SEARCH · Engineering Papers
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As part of both the Early Release Observations fromthe Hubble Space Telescope and the Key PRoject on the Extragalctic Distance Scale, we have obtained multi-wavelength BVR WFPC2 images for the face-on Virgo cluster spiral galaxy M11 = NGC 4321.
ABSTRACT We investigate the 3D spin alignment of galaxies with respect to the large-scale filaments using the MaNGA survey. The cosmic web is reconstructed from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey using disperse and the 3D spins of MaNGA galaxies are estimated using the thin disc approximation with integral field spectroscopy kinematics. Late-type spiral galaxies are found to have their spins parallel to the closest filament’s axis. The alignment signal is found to be dominated by low-mass spirals. Spins of S0-type galaxies tend to be oriented preferentially in perpendicular direction with respect to the filament’s axis. This orthogonal orientation is found to be dominated by S0s that show a notable misalignment between their kinematic components of stellar and ionized gas velocity fields and/or by low-mass S0s with lower rotation support compared to their high-mass counterparts. Qualitatively similar results are obtained when splitting galaxies based on the degree of ordered stellar rotation, such that galaxies with high spin magnitude have their spin aligned, and those with low spin magnitude in perpendicular direction to the filaments. In the context of conditional tidal torque theory, these findings suggest that galaxies’ spins retain memory of their larger scale environment. In agreement with measurements from hydrodynamical cosmological simulations, the measured signal at low redshift is weak, yet statistically significant. The dependence of the spin-filament orientation of galaxies on their stellar mass, morphology, and kinematics highlights the importance of sample selection to detect the signal.
We study spatially resolved properties (on spatial scales of ~1–2 kpc out to at least 3 effective radii) of the stars, dust, and gas in 10 nearby spiral galaxies. The properties of the stellar population and dust are derived by fitting the spatially resolved spectral energy distribution (SED) with more than 20 photometric bands ranging from far-ultraviolet to far-infrared. Our newly developed software piXedfit performs point-spread function matching of images, pixel binning, and models the stellar light, dust attenuation, dust emission, and emission from a dusty torus heated by an active galactic nucleus simultaneously through the energy-balance approach. With this self-consistent analysis, we present the spatially resolved version of the IRX–βrelation, finding that it is consistent with the relationship from the integrated photometry. We show that the old stellar populations contribute to the dust heating, which causes an overestimation of the star formation rate (SFR) derived from the total ultraviolet and infrared luminosities on kiloparsec scales. With archival high-resolution maps of atomic and molecular gas, we study the radial variation of the properties of the stellar populations (including stellar mass, age, metallicity, and SFR), dust (including dust mass, dust temperature, and abundance of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon), and gas, as well as dust-to-stellar mass and dust-to-gas mass ratios. We observe a depletion of the molecular gas mass fraction in the central region of the majority of the galaxies, suggesting that the lack of available fuel is an important factor in suppressing the specific SFR at the center.
Noncircular motions of ionized gas in M51 and NGC 5195 spiral galaxies, using spectrography
The second data release of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) observed by the Zwicky Transient Facility has provided a homogeneous sample of 3628 SNe Ia with photometric and spectral information. This unprecedented sample size enables us to better explore our currently tentative understanding of the dependence of the host environment on SN Ia properties. In this paper, we make use of two-dimensional image decomposition to model the host galaxies of SNe Ia. We model elliptical galaxies as well as disc and spiral galaxies with or without central bulges and bars. This allows for the categorisation of SN Ia based on their morphological host environment, as well as the extraction of intrinsic galaxy properties corrected for both cosmological and atmospheric effects, through point-spread-function (PSF) convolution. We find that although this image decomposition technique leads to a significant bias towards elliptical galaxies in our final sample of processed galaxies, the overall results are still robust. By successfully modelling 728 host galaxies, we find that the photometric properties of SNe Ia found in discs and in elliptical galaxies correlate fundamentally differently with their host environment. We identified strong linear relations between light-curve stretch and our model-derived galaxy colour for both the elliptical (16.8σ) and disc (5.1σ) subpopulations of SNe Ia. Lower-stretch SNe Ia are found in redder environments, which we identify as an age and/or metallicity effect. Within the subpopulation of SNe Ia found in disc-containing galaxies, we find a significant linear trend (6.1σ) between light-curve stretch and model-derived local r-band surface brightness, which we link to the age and metallicity gradients found in disc galaxies. SN Ia colour shows little correlation with the host environment, as is seen in the literature. We do identify a possible dust effect in our model-derived surface brightness (3.3σ) for SNe Ia in disc galaxies.
We report the results of the deepest search to date for dwarf galaxies around NGC 3109, a barred spiral galaxy with a mass similar to that of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), using a semiautomated search method. Using the Dark Energy Camera, we survey a region covering a projected distance of ∼70 kpc of NGC 3109 (D = 1.3 Mpc, R vir ∼ 90 kpc, M ∼ 10 8 M*) as part of the MADCASH and DELVE-DEEP programs. We introduce a newly developed semiresolved search method, used alongside a resolved search, to identify crowded dwarf galaxies around NGC 3109. Using both approaches, we successfully recover the known satellites Antlia and Antlia B. We identified a promising candidate, which was later confirmed to be a background dwarf through deep follow-up observations. Our detection limits are well defined, with the sample ∼80% complete down to M V ∼ −8.0, and include detections of dwarf galaxies as faint as M V ∼ −6.0. This is the first comprehensive study of a satellite system through resolved stars around an SMC mass host. Our results show that NGC 3109 has more bright (M V ∼ −9.0) satellites than the mean predictions from cold dark matter models, but well within the host-to-host scatter. A larger sample of LMC/SMC-mass hosts is needed to test whether or not the observations are consistent with current model expectations.
Spectra determination of spiral galaxy NGC 6181 which contains ionized gas
The galaxy M100 = NGC 4321 is a spiral galaxy in which a bright Type II Supernova was discovered on April 19, 1979. Its spectral evolution was followed with IUE for more than two months (refs. 1,2). At all epochs, the spectrum was dominated by continuous radiation on which emission and absorption features were superimposed. The equivalent width of most of the absorption features appeared not to vary with time suggesting that they originated in the interstellar media of M100 and our own galaxy.
An image modeling program is used to analyze optical imaging data for a sample of radio-loud quasars with redshifts between 0.2 and 0.7. It is found that the host galaxies of these quasars tend to be more compact than normal ellipticals. The cooling flow cluster elliptical galaxies near these host galaxies are studied. It is suggested that these cooling flow galaxies are also compact due to star formation in their central regions. Two populations of quasars are identified. One, in which activity is triggered by galaxy mergers of interactions has predominately spiral galaxies and are radio quiet. The other, in which activity is triggered by star formation bursts induced by cooling flows, has predominately elliptical hosts and may be radio loud.
NGC 253 is a prototypical moderate nuclear starburst galaxy. It is a barred SBc spiral galaxy at a distance of approximately 3 Mpc and can be studied on scales down to 15 pc in the optical and near IR. It is a bright IRAS source with a flux of 1000 Jy at 60 microns and a FIR luminosity of 3 x 10(exp 10) solar luminosity. It has a strong Br(gamma) emission line, a signature of ongoing massive star formation and deep CO absorption bands, which are indicative of the dominance of red supergiants in the near IR. It contains a population of compact radio sources, similar to those seen in M82. Optical spectra show that the nucleus is heavily reddened, with a Balmer decrement of approximately 30. NGC 253 possesses a 'superwind,' seen both in x-ray emission and in optical line emission. Nuclear ejection was first suggested to explain the kinematics of the nuclear region. We have obtained J, H, and K images of the entire galaxy at 1.3 arcsec/pixel (18 pc/pixel) using the superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) on the KPNO 1.3 m. We have constructed a mosaic of 180 s exposures which traces the galaxy over much of its optical extent. The data were shifted, rotated, magnified, and calibrated following normal practice.
Emission-line velocity widths have been determined for 17 faint (B approximately 20-23) very blue, compact galaxies whose redshifts range from z = 0.095 to 0.66. The spectra have a resolution of 8 Km/s and were taken with the HIRES echelle spectrograph of the Keck 10 m telescope. The galaxies are luminous with all but two within 1 mag of M(sub B) approximately -21. Yet they exhibit narrow velocity widths between sigma = 28-157 km/s, more consistent with typical values of extreme star-forming galaxies than with those of nearby spiral galaxies of similar luminosity. In particular, objects with sigma is less than or equal to 65 km/s follow the same correlations between sigma and both blue and H beta luminosities as those of nearby H II galaxies. These results strengthen the identification of H II glaxies as thier local counterparts. The blue colors and strong emission lines suggest these compact galaxies are undergoing a recent, strong burst of star formation. Like those which characterize some H II galaxies, this burst could be a nuclear star-forming event within a much larger, older stellar population. If the burst is instead a major episode in the total star-forming history, these distant galaxies could fade enough to match the low luminosities and surface brightnesses typical of nearby spheroidals like NGC 185 or NGC 205. Together with evidence for recent star formation, exponential light profiles, and subsolar metallicities, the postfading correlations between luminosity and velocity width and bewtween luminosity and surface brightness suggest that among the low-sigma galaxies, we may be witnessing, in situ, the progenitors of today's spheroidal galaxies.
The relationship between the IR and radio luminosity in early-type galaxies is examined using the correlation among spiral galaxies as a diagnostic of the presence of star formation. For ellipticals, the presence of long-wavelength IR emission enhances the probability that the galaxy is a radio source and is also correlated with the strength of that source. These findings are consistent with the idea that active radio nuclei are due to black holes being fueled by accretion of gas. The majority of S0s detected in both radio and far-IR have a similar ratio of IR to radio luminosity as has been found in spirals, and which is considered to be indicative of recent star formation. Sensitive radio limits for several galaxies reveal another substantial population of S0s with moderately strong IR emission unaccompanied by radio power.
A true distance modulus to the nearby spiral galaxy M33 has been determined based on CCD photometry obtained at BVRI wavelengths. M33 is presently one of five nearby galaxies used in the calibration of the IR Tully-Fisher relation, and thereby in the determination of the Hubble constant. Using period-luminosity relations at several wavelengths offers the advantage that the distance moduli derived can be corrected for the effects of interstellar extinction. These data indicate that there is internal reddening affecting the Cepheid photometry in M33 which must be accounted for if a true distance modulus is to be obtained for this galaxy. Adopting a true distance modulus to the LMC of 18.5 mag, the new CCD data yield a true distance to M33 of 24.64 + or - 0.09 mag, corresponding to a linear distance of 840 kpc. A mean value of the total color excess (foreground and internal) for the Cepheids in M33 is estimated to be E(B - V) = 0.10 + or - 0.09 mag, assuming a value for the total mean LMC Cepheid color excess of 0.10 mag.
Spectroscopic determination of rotation, mass and velocity field of NGC 7331, Sb spiral galaxy
We have used spectroscopy and high resolution imaging to study the disk-halo interaction in the edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 891, which is known to have extraplanar gas.
The recent availability of high-resolution far-infrared (FIR) polarization observations of galaxies using HAWC+/SOFIA has facilitated studies of extragalactic magnetic fields in the cold and dense molecular disks. We investigate whether any significant structural differences are detectable in the kiloparsec-scale magnetic field of the grand design face-on spiral galaxy M51 when traced within the diffuse (radio) and the dense and cold (FIR) interstellar medium (ISM). Our analysis reveals a complex scenario where radio and FIR polarization observations do not necessarily trace the same magnetic field structure. We find that the magnetic field in the arms is wrapped tighter at 154 μm than at 3 and 6 cm; statistically significant lower values for the magnetic pitch angle are measured at FIR in the outskirts (R ≥ 7 kpc) of the galaxy. This difference is not detected in the interarm region. We find strong correlations of the polarization fraction and total intensity at FIR and radio with the gas column density and 12CO(1–0) velocity dispersion. We conclude that the arms show a relative increase of small-scale turbulent B-fields at regions with increasing column density and dispersion velocities of the molecular gas. No correlations are found with H i neutral gas. The star formation rate shows a clear correlation with the radio polarized intensity, which is not found in FIR, pointing to a small-scale dynamo-driven B-field amplification scenario. This work shows that multiwavelength polarization observations are key to disentangling the interlocked relation between star formation, magnetic fields, and gas kinematics in the multiphase ISM.
Steady-state gasdynamical studies, previously limited to tightly wound normal spiral galaxies, are extended to models of barred spirals with a 5% to 10% perturbing potential. The models show that a strong wave manifestation is an important constituent of the bar structure in many barred spirals and that a density-wave shock wave can form a bar structure as pronounced as the narrow bars often evident in optical photographs of barred spirals. The dark narrow dust lanes often observed along the leading edges of bar structures are identified as tracers of shocks, and it is found that strong shocks along a bar structure during even a small part of a galaxy's lifetime might easily deplete a large enough proportion of the gas to cause a lack of gas in the inner annuli encompassing the bar by the time of the present epoch. It is emphasized that even moderate-amplitude barlike perturbations in the disk can drive large noncircular gas motions, typically 50 to 150 km/s.
Correlations were found between the colors and absolute magnitudes of spiral galaxies. Using optical and/or near IR (1.6 micron) colors, it was found that lower luminosity spirals are systematically bluer than higher luminosity spirals. Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) far IR luminosities were used to investigate the suggestion that one prime cause of these color-absolute magnitude correlations is a systematic variation with galaxy mass of the current star formation rate (SFR) per unit mass. To the extent that the IRAS fluxes actually measure disk SFR, no correlation of SFR/unit mass and galaxy mass was found. Other possible explanations of the color-absolute magnitude correlations are discussed, as well as caveats on the use of IRAS fluxes as a means of comparing SFRs in galaxies of differing mass.