are thicker than blue-cloud ones a...
-
Stellar Population Spectra Incorporating Detailed Binary Evolution using POSYDON
New spectral models of solar-metallicity stellar populations using POSYDON show binary-stripped stars dominating ionizing radiation after about 16 Myr.
-
Beyond the Fundamental Metallicity Relation: galaxy sizes encode the link between inflow and metallicity
Galaxy size at fixed stellar mass encodes the link between long-term gas inflow histories, current inner gas reservoirs, and metallicity via differences in assembly timing.
-
A Disappearing Act: Constraints From "Missing" Flares of Repeating Partial TDE Candidates
Non-detections of expected third flares in TDE 2022dbl and TDE 2020vdq support rpTDE interpretation over independent events, with modeling favoring bound main-sequence star orbits and deep initial encounters.
-
A New Record Census of Dwarf AGN and a Bimodal $M_{\rm BH}$-$M_{\star}$ Scaling Relation with DESI DR1
DESI DR1 yields 314k high-mass and 9.6k dwarf AGN, extending the M_BH-M_star relation to log M_star ~7.8 and suggesting two evolutionary pathways for galaxies and black holes.
-
Spider-Webb: enhanced star formation in low-mass galaxies within the Spiderweb protocluster revealed by JWST Pa$\beta$ narrow-band imaging
Low-mass Paβ emitters in the Spiderweb protocluster show enhanced star formation rates compared to field galaxies, with no significant deviation at higher masses.
-
From DES to KiDS: Domain adaptation for cross-survey detection of low-surface-brightness galaxies
Domain adaptation with an ensemble of CNN and transformer models trained on DES detects 20,180 LSBGs and 434 UDGs in KiDS DR5, with structural parameters and environmental trends consistent with known samples.
-
Stardust Galaxies at z>9: A Dust-Origin Transition Behind the Excess of UV-Bright Galaxies
A transition to low-opacity SNe-produced dust at z>9 reproduces the observed low attenuation and UV luminosity function excess in early galaxies.
-
The slope of the power spectrum of the density field in isothermal supersonic compressible turbulence
A model based on Chandrasekhar's 1951 time-invariant quantity quantitatively explains the Mach-number dependence of the density power spectrum slope in isothermal supersonic turbulence and demonstrates that the slope ...
-
The slope of the power spectrum of the density field in isothermal supersonic compressible turbulence
A model based on Chandrasekhar's time-invariant quantity quantitatively explains the slope of the density power spectrum as a function of Mach number in supersonic turbulence and reproduces simulation and ISM data.
-
Optical Variability Structure Function of Low-Luminosity AGN using ATLAS Lightcurves
Low-luminosity AGN exhibit optical variability structure function slopes that increase with black hole mass from ~0.1 to ~0.3, with amplitude anticorrelated with luminosity, no breaks observed, and variability continu...
-
Optical Variability Structure Function of Low-Luminosity AGN using ATLAS Lightcurves
Low-luminosity AGN exhibit structure function slopes rising from 0.1 to 0.3 with black hole mass, no breaks on decadal scales, amplitude anticorrelated with luminosity and positively correlated with mass.
-
Are Nucleosynthetic Yields Universal? Interpreting the Multi-Elemental Abundances of Quiescent Galaxies over Cosmic Time Using Milky Way Stars
Milky Way abundance trends act as effective empirical proxies for nucleosynthetic yields, recovering alpha and Fe-peak abundances in quiescent galaxies with 0.05 dex median offset versus 0.23 dex for theory, indicatin...
-
Peering down the barrel with DESI DR2: 10 000+ inflows at $z$ < 0.6 reveal how galaxies accrete cold gas
DESI DR2 identifies 50,088 galaxies with moderate and 27,420 with strong evidence for down-the-barrel NaI D absorption revealing inflows at ~20 km/s and multiple accretion pathways at z < 0.6.
-
Using Ly$\alpha$ Transmitted Spectrum to Probe IGM Transmission and Identify Ionized Structures in Cosmic Reionization
JWST spectra of galaxies reveal a ~110 cMpc ionized bubble at z~6 with IGM transmission 0.17, an order of magnitude above average, linked to a galaxy overdensity.
-
Constraining the nature of active galactic nuclei through circumgalactic Lya emission at z=2-3
Lya nebulae around unobscured quasars are more extended, asymmetric, and show steeper velocity dispersion declines than those around obscured quasars, supporting an evolutionary AGN model at cosmic noon.
-
Winding Back the Clock: Recent Star Formation Histories of Massive Quiescent Galaxies Are Consistent With Their Rapid Number Density Evolution Since $\mathbf{z\sim7}$
Star formation histories inferred for z=2-5 massive quiescent galaxies imply past number densities that align with observed rapid evolution since z~7.
-
The emerging timescale of young star clusters regulated by cluster stellar mass
Massive young star clusters clear their natal gas faster than lower-mass clusters, based on HST and JWST imaging of four galaxies.
-
COSMOS-Web: does halo mass alone shape the clustering of star-forming and quiescent galaxies?
Quiescent galaxies cluster more strongly than star-forming ones by 0.5-1 dex after halo-mass matching, with one-halo conformity up to z~2 that disappears at higher redshifts.
-
DESI as sparse Integral Field Spectrograph I: Spatially resolved chemical enrichment in star-forming galaxies at $z\leq0.1$
DESI spectra yield radial metallicity gradients in 2291 low-z star-forming galaxies that decline steeply in massive systems, flatten at large radii across all masses, and correlate with size and outer stellar age.
-
Spatially Resolved Nebular-Stellar Reddening with JWST/NIRISS
JWST observations of high-redshift galaxies show no evolution in dust geometry to z~2.4 and yield an empirical calibration linking resolved differential reddening to SFR surface density.
-
X-ray luminosity function of Compton-thick AGN in the early Universe (z > 3). Robustness and biases of the CTK population
After applying IR-informed priors to X-ray NH posteriors in a sample of 811 high-z AGN, CTK sources comprise 17% of the population at 3<z<6 with no significant evolution.
-
Cooler Phases of the Circumgalactic Medium Are More Centrally Concentrated: Constraints from Multiphase Absorption Lines
Multiphase CGM absorption in DESI data shows cooler ions (Ca II, Mg II) have steeper radial W profiles than C IV, with galaxy vs. quasar differences, consistent with simulations.
-
Cooler Phases of the Circumgalactic Medium Are More Centrally Concentrated: Constraints from Multiphase Absorption Lines
Cooler CGM phases traced by Ca II and Mg II exhibit steeper radial equivalent width profiles than the warmer C IV phase, with host-type differences and stellar-mass dependence.
-
An Obscured Tidal Disruption Event Uncovered by Its Mid- and Near-Infrared Dust Echo in a Star-Forming Galaxy
An obscured tidal disruption event in SDSS J010320.39+140152.5 was identified through its mid- and near-infrared dust echo peaking at 5.4e43 Lsun.
-
ODIN: Rest-frame Optical Morphologies and Star Formation Activity of Ly{\alpha} Emitters at z=2.4, 3.1, and 4.5
LAEs at z=2.4-4.5 are smaller and more starbursting than typical SFGs, with Lyα strength correlating negatively with size and positively with Sersic index and recent SFR ratio.
-
Difference Between Half-mass Radius and Half-light Radius of Galaxies at 0.2 $< z <$ 2.5 Revealed by JWST/NIRCam Data
JWST data shows half-light radii larger than half-mass radii in galaxies at 0.2<z<2.5, with mass-dependent differences, steeper size-mass slopes for light, and faster mass-size growth for star-forming galaxies at high...
-
The ${}^{13}\mathrm{CO}(2{-}1)/^{12}\mathrm{CO}(2{-}1)$ Line Ratio from 100 Molecular Clouds in the Large Magellanic Cloud
Observational study of 100 LMC GMCs finds median 13CO(2-1)/12CO(2-1) line ratio of 0.078, nearly linear with luminosity, and higher in clouds hosting IR-bright young stellar objects.
-
Early Emergence of Environmental Effects: Accelerated Galaxy Assembly in a z=2.96 Protocluster in the COSMOS Field
A z=2.96 protocluster in COSMOS shows +0.2 dex higher stellar masses, mild SFR enhancement in low-mass galaxies, and no rise in quiescent fraction compared to the field.
-
Stardust Galaxies at z>9: A Dust-Origin Transition Behind the Excess of UV-Bright Galaxies
A transition to low-opacity supernova-produced dust at z>9 reduces effective UV attenuation in gas-rich galaxies and reproduces the observed UV luminosity function and A_FUV-M_star relation.
-
Compact, AGN-hosting Dwarf Galaxies with "Little Red Dots"-like SEDs in the Local Universe
Local compact AGN-hosting dwarf galaxies with V-shaped SEDs are more evolved than high-redshift Little Red Dots, indicating distinct formation pathways.
-
The galaxy-halo connection and the dynamical evolution of a giant disc in a massive node of the Cosmic Web at z~3
The Big Wheel at z~3 has a stellar-to-halo mass ratio of 0.06, higher than expected, implying efficient stellar assembly without major mergers or instabilities.
-
A Search for Rotation Measure Flare Candidates in Repeating Fast Radio Bursts
A search of repeating FRBs identifies RM flare candidates in FRB 20121102A, FRB 20201124A, and FRB 20180916B, suggesting such events may be common and tied to dynamic magneto-ionic environments.
-
The Evolution of the SFR-M_* relation at 0.1<z<4: Environmental and Morphological Dependencies
The SFR-M_* relation develops a high-mass decline at low redshifts, driven mainly by morphological quenching from internal structure rather than environmental effects on star-forming galaxies.
-
Unraveling Chemical Enrichment in Extreme Emission-Line Galaxies: A Multi-Element Bayesian View of Bursty Star Formation and Galaxy Evolution in DESI
Multi-element Bayesian modeling of 23 EELGs reveals short depletion timescales and large mass-loading factors in a burst-driven regime, with abundance ratios isolating star-formation efficiency, outflows, and inflows.
-
GOALS-JWST: Resolved multi-phase molecular gas in IRAS 20551-4250 using JWST and ALMA
Multi-phase molecular gas in IRAS20551-4250 is dominated by cold CO, shows UV-heated warm H2, tidal features from a merger, and no molecular outflows, consistent with ongoing star formation.
-
JWST's PEARLS: A clumpy ring galaxy at $z = 4.0148$
A z=4.0148 galaxy shows clumpy ring morphology consistent with either a collisional ring or strong lensing by a foreground galaxy at z~1.7.
-
The NIRISS PASSAGE Spectroscopic Redshift Catalog in COSMOS
PASSAGE releases 2183 spectroscopic redshifts (0.08<z<4.7) from JWST NIRISS observations in COSMOS, with strong agreement to photometric redshifts for multi-line sources and a quantified ~18% misidentification rate fo...
-
Stellar feedback drives the baryon deficiency in low-mass galaxies
Stacking DESI spectra reveals star-formation-driven Mg II outflows from low-mass galaxies that escape dark matter halos, providing indirect evidence that stellar feedback causes baryon deficiency.
-
Transition from Outside-in to Inside-Out at $z\sim 2$: Evidence from Radial Profiles of Specific Star Formation Rate based on JWST/HST
Star-forming galaxies show a transition from negative to positive sSFR radial gradients around z~2, implying a change from outside-in to inside-out growth.
-
Weak-Lensing Analysis of the Galaxy Cluster Abell 85: Constraints on the Merger Scenarios of Its Southern Subcluster
Weak-lensing analysis of Abell 85 resolves three substructures and finds a ~2:1 mass ratio between the main cluster and southern subcluster, indicating a major ongoing merger.
-
Caught in the act: interaction-driven evolution in the nearby compact galaxy group Roberts Quartet (SCG0018-4854)
Multiwavelength study of Roberts Quartet finds it is a dynamically young compact group with ongoing interactions driving galaxy evolution on timescales of <=500 Myr.
-
A simulation-based analytic model of radio galaxies II: self-consistent radiative losses
Including radiative losses in analytic models of high-redshift radio galaxies reduces predicted radio and X-ray luminosities compared to models that neglect them.
-
The Lockman-SpReSO Project: A Deep X-ray Spectral View of a FIR-selected AGN Population
X-ray analysis of 94 FIR-selected AGNs at z=0.07-5 shows rising obscured fraction with redshift, soft excess in 10 sources, and a luminosity-dependent covering factor correlation supporting the receding torus model.
-
Probing the Nature of Lyman Continuum Emitting and Low-metallicity Galaxies Using the SKA
SKA-Mid is predicted to yield samples of 10-100 low-metallicity Lyman continuum emitting galaxies per square degree, enabling multi-wavelength studies of feedback processes linked to ionizing photon escape.
-
PEARLS: JWST Counterparts of Micro-Jy Radio Sources in the NEP Time Domain Field. II. All Four Spokes
JWST finds infrared counterparts for nearly all micro-Jy radio sources, with star formation explaining the radio output in roughly 79% of cases after accounting for non-linear luminosity relations.
-
COOL-LAMPS IX: A Rare Duo of Quasars Each Lensed by a Single Massive Galaxy Cluster
A single galaxy cluster lenses two quasars (one Type I at z=1.524, one dust-obscured Type II at z=1.939) into four images each, yielding a projected mass of ~3.3e14 solar masses within 500 kpc and time delays of hundr...
-
Investigating the Effects of Bars on Star Formation and Nuclear Activity of Galaxies Using DESI Survey Data
Strong bars correlate with massive red galaxies, boost central star formation in low-mass systems while quenching it in high-mass ones, and increase AGN incidence, supporting bar-driven gas inflow.
discussion (0)
Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.