Engineering topics

Karachentsev, Igor D.

Publications and source records attributed to Karachentsev, Igor D..

9 records

DOE OSTI2021

Distance and Mass of the NGC 253 Galaxy Group

Two dwarf galaxies, WOC2017-07 and PGC 704814, located in the vicinity of the nearby luminous spiral galaxy NGC 253 were observed with the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope. Their distances of 3.62 ± 0.18 Mpc and 3.66 ± 0.18 Mpc were derived using the tip of the red giant branch method. These distances are consistent with the dwarf galaxies being members of the NGC 253 group. Based on the radial velocities and projected separations of seven assumed dwarf companions, we estimated the total mass of NGC 253 to be (8.1 ± 2.6)10{sup 11} M {sub ⊙}, giving a total-mass-to-K-luminosity ratio of M {sub orb}/L {sub K} = (8.5 ± 2.7)M {sub ⊙}/L {sub ⊙}. A notable property of NGC 253 is its declined rotation curve. NGC 253 joins four other luminous spiral galaxies in the Local Volume with declined rotation curves (NGC 2683, NGC 2903, NGC 3521, and NGC 5055) that together have the low average total-mass-to-luminosity ratio, M {sub orb}/L {sub K} = (5.5 ± 1.1)M {sub ⊙}/L {sub ⊙}. This value is only ∼1/5 of the corresponding ratio for the Milky Way and M31.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

DOE OSTI2017

THE LOCAL TULLY–FISHER RELATION FOR DWARF GALAXIES

We study different incarnations of the Tully–Fisher (TF) relation for the Local Volume (LV) galaxies taken from Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog. The UNGC sample contains 656 galaxies with W{sub 50} H i-line-width estimates, mostly belonging to low-mass dwarfs. Of them, 296 objects have distances measured with accuracies better than 10%. For the sample of 331 LV galaxies having baryonic masses logM{sub bar}>5.8log M{sub ⊙}, we obtain a relation logM{sub bar}=2.49logW{sub 50}+3.97 with an observed scatter of 0.38 dex. The largest factors affecting the scatter are observational errors in K-band magnitudes and W{sub 50} line widths for the tiny dwarfs, as well as uncertainty of their inclinations. We find that accounting for the surface brightness of the LV galaxies or their gas fraction, specific star-formation rate, or isolation index does not essentially reduce the observed scatter on the baryonic TF diagram. We also notice that a sample of 71 dSph satellites of the Milky Way and M31 with a known stellar velocity dispersion σ* tends to follow nearly the same bTF relation, having slightly lower masses than that of late-type dwarfs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2016

DISCOVERY OF AN ULTRA-DIFFUSE GALAXY IN THE PISCES-PERSEUS SUPERCLUSTER

We report the discovery of DGSAT I, an ultra-diffuse, quenched galaxy located 10.°4 in projection from the Andromeda galaxy (M31). This low-surface brightness galaxy (μ{sub V} = 24.8 mag arcsec{sup −2}), found with a small amateur telescope, appears unresolved in sub-arcsecond archival Subaru/Suprime-Cam images, and hence has been missed by optical surveys relying on resolved star counts, in spite of its relatively large effective radius (R{sub e}(V) = 12″) and proximity (15′) to the well-known dwarf spheroidal galaxy And II. Its red color (V − I = 1.0), shallow Sérsic index (n{sub V} = 0.68), and the absence of detectable Hα emission are typical properties of dwarf spheroidal galaxies and suggest that it is mainly composed of old stars. Initially interpreted as an interesting case of an isolated dwarf spheroidal galaxy in the local universe, our radial velocity measurement obtained with the BTA 6 m telescope (V{sub h} = 5450 ± 40 km s{sup −1}) shows that this system is an M31-background galaxy associated with the filament of the Pisces-Perseus supercluster. At the distance of this cluster (∼78 Mpc), DGSAT I would have an R{sub e} ∼ 4.7 kpc and M{sub V} ∼ −16.3. Its properties resemble those of the ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) recently discovered in the Coma cluster. DGSAT I is the first case of these rare UDGs found in this galaxy cluster. Unlike the UDGs associated with the Coma and Virgo clusters, DGSAT I is found in a much lower density environment, which provides a fresh constraint on the formation mechanisms for this intriguing class of galaxy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2015

PECULIAR VELOCITIES OF GALAXIES IN THE LEO SPUR

The Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys has been used to determine accurate distances for the spiral galaxy NGC 2683 and 12 other galaxies in a zone of the “local velocity anomaly” from luminosity measurements of the brightest red giant branch stars. These galaxies lie in the Leo Spur, the nearest filament beyond our Local Sheet. The new accurate distance measurements confirm that galaxies along the Leo Spur are more distant than expected from uniform cosmic expansion, and hence have large and peculiar velocities toward us. The motions are generally explained by a previously published model that posits that the Local Sheet is descending at 259 km s{sup −1} toward the south supergalactic pole due to expansion of the Local Void and is being attracted toward the Virgo Cluster at 185 km s{sup −1}. With the standard ΛCDM cosmology, an empty void expands at 16 km s{sup −1} Mpc{sup −1}, so a motion of 259 km s{sup −1} requires the Local Void to be impressively large and empty. Small residuals from the published model can be attributed to an upward push toward the north supergalactic pole by the expansion of the Gemini–Leo Void below the Leo Spur. The Leo Spur is sparsely populated, but among its constituents there are two associations that contain only dwarf galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2014

Orbital masses of nearby luminous galaxies

We use observational properties of galaxies accumulated in the Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog to derive a dark matter mass of luminous galaxies via motions of their companions. The data on orbital-to-stellar mass ratio are presented for 15 luminous galaxies situated within 11 Mpc from us: the Milky Way, M31, M81, NGC 5128, IC342, NGC 253, NGC 4736, NGC 5236, NGC 6946, M101, NGC 4258, NGC 4594, NGC 3115, NGC 3627, and NGC 3368, as well as for a composite suite around other nearby galaxies of moderate and low luminosity. The typical ratio for these galaxies is M {sub orb}/M {sub *} = 31, corresponding to the mean local density of matter Ω {sub m} = 0.09, i.e., one-third of the global cosmic density. This quantity seems to be rather an upper limit of dark matter density, since the peripheric population of the suites may suffer from the presence of fictitious unbound members. We note that the Milky Way and M31 halos have lower dimensions and lower stellar masses than those of the other 13 nearby luminous galaxies. However, the dark-to-stellar mass ratio for both the Milky Way and M31 is typical for other neighboring luminous galaxies. The distortion in the Hubble flow, observed around the Local Group and five other neighboring groups, yields their total masses within the radius of a zero velocity surface, R {sub 0}; these masses are slightly lower than the orbital and virial values. This difference may be due to the effect of dark energy producing a kind of 'mass defect' within R {sub 0}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2014

Infrared tip of the red giant branch and distances to the MAFFEI/IC 342 group

In this paper, we extend the use of the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) method to near-infrared wavelengths from the previously used I-band, using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Upon calibration of a color dependency of the TRGB magnitude, the IR TRGB yields a random uncertainty of ∼5% in relative distance. The IR TRGB methodology has an advantage over the previously used Advance Camera for Surveys F606W and F814W filter set for galaxies that suffer from severe extinction. Using the IR TRGB methodology, we obtain distances toward three principal galaxies in the Maffei/IC 342 complex, which are located at low Galactic latitudes. New distance estimates using the TRGB method are 3.45{sub −0.13}{sup +0.13} Mpc for IC 342, 3.37{sub −0.23}{sup +0.32} Mpc for Maffei 1, and 3.52{sub −0.30}{sup +0.32} Mpc for Maffei 2. The uncertainties are dominated by uncertain extinction, especially for Maffei 1 and Maffei 2. Our IR calibration demonstrates the viability of the TRGB methodology for observations with the James Webb Space Telescope.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2014

Infall of nearby galaxies into the Virgo cluster as traced with Hubble space telescope

We measured the tip of the red giant branch distances to nine galaxies in the direction to the Virgo cluster using the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope. These distances put seven galaxies (GR 34, UGC 7512, NGC 4517, IC 3583, NGC 4600, VCC 2037, and KDG 215) in front of Virgo and two galaxies (IC 3023 and KDG 177) likely inside the cluster. Distances and radial velocities of the galaxies situated between us and the Virgo core clearly exhibit the infall phenomenon toward the cluster. In the case of spherically symmetric radial infall, we estimate the radius of the 'zero-velocity surface' to be (7.2 ± 0.7) Mpc, which yields a total mass of the Virgo cluster of (8.0 ± 2.3) × 10{sup 14} M {sub ☉}, in good agreement with its virial mass estimates. We conclude that the Virgo outskirts do not contain significant amounts of dark matter beyond their virial radius.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2014

Suites of dwarfs around Nearby giant galaxies

The Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (UNGC) contains the most comprehensive summary of distances, radial velocities, and luminosities for 800 galaxies located within 11 Mpc from us. The high density of observables in the UNGC makes this sample indispensable for checking results of N-body simulations of cosmic structures on a ∼1 Mpc scale. The environment of each galaxy in the UNGC was characterized by a tidal index Θ{sub 1}, depending on the separation and mass of the galaxy's main disturber (MD). We grouped UNGC galaxies with a common MD in suites, and ranked suite members according to their Θ{sub 1}. All suite members with positive Θ{sub 1} are assumed to be physical companions of the MD. About 58% of the sample are members of physical groups. The distribution of suites by the number of members, n, follows a relation N(n) ∼ n {sup –2}. The 20 most populated suites contain 468 galaxies, i.e., 59% of the UNGC sample. The fraction of MDs among the brightest galaxies is almost 100% and drops to 50% at M{sub B} = –18{sup m}. We discuss various properties of MDs, as well as galaxies belonging to their suites. The suite abundance practically does not depend on the morphological type, linear diameter, or hydrogen mass of the MD, the tightest correlation being with the MD dynamical mass. Dwarf galaxies around MDs exhibit well-known segregation effects: the population of the outskirts has later morphological types, richer H I contents, and higher rates of star formation activity. Nevertheless, there are some intriguing cases where dwarf spheroidal galaxies occur at the far periphery of the suites, as well as some late-type dwarfs residing close to MDs. Comparing simulation results with galaxy groups, most studies assume the Local Group is fairly typical. However, we recognize that the nearby groups significantly differ from each other and there is considerable variation in their properties. The suites of companions around the Milky Way and M31, consisting of the Local Group, do not quite seem to be a typical nearby group. The multiplicity of nearby groups of the number of their physical members can be described by the Hirsh-like index h{sub g} = 9, indicating that the Local Volume contains nine groups with populations exceeding nine companions to their MDs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

COSMICFLOWS-2: THE DATA

Cosmicflows-2 is a compilation of distances and peculiar velocities for over 8000 galaxies. Numerically the largest contributions come from the luminosity-line width correlation for spirals, the Tully-Fisher relation (TFR), and the related fundamental plane relation for E/S0 systems, but over 1000 distances are contributed by methods that provide more accurate individual distances: Cepheid, tip of the red giant branch (TRGB), surface brightness fluctuation, Type Ia supernova, and several miscellaneous but accurate procedures. Our collaboration is making important contributions to two of these inputs: TRGB and TFR. A large body of new distance material is presented. In addition, an effort is made to ensure that all the contributions, both our own and those from the literature, are on the same scale. Overall, the distances are found to be compatible with a Hubble constant H {sub 0} = 74.4 ± 3.0 km s{sup –1} Mpc{sup –1}. The great interest going forward with this data set will be with velocity field studies. Cosmicflows-2 is characterized by a great density and high accuracy of distance measures locally, falling to sparse and coarse sampling extending to z = 0.1.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗