A FUNDAMENTAL LINE FOR ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nair, Preethi; Van den Bergh, Sidney; Abraham, Roberto G.

2011-01-01

Recent studies have shown that massive galaxies in the distant universe are surprisingly compact, with typical sizes about a factor of three smaller than equally massive galaxies in the nearby universe. It has been suggested that these massive galaxies grow into systems resembling nearby galaxies through a series of minor mergers. In this model the size growth of galaxies is an inherently stochastic process, and the resulting size-luminosity relationship is expected to have considerable environmentally dependent scatter. To test whether minor mergers can explain the size growth in massive galaxies, we have closely examined the scatter in the size-luminosity relation of nearby elliptical galaxies using a large new database of accurate visual galaxy classifications. We demonstrate that this scatter is much smaller than has been previously assumed, and may even be so small as to challenge the plausibility of the merger-driven hierarchical models for the formation of massive ellipticals.

Dusty Feedback from Massive Black Holes in Two Elliptical Galaxies

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Temi, P.; Brighenti, F.; Mathews, W. G.; Amblard, A.; Riguccini, L.

2013-01-01

Far-infrared dust emission from elliptical galaxies informs us about galaxy mergers, feedback energy outbursts from supermassive black holes and the age of galactic stars. We report on the role of AGN feedback observationally by looking for its signatures in elliptical galaxies at recent epochs in the nearby universe. We present Herschel observations of two elliptical galaxies with strong and spatially extended FIR emission from colder grains 5-10 kpc distant from the galaxy cores. Extended excess cold dust emission is interpreted as evidence of recent feedback-generated AGN energy outbursts in these galaxies, visible only in the FIR, from buoyant gaseous outflows from the galaxy cores.

Hot interstellar matter in elliptical galaxies

CERN Document Server

Kim, Dong-Woo

2012-01-01

Based on a number of new discoveries resulting from 10 years of Chandra and XMM-Newton observations and corresponding theoretical works, this is the first book to address significant progress in the research of the Hot Interstellar Matter in Elliptical Galaxies. A fundamental understanding of the physical properties of the hot ISM in elliptical galaxies is critical, because they are directly related to the formation and evolution of elliptical galaxies via star formation episodes, environmental effects such as stripping, infall, and mergers, and the growth of super-massive black holes. Thanks to the outstanding spatial resolution of Chandra and the large collecting area of XMM-Newton, various fine structures of the hot gas have been imaged in detail and key physical quantities have been accurately measured, allowing theoretical interpretations/predictions to be compared and tested against observational results. This book will bring all readers up-to-date on this essential field of research.

The ellipticity of galaxy cluster haloes from satellite galaxies and weak lensing

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Shin, Tae-hyeon; Clampitt, Joseph; Jain, Bhuvnesh; Bernstein, Gary; Neil, Andrew; Rozo, Eduardo; Rykoff, Eli

2018-04-01

We study the ellipticity of galaxy cluster haloes as characterized by the distribution of cluster galaxies and as measured with weak lensing. We use Monte Carlo simulations of elliptical cluster density profiles to estimate and correct for Poisson noise bias, edge bias and projection effects. We apply our methodology to 10 428 Sloan Digital Sky Survey clusters identified by the redMaPPer algorithm with richness above 20. We find a mean ellipticity =0.271 ± 0.002 (stat) ±0.031 (sys) corresponding to an axis ratio = 0.573 ± 0.002 (stat) ±0.039 (sys). We compare this ellipticity of the satellites to the halo shape, through a stacked lensing measurement using optimal estimators of the lensing quadrupole based on Clampitt and Jain (2016). We find a best-fitting axis ratio of 0.56 ± 0.09 (stat) ±0.03 (sys), consistent with the ellipticity of the satellite distribution. Thus, cluster galaxies trace the shape of the dark matter halo to within our estimated uncertainties. Finally, we restack the satellite and lensing ellipticity measurements along the major axis of the cluster central galaxy's light distribution. From the lensing measurements, we infer a misalignment angle with an root-mean-square of 30° ± 10° when stacking on the central galaxy. We discuss applications of halo shape measurements to test the effects of the baryonic gas and active galactic nucleus feedback, as well as dark matter and gravity. The major improvements in signal-to-noise ratio expected with the ongoing Dark Energy Survey and future surveys from Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, Euclid, and Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope will make halo shapes a useful probe of these effects.

Giant Low Surface Brightness Galaxies

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Mishra, Alka; Kantharia, Nimisha G.; Das, Mousumi

2018-04-01

In this paper, we present radio observations of the giant low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies made using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). LSB galaxies are generally large, dark matter dominated spirals that have low star formation efficiencies and large HI gas disks. Their properties suggest that they are less evolved compared to high surface brightness galaxies. We present GMRT emission maps of LSB galaxies with an optically-identified active nucleus. Using our radio data and archival near-infrared (2MASS) and near-ultraviolet (GALEX) data, we studied morphology and star formation efficiencies in these galaxies. All the galaxies show radio continuum emission mostly associated with the centre of the galaxy.

Structure and stellar content of dwarf elliptical galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caldwell, N.

1983-01-01

A small number of low-luminosity elliptical galaxies in the Virgo cluster and around other prominent galaxies have been studied using photoelectric and photographic techniques. The color-magnitude relation for ellipticals now extends from M/sub v/ = -23 to -15, and is linear over that range with a slope of 0.10 in U-V per visual magnitude. Galaxies which are known to contain a large number of young stars (''extreme cases'') are from 0.10 to 0.20 mag bluer in U-V than the lower envelope of the dwarf elliptical color-magnitude relation. This difference can be accounted for if the dwarf elliptical galaxies are young, but do not contain the massive blue stars that probably exist in the young populations of the extreme cases. Surface brightness profiles of the dwarfs have revealed some interesting distinctions between themselves and the brighter E's. In general, their intensity profiles are shallower than those of the bright E's, meaning they are of lower mean density. These mean densities are also a function of the total luminosity. Unlike the bright E's, the surface brightnesses near the centers are also a strong function of the total luminosity. The presence of a nucleation, which can be as much as 2 mag brighter than what the outer envelope would predict, does not appear to depend on any other measurable property of the galaxies. The variation in surface brightness profiles at the same total luminosity is suggestive that the low-luminosity dwarfs formed in more than one way. The flattening distribution of the dwarfs is like that of the bright ellipticals, and is also similar to the flattening distribution of field irregular galaxies

The dynamical fingerprint of core scouring in massive elliptical galaxies

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Thomas, J.; Saglia, R. P.; Bender, R.; Erwin, P.; Fabricius, M.

2014-01-01

The most massive elliptical galaxies have low-density centers or cores that differ dramatically from the high-density centers of less massive ellipticals and bulges of disk galaxies. These cores have been interpreted as the result of mergers of supermassive black hole binaries, which depopulate galaxy centers by gravitationally slingshotting central stars toward large radii. Such binaries naturally form in mergers of luminous galaxies. Here, we analyze the population of central stellar orbits in 11 massive elliptical galaxies that we observed with the integral field spectrograph SINFONI at the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope. Our dynamical analysis is orbit-based and includes the effects of a central black hole, the mass distribution of the stars, and a dark matter halo. We show that the use of integral field kinematics and the inclusion of dark matter is important to conclude on the distribution of stellar orbits in galaxy centers. Six of our galaxies are core galaxies. In these six galaxies, but not in the galaxies without cores, we detect a coherent lack of stars on radial orbits in the core region and a uniform excess of radial orbits outside of it: when scaled by the core radius r b , the radial profiles of the classical anisotropy parameter β(r) are nearly identical in core galaxies. Moreover, they quantitatively match the predictions of black hole binary simulations, providing the first convincing dynamical evidence for core scouring in the most massive elliptical galaxies.

Can mergers make slowly rotating elliptical galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, S.D.M.

1979-01-01

The results of numerical experiments are used to guide an analytic discussion of hyperbolic mergers among an uncorrelated galaxy population. The expected merger rate is derived as a function of progenitor mass and relative angular momentum, and is used to predict the distribution of the parameter V/sub c//sigma 0 for merger products where V/sub c/ is the maximum observed rotation velocity in a galaxy and sigma 0 is its central velocity dispersion. The median value of this parameter for mergers between comparable galaxies is estimated to be 0.65 and is higher than the observed value in any of the 14 galaxies for which data are available. It seems unlikely that most elliptical galaxies are the result of single or multiple mergers between initially unbound stellar systems; further observational and theoretical work is suggested which should lead to a conclusive test of this picture. The present arguments cannot, however, exclude formation from low angular momentum elliptical orbits

A VERY CLOSE BINARY BLACK HOLE IN A GIANT ELLIPTICAL GALAXY 3C 66B AND ITS BLACK HOLE MERGER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iguchi, Satoru; Okuda, Takeshi; Sudou, Hiroshi

2010-01-01

Recent observational results provide possible evidence that binary black holes (BBHs) exist in the center of giant galaxies and may merge to form a supermassive black hole in the process of their evolution. We first detected a periodic flux variation on a cycle of 93 ± 1 days from the 3 mm monitor observations of a giant elliptical galaxy 3C 66B for which an orbital motion with a period of 1.05 ± 0.03 yr had been already observed. The detected signal period being shorter than the orbital period can be explained by taking into consideration the Doppler-shifted modulation due to the orbital motion of a BBH. Assuming that the BBH has a circular orbit and that the jet axis is parallel to the binary angular momentum, our observational results demonstrate the presence of a very close BBH that has a binary orbit with an orbital period of 1.05 ± 0.03 yr, an orbital radius of (3.9 ± 1.0) x 10 -3 pc, an orbital separation of (6.1 +1.0 -0.9 ) x 10 -3 pc, a larger black hole mass of (1.2 +0.5 -0.2 ) x 10 9 M sun , and a smaller black hole mass of (7.0 +4.7 -6.4 ) x 10 8 M sun . The BBH decay time of (5.1 +60.5 -2.5 ) x 10 2 yr provides evidence for the occurrence of black hole mergers. This Letter will demonstrate the interesting possibility of black hole collisions to form a supermassive black hole in the process of evolution, one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in the universe.

Iron abundance evolution in spiral and elliptical galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matteucci, F.

1987-01-01

Chemical evolution models for the Galaxy and ellipticals, which take into account the most recent developments on theories of nucleosynthesis and supernova progenitors, are presented. The evolution of the abundance of iron in these systems, under the assumption that this element is mainly produced by type I SNe, originating from white dwarfs in binary systems, has been computed and the results have been compared with the observations. Overabundances of O, Si, Ne and Mg with respect to iron have been predicted for halo stars in their Galaxy. The existence of an Fe - total mass relation with a slope steeper than the corresponding relations for Mg and O has been predicted for ellipticals. The masses of Fe ejected by ellipticals of various masses into the intergalactic medium have also been computed in detail. The general agreement obtained between these theoretical models and the observations for galaxies of different morphological type supports the assumptions made about the origin of iron

Elliptical and lenticular galaxies evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vigroux, L.

1981-01-01

Different evolutionnary models for elliptical and lenticular galaxies are discussed. In the first part, we show that, at least some peculiar early types galaxies exhibit some activity. Then we describe the observationnal constraints: the color-magnitude diagram, the color gradient and the high metallicity of intraclusters gas. Among the different models, only the dissipation collapse followed by a hot wind driven by supernovae explosion explain in a natural way these constraints. Finally, the origin of SO is briefly discussed [fr

Dark matter in elliptical galaxies

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Carollo, C. M.; Zeeuw, P. T. DE; Marel, R. P. Van Der; Danziger, I. J.; Qian, E. E.

1995-01-01

We present measurements of the shape of the stellar line-of-sight velocity distribution out to two effective radii along the major axes of the four elliptical galaxies NGC 2434, 2663, 3706, and 5018. The velocity dispersion profiles are flat or decline gently with radius. We compare the data to the predictions of f = f(E, L(sub z)) axisymmetric models with and without dark matter. Strong tangential anisotropy is ruled out at large radii. We conclude from our measurements that massive dark halos must be present in three of the four galaxies, while for the fourth galaxy (NGC 2663) the case is inconclusive.

Stellar Populations in Elliptical Galaxies

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Angeletti, Lucio; Giannone, Pietro

The R1/n law for the radial surface brightness of elliptical galaxies and the "Best Accretion Model" together with the "Concentration Model" have been combined in order to determine the mass and dynamical structure of largely-populated star systems. Families of models depending on four parameters have been used to fit the observed surface radial profiles of some spectro-photometric indices of a sample of eleven galaxies. We present the best agreements of the spectral index Mg2 with observations for three selected galaxies representative of the full sample. For them we have also computed the spatial distributions of the metal abundances, which are essential to achieve a population synthesis.

Clues on the hot star content and the ultraviolet output of elliptical galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greggio, L.; Renzini, A.

1990-01-01

Purely energetic arguments are used here to investigate the conditions under which old, low-mass stars could be responsible for the UV rising branch of elliptical galaxies. It is argued that presently available observational data are insufficient to unambiguously decide which of various candidates provide the dominant contribution. It is found that the possibility for metal-rich, low-mass stars to evolve through sufficiently hot stages, provide enough UV photons, and produce the observed UV-metallicity correlation is primarily controlled by two poorly known trends with increasing metallicity: helium enrichment and mass-loss rate during the red giant phases. The classical hydrogen-burning post-AGB stars do not appear able to burn enough fuel to account for the most UV-powerful galaxies. Other hot star candidates which appear more promising are identified. It is shown that a very important role is played by the actual metallicity distribution within individual galaxies. 154 refs

Dying Stars Indicate Lots of Dark Matter in Giant Galaxy

Science.gov (United States)

1994-04-01

Very difficult and time-consuming observations performed with the ESO 3.5-metre New Technology Telescope (NTT) in November 1993 by an international team of astronomers [1], indicate that up to 90 percent of the matter in a distant giant galaxy may be of a kind that cannot be seen by normal telescopes. The astronomers were able to observe the individual motions of 37 extremely faint Planetary Nebulae [2] in the outskirts of the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 1399 that is located at the centre of the southern Fornax cluster of galaxies, at a distance of about 50 million light-years. The mass of the galaxy can be inferred from these motions: the faster they are, the more massive is the galaxy. Surprisingly, the total mass of NGC 1399 found from these new measurements is about ten times as large as the combined mass of the stars and nebulae seen in this galaxy. These new results also have important implications for the current ideas about the formation of giant galaxies. GIANT GALAXIES Galaxies are the basic building blocks of the Universe. Some look like spinning spirals, like our own Milky Way galaxy, with its several hundreds of billions of stars in a flat, rotating disk. Some galaxies lead a comparatively quiet life, others are violent and explosive. But perhaps the most enigmatic of them all are the largest ones, the giant elliptical galaxies. They are huge collections of stars and hot gas, 100 times brighter than the Milky Way and in many of them, the hot gas is a powerful emitter of radio waves and X-rays. The giant galaxies are mostly found at the centres of vast clusters of hundreds or thousands of smaller galaxies, like swarms of bees about the central hive. How did these great galaxies form at the centres of their clusters? Astronomers who make computer simulations of the early Universe believe they know the answer. In their simulations, they see these giant galaxies forming by gradual aggregation of small clumps of matter falling towards the centre, thereby

A strong-lensing elliptical galaxy in the MaNGA survey

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Smith, Russell J.

2017-01-01

I report discovery of a new galaxy-scale gravitational lens system, identified using public data from the Mapping Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey, as part of a systematic search for lensed background line emitters. The lens is SDSS J170124.01+372258.0, a giant elliptical galaxy with velocity dispersion σ = 256 km s-1, at a redshift of zl = 0.122. After modelling and subtracting the target galaxy light, the integral-field data cube reveals [O II], [O III] and Hβ emission lines corresponding to a source at zs = 0.791, forming an identifiable ring around the galaxy centre. If the ring is formed by a single lensed source, then the Einstein radius is REin ≈ 2.3 arcsec, projecting to ˜5 kpc at the distance of the lens. The total projected lensing mass is MEin = (3.6 ± 0.6) × 1011 M⊙, and the total J-band mass-to-light ratio is 3.0 ± 0.7 solar units. Plausible estimates of the likely dark matter content could reconcile this with a Milky Way-like initial mass function (IMF), for which M/L ≈ 1.5 is expected, but heavier IMFs are by no means excluded with the present data. An alternative interpretation of the system, with a more complex source plane, is also discussed. The discovery of this system bodes well for future lens searches based on MaNGA and other integral-field spectroscopic surveys.

Neutral hydrogen in elliptical and IO galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bottinelli, L.; Gouguenheim, L.

1979-01-01

New HI detections have been obtained using the Nancay radiotelescope for NGC 2974 and 3962. These results and the large scale distribution obtained for NGC 3962 indicate that the HI-rich elliptical galaxies exhibit common properties which are not easily explained by accretion of an intergalactic cloud. The field aroud NGC 1052 has been mapped and there is an HI connection with the neighbouring galaxies. The HI content of several IO galaxies indicates that the galaxies which are members of groups are relatively HI-rich; this could be produced by additional HI coming from companion galaxies [fr

Co-evolution of elliptical galaxies and their central black holes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciotti, I.

2009-01-01

After the discovery that supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are ubiquitous at the center of stellar spheroids and that their mass M BH , in the range 10 6 M-10 9 M, is tightly related to global properties of the host stellar system, the idea of the co-evolution of elliptical galaxies and of their SMBHs has become a central topic of modern astrophysics. Here, I summarize some consequences that can be derived from the galaxy Scaling Laws (SLs) and present a coherent scenario for the formation and evolution of elliptical galaxies and their central SMBHs, focusing in particular on the establishment and maintenance of their SLs. In particular, after a first observationally based part, the discussion focuses on the physical interpretation of the Fundamental Plane. Then, two important processes in principle able to destroy the galaxy and SMBH SLs, namely galaxy merging and cooling flows, are analyzed. Arguments supporting the necessity to clearly distinguish between the origin and maintenance of the different SLs, and the unavoidable occurrence of SMBH feedback on the galaxy ISM in the late stages of galaxy evolution (when elliptical galaxies are sometimes considered as dead, red objects), are then presented. At the end of the paper I will discuss some implications of the recent discovery of super-dense ellipticals in the distant Universe. In particular, I will argue that, if confirmed, these new observations would lead to the conclusion that at early epochs a relation between the stellar mass of the galaxy and the mass of the central SMBH should hold, consistent with the present day Magorrian relation, while the proportionality coefficient between M BH and the scale of velocity dispersion of the hosting spheroids should be significantly smaller than that at the present epoch

Can elliptical galaxies be equilibrium systems

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Caimmi, R [Padua Univ. (Italy). Ist. di Astronomia

1980-08-01

This paper deals with the question of whether elliptical galaxies can be considered as equilibrium systems (i.e., the gravitational + centrifugal potential is constant on the external surface). We find that equilibrium models such as Emden-Chandrasekhar polytropes and Roche polytropes with n = 0 can account for the main part of observations relative to the ratio of maximum rotational velocity to central velocity dispersion in elliptical systems. More complex models involving, for example, massive halos could lead to a more complete agreement. Models that are a good fit to the observed data are characterized by an inner component (where most of the mass is concentrated) and a low-density outer component. A comparison is performed between some theoretical density distributions and the density distribution observed by Young et al. (1978) in NGC 4473, but a number of limitations must be adopted. Alternative models, such as triaxial oblate non-equilibrium configurations with coaxial shells, involve a number of problems which are briefly discussed. We conclude that spheroidal oblate models describing elliptical galaxies cannot be ruled out until new analyses relative to more refined theoretical equilibrium models (involving, for example, massive halos) and more detailed observations are performed.

A search for HI in elliptical galaxies with nuclear radio sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dressel, L.L.; Bania, T.M.; O'Connell, R.W.

1982-01-01

Two of the galaxies with large HI mass, NGC 1052 and 4278, are known to have powerful nuclear continuum radio sources (P 2380 approximately 10 22 WHz -1 ). Since both of these attributes are fairly rare among elliptical galaxies, their coexistence in these galaxies is not likely to have occurred by chance. The authors have therefore observed twelve other elliptical galaxies with nuclear radio power P 2380 > 10 22 WHz -1 at Arecibo Observatory, to determine whether a large mass of HI is a necessary auxillary to nuclear continuum emission. (Auth.)

Ellipticity and twisting of the isophotes of some bright galaxies in Virgo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbon, R.; Benacchio, L.; Capaccioli, M.

1980-01-01

Ellipticity and twisting of the isophotes of four lenticular and seven elliptical galaxies in the Virgo cluster are presented as a sample of a more complete photometric investigation. This work has been motivated by the increasing importance of this kind of information for the understanding of the spatial structure of E galaxies. The calibrated plate material from the Loiano 1.52 meter and Tautenburg Schmidt telescopes has been digitized with a PDS microdensitometer and analysed by means of the Interactive Numerical Mapping Package (INMP). Ellipticity and orientation profiles are presented in a graphical form together with a preliminary discussion. A correlation has been found between ellipticity and twisting in barred lenticulars which might help in the understanding of some E galaxies such as NGC 4406 and NGC 4374. Twisting has been detected in all of the seven ellipticals of the sample

Mergers in galaxy groups. I. Structure and properties of elliptical remnants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taranu, Dan S.; Dubinski, John; Yee, H. K. C.

2013-01-01

We present collisionless simulations of dry mergers in groups of 3 to 25 galaxies to test the hypothesis that elliptical galaxies form at the centers of such groups. Mock observations of the central remnants confirm their similarity to ellipticals, despite having no dissipational component. We vary the profile of the original spiral's bulge and find that ellipticals formed from spirals with exponential bulges have too low Sersic indices. Mergers of spirals with de Vaucouleurs (classical) bulges produce remnants with larger Sersic indices correlated with luminosity, as with Sloan Digital Sky Survey ellipticals. Exponential bulge mergers are better fits to faint ellipticals, whereas classical bulge mergers better match luminous ellipticals. Similarly, luminous ellipticals are better reproduced by remnants undergoing many (>5) mergers, and fainter ellipticals by those with fewer mergers. The remnants follow tight size-luminosity and velocity dispersion-luminosity (Faber-Jackson) relations (<0.12 dex scatter), demonstrating that stochastic merging can produce tight scaling relations if the merging galaxies also follow tight scaling relations. The slopes of the size-luminosity and Faber-Jackson relations are close to observations but slightly shallower in the former case. Both relations' intercepts are offset—remnants are too large but have too low dispersions at fixed luminosity. Some remnants show substantial (v/σ > 0.1) rotational support, although most are slow rotators and few are very fast rotators (v/σ > 0.5). These findings contrast with previous studies concluding that dissipation is necessary to produce ellipticals from binary mergers of spirals. Multiple, mostly minor and dry mergers can produce bright ellipticals, whereas significant dissipation could be required to produce faint, rapidly rotating ellipticals.

Angular ellipticity correlations in a composite alignment model for elliptical and spiral galaxies and inference from weak lensing

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Tugendhat, Tim M.; Schäfer, Björn Malte

2018-05-01

We investigate a physical, composite alignment model for both spiral and elliptical galaxies and its impact on cosmological parameter estimation from weak lensing for a tomographic survey. Ellipticity correlation functions and angular ellipticity spectra for spiral and elliptical galaxies are derived on the basis of tidal interactions with the cosmic large-scale structure and compared to the tomographic weak-lensing signal. We find that elliptical galaxies cause a contribution to the weak-lensing dominated ellipticity correlation on intermediate angular scales between ℓ ≃ 40 and ℓ ≃ 400 before that of spiral galaxies dominates on higher multipoles. The predominant term on intermediate scales is the negative cross-correlation between intrinsic alignments and weak gravitational lensing (GI-alignment). We simulate parameter inference from weak gravitational lensing with intrinsic alignments unaccounted; the bias induced by ignoring intrinsic alignments in a survey like Euclid is shown to be several times larger than the statistical error and can lead to faulty conclusions when comparing to other observations. The biases generally point into different directions in parameter space, such that in some cases one can observe a partial cancellation effect. Furthermore, it is shown that the biases increase with the number of tomographic bins used for the parameter estimation process. We quantify this parameter estimation bias in units of the statistical error and compute the loss of Bayesian evidence for a model due to the presence of systematic errors as well as the Kullback-Leibler divergence to quantify the distance between the true model and the wrongly inferred one.

OPTICAL-NEAR-INFRARED COLOR GRADIENTS AND MERGING HISTORY OF ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Duho; Im, Myungshin

2013-01-01

It has been suggested that merging plays an important role in the formation and the evolution of elliptical galaxies. While gas dissipation by star formation is believed to steepen metallicity and color gradients of the merger products, mixing of stars through dissipation-less merging (dry merging) is believed to flatten them. In order to understand the past merging history of elliptical galaxies, we studied the optical-near-infrared (NIR) color gradients of 204 elliptical galaxies. These galaxies are selected from the overlap region of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Stripe 82 and the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Large Area Survey (LAS). The use of optical and NIR data (g, r, and K) provides large wavelength baselines, and breaks the age-metallicity degeneracy, allowing us to derive age and metallicity gradients. The use of the deep SDSS Stripe 82 images makes it possible for us to examine how the color/age/metallicity gradients are related to merging features. We find that the optical-NIR color and the age/metallicity gradients of elliptical galaxies with tidal features are consistent with those of relaxed ellipticals, suggesting that the two populations underwent a similar merging history on average and that mixing of stars was more or less completed before the tidal features disappeared. Elliptical galaxies with dust features have steeper color gradients than the other two types, even after masking out dust features during the analysis, which can be due to a process involving wet merging. More importantly, we find that the scatter in the color/age/metallicity gradients of the relaxed and merging feature types decreases as their luminosities (or masses) increase at M > 10 11.4 M ☉ but stays large at lower luminosities. Mean metallicity gradients appear nearly constant over the explored mass range, but a possible flattening is observed at the massive end. According to our toy model that predicts how the distribution of metallicity gradients

X-ray Point Source Populations in Spiral and Elliptical Galaxies

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Colbert, E.; Heckman, T.; Weaver, K.; Strickland, D.

2002-01-01

The hard-X-ray luminosity of non-active galaxies has been known to be fairly well correlated with the total blue luminosity since the days of the Einstein satellite. However, the origin of this hard component was not well understood. Some possibilities that were considered included X-ray binaries, extended upscattered far-infrared light via the inverse-Compton process, extended hot 107 K gas (especially in ellipitical galaxies), or even an active nucleus. Chandra images of normal, elliptical and starburst galaxies now show that a significant amount of the total hard X-ray emission comes from individual point sources. We present here spatial and spectral analyses of the point sources in a small sample of Chandra obervations of starburst galaxies, and compare with Chandra point source analyses from comparison galaxies (elliptical, Seyfert and normal galaxies). We discuss possible relationships between the number and total hard luminosity of the X-ray point sources and various measures of the galaxy star formation rate, and discuss possible options for the numerous compact sources that are observed.

The different star formation histories of blue and red spiral and elliptical galaxies

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Tojeiro, Rita; Masters, Karen L.; Richards, Joshua; Percival, Will J.; Bamford, Steven P.; Maraston, Claudia; Nichol, Robert C.; Skibba, Ramin; Thomas, Daniel

2013-06-01

We study the spectral properties of intermediate mass galaxies (M* ˜ 1010.7 M⊙) as a function of colour and morphology. We use Galaxy Zoo to define three morphological classes of galaxies, namely early types (ellipticals), late-type (disc-dominated) face-on spirals and early-type (bulge-dominated) face-on spirals. We classify these galaxies as blue or red according to their Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) g - r colour and use the spectral fitting code Versatile Spectral Analyses to calculate time-resolved star formation histories, metallicity and total starlight dust extinction from their SDSS fibre spectra. We find that red late-type spirals show less star formation in the last 500 Myr than blue late-type spirals by up to a factor of 3, but share similar star formation histories at earlier times. This decline in recent star formation explains their redder colour: their chemical and dust content are the same. We postulate that red late-type spirals are recent descendants of blue late-type spirals, with their star formation curtailed in the last 500 Myr. The red late-type spirals are however still forming stars ≃17 times faster than red ellipticals over the same period. Red early-type spirals lie between red late-type spirals and red ellipticals in terms of recent-to-intermediate star formation and dust content. Therefore, it is plausible that these galaxies represent an evolutionary link between these two populations. They are more likely to evolve directly into red ellipticals than red late-type spirals, which show star formation histories and dust content closer to blue late-type spirals. Blue ellipticals show similar star formation histories as blue spirals (regardless of type), except that they have formed less stars in the last 100 Myr. However, blue ellipticals have different dust content, which peaks at lower extinction values than all spiral galaxies. Therefore, many blue ellipticals are unlikely to be descendants of blue spirals, suggesting there may

Near-IR TRGB Distance to Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy NGC 147

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A. Kang

2007-09-01

Full Text Available We report the distance modulus of nearby dwarf elliptical galaxy NGC 147 estimated from the Tip of Red-giant Branch (TRGB method applying to the color-magnitude diagrams and luminosity functions in the near-infrared JHK bands. Apparent magnitudes of TRGBs in each band are obtained by applying Savitzky-Golay filter to the luminosity functions, and the theoretical absolute magnitudes are estimated from Yonsei-Yale isochrones. The derived values of distance modulus to NGC 147 are (m-M=23.69±0.12, 23.78±0.17, and 23.85±0.22 for J, H, and K bands, respectively. Distance modulus in bolometric magnitude is also derived as (m-M=23.87±0.11. We compare the derived values of the TRGB distance modulus to NGC 147 in the near-infrared bands with the previous results in other bands.

Young and Old X-ray Binary and IXO Populations in Spiral and Elliptical Galaxies

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Colbert, E.; Heckman, T.; Ptak, A.; Strickland, D.; Weaver, K.

2003-03-01

We have analyzed Chandra ACIS observations of 32 nearby spiral and elliptical galaxies and present the results of 1441 X-ray point sources, which are presumed to be mostly X-ray binaries (XRBs) and Intermediate-luminosity X-ray Objects (IXOs, a.k.a. ULXs). The X-ray luminosity functions (XLFs) of the point sources show that the slope of the elliptical galaxy XLFs are significantly steeper than the spiral galaxy XLFs, indicating grossly different types of point sources, or different stages in their evolution. Since the spiral galaxy XLF is so shallow, the most luminous points sources (usually the IXOs) dominate the total X-ray point source luminosity LXP. We show that the galaxy total B-band and K-band light (proxies for the stellar mass) are well correlated with LXP for both spirals and ellipticals, but the FIR and UV emission is only correlated for the spirals. We deconvolve LXP into two components, one that is proportional to the galaxy stellar mass (pop II), and another that is proportional to the galaxy SFR (pop I). We also note that IXOs (and nearly all of the other point sources) in both spirals and ellipticals have X-ray colors that are most consistent with power-law slopes of Gamma ˜ 1.5--3.0, which is inconsistent with high-mass XRBS (HMXBs). Thus, HMXBs are not important contributors to LXP. We have also found that IXOs in spiral galaxies may have a slightly harder X-ray spectrum than those in elliptical galaxies. The implications of these findings will be discussed.

Constraints on stellar populations in elliptical galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rose, J.A.

1985-01-01

Photographic image-tube spectra in the wavelength interval 3400--4500 A have been obtained for 12 elliptical galaxy nuclei and for a number of Galactic globular and open clusters in integrated light. The spectra have a wavelength resolution of 2.5 A and a high signal-to-noise ratio. A new quantitative three-dimensional spectral-classification system that has been calibrated on a sample of approx.200 individual stars (Rose 1984) is used to analyze the integrated spectra of the ellipical galaxy nuclei and to compare them with those of the globular clusters. This system is based on spectral indices that are formed by comparing neighborhood spectral features and is unaffected by reddening. The following results have been found: (1) Hot stars (i.e., spectral types A and B) contribute only 2% to the integrated spectra of elliptical galaxies at approx.4000 A, except in the nucleus of NGC 205, where the hot component dominates. This finding is based on a spectral index formed from the relative central intensities in the Ca II H+Hepsilon and Ca II K lines, which is shown to be constant for late-type (i.e., F, G, and K) stars, but changes drastically at earlier types. The observed Ca II H+Hepsilon/Ca II K indices in ellipticals can be reproduced by the inclusion of a small metal-poor population (as in the globular cluster M5) that contributes approx.8% of the light at 4000 A. Such a contribution is qualitatively consistent with the amount of

Mergers of elliptical galaxies and the fundamental plane

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gonzalez-Garcia, AC; van Albada, TS; AvilaReese,; Firmani, C; Frenk, CS; Allen, YC

2003-01-01

N-body simulations have been carried out in order to explore the final state of elliptical galaxies after encounters and more expecifically whether the Fundamental Plane (FP hereafter) relation is affected by merging.

Mass-invariance of the iron enrichment in the hot haloes of massive ellipticals, groups, and clusters of galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Mernier, F.; de Plaa, J.; Werner, N.; Kaastra, J. S.; Raassen, A. J. J.; Gu, L.; Mao, J.; Urdampilleta, I.; Truong, N.; Simionescu, A.

2018-05-01

X-ray measurements find systematically lower Fe abundances in the X-ray emitting haloes pervading groups (kT ≲ 1.7 keV) than in clusters of galaxies. These results have been difficult to reconcile with theoretical predictions. However, models using incomplete atomic data or the assumption of isothermal plasmas may have biased the best fit Fe abundance in groups and giant elliptical galaxies low. In this work, we take advantage of a major update of the atomic code in the spectral fitting package SPEX to re-evaluate the Fe abundance in 43 clusters, groups, and elliptical galaxies (the CHEERS sample) in a self-consistent analysis and within a common radius of 0.1r500. For the first time, we report a remarkably similar average Fe enrichment in all these systems. Unlike previous results, this strongly suggests that metals are synthesised and transported in these haloes with the same average efficiency across two orders of magnitude in total mass. We show that the previous metallicity measurements in low temperature systems were biased low due to incomplete atomic data in the spectral fitting codes. The reasons for such a code-related Fe bias, also implying previously unconsidered biases in the emission measure and temperature structure, are discussed.

ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF UGC 1382 AS A GIANT LOW SURFACE BRIGHTNESS GALAXY

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Hagen, Lea M. Z.; Hagen, Alex [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Seibert, Mark; Rich, Jeffrey A.; Madore, Barry F. [Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States); Nyland, Kristina; Young, Lisa M. [Physics Department, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States); Neill, James D. [California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Treyer, Marie [Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille, UMR 7326, 38 rue F. Joliot-Curie, F-13388 Marseille (France)

2016-08-01

We provide evidence that UGC 1382, long believed to be a passive elliptical galaxy, is actually a giant low surface brightness (GLSB) galaxy that rivals the archetypical GLSB Malin 1 in size. Like other GLSB galaxies, it has two components: a high surface brightness disk galaxy surrounded by an extended low surface brightness (LSB) disk. For UGC 1382, the central component is a lenticular system with an effective radius of 6 kpc. Beyond this, the LSB disk has an effective radius of ∼38 kpc and an extrapolated central surface brightness of ∼26 mag arcsec{sup 2}. Both components have a combined stellar mass of ∼8 × 10{sup 10} M {sub ⊙}, and are embedded in a massive (10{sup 10} M {sub ⊙}) low-density (<3 M {sub ⊙} pc{sup 2}) HI disk with a radius of 110 kpc, making this one of the largest isolated disk galaxies known. The system resides in a massive dark matter halo of at least 2 × 10{sup 12} M {sub ⊙}. Although possibly part of a small group, its low-density environment likely plays a role in the formation and retention of the giant LSB and HI disks. We model the spectral energy distributions and find that the LSB disk is likely older than the lenticular component. UGC 1382 has UV–optical colors typical of galaxies transitioning through the green valley. Within the LSB disk are spiral arms forming stars at extremely low efficiencies. The gas depletion timescale of ∼10{sup 11} years suggests that UGC 1382 may be a very-long-term resident of the green valley. We find that the formation and evolution of the LSB disk in UGC 1382 is best explained by the accretion of gas-rich LSB dwarf galaxies.

New Members in the Galaxy Group Around Giant Radio Galaxy DA 240

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ru-Rong; Peng, Bo; Strom, Richard

2018-05-01

With new spectroscopic observations of group candidates around the giant radio galaxy DA 240, we have identified five new group members, increasing the number to twenty-five. While all the new members are located some distance from the host galaxy, two of them lie in one of the radio lobes, and the rest are found at a distance from the radio components. The new group members reinforce our earlier conclusion that the distribution of the DA 240 group with respect to the radio lobes is unusual among giant radio galaxy host environments.

How Does Abundance Affect the Strength of UV Emission in Elliptical Galaxies?

Science.gov (United States)

Sonneborn, George (Technical Monitor); Brown, Thomas

2005-01-01

This program used the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) to observe elliptical galaxies with the intention of measuring the chemical abundances in their hot stellar populations. It was designed to complement an earlier FUSE program that observed elliptical galaxies with strong UV emission. The current program originally planned observations of two ellipticals with weak UV emission (M32 and M49). Once FUSE encountered pointing control problems in certain regions of the sky (particularly Virgo, which is very unfortunate for the study of ellipticals in general), M49 was replaced with the bulge of M31, which has a similar UV-to-optical flux ratio as the center of M49. As the closest elliptical galaxy and the one with the weakest UV-to-optical flux ratio, M32 was an obvious choice of target, but M49 was the ideal complementary target, because it has a very low reddening (unlike M32). With the inability of FUSE to point at Virgo, nearly all of the best elliptical galaxies (bright galaxies with low foreground extinction) were also lost, and this severely hampered three FUSE programs of the PI, all focused on the hot stellar populations of ellipticals. M31 was the best replacement for M49, but like M32, it suffers from significant foreground reddening. Strong Galactic ISM lines heavily contaminate the FUSE spectra of M31 and M32. These ISM lines are coincident with the photospheric lines from the stellar populations (whereas M49, with little foreground ISM and significant redshift, would not have suffered from this problem). We have reduced the faint (and thus difficult) data for M31 and M32, producing final co-added spectra representing all of the exposures, but we have not yet finished our analysis, due to the complication of the contaminating ISM. The silver lining here is the set of CHI lines at 1175 Angstroms, which are not significantly contaminated by the ISM. A comparison of the M31 spectrum with other galaxies observed by FEE showed a surprising result

Evolution of Hot Gas in Elliptical Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Mathews, William G.

2004-01-01

This theory grant was awarded to study the curious nature, origin and evolution of hot gas in elliptical galaxies and their surrounding groups. Understanding the properties of this X-ray emitting gas has profound implications over the broad landscape of modern astrophysics: cosmology, galaxy formation, star formation, cosmic metal enrichment, galactic structure and dynamics, and the physics of hot gases containing dust and magnetic fields. One of our principal specific objectives was to interpret the marvelous new observations from the XMM and Chandru satellite X-ray telescopes.

Modelling the star formation histories of nearby elliptical galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Bird, Katy

Since Lick indices were introduced in 1994, they have been used as a source of observational data against which computer models of galaxy evolution have been compared. However, as this thesis demonstrates, observed Lick indices lead to mathematical ill-conditioning: small variations in observations can lead to very large differences in population synthesis models attempting to recreate the observed values. As such, limited reliance should be placed on any results currently or historically in the literature purporting to give the star formation history of a galaxy, or group of galaxies, where this is deduced from Lick observations taken from a single instrument, without separate verification from at least one other source. Within these limitations, this thesis also constrains the star formation histories of 21 nearby elliptical galaxies, finding that they formed 13.26 +0.09 -0.06 Gyrs ago, that all mergers are dry, and that galactic winds are formed from AGN activity (rather than being supernovae-driven). This thesis also finds evidence to support the established galaxy-formation theory of "downsizing". An existing galactic model from the literature is examined and evaluated, and the reasons for it being unable to establish star formation histories of individual galaxies are ascertained. A brand-new model is designed, developed, tested and used with two separate data sets, corroborated for 10 galaxies by data from a third source, and compared to results from a Single Stellar Population model from the literature, to model the star formation histories of nearby elliptical galaxies.

Giant Radio Jet Coming From Wrong Kind of Galaxy

Science.gov (United States)

2003-01-01

Giant jets of subatomic particles moving at nearly the speed of light have been found coming from thousands of galaxies across the Universe, but always from elliptical galaxies or galaxies in the process of merging -- until now. Using the combined power of the Hubble Space Telescope, the Very Large Array (VLA) and the 8-meter Gemini-South Telescope, astronomers have discovered a huge jet coming from a spiral galaxy similar to our own Milky Way. Radio-optical view of galaxy Combined HST and VLA image of the galaxy 0313-192. Optical HST image shows the galaxy edge-on; VLA image, shown in red, reveals giant jet of speeding particles. For more images, see this link below. CREDIT: Keel, Ledlow & Owen; STScI,NRAO/AUI/NSF, NASA "We've always thought spirals were the wrong kind of galaxy to generate these huge jets, but now we're going to have to re-think some of our ideas on what produces these jets," said William Keel, a University of Alabama astronomer who led the research team. Keel worked with Michael Ledlow of Gemini Observatory and Frazer Owen of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. The scientists reported their findings at the American Astronomical Society's meeting in Seattle, Washington. "Further study of this galaxy may provide unique insights on just what needs to happen in a galaxy to produce these powerful jets of particles," Keel said. In addition, Owen said, "The loose-knit nature of the cluster of galaxies in which this galaxy resides may play a part in allowing this particular spiral to produce jets." Astronomers believe such jets originate at the cores of galaxies, where supermassive black holes provide the tremendous gravitational energy to accelerate particles to nearly the speed of light. Magnetic fields twisted tightly by spinning disks of material being sucked into the black hole are presumed to narrow the speeding particles into thin jets, like a nozzle on a garden hose. Both elliptical and spiral galaxies are believed to harbor supermassive

Equilibrium Figures inside the Dark-Matter Ring and the Shapes of Elliptical Galaxies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kondratyev B. P.

2015-12-01

Full Text Available We solve the general problem of the theory of equilibrium figures and analyze two classes of liquid rotating gravitating figures residing inside a gravitating ring or torus. These figures form families of sequences of generalized oblate spheroids and triaxial ellipsoids, which at the lower limit of the tidal parameter α = 0 have the form of the Maclaurin spheroids and the Jacobi ellipsoids. In intermediate cases 0 < α ≤ αmax each new sequence of axisymmetric equilibrium figures has two non-rotating boundary spheroids. At the upper limit αmax/(πGρ = 0.1867 the sequence degenerates into a single non-rotating spheroid with the eccentricity ecr ≈ 0.96 corresponding to the flattening limit of elliptical galaxies (E7. We also perform a detailed study of the sequences of generalized triaxial ellipsoids and find bifurcation points of triaxial ellipsoids in the sequences of generalized spheroids. We use this method to explain the shapes of E-galaxies. According to observations, very slowly rotating oblate E-type galaxies are known that have the shapes, which, because of instability, cannot be supported by velocity dispersion anisotropy exclusively. The hypothesis of a massive dark-matter outer ring requires no extreme anisotropy of pressure; it not only explains the shape of these elliptical galaxies, but also sheds new light on the riddle of the ellipticity limit (E7 of elliptical galaxies.

Equilibrium figures inside the dark-matter ring and the shapes of elliptical galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Kondratyev, B. P.; Trubitsyna, N. G.; Kireeva, E. N.

We solve the general problem of the theory of equilibrium figures and analyze two classes of liquid rotating gravitating figures residing inside a gravitating ring or torus. These figures form families of sequences of generalized oblate spheroids and triaxial ellipsoids, which at the lower limit of the tidal parameter α = 0 have the form of the Maclaurin spheroids and the Jacobi ellipsoids. In intermediate cases 0 equilibrium figures has two non-rotating boundary spheroids. At the upper limit αmax/(π Gρ ) = 0.1867 the sequence degenerates into a single non-rotating spheroid with the eccentricity {e cr} ≈ 0.96 corresponding to the flattening limit of elliptical galaxies (E7). We also perform a detailed study of the sequences of generalized triaxial ellipsoids and find bifurcation points of triaxial ellipsoids in the sequences of generalized spheroids. We use this method to explain the shapes of E-galaxies. According to observations, very slowly rotating oblate E-type galaxies are known that have the shapes, which, because of instability, cannot be supported by velocity dispersion anisotropy exclusively. The hypothesis of a massive dark-matter outer ring requires no extreme anisotropy of pressure; it not only explains the shape of these elliptical galaxies, but also sheds new light on the riddle of the ellipticity limit (E7) of elliptical galaxies.

Kinematics and stellar populations of 17 dwarf early-type galaxies

OpenAIRE

Thomas, D.; Bender, R.; Hopp, U.; Maraston, C.; Greggio, L.

2002-01-01

We present kinematics and stellar population properties of 17 dwarf early-type galaxies in the luminosity range -14> M_B> -19. Our sample fills the gap between the intensively studied giant elliptical and Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies. The dwarf ellipticals of the present sample have constant velocity dispersion profiles within their effective radii and do not show significant rotation, hence are clearly anisotropic. The dwarf lenticulars, instead, rotate faster and are, at least part...

NONLINEAR COLOR-METALLICITY RELATIONS OF GLOBULAR CLUSTERS. III. ON THE DISCREPANCY IN METALLICITY BETWEEN GLOBULAR CLUSTER SYSTEMS AND THEIR PARENT ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Suk-Jin; Lee, Sang-Yoon; Cho, Jaeil; Kim, Hak-Sub; Chung, Chul; Kim, Sooyoung; Lee, Young-Wook; Blakeslee, John P.; Peng, Eric W.; Sohn, Sangmo T.

2011-01-01

discussion to R ∼ e for giant ellipticals and ∼ e for normal ellipticals, our findings suggest that GC systems and their parent galaxies have shared a more common origin than previously thought, and hence greatly simplify theories of galaxy formation.

Determining mass-to-light ratios in elliptical galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathews, W.G.

1988-01-01

If the endstate of cooling hot gas in elliptical galaxies is a population of optically dark, low-mass stars near the galactic cores, the mass-to-light ratio could be expected to vary significantly with projected radius. No strong variation in M/L is observed. To investigate the sensitivity and reliability of observational mass-to-light determinations for a variety of galactic parameters, model galaxies having de Vaucouleurs profiles (but with central cores and outer cutoffs), variable velocity ellipsoid structure, and extended dark halos are constructed. Spurious radial variations in M/L can occur when none are present if the properties of the galactic models are processed similar to observational data. Conversely, when a population of diffuse dark stellar matter is added near the galactic cores, large gradients in M/L can escape detection. However, the magnitude of the central velocity dispersion and its variation with projected radius within the effective radius both suggest that a component of dark stars is unlikely to be more massive than about 30 times the core mass of luminous stars. This restriction is important in establishing the initial mass function of stars in elliptical galaxies and the history of winds and cooling inflows in the interstellar medium. 35 references

Radial distributions of star populations in elliptical galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angeletti, Lucio; Giannone, Pietro

2010-01-01

The dynamical structure of stars in low-ellipticity early-type galaxies has been approached in a conceptually simple manner by making use of the mass structure inferred from the radial surface brightness and the stellar metal abundance as derived from that of the contracting gas mass when the stars formed. Families of models depending on three parameters can be used to fit the surface radial profiles of spectro-photometric indices. In particular, the behavior of the spectral index Mg 2 is selected, and the observations for eleven galaxies are matched with models. With the fitting values of the free parameters, we have studied the spatial (within the galaxy) and projected (on the image of the galaxy) distributions of the metal abundances. We present the results for three chosen galaxies characterized by rather different values of the fitting parameters. Our results can be of interest for the formation of stellar populations and call attention to the need for more detailed observations.

Elliptical Galaxies: Rotationally Distorted, After All

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caimmi, R.

2009-12-01

Full Text Available On the basis of earlier investigations onhomeoidally striated Mac Laurin spheroids and Jacobi ellipsoids (Caimmi and Marmo2005, Caimmi 2006a, 2007, different sequences of configurations are defined and represented in the ellipticity-rotation plane, $({sf O}hat{e}chi_v^2$. The rotation parameter, $chi_v^2$, is defined as the ratio, $E_mathrm{rot}/E_mathrm{res}$, of kinetic energy related to the mean tangential equatorial velocity component, $M(overline{v_phi}^2/2$, to kineticenergy related to tangential equatorial component velocity dispersion, $Msigma_{phiphi}^2/2$, andresidual motions, $M(sigma_{ww}^2+sigma_{33}^2/2$.Without loss of generality (above a thresholdin ellipticity values, the analysis is restricted to systems with isotropic stress tensor, whichmay be considered as adjoint configurationsto any assigned homeoidally striated density profile with anisotropic stress tensor, different angular momentum, and equal remaining parameters.The description of configurations in the$({sf O}hat{e}chi_v^2$ plane is extendedin two respects, namely (a from equilibriumto nonequilibrium figures, where the virialequations hold with additional kinetic energy,and (b from real to imaginary rotation, wherethe effect is elongating instead of flattening,with respect to the rotation axis.An application is made toa subsample $(N=16$ of elliptical galaxies extracted from richer samples $(N=25,~N=48$of early type galaxies investigated within theSAURON project (Cappellari et al. 2006, 2007.Sample objects are idealized as homeoidallystriated MacLaurinspheroids and Jacobi ellipsoids, and theirposition in the $({sf O}hat{e}chi_v^2$plane is inferred from observations followinga procedure outlined in an earlier paper(Caimmi 2009b. The position of related adjoint configurations with isotropic stresstensor is also determined. With a singleexception (NGC 3379, slow rotators arecharacterized by low ellipticities $(0lehat{e}<0.2$, low anisotropy parameters$(0ledelta<0

Visibility of galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Disney, M.J.

1976-01-01

It is stated that counts of galaxies could be seriously biased by selection effects, largely influenced by the brightness of the night sky. To illustrate this suppose the Earth were situated near the center of a giant elliptical galaxy. The mean surface brightness of the sky would then appear some 8 to 9 mag. brighter than is observed from our position in the Galaxy. Extragalactic space would then appear to be empty void; spiral and irregular galaxies would be invisible, and all that could be easily detected would be the core regions of galaxy ellipticals very similar to our own. Much of the Universe would be blinded by the surface brightness of the parent galaxy. This blinding, however, is a relative matter and the question arises as to what extent we are blinded by the spiral galaxy in which we exist. Strong indirect evidence exists that our knowledge of galaxies is heavily biased by the sky background, and the true population of extragalactic space may be very different from that seen. Other relevant work is also discussed, and further investigational work is indicated. (U.K.)

MINOR MERGERS AND THE SIZE EVOLUTION OF ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naab, Thorsten; Johansson, Peter H.; Ostriker, Jeremiah P.

2009-01-01

Using a high-resolution hydrodynamical cosmological simulation of the formation of a massive spheroidal galaxy we show that elliptical galaxies can be very compact and massive at high redshift in agreement with recent observations. Accretion of stripped infalling stellar material increases the size of the system with time and the central concentration is reduced by dynamical friction of the surviving stellar cores. In a specific case of a spheroidal galaxy with a final stellar mass of 1.5 x 10 11 M sun we find that the effective radius r e increases from 0.7 ± 0.2 kpc at z = 3 to r e = 2.4 ± 0.4 kpc at z = 0 with a concomitant decrease in the effective density of an order of magnitude and a decrease of the central velocity dispersion by approximately 20% over this time interval. A simple argument based on the virial theorem shows that during the accretion of weakly bound material (minor mergers) the radius can increase as the square of the mass in contrast to the usual linear rate of increase for major mergers. By undergoing minor mergers compact high-redshift spheroids can evolve into present-day systems with sizes and concentrations similar to observed local ellipticals. This indicates that minor mergers may be the main driver for the late evolution of sizes and densities of early-type galaxies.

Phenomenological approach to the modelling of elliptical galaxies: The problem of the mass-to-light ratio

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samurović S.

2007-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper the problem of the phenomenological modelling of elliptical galaxies using various available observational data is presented. Recently, Tortora, Cardona and Piedipalumbo (2007 suggested a double power law expression for the global cumulative mass-to-light ratio of elliptical galaxies. We tested their expression on a sample of ellipticals for which we have the estimates of the mass-to-light ratio beyond ~ 3 effective radii, a region where dark matter is expected to play an important dynamical role. We found that, for all the galaxies in our sample, we have α + β > 0, but that this does not necessarily mean a high dark matter content. The galaxies with higher mass (and higher dark matter content also have higher value of α+β. It was also shown that there is an indication that the galaxies with higher value of the effective radius also have higher dark matter content. .

Type Ia supernovae in elliptical and spiral galaxies - Possible differences in photometric homogeneity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Filippenko, A.V.

1989-01-01

It is shown that beta, the initial postmaximum rate of SN brightness decline (in the B band) defined by Pskovskii (1977), may have a smaller dispersion among SNe Ia in elliptical galaxies than in all other types of galaxies. Contamination of the sample by SNe Ib is unlikely to be the primary cause of this difference. Although the number of objects is very small, it is also possible that the velocity of SN Ia ejecta in elliptical galaxies is lower than in spiral galaxies. If correct, these observations provide the first direct evidence for physical differences among SNe Ia in different environments; reddening variations due to gas and dust are unlikely to produce most of the observed dispersion in beta among spirals. One obvious possibility is that the SNe Ia in spiral galaxies come from intermediate-mass stars, and that differences in the metallicities, accretion rates, or other properties account for the observations. A more extreme, improbable explanation is that not all SNe Ia in spiral galaxies result from carbon deflagrations of carbon-oxygen white dwarfs. 43 refs

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): A “No Smoking” Zone for Giant Elliptical Galaxies?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khosroshahi, Habib G.; Raouf, Mojtaba; Miraghaei, Halime; Brough, Sarah; Croton, Darren J.; Graham, Alister; Driver, Simon; Baldry, Ivan; Brown, Michael; Prescott, Matt; Wang, Lingyu

2017-01-01

We study the radio emission of the most massive galaxies in a sample of dynamically relaxed and unrelaxed galaxy groups from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly survey. The dynamical state of the group is defined by the stellar dominance of the brightest group galaxy (BGG), e.g., the luminosity gap between the two most luminous members, and the offset between the position of the BGG and the luminosity centroid of the group. We find that the radio luminosity of the largest galaxy in the group strongly depends on its environment, such that the BGGs in dynamically young (evolving) groups are an order of magnitude more luminous in the radio than those with a similar stellar mass but residing in dynamically old (relaxed) groups. This observation has been successfully reproduced by a newly developed semi-analytic model that allows us to explore the various causes of these findings. We find that the fraction of radio-loud BGGs in the observed dynamically young groups is ∼2 times that of the dynamically old groups. We discuss the implications of this observational constraint on the central galaxy properties in the context of galaxy mergers and the super massive black hole accretion rate.

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): A “No Smoking” Zone for Giant Elliptical Galaxies?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khosroshahi, Habib G.; Raouf, Mojtaba; Miraghaei, Halime [School of Astronomy, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, 19395-5746 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Brough, Sarah [Australian Astronomical Observatory, P.O. Box 915, North Ryde, NSW 1670 (Australia); Croton, Darren J.; Graham, Alister [Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology, P.O. Box 218, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122 (Australia); Driver, Simon [International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009 (Australia); Baldry, Ivan [Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, IC2, Liverpool Science Park, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L3 5RF (United Kingdom); Brown, Michael [School of Physics, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800 (Australia); Prescott, Matt [Astrophysics Group, The University of Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville 7530 (South Africa); Wang, Lingyu, E-mail: habib@ipm.ir [SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Landleven 12, 9747 AD, Groningen (Netherlands)

2017-06-20

We study the radio emission of the most massive galaxies in a sample of dynamically relaxed and unrelaxed galaxy groups from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly survey. The dynamical state of the group is defined by the stellar dominance of the brightest group galaxy (BGG), e.g., the luminosity gap between the two most luminous members, and the offset between the position of the BGG and the luminosity centroid of the group. We find that the radio luminosity of the largest galaxy in the group strongly depends on its environment, such that the BGGs in dynamically young (evolving) groups are an order of magnitude more luminous in the radio than those with a similar stellar mass but residing in dynamically old (relaxed) groups. This observation has been successfully reproduced by a newly developed semi-analytic model that allows us to explore the various causes of these findings. We find that the fraction of radio-loud BGGs in the observed dynamically young groups is ∼2 times that of the dynamically old groups. We discuss the implications of this observational constraint on the central galaxy properties in the context of galaxy mergers and the super massive black hole accretion rate.

Discovery of Ram-pressure Stripped Gas around an Elliptical Galaxy in Abell 2670

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheen, Yun-Kyeong; Kim, Minjin; Smith, Rory; Yi, Sukyoung K.; Jaffé, Yara; Duc, Pierre-Alain; Nantais, Julie; Candlish, Graeme; Demarco, Ricardo; Treister, Ezequiel

2017-01-01

Studies of cluster galaxies are increasingly finding galaxies with spectacular one-sided tails of gas and young stars, suggestive of intense ram-pressure stripping. These so-called “jellyfish” galaxies typically have late-type morphology. In this paper, we present Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) observations of an elliptical galaxy in Abell 2670 with long tails of material visible in the optical spectra, as well as blobs with tadpole-like morphology. The spectra in the central part of the galaxy reveal a stellar component as well as ionized gas. The stellar component does not have significant rotation, while the ionized gas defines a clear star-forming gas disk. We argue, based on deep optical images of the galaxy, that the gas was most likely acquired during a past wet merger. It is possible that the star-forming blobs are also remnants of the merger. In addition, the direction and kinematics of the one-sided ionized tails, combined with the tadpole morphology of the star-forming blobs, strongly suggests that the system is undergoing ram pressure from the intracluster medium. In summary, this paper presents the discovery of a post-merger elliptical galaxy undergoing ram-pressure stripping.

Discovery of Ram-pressure Stripped Gas around an Elliptical Galaxy in Abell 2670

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sheen, Yun-Kyeong; Kim, Minjin [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, 776, Daedeokdae-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34055 (Korea, Republic of); Smith, Rory; Yi, Sukyoung K. [Department of Astronomy, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722 (Korea, Republic of); Jaffé, Yara [European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Vitacura, Casilla 19001, Santiago de Chile (Chile); Duc, Pierre-Alain [Laboratoire AIM Paris-Saclay, CEA/Irfu/SAp CNRS Universite Paris Diderot, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Nantais, Julie [Departamento de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Fernandez Concha 700, 7591538 Las Condes, Santiago (Chile); Candlish, Graeme [Instituto de Física y Astronomía, Universidad de Valparaíso, Gran Bretaña 1111, Valparaíso (Chile); Demarco, Ricardo [Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción (Chile); Treister, Ezequiel, E-mail: yksheen@kasi.re.kr [Instituto de Astrofísica, Facultad de Física, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 306, Santiago (Chile)

2017-05-01

Studies of cluster galaxies are increasingly finding galaxies with spectacular one-sided tails of gas and young stars, suggestive of intense ram-pressure stripping. These so-called “jellyfish” galaxies typically have late-type morphology. In this paper, we present Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) observations of an elliptical galaxy in Abell 2670 with long tails of material visible in the optical spectra, as well as blobs with tadpole-like morphology. The spectra in the central part of the galaxy reveal a stellar component as well as ionized gas. The stellar component does not have significant rotation, while the ionized gas defines a clear star-forming gas disk. We argue, based on deep optical images of the galaxy, that the gas was most likely acquired during a past wet merger. It is possible that the star-forming blobs are also remnants of the merger. In addition, the direction and kinematics of the one-sided ionized tails, combined with the tadpole morphology of the star-forming blobs, strongly suggests that the system is undergoing ram pressure from the intracluster medium. In summary, this paper presents the discovery of a post-merger elliptical galaxy undergoing ram-pressure stripping.

THE L∝σ8 CORRELATION FOR ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES WITH CORES: RELATION WITH BLACK HOLE MASS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kormendy, John; Bender, Ralf

2013-01-01

We construct the Faber-Jackson correlation between velocity dispersion σ and total galaxy luminosity L V separately for elliptical galaxies with and without cores. The coreless ellipticals show the well-known, steep relationship dlog σ/dlog L V = 0.268 or L V ∝σ 3.74 . This corresponds to dlog σ/dlog M = 0.203, where M is the stellar mass and we use M/L∝L 0.32 . In contrast, the velocity dispersions of core ellipticals increase much more slowly with L V and M: dlog σ/dlog L V = 0.120, L V ∝σ 8.33 , and dlog σ/dlog M = 0.091. Dissipationless major galaxy mergers are expected to preserve σ according to the simplest virial-theorem arguments. However, numerical simulations show that σ increases slowly in dry major mergers, with dlog σ/dlog M ≅ +0.15. In contrast, minor mergers cause σ to decrease, with dlog σ/dlog M ≅ –0.05. Thus, the observed relation argues for dry major mergers as the dominant growth mode of the most massive ellipticals. This is consistent with what we know about the formation of cores. We know no viable way to explain galaxy cores except through dissipationless mergers of approximately equal-mass galaxies followed by core scouring by binary supermassive black holes. The observed, shallow σ∝L V +0.12 relation for core ellipticals provides further evidence that they formed in dissipationless and predominantly major mergers. Also, it explains the observation that the correlation of supermassive black hole mass with velocity dispersion, M . ∝σ 4 , ''saturates'' at high M . such that M . becomes almost independent of σ.

The SAURON project - VI. Line strength maps of 48 elliptical and lenticular galaxies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuntschner, Harald; Emsellem, Eric; Bacon, R.; Bureau, M.; Cappellari, Michele; Davies, Roger L.; de Zeeuw, P. T.; Falcon-Barroso, Jesus; Krajnovic, Davor; McDermid, Richard M.; Peletier, Reynier F.; Sarzi, Marc

2006-01-01

We present absorption line strength maps of 48 representative elliptical and lenticular galaxies obtained as part of a survey of nearby galaxies using our custom-built integral-field spectrograph, SAURON, operating on the William Herschel Telescope. Using high-quality spectra, spatially binned to a

Interstellar matter in Shapley-Ames elliptical galaxies. IV. A diffusely distributed component of dust and its effect on colour gradients.

Science.gov (United States)

Goudfrooij, P.; de Jong, T.

1995-06-01

We have investigated IRAS far-infrared observations of a complete, blue magnitude limited sample of 56 elliptical galaxies selected from the Revised Shapley-Ames Catalog. Data from a homogeneous optical CCD imaging survey as well as published X-ray data from the EINSTEIN satellite are used to constrain the infrared data. Dust masses as determined from the IRAS flux densities are found to be roughly an order of magnitude higher than those determined from optical extinction values of dust lanes and patches, in strong contrast with the situation in spiral galaxies. This "mass discrepancy" is found to be independent of the (apparent) inclination of the dust lanes. To resolve this dilemma we postulate that the majority of the dust in elliptical galaxies exists as a diffusely distributed component of dust which is undetectable at optical wavelengths. Using observed radial optical surface brightness profiles, we have systematically investigated possible heating mechanisms for the dust within elliptical galaxies. We find that heating of the dust in elliptical galaxies by the interstellar radiation field is generally sufficient to account for the dust temperatures as indicated by the IRAS flux densities. Collisions of dust grains with hot electrons in elliptical galaxies which are embedded in a hot, X-ray-emitting gas is found to be another effective heating mechanism for the dust. Employing model calculations which involve the transfer of stellar radiation in a spherical distribution of stars mixed with a diffuse distribution of dust, we show that the observed infrared luminosities imply total dust optical depths of the postulated diffusely distributed dust component in the range 0.1<~τ_V_<~0.7 and radial colour gradients 0.03<~{DELTA}(B-I)/{DELTA}log r<~0.25. The observed IRAS flux densities can be reproduced within the 1σ uncertainties in virtually all ellipticals in this sample by this newly postulated dust component, diffusely distributed over the inner few kpc of

Halo ellipticity of GAMA galaxy groups from KiDS weak lensing

Science.gov (United States)

van Uitert, Edo; Hoekstra, Henk; Joachimi, Benjamin; Schneider, Peter; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Choi, Ami; Erben, Thomas; Heymans, Catherine; Hildebrandt, Hendrik; Hopkins, Andrew M.; Klaes, Dominik; Kuijken, Konrad; Nakajima, Reiko; Napolitano, Nicola R.; Schrabback, Tim; Valentijn, Edwin; Viola, Massimo

2017-06-01

We constrain the average halo ellipticity of ˜2600 galaxy groups from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey, using the weak gravitational lensing signal measured from the overlapping Kilo Degree Survey (KiDS). To do so, we quantify the azimuthal dependence of the stacked lensing signal around seven different proxies for the orientation of the dark matter distribution, as it is a priori unknown which one traces the orientation best. On small scales, the major axis of the brightest group/cluster member (BCG) provides the best proxy, leading to a clear detection of an anisotropic signal. In order to relate that to a halo ellipticity, we have to adopt a model density profile. We derive new expressions for the quadrupole moments of the shear field given an elliptical model surface mass density profile. Modelling the signal with an elliptical Navarro-Frenk-White profile on scales R < 250 kpc, and assuming that the BCG is perfectly aligned with the dark matter, we find an average halo ellipticity of ɛh = 0.38 ± 0.12, in fair agreement with results from cold dark matter only simulations. On larger scales, the lensing signal around the BCGs becomes isotropic and the distribution of group satellites provides a better proxy for the halo's orientation instead, leading to a 3σ-4σ detection of a non-zero halo ellipticity at 250 < R < 750 kpc. Our results suggest that the distribution of stars enclosed within a certain radius forms a good proxy for the orientation of the dark matter within that radius, which has also been observed in hydrodynamical simulations.

Morphological Evolution in High-Redshift Radio Galaxies and the Formation of Giant Elliptical Galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breugel, W.J. van; Stanford, S.A.; Spinrad, H.; Stern, D.; Graham, J.R.

1998-01-01

We present deep near-infrared images of high-redshift radio galaxies (HzRGs) obtained with the near-infrared camera (NIRC) on the Keck I telescope. In most cases, the near-IR data sample rest wavelengths that are free of contamination from strong emission lines and at λ rest > 4000 Angstrom, where older stellar populations, if present, might dominate the observed flux. At z > 3, the rest-frame optical morphologies generally have faint, large-scale (∼50 kpc) emission surrounding multiple, ∼10 kpc components. The brightest of these components are often aligned with the radio structures. These morphologies change dramatically at 2 rest ) ∼ -20 to -22] of the individual components in the z > 3 HzRGs are similar to the total sizes and luminosities of normal radio-quiet star forming galaxies at z = 3 - 4. For objects where such data are available, our observations show that the line-free, near-IR colors of the z > 3 galaxies are very blue, consistent with models in which recent star formation dominates the observed light. Direct spectroscopic evidence for massive star formation in one of the z > 3 HzRGs exists (4C 41.17). Our results suggest that the z > 3 HzRGs evolve into much more massive systems than the radio-quiet galaxies and that they are qualitatively consistent with models in which massive galaxies form in hierarchical fashion through the merging of smaller star-forming systems. The presence of relatively luminous subcomponents along the radio axes of the z > 3 galaxies suggests a causal connection with the AGN. We compare the radio and near-IR sizes as a function of redshift and suggest that this parameter may be a measure of the degree to which the radio sources have induced star formation in the parent objects. We also discuss the Hubble diagram of radio galaxies, the possibility of a radio power dependence in the K-z relation, and its implications for radio galaxy formation. Finally, we present for the first time in published format basic radio and

Hot gas metallicity and the history of supernova activity in elliptical galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loewenstein, M.; Mathews, W.G.

1991-01-01

Calculations of the dynamical evolution of the hot interstellar medium (ISM) in a massive elliptical galaxy are described, with a variety of past variations of the SN rate being assumed. The investigation focuses on iron enrichment in the ISM. The equivalent widths of the 6.7-keV iron line are calculated as a function of redshift and of galactic projected radius. The present-day interstellar gas in elliptical galaxies contains a fossil record of past SN activity that can be determined from measurements of iron line equivalent widths at several projected radii in the galaxy. It is proposed that the ISM iron abundance is likely to be quite inhomogeneous. The hydrogen-free ejecta of type Ia SN also result in pronounced ISM abundance inhomogeneities that probably eventually cool and move in pressure equilibrium with the local ISM flow velocity. The 6.7-keV iron line emission is greater if the iron is confined to ionized regions of pure iron. 25 refs

Stellar populations of elliptical galaxies in Virgo Cluster. I. The data and stellar population analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yamada, Y; Arimoto, N; Vazdekis, A; Peletier, RF

2006-01-01

We have determined spectroscopic ages of elliptical galaxies in the Virgo Cluster using spectra of very high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N > 100 angstrom(-1)). We observed eight galaxies with the Subaru Telescope and have combined this sample with six galaxies previously observed with the WHT. To

Violent Relaxation, Dynamical Instabilities and the Formation of Elliptical Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Aguilar, L. A.

1990-11-01

RESUMEN: El problema de la formaci6n de galaxias elfpticas por medjo de colapso gravitacional sin disipaci6n de energfa es estudiado usando un gran numero de simulaciones numericas. Se muestra que este tipo de colapsos, partiendo de condiciones iniciales frfas donde la energfa cinetica inicial representa s6lo un 5%, 0 , de a potencial inicial, produce sistemas relajados de forma triaxial muy similares a las galaxias elfpticas reales en sus formas y perfiles de densidad en proyecci6i . La forina triaxial resulta de la acci6n de una inestabilidad dinamica que aparece en sistemas 'inicos dominados por movimientos radiales, mientras que el perfil de densidad final Cs debido al llamado relajamiento violento que tiende a producir una distribuci6n en espacio fase unica. Estos dos fen6menos tienden a borrar los detalles particulares sobre las condiciones iniciales y dan lugar a una evoluci6n convergente hacia sistemas realistas, esto innecesario el uso de condiciones iniciales especiales (excepto por Ia condici6i de que estas deben ser frfas). Las condiciones iniciales frfas producen los movimientos radiales y fluctuaciones de la energfa potencial requeridos por ambos fen6menos. ABSTRACT: The problem of formation of elliptical galaxies via dissipationless collapse is studied using a large set of numerical simulations. It is shown that dissipationless collapses from cold initial conditions, where the total initial kinetic energy is less than 5% ofthe initial potential energy, lead to relaxed triaxial systems ery similar to real elliptical galaxies ii projected shape and density profiles. The triaxial shape is due to the of a dynamical instability that appears on systems dominated by radial orbits, while final density profile is due to violent relaxation that tends to produce a unique distribution iii space. These two phenomena erase memory of the initial prodtice a convergent evolution toward realistic systems, thus making unnecessary use o[special initial conditions (other

COLD DUST BUT WARM GAS IN THE UNUSUAL ELLIPTICAL GALAXY NGC 4125

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilson, C. D.; Cridland, A.; Foyle, K.; Parkin, T. J.; Cooper, E. Mentuch [Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1 (Canada); Roussel, H. [Institut d' Astrophysique de Paris, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, CNRS UMR 7095, F-75014 Paris (France); Sauvage, M.; Lebouteiller, V.; Madden, S. [Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DSM-CNRS-Université Paris Diderot DAPNIA/Service d' Astrophysique, Bât. 709, CEA-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Smith, M. W. L.; Gear, W. [School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA (United Kingdom); Baes, M.; De Looze, I. [Sterrenkundig Observatorium, Universiteit Gent, Krijgslaan 281 S9, B-9000 Gent (Belgium); Bendo, G. [UK ALMA Regional Centre Node, Jodrell Bank Center for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Boquien, M.; Boselli, A.; Ciesla, L. [Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, LAM (Laboratoire d' Astrophysique de Marseille) UMR 7326, F-13388 Marseille (France); Clements, D. L. [Astrophysics Group, Imperial College London, Blackett Laboratory, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Cooray, A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States); Galametz, M. [Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA (United Kingdom); and others

2013-10-20

Data from the Herschel Space Observatory have revealed an unusual elliptical galaxy, NGC 4125, which has strong and extended submillimeter emission from cold dust but only very strict upper limits to its CO and H I emission. Depending on the dust emissivity, the total dust mass is 2-5 × 10{sup 6} M {sub ☉}. While the neutral gas-to-dust mass ratio is extremely low (<12-30), including the ionized gas traced by [C II] emission raises this limit to <39-100. The dust emission follows a similar r {sup 1/4} profile to the stellar light and the dust to stellar mass ratio is toward the high end of what is found in nearby elliptical galaxies. We suggest that NGC 4125 is currently in an unusual phase where evolved stars produced in a merger-triggered burst of star formation are pumping large amounts of gas and dust into the interstellar medium. In this scenario, the low neutral gas-to-dust mass ratio is explained by the gas being heated to temperatures ≥10{sup 4} K faster than the dust is evaporated. If galaxies like NGC 4125, where the far-infrared emission does not trace neutral gas in the usual manner, are common at higher redshift, this could have significant implications for our understanding of high redshift galaxies and galaxy evolution.

Statistical analysis of the Einstein normal galaxy sample. III. Radio and X-ray properties of elliptical and S0 galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fabbiano, G.; Klein, U.; Trinchieri, G.; Wielebinski, R.; Bonn Universitaet, West Germany; Arcetri, Osservatorio Astrofisico, Florence, Italy; Max-Planck-Institut fuer Radioastronomie, Bonn, West Germany)

1987-01-01

Radioastronomy, optical and X-ray data were used to probe the cause of high X-ray luminosities of 28 radio-quiet elliptical galaxies (RQE) and S0 galaxies previously scanned by the Einstein Observatory. Comparisons were made with similar data on double-lobed 3CR galaxies. Radio luminosities were highly correlated with the X-ray luminosities, agreeing with models of radio nuclear sources in early-type galaxies as accreting compact objects. Additionally, 3CR galaxies seemed to be large-scale versions of normal RQE. The significance of interstellar medium/intracluster medium interactions for high correlations between the core and total radio power from X-ray emitting galaxies is discussed. 54 references

Detection of CO (J=1-0) in the dwarf elliptical galaxy NGC 185

Science.gov (United States)

Wiklind, Tommy; Rydbeck, Gustaf

1987-01-01

The detection of CO (J = 1-0) emission in the dwarf elliptical galaxy NGC 185 is reported. The presence of massive molecular clouds in this early-type galaxy supports the idea of recent or ongoing stellar formation indicated by the population of blue stars in the center. The CO was detected in two positions in the galaxy, the center, and a prominent dustcloud. The emission profile has two peaks, roughly centered around the systemic velocity. It is found that NGC 185 is overluminous in blue light for its CO luminosity compared with Sc galaxies. This might indicate a higher star-formation efficiency for NGC 185 than for the late-type galaxies.

The effects of the initial mass function on the chemical evolution of elliptical galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

De Masi, Carlo; Matteucci, F.; Vincenzo, F.

2018-03-01

We describe the use of our chemical evolution model to reproduce the abundance patterns observed in a catalogue of elliptical galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 4. The model assumes ellipticals form by fast gas accretion, and suffer a strong burst of star formation followed by a galactic wind, which quenches star formation. Models with fixed initial mass function (IMF) failed in simultaneously reproducing the observed trends with the galactic mass. So, we tested a varying IMF; contrary to the diffused claim that the IMF should become bottom heavier in more massive galaxies, we find a better agreement with data by assuming an inverse trend, where the IMF goes from being bottom heavy in less massive galaxies to top heavy in more massive ones. This naturally produces a downsizing in star formation, favouring massive stars in largest galaxies. Finally, we tested the use of the integrated Galactic IMF, obtained by averaging the canonical IMF over the mass distribution function of the clusters where star formation is assumed to take place. We combined two prescriptions, valid for different SFR regimes, to obtain the Integrated Initial Mass Function values along the whole evolution of the galaxies in our models. Predicted abundance trends reproduce the observed slopes, but they have an offset relative to the data. We conclude that bottom-heavier IMFs do not reproduce the properties of the most massive ellipticals, at variance with previous suggestions. On the other hand, an IMF varying with galactic mass from bottom heavier to top heavier should be preferred.

Deep imaging of the shell elliptical galaxy NGC3923 with MegaCam

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bílek, Michal; Cuillandre, J.-C.; Gwyn, S.; Ebrová, Ivana; Bartošková, Kateřina; Jungwiert, Bruno; Jílková, L.

2016-01-01

Roč. 588, April (2016), A77/1-A77/12 ISSN 0004-6361 Institutional support: RVO:67985815 Keywords : elliptical and lenticular galaxies * peculiar * photometry Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics Impact factor: 4.378, year: 2014

Dark matter deprivation in the field elliptical galaxy NGC 7507

Science.gov (United States)

Lane, Richard R.; Salinas, Ricardo; Richtler, Tom

2015-02-01

Context. Previous studies have shown that the kinematics of the field elliptical galaxy NGC 7507 do not necessarily require dark matter. This is troubling because, in the context of ΛCDM cosmologies, all galaxies should have a large dark matter component. Aims: Our aims are to determine the rotation and velocity dispersion profile out to larger radii than do previous studies, and, therefore, more accurately estimate of the dark matter content of the galaxy. Methods: We use penalised pixel-fitting software to extract velocities and velocity dispersions from GMOS slit mask spectra. Using Jeans and MONDian modelling, we then produce models with the goal of fitting the velocity dispersion data. Results: NGC 7507 has a two-component stellar halo, with the outer halo counter rotating with respect to the inner halo, with a kinematic boundary at a radius of ~110'' (~12.4 kpc). The velocity dispersion profile exhibits an increase at ~70'' (~7.9 kpc), reminiscent of several other elliptical galaxies. Our best fit models are those under mild anisotropy, which include ~100 times less dark matter than predicted by ΛCDM, although mildly anisotropic models that are completely dark matter free fit the measured dynamics almost equally well. Our MONDian models, both isotropic and anisotropic, systematically fail to reproduce the measured velocity dispersions at almost all radii. Conclusions: The counter-rotating outer halo implies a merger remnant, as does the increase in velocity dispersion at ~70''. From simulations it seems plausible that the merger that caused the increase in velocity dispersion was a spiral-spiral merger. Our Jeans models are completely consistent with a no dark matter scenario, however, some dark matter can be accommodated, although at much lower concentrations than predicted by ΛCDM simulations. This indicates that NGC 7507 may be a dark matter free elliptical galaxy. Regardless of whether NGC 7507 is completely dark matter free or very dark matter poor

A statistical analysis of the Einstein normal galaxy sample. III - Radio and X-ray properties of elliptical and S0 galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Fabbiano, G.; Klein, U.; Trinchieri, G.; Wielebinski, R.

1987-01-01

Radioastronomy, optical and X-ray data were used to probe the cause of high X-ray luminosities of 28 radio-quiet elliptical galaxies (RQE) and S0 galaxies previously scanned by the Einstein Observatory. Comparisons were made with similar data on double-lobed 3CR galaxies. Radio luminosities were highly correlated with the X-ray luminosities, agreeing with models of radio nuclear sources in early-type galaxies as accreting compact objects. Additionally, 3CR galaxies seemed to be large-scale versions of normal RQE. The significance of interstellar medium/intracluster medium interactions for high correlations between the core and total radio power from X-ray emitting galaxies is discussed.

The properties of radio ellipticals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sparks, W.B.; Disney, M.J.; Rodgers, A.W.

1984-01-01

Optical and additional radio data are presented for the bright galaxies of the Disney and Wall survey (1977 Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 179, 235). These data form the basis of a statistical comparison of the properties of radio elliptical galaxies to radio-quiet ellipticals. The correlations may be explained by the depth of the gravitational potential well in which the galaxy resides governing the circumstances under which an elliptical galaxy rids itself of internally produced gas. (author)

Giant Radio Halos in Galaxy Clusters as Probes of Particle ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2016-01-27

Jan 27, 2016 ... Giant radio halos in galaxy clusters probe mechanisms of particle acceleration connected with cluster merger events. Shocks and turbulence are driven in the inter-galactic medium (IGM) during clusters mergers and may have a deep impact on the non-thermal properties of galaxy clusters. Models of ...

Correlations Between Central Massive Objects And Their Host Galaxies: From Bulgeless Spirals to Ellipticals

OpenAIRE

Li, Yuexing; Haiman, Zoltán; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark

2006-01-01

Recent observations by Ferrarese et al. (2006) and Wehner et al. (2006) reveal that a majority of galaxies contain a central massive object (CMO), either a supermassive black hole (SMBH) or a compact stellar nucleus, regardless of the galaxy mass or morphological type, and that there is a tight relation between the masses of CMOs and those of the host galaxies. Several recent studies show that feedback from black holes can successfully explain the $\\msigma$ correlation in massive elliptical g...

Models of steady state cooling flows in elliptical galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vedder, P.W.; Trester, J.J.; Canizares, C.R.

1988-01-01

A comprehensive set of steady state models for spherically symmetric cooling flows in early-type galaxies is presented. It is found that a reduction of the supernova (SN) rate in ellipticals produces a decrease in the X-ray luminosity of galactic cooling flows and a steepening of the surface brightness profile. The mean X-ray temperature of the cooling flow is not affected noticeably by a change in the SN rate. The external pressure around a galaxy does not markedly change the luminosity of the gas within the galaxy but does change the mean temperature of the gas. The presence of a dark matter halo in a galaxy only changes the mean X-ray temperature slightly. The addition of a distribution of mass sinks which remove material from the general accretion flow reduces L(X) very slightly, flattens the surface brightness profile, and reduces the central surface brightness level to values close to those actually observed. A reduction in the stellar mass-loss rate only slightly reduces the X-ray luminosity of the cooling flow and flattens the surface brightness by a small amount. 37 references

Coma cluster of galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

1999-01-01

Atlas Image mosaic, covering 34' x 34' on the sky, of the Coma cluster, aka Abell 1656. This is a particularly rich cluster of individual galaxies (over 1000 members), most prominently the two giant ellipticals, NGC 4874 (right) and NGC 4889 (left). The remaining members are mostly smaller ellipticals, but spiral galaxies are also evident in the 2MASS image. The cluster is seen toward the constellation Coma Berenices, but is actually at a distance of about 100 Mpc (330 million light years, or a redshift of 0.023) from us. At this distance, the cluster is in what is known as the 'Hubble flow,' or the overall expansion of the Universe. As such, astronomers can measure the Hubble Constant, or the universal expansion rate, based on the distance to this cluster. Large, rich clusters, such as Coma, allow astronomers to measure the 'missing mass,' i.e., the matter in the cluster that we cannot see, since it gravitationally influences the motions of the member galaxies within the cluster. The near-infrared maps the overall luminous mass content of the member galaxies, since the light at these wavelengths is dominated by the more numerous older stellar populations. Galaxies, as seen by 2MASS, look fairly smooth and homogeneous, as can be seen from the Hubble 'tuning fork' diagram of near-infrared galaxy morphology. Image mosaic by S. Van Dyk (IPAC).

ELLIPTICAL GALAXY MASSES OUT TO FIVE EFFECTIVE RADII: THE REALM OF DARK MATTER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deason, A. J; Belokurov, V.; Evans, N. W.; McCarthy, I. G.

2012-01-01

We estimate the masses of elliptical galaxies out to five effective radii using planetary nebulae and globular clusters as tracers. A sample of 15 elliptical galaxies with a broad variation in mass is compiled from the literature. A distribution function-maximum likelihood analysis is used to estimate the overall potential slope, normalization, and velocity anisotropy of the tracers. We assume power-law profiles for the potential and tracer density and a constant velocity anisotropy. The derived potential power-law indices lie in between the isothermal and Keplerian regime and vary with mass: there is tentative evidence that the less massive galaxies have steeper potential profiles than the more massive galaxies. We use stellar mass-to-light ratios appropriate for either a Chabrier/KTG (Kroupa, Tout and Gilmore) or Salpeter initial mass function to disentangle the stellar and dark matter components. The fraction of dark matter within five effective radii increases with mass, in agreement with several other studies. We employ simple models to show that a combination of star formation efficiency and baryon extent are able to account for this trend. These models are in good agreement with both our measurements out to five effective radii and recent Sloan Lens ACS Survey measurements within one effective radii when a universal Chabrier/KTG initial mass function is adopted.

Giant Double Radio Source DA 240: Purveyor of Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ru-Rong; Strom, Richard; Peng, Bo

2018-05-01

Galaxies of stars are building blocks of the baryonic universe. Their composition, structure, and kinematics have been well studied, but details of their origins remain sketchy. The collapse of gas clouds, induced by external forces whereby gravity overcomes internal pressure to form stars, is the likely starting point. Among the perturbing initiators of galaxy formation, radio source beams (jets) are quite effective. Typically, a beam may spawn one galaxy, though instances of several aligned with the radio axis are known. Recently, we found an impressive 14 companions in the lobes of the giant radio galaxy DA 240, which we argue formed as the result of jet instigation. This conclusion is bolstered by the fact that the galaxy groups display Z-shaped symmetry with respect to the radio axis. There is some evidence for star formation among the aligned companions. We also conclude that galaxy alignments at low redshift may derive from line-emitting gas observed in radio components of high-redshift galaxies.

BIMA CO (1-0) Observations of the Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy NGC 404

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, C. L.; Petitpas, G. R.

2004-12-01

We present high resolution observations of the CO emission in NGC 404, a nearby dwarf elliptical (dE) galaxy (D = 3.3 Mpc). NGC 404 is only the third dwarf elliptical to have its CO emission mapped by interferometric observations, and is the first outside the Local Group. Our observations show a very concentrated, marginally resolved structure about 9 × 9 arcseconds in diameter. This corresponds to a very small cloud at the center of a much larger distribution of stars. NGC 404 is surrounded by a doughnut shaped distribution of HI gas centered on the stellar component. The CO and HI appear to be kinematically distinct components, suggesting that the HI may be part of the galaxy's original gas distribution, while the CO may be recycled from the products of stellar evolution. C.L.T. has been supported by CSU Sacramento via a Research and Creative Activity Award. G.R.P. has been supported by the Laboratory for Millimeter-Wave Astronomy through NSF grant AST 99-81289

CONFIRMATION OF ENHANCED DWARF-SENSITIVE ABSORPTION FEATURES IN THE SPECTRA OF MASSIVE ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES: FURTHER EVIDENCE FOR A NON-UNIVERSAL INITIAL MASS FUNCTION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Dokkum, Pieter G.; Conroy, Charlie

2011-01-01

We recently found that massive cluster elliptical galaxies have strong Na I λ8183, 8195 and FeH λ9916 Wing-Ford band absorption, indicating the presence of a very large population of stars with masses ∼ sun . Here we test this result by comparing the elliptical galaxy spectra to those of luminous globular clusters associated with M31. These globular clusters have similar metallicities, abundance ratios, and ages as massive elliptical galaxies but their low dynamical mass-to-light ratios rule out steep stellar initial mass functions (IMFs). From high-quality Keck spectra we find that the dwarf-sensitive absorption lines in globular clusters are significantly weaker than in elliptical galaxies and consistent with normal IMFs. The differences in the Na I and Wing-Ford indices are 0.027 ± 0.007 mag and 0.017 ± 0.006 mag, respectively. We directly compare the two classes of objects by subtracting the averaged globular cluster spectrum from the averaged elliptical galaxy spectrum. The difference spectrum is well fit by the difference between a stellar population synthesis model with a bottom-heavy IMF and one with a bottom-light IMF. We speculate that the slope of the IMF may vary with velocity dispersion, although it is not yet clear what physical mechanism would be responsible for such a relation.

Galaxy formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gribbin, J.

1979-01-01

The current debate on the origin and evolution of galaxies is reviewed and evidence to support the so-called 'isothermal' and 'adiabatic' fluctuation models considered. It is shown that new theories have to explain the formation of both spiral and elliptical galaxies and the reason for their differences. It is stated that of the most recent models the best indicates that rotating spiral galaxies are formed naturally when gas concentrates in the centre of a great halo and forms stars while ellipticals are explained by later interactions between spiral galaxies and merging, which can cancel out the rotation while producing an elliptical galaxy in which the stars, coming from two original galaxies, follow very elliptical, anisotropic orbits. (UK)

The SAURON project - XIX. Optical and near-infrared scaling relations of nearby elliptical, lenticular and Sa galaxies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Falcón-Barroso, J.; van de Ven, G.; Peletier, R. F.; Bureau, M.; Jeong, H.; Bacon, R.; Cappellari, M.; Davies, R. L.; de Zeeuw, P. T.; Emsellem, E.; Krajnović, D.; Kuntschner, H.; McDermid, R. M.; Sarzi, M.; Shapiro, K. L.; van den Bosch, R. C. E.; van der Wolk, G.; Weijmans, A.; Yi, S.

2011-01-01

We present ground-based MDM Observatory V-band and Spitzer/InfraRed Array Camera 3.6-?m-band photometric observations of the 72 representative galaxies of the SAURON survey. Galaxies in our sample probe the elliptical E, lenticular S0 and spiral Sa populations in the nearby Universe, both in field

Intrinsic shapes of discy and boxy ellipticals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fasano, Giovanni

1991-01-01

Statistical tests for intrinsic shapes of elliptical galaxies have given so far inconclusive and sometimes contradictory results. These failures have been often charged to the fact that classical tests consider only the two axisymmetric shapes (oblate versus prolate), while ellipticals are truly triaxial bodies. On the other hand, recent analyses indicate that the class of elliptical galaxies could be a mixture of (at least) two families having different morphology and dynamical behaviour: (i) a family of fast-rotating, disc-like ellipticals (discy); (ii) a family of slow-rotating, box-shaped ellipticals (boxy). In this paper we review the tests for instrinsic shapes of elliptical galaxies using data of better quality (CCD) with respect to previous applications. (author)

The SAURON project : XIX. Optical and near-infrared scaling relations of nearby elliptical, lenticular and Sa galaxies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Falcon-Barroso, J.; van de Ven, G.; Peletier, R. F.; Bureau, M.; Jeong, H.; Bacon, R.; Cappellari, M.; Davies, R. L.; de Zeeuw, P. T.; Emsellem, E.; Krajnovic, D.; Kuntschner, H.; McDermid, R. M.; Sarzi, M.; Shapiro, K. L.; van den Bosch, R.C.E.; van der Wolk, G.; Weijmans, A.; Yi, S.

2011-01-01

We present ground-based MDM Observatory V-band and Spitzer/InfraRed Array Camera 3.6-mu m-band photometric observations of the 72 representative galaxies of the SAURON survey. Galaxies in our sample probe the elliptical E, lenticular S0 and spiral Sa populations in the nearby Universe, both in field

The RSA survey of dwarf galaxies, 1: Optical photometry

Science.gov (United States)

Vader, J. Patricia; Chaboyer, Brian

1994-01-01

We present detailed surface photometry, based on broad B-band charge coupled device (CCD) images, of about 80 dwarf galaxies. Our sample represents approximately 10% of all dwarf galaxies identified in the vicinity of Revised Shapley-Ames (RSA) galaxies on high resolution blue photographic plates, referred to as the RSA survey of dwarf galaxies. We derive global properties and radial surface brightness profiles, and examine the morphologies. The radial surface brightness profiles of dwarf galaxies, whether early or late type, display the same varieties in shape and complexity as those of classical giant galaxies. Only a few are well described by a pure r(exp 1/4) law. Exponential profiles prevail. Features typical of giant disk galaxies, such as exponential profiles with a central depression, lenses, and even, in one case (IC 2041), a relatively prominent bulge are also found in dwarf galaxies. Our data suggest that the central region evolves from being bulge-like, with an r(exp 1/4) law profile, in bright galaxies to a lens-like structure in dwarf galaxies. We prove detailed surface photometry to be a helpful if not always sufficient tool in investigating the structure of dwarf galaxies. In many cases kinematic information is needed to complete the picture. We find the shapes of the surface brightness profiles to be loosely associated with morphological type. Our sample contains several new galaxies with properties intermediate between those of giant and dwarf ellipticals (but no M32-like objects). This shows that such intermediate galaxies exist so that at least a fraction of early-type dwarf ellipticals is structurally related to early-type giants instead of belonging to a totally unrelated, disjunct family. This supports an origin of early-type dwarf galaxies as originally more massive systems that acquired their current morphology as a result of substantial, presumable supernova-driven, mass loss. On the other hand, several early-type dwarfs in our sample are

Stellar populations in distant radio galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lilly, S.J.; Longair, M.S.

1984-01-01

A homogeneous data set of infrared observations of 83 3CR galaxies with redshifts 0< z<1.6, selected from a statistically complete sample of 90 radio sources, is used to study the colours and magnitudes of these galaxies as a function of their redshifts. New infrared observations are presented for 66 radio galaxies, in addition to new optical results obtained from a re-analysis of existing CCD images. It is shown that the infrared colours do not deviate from the predicted relations with redshift for a standard giant elliptical galaxy spectrum. The optical to infrared colours, however, show substantial deviations at high redshift. No galaxies have been found that are significantly redder than a passively evolving galaxy, and there is a significant scatter of colours bluewards from this model. The excess of ultraviolet light responsible for these colours is not concentrated at the nucleus, and is interpreted as resulting from bursts of star formation, throughout the galaxy. (author)

Comparing Chemical Compositions of Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies and Globular Clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Jason; Sparkman, Lea; Toloba, Elisa; Guhathakurta, Puragra

2015-01-01

Because of their abundance in cluster environments and fragility due to their low mass, dwarf elliptical galaxies (dEs) are excellent specimens for studying the physical processes that occur inside galaxy clusters. These studies can be used to expand our understanding of the process of galaxy (specifically dE) formation and the role of dark matter in the Universe. To move closer to better understanding these topics, we present a study of the relationship between dEs and globular clusters (GCs) by using the largest sample of dEs and GC satellites to date. We focus on comparing the ages and chemical compositions of dE nuclei with those of satellite GCs by analyzing absorption lines in their spectra. To better view the spectral features of these relatively dim objects, we employ a spectral co-addition process, where we add the fluxes of several objects to produce a single spectrum with high signal-to-noise ratio. Our finding that dE nuclei are younger and more metal rich than globular clusters establishes important benchmarks that future dE formation theories will consider. We also establish a means to identify GCs whose parent galaxies are uncertain, which allows us to make comparisons between this GC group and the satellite GCs.

The JHKs Magnitudes of the Red Giant Branch Tip and the Distance Moduli of Nearby Dwarf Galaxy NGC 205

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Y. Jung

2009-12-01

Full Text Available We have used the near-infrared JHKS photometric data of resolved stars in a nearby dwarf elliptical galaxy NGC 205 to determine the magnitudes of the red giant branch tip (TRGB. By applying Savitzky-Golay filter to the observed luminosity functions (LFs in each band, we derived the second derivatives of the LFs so as to determine the magnitudes of the TRGB. Absolute magnitudes of the TRGB in JHKs bands were measured from the Yonsei-Yale isochrones. By comparing the determined apparent magnitudes and the theoretical absolute magnitudes of the TRGB, we estimated the distance moduli of NGC 205 to be (m-M = 24.10±0:08, 24.08±0.12 and 24.14±0.14 in J, H, and Ks bands, respectively.

Central velocity dispersion in elliptical and lenticular galaxies as an extragalactic distance indicator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

de Vaucouleurs, G.; Olson, D.W.

1982-01-01

The Faber-Jackson relation between absolute magnitude M/sub T/ 0 and central velocity dispersion sigma/sub upsilon/ is reexamined for a sample of 157 normal, noninteracting galaxies, 82 ellipticals (T = -5, -4), and 75 lenticulars (T = -3, -2, -1). The values of sigma/sub upsilon/ are weighted means from various sources reduced to a uniform system

MOND prediction of a new giant shell in the elliptical galaxy NGC 3923

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bílek, Michal; Bartošková, Kateřina; Ebrová, Ivana; Jungwiert, Bruno

2014-01-01

Roč. 566, June (2014), A151/1-A151/11 ISSN 0004-6361 Grant - others:GA MŠk(CZ) LM2010005; UK(CZ) SVV-26089 Institutional support: RVO:67985815 Keywords : gravitation * galaxies: kinematics and dynamics * galaxies: formation Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics Impact factor: 4.378, year: 2014

FCC046: A CANDIDATE GASEOUS POLAR RING DWARF ELLIPTICAL GALAXY IN THE FORNAX CLUSTER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Rijcke, S.; Buyle, P.; Koleva, M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S9, B-9000 Ghent (Belgium)

2013-06-20

FCC046 is a Fornax Cluster dwarf elliptical galaxy. Optical observations have shown that this galaxy, besides an old and metal-poor stellar population, also contains a very young centrally concentrated population and is actively forming stars, albeit at a very low level. Here, we report on 21 cm observations of FCC046 with the Australia Telescope Compact Array which we conducted in the course of a small survey of Fornax Cluster early-type dwarf galaxies. We have discovered a {approx}10{sup 7} M{sub Sun} H I cloud surrounding FCC046. We show that the presence of this significant gas reservoir offers a concise explanation for this galaxy's optical morphological and kinematical properties. Surprisingly, the H I gas, as evidenced by its morphology and its rotational motion around the galaxy's optical major axis, is kinematically decoupled from the galaxy's stellar body. This is the first time such a ring of gaseous material in minor-axis rotation is discovered around a dwarf galaxy.

Is the cluster environment quenching the Seyfert activity in elliptical and spiral galaxies?

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza, R. S.; Dantas, M. L. L.; Krone-Martins, A.; Cameron, E.; Coelho, P.; Hattab, M. W.; de Val-Borro, M.; Hilbe, J. M.; Elliott, J.; Hagen, A.; COIN Collaboration

2016-09-01

We developed a hierarchical Bayesian model (HBM) to investigate how the presence of Seyfert activity relates to their environment, herein represented by the galaxy cluster mass, M200, and the normalized cluster centric distance, r/r200. We achieved this by constructing an unbiased sample of galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, with morphological classifications provided by the Galaxy Zoo Project. A propensity score matching approach is introduced to control the effects of confounding variables: stellar mass, galaxy colour, and star formation rate. The connection between Seyfert-activity and environmental properties in the de-biased sample is modelled within an HBM framework using the so-called logistic regression technique, suitable for the analysis of binary data (e.g. whether or not a galaxy hosts an AGN). Unlike standard ordinary least square fitting methods, our methodology naturally allows modelling the probability of Seyfert-AGN activity in galaxies on their natural scale, I.e. as a binary variable. Furthermore, we demonstrate how an HBM can incorporate information of each particular galaxy morphological type in an unified framework. In elliptical galaxies our analysis indicates a strong correlation of Seyfert-AGN activity with r/r200, and a weaker correlation with the mass of the host cluster. In spiral galaxies these trends do not appear, suggesting that the link between Seyfert activity and the properties of spiral galaxies are independent of the environment.

Identification and spectrophotometry of faint southern radio galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spinrad, H.; Kron, R.G.; Hunstead, R.W.

1980-01-01

We have observed a mixed sample of southern radio sources, identified on the Palomar sky survey or on previous direct plates taken with medium-aperture reflectors. At CIO we obtained a few deep 4m photographs and SIT spectrophotometry for redshift and continuum-color measurement. Almost all our sources were faint galaxies; the largest redshift measured was for 3C 275, with z=0.480. The ultraviolet continuum of PKS 0400--643, a ''thermal'' galaxy with z=0.476, closely resembles that of 3C 295 and shows some color evolution in U--B compared to nearby giant ellipticals

Clustering of very luminous infrared galaxies and their environment

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, YU

1993-01-01

The IRAS survey reveals a class of ultraluminous infrared (IR) galaxies (ULIRG's) with IR luminosities comparable to the bolometric luminosities of quasars. The nature, origin, and evolution of ULIRG's are attracting more and more attention recently. Since galaxy morphology is certainly a function of environment, morphological observations show that ULIRG's are interacting/merging galaxies, and some ULIRG's might be the dust-enshrouded quasars (S88) or giant ellipticals, the study of ULIRG's environment and large scale clustering effects should be worthwhile. ULIRG's and very luminous IR galaxies have been selected from the 2Jy IRAS redshift survey. Meanwhile, a catalog of IRAS groups of galaxies has been constructed using a percolation-like algorithm. Therefore, whether ULIRG's and/or VLIRG's have a group environment can be checked immediately. Other aspects of the survey are discussed.

Giant Galaxy's Violent Past Comes Into Focus

Science.gov (United States)

2004-05-01

Long-exposure images of the giant elliptical galaxy M87 by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, together with radio observations, have provided spectacular evidence of repetitive outbursts from the vicinity of the galaxy's supermassive black hole. Magnetized rings, bubbles, plumes and jets ranging in size from a few thousand to a few hundred thousand light years point to ongoing violent activity for hundreds of millions of years. "The hot X-ray emitting gas extending for hundreds of thousands of light years around M87 reveals a record of episodes of black hole activity," said Paul Nulsen of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) in Cambridge, Mass. and an author of an Astrophysical Journal paper describing the latest Chandra observations. "With these detailed observations, we are beginning to understand how the central supermassive black hole transfers enormous amounts of energy over vast reaches of space." M87, located in the middle of the Virgo galaxy cluster, is surrounded by an extensive atmosphere of multi-million degree Celsius gas. Chandra's long-exposure image has allowed astronomers to see in more detail structures discovered by previous observations with Chandra and other X-ray telescopes, to discover new features, and to make specific comparisons with radio images, which trace the presence of high-energy electrons in a magnetic field." X-ray Image of M87 Chandra X-ray Image of M87, Close-Up The picture that emerges is one in which the infall of material toward a central supermassive black hole produces a magnetized jet of high-energy particles that blasts away from the vicinity of the black hole at near the speed of light. As a jet plows into the surrounding gas, a buoyant, magnetized bubble of high-energy particles is created, and an intense sound wave rushes ahead of the expanding bubble. In Chandra's image of M87, X-rays from the jet dominate the central region of the galaxy. The jet is thought to be pointed at a small angle toward the

S0 galaxies in Formax

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bedregal...[], A. G.; Aragón-Salamanca, A.; Merrifield, M. R.

2006-01-01

Galaxies: elliptical and lenticular, cD: galaxies: kinematics and dynamics Udgivelsesdato: Oct.1......Galaxies: elliptical and lenticular, cD: galaxies: kinematics and dynamics Udgivelsesdato: Oct.1...

Cannibal Stars Cause Giant Explosions in Fornax Cluster Galaxy

Science.gov (United States)

2000-07-01

been necessary to detect a few distant novae [3]. VLT observations of NGC 1316 in the Fornax Cluster ESO PR Photo 18a/00 ESO PR Photo 18a/00 [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 448 pix - 28k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 895 pix - 136k] [Full-Res - JPEG: 1941 x 2172 pix - 904k] Caption : Colour composite photo of the central area of NGC 1316 , a giant elliptical galaxy in the Fornax cluster of galaxies. Many dark dust clouds and lanes are visible. Some of the star-like objects in the field are globular clusters of stars that belong to the galaxy. It is based on CCD exposures, obtained with the 8.2-m VLT/ANTU telescope and the FORS-1 multi-mode instrument through B (blue), V (green-yellow) and I (here rendered as red) filters, respectively. The "pyramids" above and below the bright centre of the galaxy and the vertical lines at some of the brighter stars are caused by overexposure ("CCD bleeding"). The field measures 6.8 x 6.8 arcmin 2 , with 0.2 arcsec/pixel. The image quality of this composite is about 0.9 arcsec. North is up and East is left. NGC 1316 is a giant "dusty" galaxy ( PR Photo 18a/00 ), located in the Fornax cluster seen in the southern constellation of that name ("The Oven"). This galaxy is of special interest in connection with current attempts to establish an accurate distance scale in the Universe. In 1980 and 1981, NGC 1316 was the host of two supernovae of type Ia , a class of object that is widely used as a "cosmological standard candle" to determine the distance to very distant galaxies, cf. ESO PR 21/98. A precise measurement of the distance to NGC 1316 may therefore provide an independent calibration of the intrinsic brightness of these supernovae. The new observations were performed during 8 nights distributed over the period from January 9 to 19, 2000. They were made in service mode at the 8.2-m VLT/ANTU telescope with the FORS-1 multi-mode instrument, using a 2k x 2k CCD camera with 0.2 arcsec pixels and a field of 6.8 x 6.8 arcmin 2. The exposures lasted 20 min

Keck Spectroscopy of Globular Clusters in the Elliptical Galaxy NGC 3610

OpenAIRE

Strader, Jay; Brodie, Jean P.; Schweizer, Francois; Larsen, Soeren S.; Seitzer, Patrick

2002-01-01

We present moderate-resolution Keck spectra of nine candidate globular clusters in the possible merger-remnant elliptical galaxy NGC 3610. Eight of the objects appear to be bona fide globular clusters of NGC 3610. We find that two of the clusters belong to an old metal-poor population, five to an old metal-rich population, and only one to an intermediate-age metal-rich population. The estimated age of the intermediate-age cluster is 1-5 Gyr, which is in agreement with earlier estimates of the...

Cool infalling gas and its interaction with the hot ISM of elliptical galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Sparks, W. B.; Macchetto, F. D.

1990-01-01

The authors describe work leading to the suggestion that interaction between infalling cool gas and ambient hot, coronal plasma in elliptical galaxies is responsible for emission filaments, and might remove the need for large mass depositions in cooling flows. A test of the hypothesis is undertaken - the run of surface brightness with radius for the emission lines - and the prediction agrees well with the data.

The Recent and Continuing Assembly of Field Elliptical Galaxies by Red Mergers

Science.gov (United States)

van Dokkum, Pieter G.

2005-12-01

We present a study of tidal debris associated with 126 nearby red galaxies, selected from the 1.2 deg2 Multiwavelength Survey by Yale-Chile and the 9.3 deg2 NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey. In the full sample, 67 galaxies (53%) show morphological signatures of tidal interactions consisting of broad fans of stars, tails, and other asymmetries at very faint surface brightness levels. When restricting the sample to the 86 bulge-dominated early-type galaxies, the fraction of tidally disturbed galaxies rises to 71%, which implies that for every ``normal'' undisturbed elliptical there are two that show clear signs of interactions. The tidal features are red and smooth and often extend over >50 kpc. Of the tidally distorted galaxies, about two-thirds are remnants, and one-third are interacting with a companion galaxy. The companions are usually bright red galaxies as well; the median R-band luminosity ratio of the tidal pairs is 0.31, and the median color difference after correcting for the slope of the color-magnitude relation is -0.02 in B-R. If the ongoing mergers are representative for the progenitors of the remnants, ~35% of bulge-dominated galaxies experienced a merger with mass ratio >1:4 in the recent past. With further assumptions it is estimated that the present-day mass accretion rate of galaxies on the red sequence ΔM/M=0.09+/-0.04 Gyr-1. For a constant or increasing mass accretion rate with redshift, we find that red mergers may lead to an evolution of a factor of >~2 in the stellar mass density in luminous red galaxies over the redshift range 0interesting to determine whether this mode of merging only plays an important role at low redshift or is relevant for galaxies at any redshift if they exceed a critical mass scale.

ALMA Observations of Molecular Clouds in Three Group-centered Elliptical Galaxies: NGC 5846, NGC 4636, and NGC 5044

Science.gov (United States)

Temi, Pasquale; Amblard, Alexandre; Gitti, Myriam; Brighenti, Fabrizio; Gaspari, Massimo; Mathews, William G.; David, Laurence

2018-05-01

We present new ALMA CO(2–1) observations of two well-studied group-centered elliptical galaxies: NGC 4636 and NGC 5846. In addition, we include a revised analysis of Cycle 0 ALMA observations of the central galaxy in the NGC 5044 group. We find evidence that molecular gas is a common presence in bright group-centered galaxies (BGG). CO line widths are broader than Galactic molecular clouds, and using the reference Milky Way X CO, the total molecular mass ranges from 2.6 × 105 M ⊙ in NGC 4636 to 6.1 × 107 M ⊙ in NGC 5044. Complementary observations using the ALMA Compact Array do not exhibit any detection of a CO diffuse component at the sensitivity level achieved by current exposures. The origin of the detected molecular features is still uncertain, but these ALMA observations suggest that they are the end product of the hot gas cooling process and not the result of merger events. Some of the molecular clouds are associated with dust features as revealed by HST dust extinction maps, suggesting that these clouds formed from dust-enhanced cooling. The global nonlinear condensation may be triggered via the chaotic turbulent field or buoyant uplift. The large virial parameter of the molecular structures and correlation with the warm ({10}3{--}{10}5 {{K}})/hot (≥106) phase velocity dispersion provide evidence that they are unbound giant molecular associations drifting in the turbulent field, consistent with numerical predictions of the chaotic cold accretion process. Alternatively, the observed large CO line widths may be generated by molecular gas flowing out from cloud surfaces due to heating by the local hot gas atmosphere.

THE ACS NEARBY GALAXY SURVEY TREASURY. IX. CONSTRAINING ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH EVOLUTION WITH OLD METAL-POOR GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Girardi, Leo; Williams, Benjamin F.; Gilbert, Karoline M.; Rosenfield, Philip; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Marigo, Paola; Boyer, Martha L.; Dolphin, Andrew; Weisz, Daniel R.; Skillman, Evan; Melbourne, Jason; Olsen, Knut A. G.; Seth, Anil C.

2010-01-01

In an attempt to constrain evolutionary models of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase at the limit of low masses and low metallicities, we have examined the luminosity functions and number ratios between AGB and red giant branch (RGB) stars from a sample of resolved galaxies from the ACS Nearby Galaxy Survey Treasury. This database provides Hubble Space Telescope optical photometry together with maps of completeness, photometric errors, and star formation histories for dozens of galaxies within 4 Mpc. We select 12 galaxies characterized by predominantly metal-poor populations as indicated by a very steep and blue RGB, and which do not present any indication of recent star formation in their color-magnitude diagrams. Thousands of AGB stars brighter than the tip of the RGB (TRGB) are present in the sample (between 60 and 400 per galaxy), hence, the Poisson noise has little impact in our measurements of the AGB/RGB ratio. We model the photometric data with a few sets of thermally pulsing AGB (TP-AGB) evolutionary models with different prescriptions for the mass loss. This technique allows us to set stringent constraints on the TP-AGB models of low-mass, metal-poor stars (with M sun , [Fe/H]∼ sun . This is also in good agreement with recent observations of white dwarf masses in the M4 old globular cluster. These constraints can be added to those already derived from Magellanic Cloud star clusters as important mileposts in the arduous process of calibrating AGB evolutionary models.

Rediscovering the Giant Low Surface Brightness Spiral Galaxy Malin 1

Science.gov (United States)

Galaz, Gaspar

2018-01-01

I summarize the latest discoveries regarding this ramarkable diffuse and giant galaxy, the largest single spiral in the universe so far. I describe how the latest discoveries could have been done easily 20 years ago, but an incredible summation of facts and some astronomical sociology, keeped many of them undisclosed. I present the most conspicuous features of the giant spiral arms of Malin 1, including stellar density, colors, stellar populations and some modeling describing their past evolution to the current state. I conclude with pending issues regarding stellar formation in Malin 1, and the efforts to detect its elusive molecular gas.

The intrinsic shape of galaxies in SDSS/Galaxy Zoo

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez, Silvio; Padilla, Nelson D.

2013-09-01

By modelling the axis ratio distribution of Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 8 galaxies, we find the intrinsic 3D shapes of spirals and ellipticals. We use morphological information from the Galaxy Zoo project and assume a non-parametric distribution intrinsic of shapes, while taking into account dust extinction. We measure the dust extinction of the full sample of spiral galaxies and find a smaller value than previous estimations, with an edge-on extinction of E_0 = 0.284^{+0.015}_{-0.026} in the SDSS r band. We also find that the distribution of minor to major axis ratio has a mean value of 0.267 ± 0.009, slightly larger than previous estimates mainly due to the lower extinction used; the same affects the circularity of galactic discs, which are found to be less round in shape than in previous studies, with a mean ellipticity of 0.215 ± 0.013. For elliptical galaxies, we find that the minor to major axis ratio, with a mean value of 0.584 ± 0.006, is larger than previous estimations due to the removal of spiral interlopers present in samples with morphological information from photometric profiles. These interlopers are removed when selecting ellipticals using Galaxy Zoo data. We find that the intrinsic shapes of galaxies and their dust extinction vary with absolute magnitude, colour and physical size. We find that bright elliptical galaxies are more spherical than faint ones, a trend that is also present with galaxy size, and that there is no dependence of elliptical galaxy shape with colour. For spiral galaxies, we find that the reddest ones have higher dust extinction as expected, due to the fact that this reddening is mainly due to dust. We also find that the thickness of discs increases with luminosity and size, and that brighter, smaller and redder galaxies have less round discs.

Digging for red nuggets: discovery of hot halos surrounding massive, compact, relic galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Werner, N.; Lakhchaura, K.; Canning, R. E. A.; Gaspari, M.; Simionescu, A.

2018-04-01

We present the results of Chandra X-ray observations of the isolated, massive, compact, relic galaxies MRK 1216 and PGC 032873. Compact massive galaxies observed at z > 2, also called red nuggets, formed in quick dissipative events and later grew by dry mergers into the local giant ellipticals. Due to the stochastic nature of mergers, a few of the primordial massive galaxies avoided the mergers and remained untouched over cosmic time. We find that the hot atmosphere surrounding MRK 1216 extends far beyond the stellar population and has an 0.5-7 keV X-ray luminosity of LX = (7.0 ± 0.2) × 1041 erg s-1, which is similar to the nearby X-ray bright giant ellipticals. The hot gas has a short central cooling time of ˜50 Myr and the galaxy has a ˜13 Gyr old stellar population. The presence of an X-ray atmosphere with a short nominal cooling time and the lack of young stars indicate the presence of a sustained heating source, which prevented star formation since the dissipative origin of the galaxy 13 Gyrs ago. The central temperature peak and the presence of radio emission in the core of the galaxy indicate that the heating source is radio-mechanical AGN feedback. Given that both MRK 1216 and PGC 032873 appear to have evolved in isolation, the order of magnitude difference in their current X-ray luminosity could be traced back to a difference in the ferocity of the AGN outbursts in these systems. Finally, we discuss the potential connection between the presence of hot halos around such massive galaxies and the growth of super/over-massive black holes via chaotic cold accretion.

Secular Evolution in Disk Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Kormendy, John

2013-10-01

bulges because the latter retain a `memory' of their disky origin. That is, they have one or more characteristics of disks: (1) flatter shapes than those of classical bulges, (2) correspondingly large ratios of ordered to random velocities, (3) small velocity dispersions with respect to the Faber-Jackson correlation between velocity dispersion and bulge luminosity, (4) spiral structure or nuclear bars in the `bulge' part of the light profile, (5) nearly exponential brightness profiles and (6) starbursts. So the cleanest examples of pseudobulges are recognisable. However, pseudo and classical bulges can coexist in the same galaxy. I review two important implications of secular evolution: (1) The existence of pseudobulges highlights a problem with our theory of galaxy formation by hierarchical clustering. We cannot explain galaxies that are completely bulgeless. Galaxy mergers are expected to happen often enough so that every giant galaxy should have a classical bulge. But we observe that bulgeless giant galaxies are common in field environments. We now realise that many dense centres of galaxies that we used to think are bulges were not made by mergers; they were grown out of disks. So the challenge gets more difficult. This is the biggest problem faced by our theory of galaxy formation. (2) Pseudobulges are observed to contain supermassive black holes (BHs), but they do not show the well-known, tight correlations between BH mass and the mass and velocity dispersion of the host bulge. This leads to the suggestion that there are two fundamentally different BH feeding processes. Rapid global inward gas transport in galaxy mergers leads to giant BHs that correlate with host ellipticals and classical bulges, whereas local and more stochastic feeding of small BHs in largely bulgeless galaxies evidently involves too little energy feedback to result in BH-host coevolution. It is an important success of the secular evolution picture that morphological differences can be used to

Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Caldwell, N.; Murdin, P.

2000-11-01

DWARF SPHEROIDAL GALAXIES were first identified by Shapley, who had noticed two very diffuse collections of stars on Harvard patrol plates. Although these systems had about as many stars as a GLOBULAR CLUSTER, they were of much lower density, and hence much larger radius, and thus were considered distinct galaxies. These two, named Fornax and Sculptor after the constellations in which they ap...

The Eating Habits of Giants and Dwarfs: Chemo-dynamics of Halo Assembly in Nearby Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Romanowsky, Aaron J.; SAGES Team

2012-01-01

I will present novel results on the halo assembly of nearby galaxies, from dwarfs to the most massive ellipticals, using Subaru imaging and Keck spectroscopy. Field stars, globular clusters, and planetary nebulae are used as wide-field chemo-dynamical tracers, mapping out halo substructures that were previously known and unknown. Comparisons are made with simulations of galaxy formation. Supported by the National Science Foundation Grants AST-0808099, AST-0909237, and AST-1109878.

Dwarfs and Giants in the local flows of galaxies.

Science.gov (United States)

Chernin, A. D.; Emelyanov, N. V.; Karachentsev, I. D.

We use recent Hubble Space Telescope data on nearby dwarf and giant galaxies to study the dynamical structure and evolutionary trends of the local expansion flows of galaxies. It is found that antigravity of dark energy dominates the force field of the flows and makes them expand with acceleration. It also cools the flows and introduces to them the nearly linear velocity-distance relation with the time-rate close to the global Hubble's factor. There are grounds to expect that this is the universal physical regularity that is common not only for the nearby flows we studied here, but also for all the expansion flows of various spatial scales from the 1 Mpc scale and up to the scale of the global cosmological expansion.

UNCOVERING THE FORMATION OF ULTRACOMPACT DWARF GALAXIES BY MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chattopadhyay, Tanuka; Sharina, Margarita; Davoust, Emmanuel; De, Tuli; Chattopadhyay, Asis Kumar

2012-01-01

We present a statistical analysis of the properties of a large sample of dynamically hot old stellar systems, from globular clusters (GCs) to giant ellipticals, which was performed in order to investigate the origin of ultracompact dwarf galaxies (UCDs). The data were mostly drawn from Forbes et al. We recalculated some of the effective radii, computed mean surface brightnesses and mass-to-light ratios, and estimated ages and metallicities. We completed the sample with GCs of M31. We used a multivariate statistical technique (K-Means clustering), together with a new algorithm (Gap Statistics) for finding the optimum number of homogeneous sub-groups in the sample, using a total of six parameters (absolute magnitude, effective radius, virial mass-to-light ratio, stellar mass-to-light ratio, and metallicity). We found six groups. FK1 and FK5 are composed of high- and low-mass elliptical galaxies, respectively. FK3 and FK6 are composed of high-metallicity and low-metallicity objects, respectively, and both include GCs and UCDs. Two very small groups, FK2 and FK4, are composed of Local Group dwarf spheroidals. Our groups differ in their mean masses and virial mass-to-light ratios. The relations between these two parameters are also different for the various groups. The probability density distributions of metallicity for the four groups of galaxies are similar to those of the GCs and UCDs. The brightest low-metallicity GCs and UCDs tend to follow the mass-metallicity relation like elliptical galaxies. The objects of FK3 are more metal-rich per unit effective luminosity density than high-mass ellipticals.

UNCOVERING THE FORMATION OF ULTRACOMPACT DWARF GALAXIES BY MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chattopadhyay, Tanuka [Department of Applied Mathematics, Calcutta University, 92 A.P.C. Road, Calcutta 700009 (India); Sharina, Margarita [Special Astrophysical Observatory, Russian Academy of Sciences, N. Arkhyz, KCh R 369167 (Russian Federation); Davoust, Emmanuel [IRAP, Universite de Toulouse, CNRS, 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse (France); De, Tuli; Chattopadhyay, Asis Kumar, E-mail: tanuka@iucaa.ernet.in, E-mail: sme@sao.ru, E-mail: davoust@ast.obs-mip.fr, E-mail: akcstat@caluniv.ac.in [Department of Statistics, Calcutta University, 35 B.C. Road, Calcutta 700019 (India)

2012-05-10

We present a statistical analysis of the properties of a large sample of dynamically hot old stellar systems, from globular clusters (GCs) to giant ellipticals, which was performed in order to investigate the origin of ultracompact dwarf galaxies (UCDs). The data were mostly drawn from Forbes et al. We recalculated some of the effective radii, computed mean surface brightnesses and mass-to-light ratios, and estimated ages and metallicities. We completed the sample with GCs of M31. We used a multivariate statistical technique (K-Means clustering), together with a new algorithm (Gap Statistics) for finding the optimum number of homogeneous sub-groups in the sample, using a total of six parameters (absolute magnitude, effective radius, virial mass-to-light ratio, stellar mass-to-light ratio, and metallicity). We found six groups. FK1 and FK5 are composed of high- and low-mass elliptical galaxies, respectively. FK3 and FK6 are composed of high-metallicity and low-metallicity objects, respectively, and both include GCs and UCDs. Two very small groups, FK2 and FK4, are composed of Local Group dwarf spheroidals. Our groups differ in their mean masses and virial mass-to-light ratios. The relations between these two parameters are also different for the various groups. The probability density distributions of metallicity for the four groups of galaxies are similar to those of the GCs and UCDs. The brightest low-metallicity GCs and UCDs tend to follow the mass-metallicity relation like elliptical galaxies. The objects of FK3 are more metal-rich per unit effective luminosity density than high-mass ellipticals.

Next Generation Virgo Survey Photometry and Keck/DEIMOS Spectroscopy of Globular Cluster Satellites of Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster

Science.gov (United States)

Guhathakurta, Puragra; Toloba, Elisa; Peng, Eric W.; Li, Biao; Gwyn, Stephen; Ferrarese, Laura; Cote, Patrick; Chu, Jason; Sparkman, Lea; Chen, Stephanie; Yagati, Samyukta; Muller, Meredith; Next Generation Virgo Survey Collaboration

2015-01-01

We present results from an ongoing study of globular cluster (GC) satellites of low-luminosity dwarf elliptical (dE) galaxies in the Virgo cluster. Our 21 dE targets and candidate GC satellites around them in the apparent magnitude range g ~ 20-24 were selected from the Next Generation Virgo Survey (NGVS) and followed up with medium-resolution Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopy (resolving power: R ~ 2000; wavelength coverage: 4800-9500 Angstrom). In addition, the remaining space available on the nine DEIMOS multi-slit masks were populated with "filler" targets in the form of distant Milky Way halo star candidates in a comparable apparent magnitude range. A combination of radial velocity information (measured from the Keck/DEIMOS spectra), color-color information (from four-band NGVS photometry), and sky position information was used to sort the sample into the following categories: (1) GC satellites of dEs, (2) other non-satellite GCs in the Virgo cluster (we dub them "orphan" GCs), (3) foreground Milky Way stars that are members of the Sagittarius stream, the Virgo overdensity, or the field halo population, and (4) distant background galaxies. We stack the GC satellite population across all 21 host dEs and carry out dynamical modeling of the stacked sample in order to constrain the average mass of dark matter halos that these dEs are embedded in. We study rotation in the system of GC satellites of dEs in the handful of more populated systems in our sample - i.e., those that contain 10 or more GC satellites per dE. A companion AAS poster presented at this meeting (Chu, J. et al. 2015) presents chemical composition and age constraints for these GC satellites relative to the nuclei of the host dEs based on absorption line strengths in co-added spectra. The orphan GCs are likely to be intergalactic GCs within the Virgo cluster (or, equivalently, GCs in the remote outer envelope of the cluster's central galaxy, the giant elliptical M87).This project is funded in part by the

Galaxy collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Combes, F.

1987-01-01

Galaxies are not isolated systems of stars and gas, ''independent universes'' as believed by astronomers about ten years ago, but galaxies are formed and evolve by interaction with their environment, and in particular with their nearest neighbors. Gravitational interactions produce enormous tides in the disk of spiral galaxies, generate spiral arms and trigger bursts of star formation. Around elliptical galaxies, the collision with a small companion produces a series of waves, or shells. A galaxy interaction leads, in most cases, to the coalescence of the two coliders; therefore all galaxies are not formed just after the Big-Bang, when matter recombines: second generation galaxies are still forming now by galaxy mergers, essentially elliptical galaxies, but also compact dwarfs. Collisions between galaxies could also trigger activity in nuclei for radiogalaxies and quasars [fr

Spectroscopy of Six Red Giants in the Draco Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Graeme H.; Siegel, Michael H.; Shetrone, Matthew D.; Winnick, Rebeccah

2006-10-01

Keck Observatory LRIS-B (Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer) spectra are reported for six red giant stars in the Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy and several comparison giants in the globular cluster M13. Indexes that quantify the strengths of the Ca II H and K lines, the λ3883 and λ4215 CN bands, and the λ4300 G band have been measured. These data confirm evidence of metallicity inhomogeneity within Draco obtained by previous authors. The four brightest giants in the sample have absolute magnitudes in the range -2.6intermediate-mass asymptotic giant branch stars to enrich the interstellar medium while star formation was still occurring. The data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Pulsating red giants and supergiants as probes of galaxy formation and evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Theodorus van Loon, Jacco; Javadi, Atefeh; Khosroshahi, Habib; Rezaei, Sara; Golshan, Roya; Saberi, Maryam

2015-08-01

We have developed new techniques to use pulsating red giant and supergiants stars to reconstruct the star formation history of galaxies over cosmological time, as well as using them to map the dust production across their host galaxies. We describe the large programme on the Local Group spiral galaxy Triangulum (M33), which we have monitored at near-infrared wavelengths for several years using the United Kingdom InfraRed Telescope in Hawai'i. We outline the methodology and present the results for the central square kiloparsec (Javadi et al. 2011a,b, 2013) and - fresh from the press - the disc of M33 (Javadi et al. 2015, and in preparation). We also describe the results from our application of this new technique to other nearby galaxies: the Magellanic Clouds (published in Rezaei et al. 2014), the dwarf galaxies NGC 147 and 185 (Golshan et al. in preparation), and Centaurus A.

Globular clusters and galaxy halos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Den Bergh, S.

1984-01-01

Using semipartial correlation coefficients and bootstrap techniques, a study is made of the important features of globular clusters with respect to the total number of galaxy clusters and dependence of specific galaxy cluster on parent galaxy type, cluster radii, luminosity functions and cluster ellipticity. It is shown that the ellipticity of LMC clusters correlates significantly with cluster luminosity functions, but not with cluster age. The cluter luminosity value above which globulars are noticeably flattened may differ by a factor of about 100 from galaxy to galaxy. Both in the Galaxy and in M31 globulars with small core radii have a Gaussian distribution over luminosity, whereas clusters with large core radii do not. In the cluster systems surrounding the Galaxy, M31 and NGC 5128 the mean radii of globular clusters was found to increase with the distance from the nucleus. Central galaxies in rich clusters have much higher values for specific globular cluster frequency than do other cluster ellipticals, suggesting that such central galaxies must already have been different from normal ellipticals at the time they were formed

VLA Discovers Giant Rings Around Galaxy Cluster

Science.gov (United States)

2006-11-01

Astronomers using the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope have discovered giant, ring-like structures around a cluster of galaxies. The discovery provides tantalizing new information about how such galaxy clusters are assembled, about magnetic fields in the vast spaces between galaxy clusters, and possibly about the origin of cosmic rays. Radio-Optical Image of Cluster Galaxy Cluster Abell 3376 (Radio/Optical) CREDIT: Joydeep Bagchi, IUCAA, NRAO/AUI/NSF Above, a combined radio/optical image shows the galaxy cluster Abell 3376 in visible light (blue) and radio (red) images. The giant radio arcs surrounding the cluster were discovered using the Very Large Array. The visible-light image is from the Digitized Sky survey. Below, an X-ray image of Abell 3376 made using the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton telescope shows a spectacular, bullet-shaped region of X-rays coming from gas heated to 60 million degrees Kelvin. The bullet shape results from the supersonic collision of a smaller smaller galaxy subcluster with the main body of the larger cluster. Click on images for larger version. X-Ray Image of Cluster Galaxy Cluster Abell 3376 (X-Ray) CREDIT: Joydeep Bagchi, IUCAA, ESA "These giant, radio-emitting rings probably are the result of shock waves caused by violent collisions of smaller groups of galaxies within the cluster," said Joydeep Bagchi, of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune, India, who led an international research team. The scientists reported their findings in the November 3 edition of the journal Science. The newly-discovered ring segments, some 6 million light-years across, surround a galaxy cluster called Abell 3376, more than 600 million light-years from Earth. They were revealed because fast-moving electrons emitted radio waves as they spiraled around magnetic field lines in intergalactic space. "Even from this large distance, the feeble radio waves were easily picked up by the VLA

The evolution of galaxies at moderate redshift

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lilly, S.J.

1987-01-01

Optical and infrared photometric data on 53 galaxies in five clusters at 0.38 < z < 0.58 are described and analysed to produce the rest-frame (U-V) and (V-H) colours. The 36 red galaxies form a homogeneous population in each cluster. The colours of the 17 blue galaxies clearly distinguish between the normal spirals and the peculiar 'A-type' galaxies found in these Butcher-Oemler clusters and suggest for the latter a substantial intermediate age 1-Gyr population as indicated by optical spectra. The average colours of the red elliptical galaxies at z ∼ 0.45 are systematically 0.12 mag bluer in the rest-frame (U-V), as expected from conventional evolutionary models, but are about 0.1 mag redder in (V-H), which is not predicted by the models. It is shown, however, that inclusion of the evolution of the upper Asymptotic Giant Branch, which is usually neglected, into a simple evolutionary model can explain the observed evolution vector in the (U-V)/(V-H) plane. (author)

Mass density slope of elliptical galaxies from strong lensing and resolved stellar kinematics

Science.gov (United States)

Lyskova, N.; Churazov, E.; Naab, T.

2018-04-01

We discuss constraints on the mass density distribution (parametrized as ρ ∝ r-γ) in early-type galaxies provided by strong lensing and stellar kinematics data. The constraints come from mass measurements at two `pinch' radii. One `pinch' radius r1 = 2.2REinst is defined such that the Einstein (i.e. aperture) mass can be converted into the spherical mass almost independently of the mass-model. Another `pinch' radius r2 = Ropt is chosen so that the dynamical mass, derived from the line-of-sight velocity dispersion, is least sensitive to the anisotropy of stellar orbits. We verified the performance of this approach on a sample of simulated elliptical galaxies and on a sample of 15 SLACS lens galaxies at 0.01 ≤ z ≤ 0.35, which have already been analysed in Barnabè et al. by the self-consistent joint lensing and kinematic code. For massive simulated galaxies, the density slope γ is recovered with an accuracy of ˜13 per cent, unless r1 and r2 happen to be close to each other. For SLACS galaxies, we found good overall agreement with the results of Barnabè et al. with a sample-averaged slope γ = 2.1 ± 0.05. Although the two-pinch-radii approach has larger statistical uncertainties, it is much simpler and uses only few arithmetic operations with directly observable quantities.

Surface brightness and color distributions in blue compact dwarf galaxies. I. Haro 2, an extreme example of a star-forming young elliptical galaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loose, H.H.; Thuan, T.X.; Virginia Univ., Charlottesville, VA)

1986-01-01

The first results of a large-scale program to study the morphology and structure of blue compact dwarf galaxies from CCD observations are presented. The observations and reduction procedures are described, and surface brightness and color profiles are shown. The results are used to discuss the morphological type of Haro 2 and its stellar populations. It is found that Haro 2 appears to be an extreme example of an elliptical galaxy undergoing intense star formation in its central regions, and that the oldest stars it contains were made only about four million yr ago. The missing mass problem of Haro 2 is also discussed. 28 references

Formation and early evolution of galaxies: Constraints on the properties of hot protogalaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berman, V.G.; Suchkov, A.A.

1989-01-01

In the framework of the hot model of galaxy formation, the following results are obtained: (1) to explain the mass and chemical composition of the intergalactic medium, the mass of the stellar component, and the mass of the x-ray coronas of giant elliptical and spiral galaxies (M s ∼ 10 11 Mass Sun ) the protogalaxies must have been heated to temperatures approximately five times greater than the virial temperature; (2) the x-ray luminosities of the coronas of models of spiral galaxies are less than for the analogous models of elliptical galaxies. Moreover, for unit potential of hidden mass the stellar mass of spiral galaxies is an order of magnitude greater; (3) if a hot protogalaxy is initially compact (R ∼ 20 kpc), then the stellar component is formed rapidly, during a time t ∼ 1 x 10 9 yr; but if the protogalaxy is diffuse (R ∼ 100 kpc), then t ∼ (5-7) x 10 9 yr; (4) coronas are not formed in models of heat-conducting protogalaxies; (5) hidden mass cannot be formed by low-mass stars formed in cooling flows - such flows do not arise if hidden mass is not present from the beginning. 23 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs

Superclusters and galaxy formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Einasto, J.; Joeveer, M.; Saar, E.

1979-01-01

The spatial distribution of Galaxies and Galaxy congestions in the southern galactic hemisphere is studied. The rich galaxy congestions, containing many elliptic Galaxies and radiogalaxies, are linked with each other by chains of scanty congestions with moderate content of elliptic Galaxies and radiogalaxies. The flat formation, linking the density pikes and the intermediate chains, can reasonably be called supercongestion. In the central region of supercongestions there is a thin layer of Galaxies consisting of only spiral Galaxies. The neighbouring supercongestions touch each other, while the intersupercongestion space contains no Galaxy congestions and almost no Galaxies. It is shown that such a structure was, apparently, formed before the formation of Galaxies

Optical and theoretical studies of giant clouds in spiral galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elmegreen, B.G.; Elmegreen, D.M.

1980-01-01

An optical study of four spiral galaxies, combined with radiative transfer models for transmitted and scattered light, has led to a determination of the opacities and masses of numerous dark patches and dust lanes that outline spiral structure. The observed compression factors for the spiral-like dust lanes are in accord with expectations from the theory of gas flow in spiral density waves. Several low density (10 2 cm -3 ) clouds containing 10 6 to 10 7 solar masses were also studied. These results are discussed in terms of recent theoretical models of cloud and star formation in spiral galaxies. The long-term evolution of giant molecular clouds is shown to have important consequences for the positions and ages of star formation sites in spiral arms. (Auth.)

Spectro-polarimetric study of the early evolutionary phases of the most massive galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vernet, Joel

2001-01-01

This research thesis addresses the study of the early phases of evolution of the most massive galaxies (giant elliptic), a fundamental process which is a matter of study for various reasons exposed by the author in his introduction. While presented results are based on spectro-polarimetric observations, the author first presents specific instruments and methods used by spectropolarimetry which provides access to variations of all vectorial properties of light, without loss of information. Then, he reports the study of a near powerful radio-galaxy, Cygnus A, the study of nine radio-galaxies with a high redshift, and the study of a far ultra-luminous infrared galaxy (SMM J02399-0136). Results are then discussed and perspectives of research are proposed. Appendices present the theoretical study of the contribution of massive stars to the diffuse extragalactic ionizing background, and observations made on a near radio-galaxy (NGC 6251)

Galaxy angular momentum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, L.A.

1974-01-01

In order to test the theories which purport to explain the origin of galaxy angular momentum, this study presents new data for about 1000 individual galaxies in eight rich clusters. The clusters which are studied include Virgo, A 119, A 400, A 1656 (Coma), A 2147, A 2151 (Hercules), A 2197, and A 2199. Selected samples of these data are used to investigate systematic alignment effects in clusters of galaxies and to investigate the intrinsic ellipticities of E, SO, and spiral galaxies. The following new results are reported: Galaxies in the cluster A 2197 show a significant alignment effect (chi 2 probability less than 0.0002), and the preferential direction of alignment corresponds approximately to the major axis of the overall cluster elongation. None of the other seven clusters show any significant alignment trends. The spiral galaxy samples in four clusters (Virgo, A 1656, A 2151, and A 2197) were large enough to analyze the number distributions of forward and reverse winding spirals. Large and small spiral galaxies have identical ellipticity distributions. Large E and SO galaxies tend to be more spherical, and small E and SO galaxies more flattened. The intrinsic ellipticities of E, SO, and spiral galaxies are the same for galaxies in the ''field'' and for galaxies in rich clusters. Six models of galaxy formation are reviewed, and the major []mphasis is placed on how each model explains the origin of galaxy angular momentum. (Diss. Abstr. Int., B)

Dwarf spheroidal galaxies: Keystones of galaxy evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Gallagher, John S., III; Wyse, Rosemary F. G.

1994-01-01

Dwarf spheroidal galaxies are the most insignificant extragalactic stellar systems in terms of their visibility, but potentially very significant in terms of their role in the formation and evolution of much more luminous galaxies. We discuss the present observational data and their implications for theories of the formation and evolution of both dwarf and giant galaxies. The putative dark-matter content of these low-surface-brightness systems is of particular interest, as is their chemical evolution. Surveys for new dwarf spheroidals hidden behind the stars of our Galaxy and those which are not bound to giant galaxies may give new clues as to the origins of this unique class of galaxy.

Deficiency of normal galaxies among Markaryan galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iyeveer, M.M.

1986-01-01

Comparison of the morphological types of Markaryan galaxies and other galaxies in the Uppsala catalog indicates a strong deficiency of normal ellipticals among the Markaryan galaxies, for which the fraction of type E galaxies is ≤ 1% against 10% among the remaining galaxies. Among the Markaryan galaxies, an excess of barred galaxies is observed - among the Markaryan galaxies with types Sa-Scd, approximately half or more have bars, whereas among the remaining galaxies of the same types bars are found in about 1/3

Major and minor axis kinematics of 22 ellipticals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franx, M.; Illingworth, G.; Heckman, T.

1989-01-01

Rotation curves and velocity dispersion profiles have been determined for the major and the minor axes of 22 elliptical galaxies. Rotation was detected in all but one galaxy, even though the sample was biased toward round ellipticals. Minor axis rotation larger than major axis rotation was measured in two galaxies, NGC 4406 and NGC 7507. Roughly 10 percent of ellipticals may show large minor axis velocities relative to those on the major axis. A simple model is used to derive a rotational axis from the observed minor and major axis velocities to a typical accuracy of 6 deg. The rotational and photometric minor axes aligned to better than 10 deg for 60 percent of the sample, implying that the direction of the angular momentum is related to the orientation of the figure of the galaxy. IC 1459 has a kinematically distinct core with its angular momentum opposite to the angular momentum of the outer parts, and NGC 4406 has a core with its angular momentum perpendicular to that of the outer parts. 46 refs

The Halo Dynamics of NGC 3379: A Normal Elliptical Galaxy with No Dark Matter

Science.gov (United States)

Ciardullo, R.; Jacoby, G. H.

1993-05-01

We present the results of a radial velocity survey of planetary nebulae in the normal, non-interacting, elliptical galaxy NGC 3379. In two half-nights with the Kitt Peak 4-m telescope and the NESSIE multifiber spectrograph, we measured the velocities of 29 PNe with projected galactocentric distances between 0.4 and 3.8 effective radii (1 kpc < R < 10 kpc). These data, which have an observational uncertainty of ~ 7 km s(-1) , extend 3 times further into the halo than any previous absorption line study, and allow us for the first time, to examine the kinematics of halo stars in a normal E0 galaxy. The observed velocity dispersion and photometric profile of NGC 3379 agrees extremely well with that expected from a constant mass-to-light, isotropic orbit Jaffe model with a mass-to-light ratio M/L_B ~ 7. A simple c = 2.33 King model with M/L_B ~ 7 also fits the data reasonably well, but models with purely radial or circular orbits are ruled out. The data strongly suggest that NGC 3379 is a galaxy with little or no dark matter within 3.5 effective radii of its nucleus.

The afterglow and elliptical host galaxy of the short gamma-ray burst GRB 050724.

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, E; Price, P A; Cenko, S B; Gal-Yam, A; Soderberg, A M; Kasliwal, M; Leonard, D C; Cameron, P B; Frail, D A; Kulkarni, S R; Murphy, D C; Krzeminski, W; Piran, T; Lee, B L; Roth, K C; Moon, D-S; Fox, D B; Harrison, F A; Persson, S E; Schmidt, B P; Penprase, B E; Rich, J; Peterson, B A; Cowie, L L

2005-12-15

Despite a rich phenomenology, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are divided into two classes based on their duration and spectral hardness--the long-soft and the short-hard bursts. The discovery of afterglow emission from long GRBs was a watershed event, pinpointing their origin to star-forming galaxies, and hence the death of massive stars, and indicating an energy release of about 10(51) erg. While theoretical arguments suggest that short GRBs are produced in the coalescence of binary compact objects (neutron stars or black holes), the progenitors, energetics and environments of these events remain elusive despite recent localizations. Here we report the discovery of the first radio afterglow from the short burst GRB 050724, which unambiguously associates it with an elliptical galaxy at a redshift z = 0.257. We show that the burst is powered by the same relativistic fireball mechanism as long GRBs, with the ejecta possibly collimated in jets, but that the total energy release is 10-1,000 times smaller. More importantly, the nature of the host galaxy demonstrates that short GRBs arise from an old (> 1 Gyr) stellar population, strengthening earlier suggestions and providing support for coalescing compact object binaries as the progenitors.

A NOVEL APPROACH TO CONSTRAIN THE MASS RATIO OF MINOR MERGERS IN ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES: APPLICATION TO NGC 4889, THE BRIGHTEST CLUSTER GALAXY IN COMA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gu Meng; Huang Song [School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Ho, Luis C. [Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States); Peng, Chien Y. [Giant Magellan Telescope Organization, 251 South Lake Avenue, Suite 300, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States)

2013-08-10

Minor mergers are thought to be important for the buildup and structural evolution of massive elliptical galaxies. In this work, we report the discovery of a system of four shell features in NGC 4889, one of the brightest members of the Coma cluster, using optical images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The shells are well aligned with the major axis of the host and are likely to have been formed by the accretion of a small satellite galaxy. We have performed a detailed two-dimensional photometric decomposition of NGC 4889 and of the many overlapping nearby galaxies in its vicinity. This comprehensive model allows us not only to firmly detect the low-surface brightness shells, but, crucially, also to accurately measure their luminosities and colors. The shells are bluer than the underlying stars at the same radius in the main galaxy. We make use of the colors of the shells and the color-magnitude relation of the Coma cluster to infer the luminosity (or mass) of the progenitor galaxy. The shells in NGC 4889 appear to have been produced by the minor merger of a moderate-luminosity (M{sub I} Almost-Equal-To -18.7 mag) disk (S0 or spiral) galaxy with a luminosity (mass) ratio of {approx}90:1 with respect to the primary galaxy. The novel methodology presented in this work can be exploited to decode the fossil record imprinted in the photometric substructure of other nearby early-type galaxies.

A NOVEL APPROACH TO CONSTRAIN THE MASS RATIO OF MINOR MERGERS IN ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES: APPLICATION TO NGC 4889, THE BRIGHTEST CLUSTER GALAXY IN COMA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu Meng; Huang Song; Ho, Luis C.; Peng, Chien Y.

2013-01-01

Minor mergers are thought to be important for the buildup and structural evolution of massive elliptical galaxies. In this work, we report the discovery of a system of four shell features in NGC 4889, one of the brightest members of the Coma cluster, using optical images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The shells are well aligned with the major axis of the host and are likely to have been formed by the accretion of a small satellite galaxy. We have performed a detailed two-dimensional photometric decomposition of NGC 4889 and of the many overlapping nearby galaxies in its vicinity. This comprehensive model allows us not only to firmly detect the low-surface brightness shells, but, crucially, also to accurately measure their luminosities and colors. The shells are bluer than the underlying stars at the same radius in the main galaxy. We make use of the colors of the shells and the color-magnitude relation of the Coma cluster to infer the luminosity (or mass) of the progenitor galaxy. The shells in NGC 4889 appear to have been produced by the minor merger of a moderate-luminosity (M I ≈ –18.7 mag) disk (S0 or spiral) galaxy with a luminosity (mass) ratio of ∼90:1 with respect to the primary galaxy. The novel methodology presented in this work can be exploited to decode the fossil record imprinted in the photometric substructure of other nearby early-type galaxies

Relativistic jets in narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies. New discoveries and open questions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D’Ammando F.

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Before the launch of the Fermi satellite only two classes of AGNs were known to produce relativistic jets and thus emit up to the γ-ray energy range: blazars and radio galaxies, both hosted in giant elliptical galaxies. The first four years of observations by the Large Area Telescope on board Fermi confirmed that these two are the most numerous classes of identified sources in the extragalactic γ-ray sky, but the discovery of γ-ray emission from 5 radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies revealed the presence of a possible emerging third class of AGNs with relativistic jets. Considering that narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies seem to be typically hosted in spiral galaxy, this finding poses intriguing questions about the nature of these objects, the onset of production of relativistic jets, and the cosmological evolution of radio-loud AGN. Here, we discuss the radio-to-γ-rays properties of the γ-ray emitting narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies, also in comparison with the blazar scenario.

THE GRAVITATIONAL SHEAR-INTRINSIC ELLIPTICITY CORRELATION FUNCTIONS OF LUMINOUS RED GALAXIES IN OBSERVATION AND IN THE ΛCDM MODEL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okumura, Teppei; Jing, Y. P.

2009-01-01

We examine whether the gravitational shear-intrinsic ellipticity (GI) correlation function of the luminous red galaxies (LRGs) can be modeled with the distribution function of a misalignment angle advocated recently by Okumura et al. For this purpose, we have accurately measured the GI correlation for the LRGs in the Data Release 6 (DR6) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), which confirms the results of Hirata et al. who used the DR4 data. By comparing the GI correlation functions in the simulation and in the observation, we find that the GI correlation can be modeled in the current ΛCDM model if the misalignment follows a Gaussian distribution with a zero mean and a typical misalignment angle σ θ = 34.9 +1.9 -2.1 degrees. We also find a correlation between the axis ratios and intrinsic alignments of LRGs. This effect should be taken into account in theoretical modeling of the GI and intrinsic ellipticity-ellipticity correlations for weak lensing surveys.

Velocity dispersions in the bulges of spiral and SO galaxies. II. Further observations and a simple three-component model for spiral galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitmore, B.C.; Kirshner, R.P.

1981-01-01

We have obtained velocity dispersions for 24 galaxies in the Virgo cluster to supplement our earlier results. A 2000 channel intensified Reticon scanner has again been used on the 1.3 m telescope of McGraw-Hill Observatory, and a Fourier quotient technique has been employed to yield dispersions. We have confirmed our earlier result that spiral bulges exhibit a relation between total luminosity and velocity dispersion with the form L proportional sigma 4 , but with velocity dispersions that are 17 +- 8% smaller than elliptical galaxies at the same absolute magnitude. However, possible systematic errors may still affect the reality of this gap. The scatter in the L proportional sigma 4 relationship is substantially larger for the spiral bulges than for the elliptical galaxies. This larger scatter probably indicates that spiral bulges comprise a more heterogeneous sample than do elliptical galaxies. we also find that the bulge components of SO galaxies follow a L proportional sigma 4 relation with no gap with the ellipticals. The similarity in this relation for the spheroidal components of spiral, SO, and elliptical galaxies indicates that the systems are dynamically similar

Two active galaxies with tidal tails and companions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keel, W.C.

1985-01-01

Spectroscopic, imaging, and radio observations of the tidally disturbed active systems VV 144 and I Zw 96 are presented, and indicate that the prominent optical extensions seen in both cases represent tidal tails rather than matter ejected from their nuclei (jets). This conclusion is based on the presence of stellar spectral features in the tails, lack of significant ionized gas over most of their length, and lack of radio emission outside the nuclei. Discrete knots in these tails are identified with remnant cores of the companion galaxies responsible for the morphological disturbances of the main galaxies and perhaps contributing to their nuclear activity. In both cases, the dynamics of the interactions are unusual in nature or viewing geometry. VV 144 is seen in the common plane of interaction and disk rotation, appearing strongly foreshortened. I Zw 96 shows tails associated with two companions; each is accompanied by changes in tail structure. This may be the result of a binary system of spirals colliding with a giant elliptical galaxy. 18 references

Gravitational instability, evolution of galaxies and star formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palous, J.

1979-01-01

The gravitational collapse is the key to the theories of galaxy and star formation. The observations, showing intrinsic differences between elliptical and spiral galaxies, guide our fundamental conceptions on the formation and evolution of systems in question. Stars in elliptical galaxies and in spherical components of spiral galaxies were formed in a short period of time during early phases of protogalactic collapse, at a time of violent star formation. The disc-like components of spiral galaxies, however, were built gradually in the course of galactic evolution. Star formation in elliptical galaxies is described by the collision model of interstellar clouds, while star formation in discs is characterised by several processes: the expansion of HII regions, the expansion of supernovae remnants and the shock wave related to the presence of the spiral structure. (author)

THE QUEST FOR CRADLES OF LIFE: USING THE FUNDAMENTAL METALLICITY RELATION TO HUNT FOR THE MOST HABITABLE TYPE OF GALAXY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dayal, Pratika [Institute for Computational Cosmology, Department of Physics, University of Durham, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom); Cockell, Charles [UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom); Rice, Ken [Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom); Mazumdar, Anupam [Consortium for Fundamental Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4 YB (United Kingdom)

2015-09-01

The field of astrobiology has made huge strides in understanding the habitable zones around stars (stellar habitable zones) where life can begin, sustain its existence and evolve into complex forms. A few studies have extended this idea by modeling galactic-scale habitable zones (galactic habitable zones) for our Milky Way (MW) and specific elliptical galaxies. However, estimating the habitability for galaxies spanning a wide range of physical properties has so far remained an outstanding issue. Here, we present a “cosmobiological” framework that allows us to sift through the entire galaxy population in the local universe and answer the question, “Which type of galaxy is most likely to host complex life in the cosmos?” Interestingly, the three key astrophysical criteria governing habitability (total mass in stars, total metal mass and ongoing star formation rate) are found to be intricately linked through the “fundamental metallicity relation” as shown by Sloan Digital Sky Survey observations of more than a hundred thousand galaxies in the local universe. Using this relation we show that metal-rich, shapeless giant elliptical galaxies at least twice as massive as the MW (with a tenth of its star formation rate) can potentially host ten thousand times as many habitable (Earth-like) planets, making them the most probable “cradles of life” in the universe.

THE QUEST FOR CRADLES OF LIFE: USING THE FUNDAMENTAL METALLICITY RELATION TO HUNT FOR THE MOST HABITABLE TYPE OF GALAXY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dayal, Pratika; Cockell, Charles; Rice, Ken; Mazumdar, Anupam

2015-01-01

The field of astrobiology has made huge strides in understanding the habitable zones around stars (stellar habitable zones) where life can begin, sustain its existence and evolve into complex forms. A few studies have extended this idea by modeling galactic-scale habitable zones (galactic habitable zones) for our Milky Way (MW) and specific elliptical galaxies. However, estimating the habitability for galaxies spanning a wide range of physical properties has so far remained an outstanding issue. Here, we present a “cosmobiological” framework that allows us to sift through the entire galaxy population in the local universe and answer the question, “Which type of galaxy is most likely to host complex life in the cosmos?” Interestingly, the three key astrophysical criteria governing habitability (total mass in stars, total metal mass and ongoing star formation rate) are found to be intricately linked through the “fundamental metallicity relation” as shown by Sloan Digital Sky Survey observations of more than a hundred thousand galaxies in the local universe. Using this relation we show that metal-rich, shapeless giant elliptical galaxies at least twice as massive as the MW (with a tenth of its star formation rate) can potentially host ten thousand times as many habitable (Earth-like) planets, making them the most probable “cradles of life” in the universe

Photometric analyses of abundances in dwarf spheroidal galaxies and globular clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Light, R.M.

1988-01-01

This study investigated the abundance characteristics of several dwarf spheroidal galaxies. The chemical properties of stars in these galaxies are tracers of the origin and evolution of their stellar populations, and thus can provide constraints on the theories of their formation. To derive this abundance information, photometric observations of stars in a sample of globular clusters, covering a large range in metallicity, were analyzed. Parameters describing the position of the red giant branch were found to correlate very well with cluster metallicity over a large range in abundance. These measurements, made in the Thuan-Gunn photometry system, provide ranking schemes which are, with accurate photometry, more sensitive to changes in metallicity than similar broadband BV parameters. The relations were used to derive an improved estimate of the metallicity of cluster NGC 5053. These metallicity relations were used to analyze the Thuan-Gunn system photometry produced for the Sculptor, Ursa Minor, and Carina galaxies. The excellent agreement between their metallicities and those from other previous studies indicates that globular cluster red giant branch parameters are very useful in ranking dwarf spheroidal populations by metallicity. Together with other galaxian data, strong correlations can be seen between the mean metallicities and dispersions in metallicity and the luminosities of the dwarf spheroidal galaxies. These trends also seem to apply to members of the dwarf elliptical class of galaxies. The ramifications that these correlations and the existence of a metallicity gradient in Sculptor have on the formation of the dwarf spheroidals are discussed

Galaxy formation: internal mechanisms and cosmological processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martig, Marie

2010-01-01

This thesis is devoted to galaxy formation and evolution in a cosmological context. Cosmological simulations have unveiled two main modes of galaxy growth: hierarchical growth by mergers and accretion of cold gas from cosmic filaments. However, these simulations rarely take into account small scale mechanisms, that govern internal evolution and that are a key ingredient to understand galaxy formation and evolution. Thanks to a new simulation technique that I have developed, I first studied the colors of galaxies, and in particular the reddening of elliptical galaxies. I showed that the gas disk in an elliptical galaxy could be stabilized against star formation because of the galaxy's stellar component being within a spheroid instead of a disk. This mechanism can explain the red colors of some elliptical galaxies that contain a gas disk. I also studied the formation of spiral galaxies: most cosmological simulations cannot explain the formation of Milky Way-like galaxies, i.e. with a large disk and a small bulge. I showed that this issue could be partly solved by taking into account in the simulations the mass loss from evolved stars through stellar winds, planetary nebulae and supernovae explosions. (author) [fr

A Novel Approach to Constrain the Mass Ratio of Minor Mergers in Elliptical Galaxies: Application to NGC 4889, the Brightest Cluster Galaxy in Coma

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Meng; Ho, Luis C.; Peng, Chien Y.; Huang, Song

2013-08-01

Minor mergers are thought to be important for the buildup and structural evolution of massive elliptical galaxies. In this work, we report the discovery of a system of four shell features in NGC 4889, one of the brightest members of the Coma cluster, using optical images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The shells are well aligned with the major axis of the host and are likely to have been formed by the accretion of a small satellite galaxy. We have performed a detailed two-dimensional photometric decomposition of NGC 4889 and of the many overlapping nearby galaxies in its vicinity. This comprehensive model allows us not only to firmly detect the low-surface brightness shells, but, crucially, also to accurately measure their luminosities and colors. The shells are bluer than the underlying stars at the same radius in the main galaxy. We make use of the colors of the shells and the color-magnitude relation of the Coma cluster to infer the luminosity (or mass) of the progenitor galaxy. The shells in NGC 4889 appear to have been produced by the minor merger of a moderate-luminosity (MI ≈ -18.7 mag) disk (S0 or spiral) galaxy with a luminosity (mass) ratio of ~90:1 with respect to the primary galaxy. The novel methodology presented in this work can be exploited to decode the fossil record imprinted in the photometric substructure of other nearby early-type galaxies. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained from the Data Archive at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555.

On the dynamics of binary galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verner, D.A.; Chernin, A.D.

1987-01-01

The dynamics of close noncontact binary galaxies is investigated. It is demonsrated that the tidal interaction is ineffective for circularization of galaxy orbits. Nonsphericity of galaxies develops a torque in a binary system. For a pair of elliptical galaxies this torque leads to swinging of the galaxies with respect to the orbital plane (which can be observed as a rotation about the minor axis) and to the excitation of internal degrees of freedom. Besides, this pendulum effect may be effective for elliptical galaxies in clusters due to the presence of the torque produced by a cluster as a whole. In the case of spiral galaxies the torque leads to the precession of their rotational axes. However this effect seems to be too weak to be observable

Multicolor surface photometry of 17 ellipticals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franx, M.; Illingworth, G.; Heckman, T.

1989-01-01

Multicolor two-dimensional surface photometry was used to obtain radial profiles for surface brightness, color, ellipticity, position angle, and the residuals from the fitted ellipses described by the cos(n phi) and sin(n phi) terms (where n = 3 and 4) for 17 elliptical galaxies. It is found that at radii as large as five times the seeing FWHM, seeing can affect the ellipticity at the 10 percent level and introduce uncertainty in the position angles of several degrees, particularly for very round ellipticals. The present profiles are found to agree well with previous data, with rms differences of 0.02 in ellipticity and 2 deg in position angle. The observed color gradients are consistent with a decrease in the metallicity by a factor of about 2 per decade in radius. 61 refs

A short gamma-ray burst apparently associated with an elliptical galaxy at redshift z = 0.225.

Science.gov (United States)

Gehrels, N; Sarazin, C L; O'Brien, P T; Zhang, B; Barbier, L; Barthelmy, S D; Blustin, A; Burrows, D N; Cannizzo, J; Cummings, J R; Goad, M; Holland, S T; Hurkett, C P; Kennea, J A; Levan, A; Markwardt, C B; Mason, K O; Meszaros, P; Page, M; Palmer, D M; Rol, E; Sakamoto, T; Willingale, R; Angelini, L; Beardmore, A; Boyd, P T; Breeveld, A; Campana, S; Chester, M M; Chincarini, G; Cominsky, L R; Cusumano, G; de Pasquale, M; Fenimore, E E; Giommi, P; Gronwall, C; Grupe, D; Hill, J E; Hinshaw, D; Hjorth, J; Hullinger, D; Hurley, K C; Klose, S; Kobayashi, S; Kouveliotou, C; Krimm, H A; Mangano, V; Marshall, F E; McGowan, K; Moretti, A; Mushotzky, R F; Nakazawa, K; Norris, J P; Nousek, J A; Osborne, J P; Page, K; Parsons, A M; Patel, S; Perri, M; Poole, T; Romano, P; Roming, P W A; Rosen, S; Sato, G; Schady, P; Smale, A P; Sollerman, J; Starling, R; Still, M; Suzuki, M; Tagliaferri, G; Takahashi, T; Tashiro, M; Tueller, J; Wells, A A; White, N E; Wijers, R A M J

2005-10-06

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) come in two classes: long (> 2 s), soft-spectrum bursts and short, hard events. Most progress has been made on understanding the long GRBs, which are typically observed at high redshift (z approximately 1) and found in subluminous star-forming host galaxies. They are likely to be produced in core-collapse explosions of massive stars. In contrast, no short GRB had been accurately (burst GRB 050509B. Its position on the sky is near a luminous, non-star-forming elliptical galaxy at a redshift of 0.225, which is the location one would expect if the origin of this GRB is through the merger of neutron-star or black-hole binaries. The X-ray afterglow was weak and faded below the detection limit within a few hours; no optical afterglow was detected to stringent limits, explaining the past difficulty in localizing short GRBs.

The present-day galaxy population in spiral galaxies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peletier, Reynier; Antonelli, LA; Limongi, M; Menci, N; Tornambe, A; Brocato, E; Raimondo, G

2009-01-01

Although there are many more stellar population studies of elliptical and lenticular galaxies, studies of spiral galaxies are catching up, due to higher signal to noise data on one hand, and better analysis methods on the other. Here I start by discussing some modern methods of analyzing integrated

The nature of giant clumps in distant galaxies probed by the anatomy of the cosmic snake

Science.gov (United States)

Cava, Antonio; Schaerer, Daniel; Richard, Johan; Pérez-González, Pablo G.; Dessauges-Zavadsky, Miroslava; Mayer, Lucio; Tamburello, Valentina

2018-01-01

Giant stellar clumps are ubiquitous in high-redshift galaxies1,2. They are thought to play an important role in the build-up of galactic bulges3 and as diagnostics of star formation feedback in galactic discs4. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) blank field imaging surveys have estimated that these clumps have masses of up to 109.5 M⊙ and linear sizes of ≳1 kpc5,6. Recently, gravitational lensing has also been used to get higher spatial resolution7-9. However, both recent lensed observations10,11 and models12,13 suggest that the clumps' properties may be overestimated by the limited resolution of standard imaging techniques. A definitive proof of this observational bias is nevertheless still missing. Here we investigate directly the effect of resolution on clump properties by analysing multiple gravitationally lensed images of the same galaxy at different spatial resolutions, down to 30 pc. We show that the typical mass and size of giant clumps, generally observed at 1 kpc resolution in high-redshift galaxies, are systematically overestimated. The high spatial resolution data, only enabled by strong gravitational lensing using currently available facilities, support smaller scales of clump formation by fragmentation of the galactic gas disk via gravitational instabilities.

Enriched gas in clusters and the dynamics of galaxies and clusters: implications for theories of galaxy formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Binney, J.; Silk, J.

1978-01-01

Recent developments in relation to the origin of galaxies are cited: the discovery that the intergalactic medium which seems to pervade rich clusters of galaxies has an iron abundance that lies within an order of magnitude of the solar value; the discovery that elliptical galaxies rotate much more slowly than the models of these galaxies had predicted; and the results of studies of cosmological infall in the context of the formation of galaxies and galaxy clusters, which have shown that the resulting density profile is fairly insensitive to initial conditions. After discussing the implications of these recent observations of X-ray clusters and of the rotation of elliptical galaxies, an attempt is made to construct a picture of the formation of elliptical and spiral galaxies in which galaxies form continuously from redshift z approximately 100 onwards. It is suggested that at a redshift z of roughly 5, a fundamental change occurred in the manner in which the cosmic material fragmented into stellar objects. It seems possible that explanations of a variety of puzzling aspects of galactic evolution, including the formation of Population I disks, the origin of the hot intracluster gas, the mass-to-light ratio stratification of galaxies, and the nature of the galaxy luminosity function, should all be sought in the context of this change of regime. Some remarks are made about gas in poor groups of galaxies and the interaction of disk galaxies with their environments. (U.K.)

Color gradients in elliptical galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franx, M.; Illingworth, G.

1990-01-01

The relationship of the color gradients within ellipticals and the color differences between them are studied. It is found that the local color appears to be strongly related to the escape velocity. This suggests that the local escape velocity is the primary factor that determines the metallicity of the stellar population. Models with and without dark halos give comparable results. 27 refs

COLORS OF ELLIPTICALS FROM GALEX TO SPITZER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schombert, James M., E-mail: jschombe@uoregon.edu [Department of Physics, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403 (United States)

2016-12-01

Multi-color photometry is presented for a large sample of local ellipticals selected by morphology and isolation. The sample uses data from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer ( GALEX ), Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS), and Spitzer to cover the filters NUV , ugri , JHK and 3.6 μ m. Various two-color diagrams, using the half-light aperture defined in the 2MASS J filter, are very coherent from color to color, meaning that galaxies defined to be red in one color are always red in other colors. Comparison to globular cluster colors demonstrates that ellipticals are not composed of a single age, single metallicity (e.g., [Fe/H]) stellar population, but require a multi-metallicity model using a chemical enrichment scenario. Such a model is sufficient to explain two-color diagrams and the color–magnitude relations for all colors using only metallicity as a variable on a solely 12 Gyr stellar population with no evidence of stars younger than 10 Gyr. The [Fe/H] values that match galaxy colors range from −0.5 to +0.4, much higher (and older) than population characteristics deduced from Lick/IDS line-strength system studies, indicating an inconsistency between galaxy colors and line indices values for reasons unknown. The NUV colors have unusual behavior, signaling the rise and fall of the UV upturn with elliptical luminosity. Models with blue horizontal branch tracks can reproduce this behavior, indicating the UV upturn is strictly a metallicity effect.

COLORS OF ELLIPTICALS FROM GALEX TO SPITZER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schombert, James M.

2016-01-01

Multi-color photometry is presented for a large sample of local ellipticals selected by morphology and isolation. The sample uses data from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer ( GALEX ), Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS), and Spitzer to cover the filters NUV , ugri , JHK and 3.6 μ m. Various two-color diagrams, using the half-light aperture defined in the 2MASS J filter, are very coherent from color to color, meaning that galaxies defined to be red in one color are always red in other colors. Comparison to globular cluster colors demonstrates that ellipticals are not composed of a single age, single metallicity (e.g., [Fe/H]) stellar population, but require a multi-metallicity model using a chemical enrichment scenario. Such a model is sufficient to explain two-color diagrams and the color–magnitude relations for all colors using only metallicity as a variable on a solely 12 Gyr stellar population with no evidence of stars younger than 10 Gyr. The [Fe/H] values that match galaxy colors range from −0.5 to +0.4, much higher (and older) than population characteristics deduced from Lick/IDS line-strength system studies, indicating an inconsistency between galaxy colors and line indices values for reasons unknown. The NUV colors have unusual behavior, signaling the rise and fall of the UV upturn with elliptical luminosity. Models with blue horizontal branch tracks can reproduce this behavior, indicating the UV upturn is strictly a metallicity effect.

Paired and interacting galaxies: Conference summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norman, C.A.

1990-01-01

The author gives a summary of the conference proceedings. The conference began with the presentation of the basic data sets on pairs, groups, and interacting galaxies with the latter being further discussed with respect to both global properties and properties of the galactic nuclei. Then followed the theory, modelling and interpretation using analytic techniques, simulations and general modelling for spirals and ellipticals, starbursts and active galactic nuclei. Before the conference the author wrote down the three questions concerning pairs, groups and interacting galaxies that he hoped would be answered at the meeting: (1) How do they form, including the role of initial conditions, the importance of subclustering, the evolution of groups to compact groups, and the fate of compact groups; (2) How do they evolve, including issues such as relevant timescales, the role of halos and the problem of overmerging, the triggering and enhancement of star formation and activity in the galactic nuclei, and the relative importance of dwarf versus giant encounters; and (3) Are they important, including the frequency of pairs and interactions, whether merging and interactions are very important aspects of the life of a normal galaxy at formation, during its evolution, in forming bars, shells, rings, bulges, etc., and in the formation and evolution of active galaxies? Where possible he focuses on these three central issues in the summary

Further simulations of merging galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, S.D.M.

1979-01-01

Galaxy collisions and the structure of the resulting merger remnants are studied using a large number of numerical simulations. These experiments extend earlier calculations of mergers between pairs of similar 'galaxies'. The tidal coupling in collisions is found to depend strongly on the rotational properties of the 'galaxies' involved. It is greatly enhanced if their spin vectors are aligned with that of their orbit, and it is suppressed if this alignment is reversed. The structure of a merger product depends only weakly on that of its progenitors. Such remnants are typically axisymmetric oblate systems with radially decreasing velocity dispersions and density profiles which have near power-law form over two decades in radius. This density structure is reasonably well described by de Vaucouleurs' empirical formula for the surface brightness distribution of elliptical galaxies. The flattening of merger remnants may be partly supported by an anisotropic pressure distribution, but the systems studied here nevertheless rotate considerably more rapidly than most observed elliptical galaxies, and a natural preference for nearly head-on collisions must be invoked if all ellipticals are to be identified as merger remnants. Mass and energy losses are found to be very small for mergers between bound or marginally unbound 'galaxies'. Escapers can, however, carry away a significant amount of angular momentum. (author)

cD galaxy formation and dissipationless collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rhee, G.; Roos, N.

1990-01-01

There is strong new evidence that first-ranked galaxies are aligned with their parent cluster and with the direction of the nearest neighbour cluster (scale 15 h -1 Mpc) and that the average ellipticity of first-ranked ellipticals is a strongly increasing function of radius. The alignment effect is limited to first-ranked galaxies and is stronger for cD and gE galaxies than for first-ranked galaxies of later type. In hierarchical clustering scenarios like the cold dark matter theory, clusters of galaxies are expected to have moderate asphericity. We present numerical results of a study of the dissipationless collapse of moderately aspherical systems. (author)

Observational evidence for mergers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schweizer, F.

1983-01-01

Theory has long suggested that dynamical friction between colliding galaxies must lead to mergers. The problem for observers has been to find which galaxies are mergers. The author first reviews the available evidence for mergers in various kinds of galaxies, then proposes a tentative classification scheme for mergers, and finally discusses mergers in giant ellipticals and their relation to the evolution and perhaps even the formation of ellipticals. (Auth.)

FRESH ACTIVITY IN OLD SYSTEMS: RADIO AGNs IN FOSSIL GROUPS OF GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hess, Kelley M.; Wilcots, Eric M.; Hartwick, Victoria L.

2012-01-01

We present the first systematic 1.4 GHz Very Large Array radio continuum survey of fossil galaxy group candidates. These are virialized systems believed to have assembled over a gigayear in the past through the merging of galaxy group members into a single, isolated, massive elliptical galaxy and featuring an extended hot X-ray halo. We use new photometric and spectroscopic data from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 to determine that three of the candidates are clearly not fossil groups. Of the remaining 30 candidates, 67% contain a radio-loud (L 1.4GHz > 10 23 W Hz –1 ) active galactic nucleus (AGN) at the center of their dominant elliptical galaxy. We find a weak correlation between the radio luminosity of the AGN and the X-ray luminosity of the halo suggesting that the AGN contributes to energy deposition into the intragroup medium. We only find a correlation between the radio and optical luminosity of the central elliptical galaxy when we include X-ray-selected, elliptically dominated non-fossil groups, indicating a weak relationship between AGN strength and the mass assembly history of the groups. The dominant elliptical galaxy of fossil groups is on average roughly an order of magnitude more luminous than normal group elliptical galaxies in optical, X-ray, and radio luminosities and our findings are consistent with previous results that the radio-loud fraction in elliptical galaxies is linked to the stellar mass of a population. The current level of activity in fossil groups suggests that AGN fueling continues long after the last major merger. We discuss several possibilities for fueling the AGN at the present epoch.

Formation of S0s via disc accretion around high-redshift compact ellipticals

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz, Jonathan; Bekki, Kenji; Forbes, Duncan A.; Couch, Warrick J.; Drinkwater, Michael J.; Deeley, Simon

2018-06-01

We present hydrodynamical N-body models which demonstrate that elliptical galaxies can transform into S0s by acquiring a disc. In particular, we show that the merger with a massive gas-rich satellite can lead to the formation of a baryonic disc around an elliptical. We model the elliptical as a massive, compact galaxy which could be observed as a `red nugget' in the high-z universe. This scenario contrasts with existing S0 formation scenarios in the literature in two important ways. First, the progenitor is an elliptical galaxy whereas scenarios in the literature typically assume a spiral progenitor. Secondly, the physical conditions underlying our proposed scenario can exist in low-density environments such as the field, in contrast to scenarios in the literature which typically address dense environments like clusters and groups. As a consequence, S0s in the field may be the most likely candidates to have evolved from elliptical progenitors. Our scenario also naturally explains recent observations which indicate that field S0s may have older bulges than discs, contrary to cluster S0s which seem to have older discs than bulges.

X-RAY PROPERTIES OF YOUNG EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES. I. X-RAY LUMINOSITY FUNCTION OF LOW-MASS X-RAY BINARIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dong-Woo; Fabbiano, Giuseppina

2010-01-01

We have compared the combined X-ray luminosity function (XLF) of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) detected in Chandra observations of young, post-merger elliptical galaxies with that of typical old elliptical galaxies. We find that the XLF of the 'young' sample does not present the prominent high-luminosity break at L X > 5 x 10 38 erg s -1 found in the old elliptical galaxy XLF. The 'young' and 'old' XLFs differ with a 3σ statistical significance (with a probability less than 0.2% that they derive from the same underlying parent distribution). Young elliptical galaxies host a larger fraction of luminous LMXBs (L X > 5 x 10 38 erg s -1 ) than old elliptical galaxies and the XLF of the young galaxy sample is intermediate between that of typical old elliptical galaxies and that of star-forming galaxies. This observational evidence may be related to the last major/minor mergers and the associated star formation.

HST/ACS DIRECT AGES OF THE DWARF ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES NGC 147 AND NGC 185

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geha, M. [Astronomy Department, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 (United States); Weisz, D. [Astronomy Department, Box 351580, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Grocholski, A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States); Dolphin, A. [Raytheon, 1151 E. Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85756 (United States); Marel, R. P. van der [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Guhathakurta, P., E-mail: marla.geha@yale.edu [UCO/Lick Observatory, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States)

2015-10-01

We present the deepest optical photometry for any dwarf elliptical (dE) galaxy based on Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) observations of the Local Group dE galaxies NGC 147 and NGC 185. Our F606W and F814W color–magnitude diagrams are the first to reach below the oldest main sequence turnoff in a dE galaxy, allowing us to determine full star formation histories in these systems. The ACS fields are located roughly ∼1.5 effective radii from the galaxy center to avoid photometric crowding. While both ACS fields show unambiguous evidence for old and intermediate age stars, the mean age of NGC 147 is ∼4–5 Gyr younger as compared to NGC 185. In NGC 147, only 40% of stars were in place 12.5 Gyr ago (z ∼ 5), with the bulk of the remaining stellar population forming between 5 to 7 Gyr. In contrast, 70% of stars were formed in NGC 185 prior to 12.5 Gyr ago with the majority of the remaining population forming between 8 to 10 Gyr ago. Star formation has ceased in both ACS fields for at least 3 Gyr. Previous observations in the central regions of NGC 185 show evidence for star formation as recent as 100 Myr ago, and a strong metallicity gradient with radius. This implies a lack of radial mixing between the center of NGC 185 and our ACS field. The lack of radial gradients in NGC 147 suggests that our inferred SFHs are more representative of its global history. We interpret the inferred differences in star formation histories to imply an earlier infall time into the M31 environment for NGC 185 as compared to NGC 147.

Angular Momentum and Galaxy Formation Revisited

Science.gov (United States)

Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Fall, S. Michael

2012-12-01

Motivated by a new wave of kinematical tracers in the outer regions of early-type galaxies (ellipticals and lenticulars), we re-examine the role of angular momentum in galaxies of all types. We present new methods for quantifying the specific angular momentum j, focusing mainly on the more challenging case of early-type galaxies, in order to derive firm empirical relations between stellar j sstarf and mass M sstarf (thus extending earlier work by Fall). We carry out detailed analyses of eight galaxies with kinematical data extending as far out as 10 effective radii, and find that data at two effective radii are generally sufficient to estimate total j sstarf reliably. Our results contravene suggestions that ellipticals could harbor large reservoirs of hidden j sstarf in their outer regions owing to angular momentum transport in major mergers. We then carry out a comprehensive analysis of extended kinematic data from the literature for a sample of ~100 nearby bright galaxies of all types, placing them on a diagram of j sstarf versus M sstarf. The ellipticals and spirals form two parallel j sstarf-M sstarf tracks, with log-slopes of ~0.6, which for the spirals are closely related to the Tully-Fisher relation, but for the ellipticals derives from a remarkable conspiracy between masses, sizes, and rotation velocities. The ellipticals contain less angular momentum on average than spirals of equal mass, with the quantitative disparity depending on the adopted K-band stellar mass-to-light ratios of the galaxies: it is a factor of ~3-4 if mass-to-light ratio variations are neglected for simplicity, and ~7 if they are included. We decompose the spirals into disks and bulges and find that these subcomponents follow j sstarf-M sstarf trends similar to the overall ones for spirals and ellipticals. The lenticulars have an intermediate trend, and we propose that the morphological types of galaxies reflect disk and bulge subcomponents that follow separate, fundamental j sstarf

Dark matter distributions in early-type galaxies from strong gravitational lensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eichner, Thomas Martin

2013-01-01

Vauc )/(L B )∼(5.5±1.5) (M s un)/(L s un ,B ) in the case of SDSS J1430+4105. Similar results are obtained for the central mass-to-light ratio of SDSS J1538+5817. Comparing these mass-to-light ratios with photometric estimates for the mass-to-light ratios shows the best agreement with a Salpeter IMF. Modeling extraordinary systems like SDSS J1538+5817 or SDSS J1430+4105 using a two-component approach leads to a better understanding of galaxies' central dark and luminous matter properties. We also study dark matter on intermediate scales around elliptical galaxies embedded in a cluster environment. In the galaxy cluster MACSJ1206.2-0847, we describe the rare case of a background source lensed into a giant gravitational arc and additionally distorted by several nearby cluster galaxies. These distortions allow us to constrain the total matter distribution of these galaxies beyond regions normally accessible by strong lensing or dynamical studies. We model the cluster mass distribution with an elliptical NFW profile and the cluster galaxies with two parameters for the central mass and extent of a reference halo. We assume scaling relations from the reference halo to the other member galaxies based on their observed NIR-light. We can match the observed lensed positions of 12 multiply lensed background objects at an r.m.s. level of 0.85'', and can reconstruct the surface brightness distribution of the giant arc and its counterimage to an amazing accuracy. We find the length scale where the enclosed galaxy halo mass is best constrained to be at about 5 effective radii. The velocity dispersion and halo size of a galaxy with m AB,160W =19.2 or M B,Vega =-20.7 are σ=150 kms -1 and r∼26±6 kpc. The analysis carried out in this work can be extended to other cases similar to MACSJ1206.2-0847, which constitute ideal objects for the study of total matter distributions of galaxies at intermediate scales. This closes the gap between strong lensing and dynamical studies on shorter

Differential population synthesis of early-type galaxies. III. Synthesis results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pickles, A.J.

1985-01-01

Synthesis results are presented for 12 elliptical and five lenticular galaxies which cover nearly a 6 mag range of absolute magnitude in the Fornax cluster (V = 1430 km s -1 ). The results of age, metallicity, and mass-to-light ratio (M/L) determinations are presented differentially as functions of galactic luminosity and morphology. Bright elliptical galaxies are well represented by main-sequence turnoff colors of (V-R)/sub c/roughly-equal0.37 and B-Vroughly-equal0.70, in good agreement with O'Connell's results for bright Virgo ellipticals. The relatively young main-sequence turnoff ages, of 6-10 Gyr for ellipticals of all luminosities, indicate that substantial star formation activity occurred in these galaxies for a period of 6dagger10 Gyr after the epoch of globular cluster formation. There is strong evidence for small amounts of current star formation in at least the brightest ellipticals of all luminosities, indicate that substantial star formation in at least the brightest ellipticals, variation in the amount of which may account for significant dispersion in the cluster U-V versus V color-magnitude relation. A metallicity gradient in [Fe/H] of at least 0.16 dex per absolute magnitude is derived, with the brightest ellipticals being 2 to 3 times more metal-rich than solar. The mean metallicities and turnoff ages of the faintest ellipticals are probably dependent on environment. Distance-independent upper limits to galaxy M/L ratios derived from the syntheses conform well with M/L ratios derived from velocity dispersion measurements and give no evidence for unseen mass in the nuclei of early type galaxies of any luminosity

Abundance Ratios in Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sen, Seyda; Peletier, Reynier F.; Toloba, Elisa; Mentz, Jaco J.

The aim of this study is to determine abundance ratios and star formation histories (SFH) of dwarf ellipticals in the nearby Virgo cluster. We perform a stellar population analysis of 39 dEs and study them using index-index and scaling relations. We find an unusual behaviour where [Na/Fe] is

Star Formation in Irregular Galaxies.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Deidre; Wolff, Sidney

1985-01-01

Examines mechanisms of how stars are formed in irregular galaxies. Formation in giant irregular galaxies, formation in dwarf irregular galaxies, and comparisons with larger star-forming regions found in spiral galaxies are considered separately. (JN)

Galaxy evolution. Quasar quartet embedded in giant nebula reveals rare massive structure in distant universe.

Science.gov (United States)

Hennawi, Joseph F; Prochaska, J Xavier; Cantalupo, Sebastiano; Arrigoni-Battaia, Fabrizio

2015-05-15

All galaxies once passed through a hyperluminous quasar phase powered by accretion onto a supermassive black hole. But because these episodes are brief, quasars are rare objects typically separated by cosmological distances. In a survey for Lyman-α emission at redshift z ≈ 2, we discovered a physical association of four quasars embedded in a giant nebula. Located within a substantial overdensity of galaxies, this system is probably the progenitor of a massive galaxy cluster. The chance probability of finding a quadruple quasar is estimated to be ∼10(-7), implying a physical connection between Lyman-α nebulae and the locations of rare protoclusters. Our findings imply that the most massive structures in the distant universe have a tremendous supply (≃10(11) solar masses) of cool dense (volume density ≃ 1 cm(-3)) gas, which is in conflict with current cosmological simulations. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

ACCRETION-INHIBITED STAR FORMATION IN THE WARM MOLECULAR DISK OF THE GREEN-VALLEY ELLIPTICAL GALAXY NGC 3226?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Appleton, P. N.; Bitsakis, T.; Alatalo, K.; Mundell, C.; Lacy, M.; Armus, L.; Charmandaris, V.; Duc, P.-A.; Lisenfeld, U.; Ogle, P.

2014-01-01

We present archival Spitzer photometry and spectroscopy and Herschel photometry of the peculiar ''Green Valley'' elliptical galaxy NGC 3226. The galaxy, which contains a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (AGN), forms a pair with NGC 3227 and is shown to lie in a complex web of stellar and H I filaments. Imaging at 8 and 16 μm reveals a curved plume structure 3 kpc in extent, embedded within the core of the galaxy and coincident with the termination of a 30 kpc long H I tail. In situ star formation associated with the infrared (IR) plume is identified from narrowband Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging. The end of the IR plume coincides with a warm molecular hydrogen disk and dusty ring containing 0.7-1.1 × 10 7 M ☉ detected within the central kiloparsec. Sensitive upper limits to the detection of cold molecular gas may indicate that a large fraction of the H 2 is in a warm state. Photometry derived from the ultraviolet (UV) to the far-IR shows evidence for a low star-formation rate of ∼0.04 M ☉ yr –1 averaged over the last 100 Myr. A mid-IR component to the spectral energy distribution (SED) contributes ∼20% of the IR luminosity of the galaxy, and is consistent with emission associated with the AGN. The current measured star formation rate is insufficient to explain NGC 3226's global UV-optical ''green'' colors via the resurgence of star formation in a ''red and dead'' galaxy. This form of ''cold accretion'' from a tidal stream would appear to be an inefficient way to rejuvenate early-type galaxies and may actually inhibit star formation

Two phase formation of massive elliptical galaxies: study through cross-correlation including spatial effect

Science.gov (United States)

Modak, Soumita; Chattopadhyay, Tanuka; Chattopadhyay, Asis Kumar

2017-11-01

Area of study is the formation mechanism of the present-day population of elliptical galaxies, in the context of hierarchical cosmological models accompanied by accretion and minor mergers. The present work investigates the formation and evolution of several components of the nearby massive early-type galaxies (ETGs) through cross-correlation function (CCF), using the spatial parameters right ascension (RA) and declination (DEC), and the intrinsic parameters mass (M_{*}) and size. According to the astrophysical terminology, here these variables, namely mass, size, RA and DEC are termed as parameters, whereas the unknown constants involved in the kernel function are called hyperparameters. Throughout this paper, the parameter size is used to represent the effective radius (Re). Following Huang et al. (2013a), each nearby ETG is divided into three parts on the basis of its Re value. We study the CCF between each of these three components of nearby massive ETGs and the ETGs in the high redshift range, 0.5conflict raised in a previous work (De et al. 2014) suggesting other possibilities for the formation of the outermost part. A probable cause of this improvement is the inclusion of the spatial effects in addition to the other parameters in the study.

The long lives of giant clumps and the birth of outflows in gas-rich galaxies at high redshift

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bournaud, Frédéric; Renaud, Florent; Daddi, Emanuele; Duc, Pierre-Alain; Elbaz, David; Gabor, Jared M.; Juneau, Stéphanie; Kraljic, Katarina; Le Floch' , Emeric [CEA, IRFU/SAp, F-91191 Gif-Sur-Yvette (France); Perret, Valentin; Amram, Philippe; Epinat, Benoit [Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LAM (Laboratoire d' Astrophysique de Marseille), F-13388 Marseille (France); Dekel, Avishai [Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904 (Israel); Elmegreen, Bruce G. [IBM Research Division, T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 (United States); Elmegreen, Debra M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604 (United States); Teyssier, Romain [Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich (Switzerland)

2014-01-01

Star-forming disk galaxies at high redshift are often subject to violent disk instability, characterized by giant clumps whose fate is yet to be understood. The main question is whether the clumps disrupt within their dynamical timescale (≤50 Myr), like the molecular clouds in today's galaxies, or whether they survive stellar feedback for more than a disk orbital time (≈300 Myr) in which case they can migrate inward and help building the central bulge. We present 3.5-7 pc resolution adaptive mesh refinement simulations of high-redshift disks including photoionization, radiation pressure, and supernovae feedback. Our modeling of radiation pressure determines the mass loading and initial velocity of winds from basic physical principles. We find that the giant clumps produce steady outflow rates comparable to and sometimes somewhat larger than their star formation rate, with velocities largely sufficient to escape the galaxy. The clumps also lose mass, especially old stars, by tidal stripping, and the stellar populations contained in the clumps hence remain relatively young (≤200 Myr), as observed. The clumps survive gaseous outflows and stellar loss, because they are wandering in gas-rich turbulent disks from which they can reaccrete gas at high rates compensating for outflows and tidal stripping, overall keeping realistic and self-regulated gaseous and stellar masses. The outflow and accretion rates have specific timescales of a few 10{sup 8} yr, as opposed to rapid and repeated dispersion and reformation of clumps. Our simulations produce gaseous outflows with velocities, densities, and mass loading consistent with observations, and at the same time suggest that the giant clumps survive for hundreds of Myr and complete their migration to the center of high-redshift galaxies. These long-lived clumps are gas-dominated and contain a moderate mass fraction of stars; they drive inside-out disk evolution, thickening, spheroid growth, and fueling of the central

Young Stars in Old Galaxies - a Cosmic Hide and Seek Game

Science.gov (United States)

2002-05-01

combination of the Hubble and the VLT with the latest space- and ground-based astronomical technology to break this new ground", says group leader Markus Kissler-Patig from the European Southern Observatory Headquarters in Garching (Germany). "Once we had found those young clusters, we then went on to observe them spectroscopically with another of the world's giant telescopes, the 10-m Keck on Hawaii - and this fully confirmed our results." A new important clue to the evolution of the Universe This is a surprising discovery since the stars in giant elliptical galaxies were until now believed to have formed exclusively early on in the history of the Universe. However, it is now clear that some of the old galaxies may have been hiding their true nature and have indeed experienced much more recent periods of major star formation. This is priceless new information for the current attempts to understand the early history of galaxies and the general theory of star formation in the Universe. More information The information presented in this Press Release is based on a research article that has been accepted for publication in the European journal "Astronomy & Astrophysics" ("Extragalactic Globular Clusters in the Near-Infrared: II. The Globular Cluster Systems of NGC 3115 and NGC 4365" by Thomas H. Puzia, Stephen E. Zepf, Markus Kissler-Patig, Michael Hilker, Dante Minniti and Paul Goudfrooij; astro-ph/0206147 ). Notes [1]: This press release is issued in coordination between ESA and ESO. The Hubble Space Telescope is an international cooperation between ESA and NASA. The team is presenting these results at the New Horizons in Globular Cluster Astronomy conference in Padova, Italy 24-28 June, 2002. [2]: The team consists of Thomas H. Puzia (Sternwarte Müenchen, Germany), Stephen E. Zepf (Yale University and Michigan State University, USA), Markus Kissler-Patig and Maren Hempel (ESO, Garching, Germany), Michael Hilker (Sternwarte Bonn, Germany), Dante Minniti (Universidad Catolica

THE ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH AND THE TIP OF THE RED GIANT BRANCH AS PROBES OF STAR FORMATION HISTORY: THE NEARBY DWARF IRREGULAR GALAXY KKH 98

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melbourne, J.; Williams, B.; Dalcanton, J.; Ammons, S. M.; Max, C.; Koo, D. C.; Girardi, Leo; Dolphin, A.

2010-01-01

We investigate the utility of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) and the red giant branch (RGB) as probes of the star formation history (SFH) of the nearby (D = 2.5 Mpc) dwarf irregular galaxy, KKH 98. Near-infrared (near-IR) Keck Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics (AO) images resolve 592 IR-bright stars reaching over 1 mag below the tip of the RGB. Significantly deeper optical (F475W and F814W) Hubble Space Telescope images of the same field contain over 2500 stars, reaching to the red clump and the main-sequence turnoff for 0.5 Gyr old populations. Compared to the optical color-magnitude diagram (CMD), the near-IR CMD shows significantly tighter AGB sequences, providing a good probe of the intermediate-age (0.5-5 Gyr) populations. We match observed CMDs with stellar evolution models to recover the SFH of KKH 98. On average, the galaxy has experienced relatively constant low-level star formation (5 x 10 -4 M sun yr -1 ) for much of cosmic time. Except for the youngest main-sequence populations (age <0.1 Gyr), which are typically fainter than the AO data flux limit, the SFH estimated from the 592 IR-bright stars is a reasonable match to that derived from the much larger optical data set. Differences between the optical- and IR-derived SFHs for 0.1-1 Gyr populations suggest that current stellar evolution models may be overproducing the AGB by as much as a factor of 3 in this galaxy. At the depth of the AO data, the IR-luminous stars are not crowded. Therefore, these techniques can potentially be used to determine the stellar populations of galaxies at significantly further distances.

SPECTROSCOPIC CONFIRMATION OF THE DWARF SPHEROIDAL GALAXY d0994+71 AS A MEMBER OF THE M81 GROUP OF GALAXIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Toloba, Elisa; Sand, David; Crnojević, Denija [Texas Tech University, Physics Department, Box 41051, Lubbock, TX 79409-1051 (United States); Guhathakurta, Puragra [UCO/Lick Observatory, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Chiboucas, Kristin [Gemini Observatory, 670 North Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Simon, Joshua D., E-mail: toloba@ucolick.org [Carnegie Observatories, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States)

2016-10-10

We use Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopy to measure the first velocity and metallicity of a dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy beyond the Local Group using resolved stars. Our target, d0944+71, is a faint dSph found in the halo of the massive spiral galaxy M81 by Chiboucas et al. We coadd the spectra of 27 individual stars and measure a heliocentric radial velocity of −38 ± 10 km s{sup −1}. This velocity is consistent with d0944+71 being gravitationally bound to M81. We coadd the spectra of the 23 stars that are consistent with being red giant branch stars and measure an overall metallicity of [Fe/H] = −1.3 ± 0.3 based on the calcium triplet lines. This metallicity is consistent with d0944+71 following the metallicity−luminosity relation for Local Group dSphs. We investigate several potential sources of observational bias but find that our sample of targeted stars is representative of the metallicity distribution function of d0944+71 and any stellar contamination due to seeing effects is negligible. The low ellipticity of the galaxy and its position in the metallicity−luminosity relation suggest that d0944+71 has not been affected by strong tidal stripping.

High resolution spectroscopy of Red Giant Branch stars and the chemical evolution of the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lemasle, B.; de Boer, T. J. L.; Hill, V.; Tolstoy, E.; Irwin, M. J.; Jablonka, P.; Venn, K.; Battaglia, G.; Starkenburg, E.; Shetrone, M.; Letarte, B.; Francois, P.; Helmi, A.; Primas, F.; Kaufer, A.; Szeifert, T.; Ballet, J.; Martins, F.; Bournaud, F.; Monier, R.; Reylé, C.

2014-01-01

From VLT-FLAMES high-resolution spectra, we determine the abundances of several α, iron-peak and neutron-capture elements in 47 Red Giant Branch stars in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy. We confirm that SNe Ia started to contribute to the chemical enrichment of Fornax at [Fe/H] between --2.0 and

Secular evolution of galaxies and galaxy clusters in decaying dark matter cosmology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrer, Francesc; Nipoti, Carlo; Ettori, Stefano

2009-01-01

If the dark matter sector in the Universe is composed by metastable particles, galaxies and galaxy clusters are expected to undergo significant secular evolution from high to low redshift. We show that the decay of dark matter, with a lifetime compatible with cosmological constraints, can be at the origin of the observed evolution of the Tully-Fisher relation of disk galaxies and alleviate the problem of the size evolution of elliptical galaxies, while being consistent with the current observational constraints on the gas fraction of clusters of galaxies.

2.2 micron image of 3C 368 at z = 1.13, a galaxy with aligned radio and stellar axes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chambers, K.C.; Miley, G.K.; Joyce, R.R.

1988-01-01

A K-band IR image of the z = 1.13 radio galaxy 3C 368, one of the brightest examples of the recently discovered phenomenon of alignment between the optical and radio axes of powerful distant radio galaxies, is presented. The observations show that the IR morphology is also elongated and aligned along the optical and radio axes, but is not coincident with the radio emission. Various mechanisms for producing the IR and optical flux and the resultant constraints on the origin of the alignment effect in high-redshift radio galaxies are discussed. The most likely explanation is that the emission is produced mainly by young stars formed by interaction of the radio source with the ISM. The IR flux is then interpreted as dominated by a population of red supergiants. Independent of the origin of the emission, the observed alignment implies that powerful radio galaxies at high redshifts are distant from giant ellipticals, even in the IR. Hence, attempts to derive a cosmological standard candle using studies which combine these two types of galaxies are likely to be invalid. 32 references

Deep Galaxy: Classification of Galaxies based on Deep Convolutional Neural Networks

OpenAIRE

Khalifa, Nour Eldeen M.; Taha, Mohamed Hamed N.; Hassanien, Aboul Ella; Selim, I. M.

2017-01-01

In this paper, a deep convolutional neural network architecture for galaxies classification is presented. The galaxy can be classified based on its features into main three categories Elliptical, Spiral, and Irregular. The proposed deep galaxies architecture consists of 8 layers, one main convolutional layer for features extraction with 96 filters, followed by two principles fully connected layers for classification. It is trained over 1356 images and achieved 97.272% in testing accuracy. A c...

A Massive Galaxy in Its Core Formation Phase Three Billion Years After the Big Bang

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Erica; van Dokkum, Pieter; Franx, Marijn; Brammer, Gabriel; Momcheva, Ivelina; Schreiber, Natascha M. Forster; da Cunha, Elisabete; Tacconi, Linda; Bezanson, Rachel; Kirkpatrick, Allison;

DISCOVERY OF A GIANT RADIO HALO IN A NEW PLANCK GALAXY CLUSTER PLCKG171.9-40.7

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giacintucci, Simona [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Kale, Ruta; Venturi, Tiziana [INAF-Istituto di Radioastronomia, via Gobetti 101, I-40129 Bologna (Italy); Wik, Daniel R.; Markevitch, Maxim, E-mail: simona@astro.umd.edu [Astrophysics Science Division, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

2013-03-20

We report the discovery of a giant radio halo in a new, hot, X-ray luminous galaxy cluster recently found by Planck, PLCKG171.9-40.7. The radio halo was found using Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope observations at 235 MHz and 610 MHz, and in the 1.4 GHz data from an NRAO Very Large Array Sky Survey pointing that we have reanalyzed. The diffuse radio emission is coincident with the cluster X-ray emission, and has an extent of {approx}1 Mpc and a radio power of {approx}5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 24} W Hz{sup -1} at 1.4 GHz. Its integrated radio spectrum has a slope of {alpha} Almost-Equal-To 1.8 between 235 MHz and 1.4 GHz, steeper than that of a typical giant halo. The analysis of the archival XMM-Newton X-ray data shows that the cluster is hot ({approx}10 keV) and disturbed, consistent with X-ray-selected clusters hosting radio halos. This is the first giant radio halo discovered in one of the new clusters found by Planck.

DISCOVERY OF A PSEUDOBULGE GALAXY LAUNCHING POWERFUL RELATIVISTIC JETS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kotilainen, Jari K.; Olguín-Iglesias, Alejandro [Finnish Centre for Astronomy with ESO (FINCA), University of Turku, Väisäläntie 20, FI-21500 Piikkiö (Finland); León-Tavares, Jonathan; Baes, Maarten [Sterrenkundig Observatorium, Universiteit Gent, Krijgslaan 281-S9, B-9000 Gent (Belgium); Anórve, Christopher [Facultad de Ciencias de la Tierra y del Espacio de la Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Blvd. de la Americas y Av. Universitarios S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. 80010, Culiacán Sinaloa, México (Mexico); Chavushyan, Vahram; Carrasco, Luis, E-mail: jarkot@utu.fi [Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica Óptica y Electrónica (INAOE), Apartado Postal 51 y 216, 72000 Puebla (Mexico)

2016-12-01

Supermassive black holes launching plasma jets at close to the speed of light, producing gamma-rays, have ubiquitously been found to be hosted by massive elliptical galaxies. Since elliptical galaxies are generally believed to be built through galaxy mergers, active galactic nuclei (AGN) launching relativistic jets are associated with the latest stages of galaxy evolution. We have discovered a pseudobulge morphology in the host galaxy of the gamma-ray AGN PKS 2004-447. This is the first gamma-ray emitter radio-loud AGN found to have been launched from a system where both the black hole and host galaxy have been actively growing via secular processes. This is evidence of an alternative black hole–galaxy co-evolutionary path to develop powerful relativistic jets, which is not merger driven.

A model of the formation of spiral galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, W.K.; Gritzo, L.A.

1980-01-01

It has been verified that the analytical results in a previous article for elliptical galaxies may also be used to describe spiral galaxies. Exploration of the model for small values of the principal parameter THETA yields surface mass density distributions as functions of radius which, while always displaying the exponential disk, describe both of the subcategories of spiral galaxies. Within the constraints of the model, the two main questions concerning spirals posed some years ago by Freeman appear to be successfully addressed. An intrinsic model mechanism has been identified that could account for the extended state of elliptical galaxies, as opposed to the flat disks of spirals. In general, the model correctly describes the relative sizes of the various types of galaxies. (orig.)

Chemical evolution of galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vigroux, Laurent

1979-01-01

This research thesis addresses theories on the chemical evolution of galaxies which aim at explaining abundances of different elements in galaxies, and more particularly aims at improving the model by modifying hypotheses. After a description of the simple model and of its uncertainties, the author shows how it is possible to understand the evolution of the main elements. Predictions obtained with this model are then compared with the present knowledge on galaxies by considering them according to an increasing complexity: Sun's neighbourhood, our galaxy, other spiral galaxies, elliptical galaxies, and finally galaxy clusters. A specific attention is given to irregular galaxies which are the simplest systems [fr

The Intrinsic Shape of Galaxies in SDSS/Galaxy Zoo

OpenAIRE

Rodríguez, Silvio; Padilla, Nelson D.

2013-01-01

By modelling the axis ratio distribution of SDSS DR8 galaxies we find the intrinsic 3D shapes of spirals and ellipticals. We use morphological information from the Galaxy Zoo project and assume a non-parametric distribution intrinsic of shapes, while taking into account dust extinction. We measure the dust extinction of the full sample of spiral galaxies and find a smaller value than previous estimations, with an edge-on extinction of $E_0 = 0.284^{+0.015}_{-0.026}$ in the SDSS r band. We als...

Radio emission in the Virgo cluster and in SO galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotanyi, C.

1981-01-01

A survey of the radio continuum emission from the galaxies in the Virgo Cluster is presented. The sample of 274 galaxies in total contains a subsample of 188 galaxies complete down to magntiude msub(p) = 14. The observations consisted mostly of short (10 minutes) observations providing one-dimensional (East-West) strip distributions of the radio brightness at 1.4 GHz, with an East-West resolution of 23'' allowing separation of central sources from extended emission, and an r.m.s. noise level of 2 mJy. The radio emission of SO galaxies is examined. A sample of 145 SO galaxies is obtained by combining the Virgo cluster SO's with the nearby non-cluster SO's. The radio data, mainly from short observations, are used to derive the RLF. The radio emission in SO galaxies is at least three times weaker than that in ellipticals and spirals. Flat-spectrum compact nuclear sources are found in SO galaxies but they are at least 10 times weaker than in elliptical galaxies, which is attributed to the small mass of the bulges in SO's as compared to the mass of elliptical galaxies. The absence of steep-spectrum, extended central sources and of disk radio emission in SO's is attributed to their low neutral hydrogen content. (Auth.)

Detection of an apparent, distant cluster of galaxies associated with the radio-tail QSO 3C 275.1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hintzen, P.; Boeshaar, G.O.; Scott, J.S.

1981-01-01

Based on the suggestion that QSOs with distorted radio structures are likely to be members of clusters of galaxies (Hintzen and Scott), we have obtained deep direct observations of the fields containing 3C 270.1 and 3C 275.1, the most reliably substantiated cases of wide-angle radio tails associated with QSOs. Our 75'' square field centered on 3C 275.1 (z = 0.557) contains over three-dozen objects, many of which are nonstellar, between m/sub R/ = 19.8 and m/sub R/ = 23.5. The quasar itself lies at the center of an illiptical nebulosity. The size of this nebulosity and the magnitude distribution of the surrounding objects are consistent with the interpretation that the QSO is the nucleus of a giant elliptical galaxy which is a member of a cluster of galaxies at zapprox.0.55. Our observations of 3C 270.1 (z = 1.519) show no definitive evidence of an associated cluster of galaxies, which is consistent with the cosmological interpretation of QSO redshifts

The Nature of Accreting Black Holes in Nearby Galaxy Nuclei

Science.gov (United States)

Colbert, E. J. M.; Mushotzky, R. F.

1999-05-01

We have found compact X-ray sources in the center of 21 (54%) of 39 nearby face-on spiral and elliptical galaxies with available ROSAT HRI data. ROSAT X-ray luminosities (0.2 - 2.4 keV) of these compact X-ray sources are ~ 10(37) -10(40) erg s(-1) (with a mean of 3 x 10(39) erg s(-1) ). The mean displacement between the location of the compact X-ray source and the optical photometric center of the galaxy is ~ 390 pc. The fact that compact nuclear sources were found in nearly all (five of six) galaxies with previous evidence for a black hole or an AGN indicates that at least some of the X-ray sources are accreting supermassive black holes. ASCA spectra of six of the 21 galaxies show the presence of a hard component with relatively steep (Gamma ~ 2.5) spectral slope. A multicolor disk blackbody model fits the data from the spiral galaxies well, suggesting that the X-ray object in these galaxies may be similar to a Black Hole Candidate in its soft (high) state. ASCA data from the elliptical galaxies indicate that hot (kT ~ 0.7 keV) gas dominates the emission. The fact that (for both spiral and elliptical galaxies) the spectral slope is steeper than in normal type 1 AGNs and that relatively low absorbing columns (N_H ~ 10(21) cm(-2) ) were found to the power-law component indicates that these objects are somehow geometrically and/or physically different from AGNs in normal active galaxies. The X-ray sources in the spiral and elliptical galaxies may be black hole X-ray binaries, low-luminosity AGNs, or possibly young X-ray luminous supernovae. Assuming the sources in the spiral galaxies are accreting black holes in their soft state, we estimate black hole masses ~ 10(2) -10(4) M_sun.

Black Hole Growth Is Mainly Linked to Host-galaxy Stellar Mass Rather Than Star Formation Rate

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, G.; Chen, C.-T. J.; Vito, F.; Brandt, W. N.; Alexander, D. M.; Luo, B.; Sun, M. Y.; Xue, Y. Q.; Bauer, F. E.; Koekemoer, A. M.; Lehmer, B. D.; Liu, T.; Schneider, D. P.; Shemmer, O.; Trump, J. R.; Vignali, C.; Wang, J.-X.

2017-06-01

We investigate the dependence of black hole accretion rate (BHAR) on host-galaxy star formation rate (SFR) and stellar mass (M *) in the CANDELS/GOODS-South field in the redshift range of 0.5≤slant zteam through spectral energy distribution fitting. The average BHAR is correlated positively with both SFR and M *, and the BHAR-SFR and BHAR-M * relations can both be described acceptably by linear models with a slope of unity. However, BHAR appears to be correlated more strongly with M * than SFR. This result indicates that M * is the primary host-galaxy property related to supermassive black hole (SMBH) growth, and the apparent BHAR-SFR relation is largely a secondary effect due to the star-forming main sequence. Among our sources, massive galaxies ({M}* ≳ {10}10{M}⊙ ) have significantly higher BHAR/SFR ratios than less massive galaxies, indicating that the former have higher SMBH fueling efficiency and/or higher SMBH occupation fraction than the latter. Our results can naturally explain the observed proportionality between {M}{BH} and M * for local giant ellipticals and suggest that their {M}{BH}/{M}* is higher than that of local star-forming galaxies. Among local star-forming galaxies, massive systems might have higher {M}{BH}/{M}* compared to dwarfs.

The Sizes of Early-Type Galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janz, Joachim; Lisker, Thorsten

2008-01-01

In this letter we present a study of the size luminosity relation of 475 early-type galaxies in the Virgo Cluster with Sloan Digital Sky Survey imaging data. The analysis of our homogeneous, model-independent data set reveals that giant and dwarf early-type galaxies do not form one common sequence in this relation. The dwarfs seem to show weak or no dependence on luminosity, and do not fall on the extension of the rather steep relation of the giants. Under the assumption that the light profile shape varies continuously with magnitude, a curved relation of size and magnitude would be expected. While the galaxies do roughly follow this trend overall, we find that the dwarf galaxies are significantly larger and the low-luminosity giants are significantly smaller than what is predicted. We come to the conclusion that in this scaling relation there is not one common sequence from dwarfs to giants, but a dichotomy that cannot be resolved by varying profile shapes. The comparison of our data to a semianalytic model supports the idea of a physical origin for this dichotomy.

Formation of ultra-compact dwarf galaxies from supergiant molecular clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Goodman, Morgan; Bekki, Kenji

2018-05-01

The origin of ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs) is not yet clear. One possible formation path of UCDs is the threshing of a nucleated elliptical dwarf galaxy (dE, N), however, it remains unclear how such massive nuclear stellar systems were formed in dwarf galaxies. To better establish the early history of UCDs, we investigate the formation of UCD progenitor clusters from super giant molecular clouds (SGMCs), using hydrodynamical simulations. In this study we focus on SGMCs with masses 107 - 108 M_{\\odot } that can form massive star clusters that display physical properties similar to UCDs. We find that the clusters have extended star formation histories with two phases, producing multiple distinct stellar populations, and that the star formation rate is dependent on the feedback effects of SNe and AGB stars. The later generations of stars formed in these clusters are more compact, leading to a clearly nested structure, and these stars will be more He-rich than those of the first generation, leading to a slight colour gradient. The simulated clusters demonstrate scaling relations between Reff and M and σv and M consistent with those observed in UCDs and strongly consistent with those of the original SGMC. We discuss whether SGMCs such as these can be formed through merging of self-gravitating molecular clouds in galaxies at high-z.

THE REDSHIFT DISTRIBUTION OF GIANT ARCS IN THE SLOAN GIANT ARCS SURVEY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayliss, Matthew B.; Gladders, Michael D.; Koester, Benjamin P.; Oguri, Masamune; Hennawi, Joseph F.; Sharon, Keren; Dahle, Haakon

2011-01-01

We measure the redshift distribution of a sample of 28 giant arcs discovered as a part of the Sloan Giant Arcs Survey. Gemini/GMOS-North spectroscopy provides precise redshifts for 24 arcs, and 'redshift desert' constrains for the remaining 4 arcs. This is a direct measurement of the redshift distribution of a uniformly selected sample of bright giant arcs, which is an observable that can be used to inform efforts to predict giant arc statistics. Our primary giant arc sample has a median redshift z = 1.821 and nearly two-thirds of the arcs, 64%, are sources at z ∼> 1.4, indicating that the population of background sources that are strongly lensed into bright giant arcs resides primarily at high redshift. We also analyze the distribution of redshifts for 19 secondary strongly lensed background sources that are not visually apparent in Sloan Digital Sky Survey imaging, but were identified in deeper follow-up imaging of the lensing cluster fields. Our redshift sample for the secondary sources is not spectroscopically complete, but combining it with our primary giant arc sample suggests that a large fraction of all background galaxies that are strongly lensed by foreground clusters reside at z ∼> 1.4. Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests indicate that our well-selected, spectroscopically complete primary giant arc redshift sample can be reproduced with a model distribution that is constructed from a combination of results from studies of strong-lensing clusters in numerical simulations and observational constraints on the galaxy luminosity function.

On order and chaos in the mergers of galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Vandervoort, Peter O.

2018-03-01

This paper describes a low-dimensional model of the merger of two galaxies. The governing equations are the complete sets of moment equations of the first and second orders derived from the collisionless Boltzmann equations representing the galaxies. The moment equations reduce to an equation governing the relative motion of the galaxies, tensor virial equations, and equations governing the kinetic energy tensors. We represent the galaxies as heterogeneous ellipsoids with Gaussian stratifications of their densities, and we represent the mean stellar motions in terms of velocity fields that sustain those densities consistently with the equation of continuity. We reduce and solve the governing equations for a head-on encounter of a dwarf galaxy with a giant galaxy. That reduction includes the effect of dynamical friction on the relative motion of the galaxies. Our criterion for chaotic behaviour is sensitivity of the motion to small changes in the initial conditions. In a survey of encounters and mergers of a dwarf galaxy with a giant galaxy, chaotic behaviour arises mainly in non-linear oscillations of the dwarf galaxy. The encounter disrupts the dwarf, excites chaotic oscillations of the dwarf, or excites regular oscillations. Dynamical friction can drive a merger to completion within a Hubble time only if the dwarf is sufficiently massive. The survey of encounters and mergers is the basis for a simple model of the evolution of a `Local Group' consisting of a giant galaxy and a population of dwarf galaxies bound to the giant as satellites on radial orbits.

GALAXY HALO TRUNCATION AND GIANT ARC SURFACE BRIGHTNESS RECONSTRUCTION IN THE CLUSTER MACSJ1206.2-0847

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eichner, Thomas; Seitz, Stella; Monna, Anna [Universitaets-Sternwarte Muenchen, Scheinerstr. 1, D-81679 Muenchen (Germany); Suyu, Sherry H. [Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Halkola, Aleksi [Institute of Medical Engineering, University of Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160 23562 Luebeck (Germany); Umetsu, Keiichi [Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, P.O. Box 23-141, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Zitrin, Adi [Institut fuer Theoretische Astrophysik, ZAH, Albert-Ueberle-Strasse 2, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Coe, Dan; Postman, Marc; Koekemoer, Anton; Bradley, Larry [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21208 (United States); Rosati, Piero [ESO-European Southern Observatory, D-85748 Garching bei Muenchen (Germany); Grillo, Claudio; Host, Ole [Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Juliane Maries Vej 30, DK-2100 Copenhagen (Denmark); Balestra, Italo [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Zheng, Wei; Lemze, Doron [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Broadhurst, Tom [Department of Theoretical Physics, University of the Basque Country, P.O. Box 644, E-48080 Bilbao (Spain); Moustakas, Leonidas [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, MS 169-327, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Molino, Alberto [Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC), C/Camino Bajo de Huetor 24, Granada E-18008 (Spain); and others

2013-09-10

In this work, we analyze the mass distribution of MACSJ1206.2-0847, particularly focusing on the halo properties of its cluster members. The cluster appears relaxed in its X-ray emission, but has a significant amount of intracluster light that is not centrally concentrated, suggesting that galaxy-scale interactions are still ongoing despite the overall relaxed state. The cluster lenses 12 background galaxies into multiple images and one galaxy at z = 1.033 into a giant arc and its counterimage. The multiple image positions and the surface brightness (SFB) distribution of the arc, which is bent around several cluster members, are sensitive to the cluster galaxy halo properties. We model the cluster mass distribution with a Navarro-Frenk-White profile and the galaxy halos with two parameters for the mass normalization and the extent of a reference halo assuming scalings with their observed near-infrared light. We match the multiple image positions at an rms level of 0.''85 and can reconstruct the SFB distribution of the arc in several filters to a remarkable accuracy based on this cluster model. The length scale where the enclosed galaxy halo mass is best constrained is about 5 effective radii-a scale in between those accessible to dynamical and field strong-lensing mass estimates on the one hand and galaxy-galaxy weak-lensing results on the other hand. The velocity dispersion and halo size of a galaxy with m{sub 160W,AB} = 19.2 and M{sub B,Vega} = -20.7 are {sigma} = 150 km s{sup -1} and r Almost-Equal-To 26 {+-} 6 kpc, respectively, indicating that the halos of the cluster galaxies are tidally stripped. We also reconstruct the unlensed source, which is smaller by a factor of {approx}5.8 in area, demonstrating the increase in morphological information due to lensing. We conclude that this galaxy likely has star-forming spiral arms with a red (older) central component.

GALAXY HALO TRUNCATION AND GIANT ARC SURFACE BRIGHTNESS RECONSTRUCTION IN THE CLUSTER MACSJ1206.2-0847

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eichner, Thomas; Seitz, Stella; Monna, Anna; Suyu, Sherry H.; Halkola, Aleksi; Umetsu, Keiichi; Zitrin, Adi; Coe, Dan; Postman, Marc; Koekemoer, Anton; Bradley, Larry; Rosati, Piero; Grillo, Claudio; Høst, Ole; Balestra, Italo; Zheng, Wei; Lemze, Doron; Broadhurst, Tom; Moustakas, Leonidas; Molino, Alberto

2013-01-01

In this work, we analyze the mass distribution of MACSJ1206.2-0847, particularly focusing on the halo properties of its cluster members. The cluster appears relaxed in its X-ray emission, but has a significant amount of intracluster light that is not centrally concentrated, suggesting that galaxy-scale interactions are still ongoing despite the overall relaxed state. The cluster lenses 12 background galaxies into multiple images and one galaxy at z = 1.033 into a giant arc and its counterimage. The multiple image positions and the surface brightness (SFB) distribution of the arc, which is bent around several cluster members, are sensitive to the cluster galaxy halo properties. We model the cluster mass distribution with a Navarro-Frenk-White profile and the galaxy halos with two parameters for the mass normalization and the extent of a reference halo assuming scalings with their observed near-infrared light. We match the multiple image positions at an rms level of 0.''85 and can reconstruct the SFB distribution of the arc in several filters to a remarkable accuracy based on this cluster model. The length scale where the enclosed galaxy halo mass is best constrained is about 5 effective radii—a scale in between those accessible to dynamical and field strong-lensing mass estimates on the one hand and galaxy-galaxy weak-lensing results on the other hand. The velocity dispersion and halo size of a galaxy with m 160W,AB = 19.2 and M B,Vega = –20.7 are σ = 150 km s –1 and r ≈ 26 ± 6 kpc, respectively, indicating that the halos of the cluster galaxies are tidally stripped. We also reconstruct the unlensed source, which is smaller by a factor of ∼5.8 in area, demonstrating the increase in morphological information due to lensing. We conclude that this galaxy likely has star-forming spiral arms with a red (older) central component

Motions of galaxies in the neighborhood of the local group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faber, S.M.; Burstein, D.

1988-01-01

Two samples of spiral galaxies, as well as elliptical galaxies, are presently used to investigate the velocity field of galaxies relative to the cosmic microwave background to a distance of 3000 km/sec. The velocity-field models optimized include motions due to a spherically-symmetric Great Attractor, a Virgocentric flow, and a Local Anomally of which the Local Group is a part. While the spiral samples are in good agreement with the Great-Attractor-Virgo model for the motion of elliptical galaxies, new observations indicate that the Great Attractor is not spherically symmetric in its inner regions and may require modification of the model. 27 refs

Enormous mass of the elliptical galaxy M87: A model for the extended X-ray source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathews, W.G.

1978-01-01

An analysis of the X-ray data from the Virgo cluster indicates that the mass of the giant elliptical galaxy M87 exceeds 10 13 M/sub sun/ or greater. This large mass is required in order to confine the extended thermal X-ray source to its observed projected size - provided that the gas which radiates X-rays is essentially isothermal (T=3 x 10 7 K) and in hydrostatic equilibrium. Isothermality follows from the efficiency of heat conduction and the suggested origin of the gas. If these assumptions are correct, the bulk of the mass in M87 must be distributed in a low-density, low luminosity component quite unlike the distribution of luminous matter. The mass of this component could account for the ''missing mass'' in the Virgo cluster. Observations of polarized radio emission from the core source in M87 provide further indirect support for the existence of a massive, low-luminosity halo. The hot gas (Tapprox. =3 x 10 7 K), trapped in the potential well of the dark halo, and the magnetic field associated with the M87 radio halo account for the Faraday depolarization and rotation measure observed in the radio core source (jet and nucleus).The gas at Tapprox. =3 x 10 7 K which surrounds M87 cools at its center in less than a Hubble time, and produces the H II region which is observed there. Observations of the Balmer decrement could be useful in verifying the origin of the nuclear H II gas. This gas, which falls as clouds into the nucleus at a rate of approx.10 M/sub sun/ yr -1 , may be responsible for maintaining the nonthermal activity there. The total mass of hot gas in M87 is, very approximately, 5 x 10 12 M/sub sun/. A likely source for the hot gas surrounding M87 would be the interaction of galactic winds among the cluster members, followed by infall into the potential well of M87

Structure and evolution of NGC 5128

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graham, J.A.

1979-01-01

New photographic and spectroscopic observations have been made of the nearby radio galaxy NGC 5128 with the CTIO 4 m telescope. A deep blue photograph shows some faint streamers in the NW quadrant, several arc minutes from the nucleus. No indication of a concentration of globular clusters associated with the galaxy is seen in this photograph. Velocities are given for the gaseous and stellar components of the galaxy. The main body of NGC 5128 resembles in many respects a normal giant elliptical galaxy. Concentric with it, is an inclined rotating disk which contains both stars and gas. In parts of the galaxy, material in the disk gives rise to prominent sharp interstellar absorption lines. The heliocentric velocity indicated by emission lines originating from gas near the nucleus is 548 +- 5 km s -1 . This is consistent with the mean velocity given by the diffuse absorption lines from unresolved stars in the elliptical component, 536 +- 30 km s -1 . A rotation curve for the disk is derived. If a distance of 5 Mpc is assumed, an approximate value for the mass of the galaxy is 3 x 10 11 M/sub sun/ to a distance of 11 kpc from the nucleus. No rotation is observed in the elliptical component greater than 30 km s -1 at a distance of 1.5 kpc in any direction from the nucleus. The origin and evolution of the galaxy are discussed. One possibility is that the optical and radio characteristics of the galaxy have developed from the merger of a gas cloud or small galaxy with a giant elliptical galaxy about 10 9 years ago. The main radio characteristics and the unusual activity in the nucleus of NGC 5128 appear to be a consequence rather than the cause of the peculiar structural features of the galaxy

Quasar Host Galaxies/Neptune Rotation/Galaxy Building Blocks/Hubble Deep Field/Saturn Storm

Science.gov (United States)

2001-01-01

Computerized animations simulate a quasar erupting in the core of a normal spiral galaxy, the collision of two interacting galaxies, and the evolution of the universe. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images show six quasars' host galaxies (including spirals, ellipticals, and colliding galaxies) and six clumps of galaxies approximately 11 billion light years away. A false color time lapse movie of Neptune displays the planet's 16-hour rotation, and the evolution of a storm on Saturn is seen though a video of the planet's rotation. A zoom sequence starts with a ground-based image of the constellation Ursa major and ends with the Hubble Deep Field through progressively narrower and deeper views.

Dark halos and elliptical galaxies as marginally stable dynamical systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El Zant, A. A. [Centre for Theoretical Physics, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Sheikh Zayed, 12588 Giza (Egypt); The British University in Egypt, Sherouk City, Cairo 11837 (Egypt)

2013-12-10

The origin of equilibrium gravitational configurations is sought in terms of the stability of their trajectories, as described by the curvature of their Lagrangian configuration manifold of particle positions—a context in which subtle spurious effects originating from the singularity in the two-body potential become particularly clear. We focus on the case of spherical systems, which support only regular orbits in the collisionless limit, despite the persistence of local exponential instability of N-body trajectories in the anomalous case of discrete point particle representation even as N → ∞. When the singularity in the potential is removed, this apparent contradiction disappears. In the absence of fluctuations, equilibrium configurations generally correspond to positive scalar curvature and thus support stable trajectories. A null scalar curvature is associated with an effective, averaged equation of state describing dynamically relaxed equilibria with marginally stable trajectories. The associated configurations are quite similar to those of observed elliptical galaxies and simulated cosmological halos and are necessarily different from the systems dominated by isothermal cores, expected from entropy maximization in the context of the standard theory of violent relaxation. It is suggested that this is the case because a system starting far from equilibrium does not reach a 'most probable state' via violent relaxation, but that this process comes to an end as the system finds and (settles in) a configuration where it can most efficiently wash out perturbations. We explicitly test this interpretation by means of direct simulations.

Giant HII regions as distance indicators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melnick, Jorge; Terlevich, Robert; Moles, Mariano

1987-01-01

The correlations between the integrated Hβ luminosities, the velocity widths of the nebular lines and the metallicities of giant HII regions and HII galaxies are demonstrated to provide powerful distance indicators. They are calibrated on a homogeneous sample of giant HII regions with well determined distances and applied to distant HII galaxies to obtain a value of H 0 =95+-10 for the Hubble parameter, consistent with the value obtained by the Tully-Fisher technique. The effect of Malmquist bias and other systematic effects on the HII region method are discussed in detail. (Author)

Dissolved Massive Metal-rich Globular Clusters Can Cause the Range of UV Upturn Strengths Found among Early-type Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Goudfrooij, Paul

2018-04-01

I discuss a scenario in which the ultraviolet (UV) upturn of giant early-type galaxies (ETGs) is primarily due to helium-rich stellar populations that formed in massive metal-rich globular clusters (GCs), which subsequently dissolved in the strong tidal field in the central regions of the massive host galaxy. These massive GCs are assumed to show UV upturns similar to those observed recently in M87, the central giant elliptical galaxy in the Virgo cluster of galaxies. Data taken from the literature reveal a strong correlation between the strength of the UV upturn and the specific frequency of metal-rich GCs in ETGs. Adopting a Schechter function parameterization of GC mass functions, simulations of long-term dynamical evolution of GC systems show that the observed correlation between UV upturn strength and GC specific frequency can be explained by variations in the characteristic truncation mass {{ \\mathcal M }}{{c}} such that {{ \\mathcal M }}{{c}} increases with ETG luminosity in a way that is consistent with observed GC luminosity functions in ETGs. These findings suggest that the nature of the UV upturn in ETGs and the variation of its strength among ETGs are causally related to that of helium-rich populations in massive GCs, rather than intrinsic properties of field stars in massive galactic spheroids. With this in mind, I predict that future studies will find that [N/Fe] decreases with increasing galactocentric radius in massive ETGs, and that such gradients have the largest amplitudes in ETGs with the strongest UV upturns.

AGN feedback in galaxy formation

CERN Document Server

Antonuccio-Delogu, Vincenzo

2010-01-01

During the past decade, convincing evidence has been accumulated concerning the effect of active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity on the internal and external environment of their host galaxies. Featuring contributions from well-respected researchers in the field, and bringing together work by specialists in both galaxy formation and AGN, this volume addresses a number of key questions about AGN feedback in the context of galaxy formation. The topics covered include downsizing and star-formation time scales in massive elliptical galaxies, the connection between the epochs of supermassive black h

THERMAL PLASMA IN THE GIANT LOBES OF THE RADIO GALAXY CENTAURUS A

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Sullivan, S. P.; Feain, I. J.; McClure-Griffiths, N. M.; Ekers, R. D.; Carretti, E. [CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, ATNF, P.O. Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710 (Australia); Robishaw, T. [Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory, P.O. Box 248, Penticton, BC V2A 6J9 (Canada); Mao, S. A. [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box O, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States); Gaensler, B. M.; Bland-Hawthorn, J. [Sydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Stawarz, L. [Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, JAXA, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210 (Japan)

2013-02-20

We present a Faraday rotation measure (RM) study of the diffuse, polarized, radio emission from the giant lobes of the nearest radio galaxy, Centaurus A. After removal of the smooth Galactic foreground RM component, using an ensemble of background source RMs located outside the giant lobes, we are left with a residual RM signal associated with the giant lobes. We find that the most likely origin of this residual RM is from thermal material mixed throughout the relativistic lobe plasma. The alternative possibility of a thin-skin/boundary layer of magnetoionic material swept up by the expansion of the lobes is highly unlikely since it requires, at least, an order of magnitude enhancement of the swept-up gas over the expected intragroup density on these scales. Strong depolarization observed from 2.3 to 0.96 GHz also supports the presence of a significant amount of thermal gas within the lobes; although depolarization solely due to RM fluctuations in a foreground Faraday screen on scales smaller than the beam cannot be ruled out. Considering the internal Faraday rotation scenario, we find a thermal gas number density of {approx}10{sup -4} cm{sup -3}, implying a total gas mass of {approx}10{sup 10} M {sub Sun} within the lobes. The thermal pressure associated with this gas (with temperature kT {approx} 0.5 keV, obtained from recent X-ray results) is approximately equal to the non-thermal pressure, indicating that over the volume of the lobes, there is approximate equipartition between the thermal gas, radio-emitting electrons, and magnetic field (and potentially any relativistic protons present).

Properties of galaxies reproduced by a hydrodynamic simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Vogelsberger, M.; Genel, S.; Springel, V.; Torrey, P.; Sijacki, D.; Xu, D.; Snyder, G.; Bird, S.; Nelson, D.; Hernquist, L.

2014-05-01

Previous simulations of the growth of cosmic structures have broadly reproduced the `cosmic web' of galaxies that we see in the Universe, but failed to create a mixed population of elliptical and spiral galaxies, because of numerical inaccuracies and incomplete physical models. Moreover, they were unable to track the small-scale evolution of gas and stars to the present epoch within a representative portion of the Universe. Here we report a simulation that starts 12 million years after the Big Bang, and traces 13 billion years of cosmic evolution with 12 billion resolution elements in a cube of 106.5 megaparsecs a side. It yields a reasonable population of ellipticals and spirals, reproduces the observed distribution of galaxies in clusters and characteristics of hydrogen on large scales, and at the same time matches the `metal' and hydrogen content of galaxies on small scales.

CCD photometry of apparent dwarf galaxies in Fornax

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillipps, S.; Grimley, P.L.; Disney, M.J.; Cawson, M.G.M.; Kibblewhite, E.J.

1986-01-01

Blue and red CCD surface photometry of two apparent dwarf galaxies in the Fornax cluster region is presented. Luminosity profiles are derived and their form discussed. The fainter galaxy resembles an archetypal diffuse dwarf elliptical but the brighter of the pair is either an unusual red dwarf or a background galaxy in chance juxtaposition. (author)

Dependence between the colour of galaxies in pairs (Holmberg effect)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demin, V.V.; Zasov, A.V.; Dibaj, Eh.A.; Tomov, A.N.

1984-01-01

Proceeding from the data of photoelectric photometpy by Tomov, the colours of galaxies in double systems are studied For the most of the paips formed by elliptical (EE) or by spiral (SS) galaxies, the difference between the corrected colour indices (B-V)sub(T)sup(0) of components does not exceed 0.10 and does not depend on the difference ΔT of their morphological types The correlation between the colours of galaxies in EE-pairs can be explained by the similaritins of element abundances but not of the luminosities of galaxies. The elliptical and SO-galaxies in pairs with the spiral galaxies ape noticeably bluep on the avepage. The relation between the colours of galaxies in ES-pairs is possible. The colours of early-type spiral galaxies (T < 4) in most of the SS-systems are more blue as compared to the mean colours of galaxies of the same type T. A similarity of the colours of the galaxies in many of the SS-pairs can be a result of the periodically repeated bursts of star formation which take place in both galaxies simultaneously

Galaxy Formation from the Primordial Black Holes

Science.gov (United States)

Morikawa, Masahiro

2017-12-01

Supermassive black hole (SMBH) of size MBH = 106-10M⊙ is common in the Universe and it defines the center of the galaxy. A galaxy and the SMBH are generally thought to have co-evolved. However, the SMBH cannot evolve so fast as commonly observed even at redshift z > 6. Therefore, we explore a natural hypothesis that the SMBH has been already formed mature at z ⪆ 10 before stars and galaxies. The SMBH forms energetic jets and out-flows which trigger massive star formation in the ambient gas. They eventually construct globular clusters and classical bulge as well as the body of elliptical galaxies. We propose simple models which implement these processes. We point out that the globular clusters and classical bulges have a common origin but are in different phases. The same is true for the elliptical and spiral galaxies. Physics behind these phase division is the runaway star formation process with strong feedback to SMBH. This is similar to the forest-fire model that displays self-organized criticality.

Galaxy Formation from the Primordial Black Holes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morikawa Masahiro

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Supermassive black hole (SMBH of size MBH = 106-10M⊙ is common in the Universe and it defines the center of the galaxy. A galaxy and the SMBH are generally thought to have co-evolved. However, the SMBH cannot evolve so fast as commonly observed even at redshift z > 6. Therefore, we explore a natural hypothesis that the SMBH has been already formed mature at z ⪆ 10 before stars and galaxies. The SMBH forms energetic jets and out-flows which trigger massive star formation in the ambient gas. They eventually construct globular clusters and classical bulge as well as the body of elliptical galaxies. We propose simple models which implement these processes. We point out that the globular clusters and classical bulges have a common origin but are in different phases. The same is true for the elliptical and spiral galaxies. Physics behind these phase division is the runaway star formation process with strong feedback to SMBH. This is similar to the forest-fire model that displays self-organized criticality.

GHOSTS I: A new faint very isolated dwarf galaxy at D = 12 ± 2 Mpc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monachesi, Antonela; Bell, Eric F.; Radburn-Smith, David J.; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; De Jong, Roelof S.; Streich, David; Vlajić, Marija; Bailin, Jeremy; Holwerda, Benne W.; Alyson Ford, H.; Zucker, Daniel B.

2014-01-01

We report the discovery of a new faint dwarf galaxy, GHOSTS I, using HST/ACS data from one of our GHOSTS (Galaxy Halos, Outer disks, Substructure, Thick disk, and Star clusters) fields. Its detected individual stars populate an approximately 1 mag range of its luminosity function (LF). Using synthetic color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) to compare with the galaxy's CMD, we find that the colors and magnitudes of GHOSTS I's individual stars are most consistent with being young helium-burning and asymptotic giant branch stars at a distance of ∼12 ± 2 Mpc. Morphologically, GHOSTS I appears to be actively forming stars, so we tentatively classify it as a dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxy, although future Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations deep enough to resolve a larger magnitude range in its LF are required to make a more secure classification. GHOSTS I's absolute magnitude is M V ∼−9.85 −0.33 +0.40 , making it one of the least luminous dIrr galaxies known, and its metallicity is lower than [Fe/H] = –1.5 dex. The half-light radius of GHOSTS I is 226 ± 38 pc and its ellipticity is 0.47 ± 0.07, similar to Milky Way and M31 dwarf satellites at comparable luminosity. There are no luminous massive galaxies or galaxy clusters within ∼4 Mpc from GHOSTS I that could be considered as its host, making it a very isolated dwarf galaxy in the local universe.

`Zwicky's Nonet': a compact merging ensemble of nine galaxies and 4C 35.06, a peculiar radio galaxy with dancing radio jets

Science.gov (United States)

Biju, K. G.; Bagchi, Joydeep; Ishwara-Chandra, C. H.; Pandey-Pommier, M.; Jacob, Joe; Patil, M. K.; Kumar, P. Sunil; Pandge, Mahadev; Dabhade, Pratik; Gaikwad, Madhuri; Dhurde, Samir; Abraham, Sheelu; Vivek, M.; Mahabal, Ashish A.; Djorgovski, S. G.

2017-10-01

We report the results of our radio, optical and infrared studies of a peculiar radio source 4C 35.06, an extended radio-loud active galactic nucleus (AGN) at the centre of galaxy cluster Abell 407 (z = 0.047). The central region of this cluster hosts a remarkably tight ensemble of nine galaxies, the spectra of which resemble those of passive red ellipticals, embedded within a diffuse stellar halo of ˜1 arcmin size. This system (named 'Zwicky's Nonet') provides unique and compelling evidence for a multiple-nucleus cD galaxy precursor. Multifrequency radio observations of 4C 35.06 with the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT) at 610, 235 and 150 MHz reveal a system of 400-kpc scale helically twisted and kinked radio jets and outer diffuse lobes. The outer extremities of jets contain extremely steep-spectrum (spectral index -1.7 to -2.5) relic/fossil radio plasma with a spectral age of a few ×(107-108) yr. Such ultra-steep spectrum relic radio lobes without definitive hotspots are rare and they provide an opportunity to understand the life cycle of relativistic jets and physics of black hole mergers in dense environments. We interpret our observations of this radio source in the context of growth of its central black hole, triggering of its AGN activity and jet precession, all possibly caused by galaxy mergers in this dense galactic system. A slow conical precession of the jet axis due to gravitational perturbation between interacting black holes is invoked to explain the unusual jet morphology.

Population synthesis and x-ray properties of passively evolving galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Renzini, A.

1989-01-01

In this review some evolutionary processes in galaxies will be considered which may be less exciting than other phenomena such as starburst activities, galactic interactions, merging, or cannibalism. The discussion will rather be restricted to passively evolving stellar populations, i.e. to what may happen when all giant molecular clouds have blown away, when every shower of star formation has ceased, and stars just shine, age, and eventually die. Only this passive evolution is in fact subject to laws that - at least in principle - can be rigorously formulated, while star formation processes, because of the prominent role played by chaotic hydrodynamics, rather resemble meteorological events. In Section 2 some fundamental properties of simple stellar populations are introduced. These can be regarded as the basic laws controlling the evolution of stellar populations, once that they have condensed from the diffused medium. In Section 3 the primary requirements that acceptable evolutionary population synthesis should fulfil are then briefly recalled, and, finally, in Section 4 some of the basic laws are put at play in an attempt to discuss the evolution over cosmological times of the X-ray properties of elliptical galaxies. (author)

Anomalous Evolution of the Dwarf Galaxy HIPASS J1321-31

OpenAIRE

Pritzl, Barton J.; Knezek, Patricia M.; Gallagher III, John S.; Grossi, Marco; Disney, Mike J.; Minchin, Robert F.; Freeman, Kenneth C.; Tolstoy, Eline; Saha, Abi

2003-01-01

We present HST/WFPC2 observations of the dwarf galaxy HIPASS J1321-31. This unusual galaxy lies in the direction of the Centaurus A group of galaxies, and has a color-magnitude diagram with a distinctive red plume of luminous stars. This feature could arise from (a) a red giant branch if the galaxy were much nearer than previously recognized, (b) a peculiar asymptotic giant branch, or, (c) an ~1 Gigayear old population of intermediate mass red supergiants, which we find to be the most likely ...

Black Holes Are The Rhythm at The Heart of Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

2008-11-01

The powerful black holes at the center of massive galaxies and galaxy clusters act as hearts to the systems, pumping energy out at regular intervals to regulate the growth of the black holes themselves, as well as star formation, according to new data from NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory. People Who Read This Also Read... Milky Way’s Giant Black Hole Awoke from Slumber 300 Years Ago A New Way To Weigh Giant Black Holes Discovery of Most Recent Supernova in Our Galaxy NASA Unveils Cosmic Images Book in Braille for Blind Readers Scientists from the University of Michigan, the Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and Jacobs University in Germany contributed to the results. The gravitational pull of black holes is so strong that not even light can escape from them. Supermassive black holes with masses of more than a billion suns have been detected at the center of large galaxies. The material falling on the black holes causes sporadic or isolated bursts of energy, by which black holes are capable of influencing the fate of their host galaxies. The insight gained by this new research shows that black holes can pump energy in a gentler and rhythmic fashion, rather then violently. The scientists observed and simulated how the black hole at the center of elliptical galaxy M84 dependably sends bubbles of hot plasma into space, heating up interstellar space. This heat is believed to slow both the formation of new stars and the growth of the black hole itself, helping the galaxy remain stable. Interstellar gases only coalesce into new stars when the gas is cool enough. The heating is more efficient at the sites where it is most needed, the scientists say. Alexis Finoguenov, of UMBC and the Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany, compares the central black hole to a heart muscle. "Just like our hearts periodically pump our

Suites of dwarfs around Nearby giant galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karachentsev, Igor D.; Kaisina, Elena I.; Makarov, Dmitry I.

2014-01-01

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 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 1 . All suite members with positive Θ 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 –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 B = –18 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

Metallicity of Young and Old Stars in Irregular Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Tikhonov, N. A.

2018-01-01

Based on archived images obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope, stellar photometry for 105 irregular galaxies has been conducted. We have shown the red supergiant and giant branches in the obtained Hertzsprung-Russel diagrams. Using the TRGB method, distances to galaxies and metallicity of red giants have been determined. The color index ( V - I) of the supergiant branch at the luminosity level M I = -7 was chosen as the metallicity index of red supergiants. For the galaxies under study, the diagrams have been built, in which the correlation can be seen between the luminosity of galaxies ( M B ) and metallicity of red giants and supergiants. The main source of variance of the results in the obtained diagrams is, in our opinion, uncertainty inmeasurements of galaxy luminosities and star-forming outburst. The relation between metallicity of young and old stars shows that main enrichment of galaxies with metals has taken place in the remote past. Deviations of some galaxies in the obtained relation can possibly be explained with the fall of the intergalactic gas on them, although, this inconsiderably affects metallicities of the stellar content.

Visual Infrared Color Gradients in Elliptical Galaxies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peletier, R. F.; Valentijn, E. A.; Jameson, R. F.; de Zeeuw, P.T.

1987-01-01

Simultaneous measurements for visual and visual-infrared colors provide the means to determine both the average temperature of the giant branch and the turnoff-temperature of the main sequence. This allows to model fractional contributions of different populations, including age- and

The Characterization of Galaxy Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Zaritsky, Dennis

There is no all-encompassing intuitive physical understanding of galactic structure. We cannot predict the size, surface brightness, or luminosity of an individual galaxy based on the mass of its halo, or other physical characteristics, from simple first principles or even empirical guidelines. We have come to believe that such an understanding is possible because we have identified a simple scaling relation that applies to all gravitationally bound stellar systems,from giant ellipticals to dwarf spheroidals, from spiral galaxies to globular clusters. The simplicity (and low scatter) of this relationship testifies to an underlying order. In this proposal, we outline what we have learned so far about this scaling relationship, what we need to do to refine it so that it has no free parameters and provides the strongest possible test of galaxy formation and evolution models, and several ways in which we will exploit the relationship to explore other issues. Primarily, the proposed work involves a study of the uniform IR surface photometry of several thousand stellar systems using a single data source (the Spitzer S4G survey) to address shortcomings posed by the current heterogeneous sample and combining these data with the GALEX database to study how excursions from this relationship are related to current or on-going star formation. This relationship, like its antecedents the Fundamental Plane or Tully-Fisher relationship, can also be used to estimate distances and stellar mass-to-light ratios. We will describe the key advantages our relationship has relative to the existing work and how we will exploit those using archival NASA data from the Spitzer, GALEX, and WISE missions.

The physical properties of giant molecular cloud complexes in the outer Galaxy - Implications for the ratio of H2 column density to (C-12)O intensity

Science.gov (United States)

Sodroski, T. J.

1991-01-01

The physical properties of 35 giant molecular cloud complexes in the outer Galaxy were derived from the Goddard-Columbia surveys of the Galactic plane region (Dame et al., 1987). The spatial and radial velocity boundaries for the individual cloud complexes were estimated by analyzing the spatial and velocity structure of emission features in the (C-12)O surveys, and the distance to each cmplex was determined kinematically on the assumption of a flat rotation curve. The ratio of the H2 column density to the (C-12)O intensity for the outer Galaxy complexes was found to be about 6.0 x 10 to the 20th molecules/sq cm K per km/sec, which is by a factor of 2-3 greater than the value derived by other auhtors for the inner Galaxy complexes. This increase in the H2 column density/(C-12)O intensity with the distance from with the Galactic center is consistent with predictions of the optically thick cloudlet model of giant molecular cloud complexes.

Orientations of galaxies in the Local Supercluster

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacGillivray, H.T.; Dodd, R.J.; McNally, B.V.; Corwin, H.G. Jr.

1982-01-01

The distribution of position angles and ellipticities for a sample of 727 spiral and irregular galaxies, selected on the basis of brightness and radial velocity from the Second Reference Catalogue of Bright Galaxies, is analysed for non-random effects. A marginally significant tendency is found for galaxies to be aligned along the plane of the Local Supercluster. This preferential alignment effect is found to exist mainly for galaxies at high supergalactic latitude and for galaxies which are seen nearly edge-on. The results are interpreted as supporting the view that superclusters formed prior to the formation of the constituent galaxies and clusters. (author)

Colors and the evolution of amorphous galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gallagher, J.S. III; Hunter, D.A.

1987-01-01

UBVRI and H-alpha photometric observations are presented for 16 amorphous galaxies and a comparison sample of Magellanic irregular (Im) and Sc spiral galaxies. These data are analyzed in terms of star-formation rates and histories in amorphous galaxies. Amorphous galaxies have mean global colors and star-formation rates per unit area that are similar to those in giant Im systems, despite differences in spatial distributions of star-forming centers in these two galactic structural classes. Amorphous galaxies differ from giant Im systems in having somewhat wider scatter in relationships between B - V and U - B colors, and between U - B and L(H-alpha)/L(B). This scatter is interpreted as resulting from rapid variations in star-formation rates during the recent past, which could be a natural consequence of the concentration of star-forming activity into centrally located, supergiant young stellar complexes in many amorphous galaxies. While the unusual spatial distribution and intensity of star formation in some amorphous galaxies is due to interactions with other galaxies, several amorphous galaxies are relatively isolated and thus the processes must be internal. The ultimate evolutionary fate of rapidly evolving amorphous galaxies remains unknown. 77 references

Topology of Large-Scale Structure by Galaxy Type: Hydrodynamic Simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Gott, J. Richard, III; Cen, Renyue; Ostriker, Jeremiah P.

1996-07-01

The topology of large-scale structure is studied as a function of galaxy type using the genus statistic. In hydrodynamical cosmological cold dark matter simulations, galaxies form on caustic surfaces (Zeldovich pancakes) and then slowly drain onto filaments and clusters. The earliest forming galaxies in the simulations (defined as "ellipticals") are thus seen at the present epoch preferentially in clusters (tending toward a meatball topology), while the latest forming galaxies (defined as "spirals") are seen currently in a spongelike topology. The topology is measured by the genus (number of "doughnut" holes minus number of isolated regions) of the smoothed density-contour surfaces. The measured genus curve for all galaxies as a function of density obeys approximately the theoretical curve expected for random- phase initial conditions, but the early-forming elliptical galaxies show a shift toward a meatball topology relative to the late-forming spirals. Simulations using standard biasing schemes fail to show such an effect. Large observational samples separated by galaxy type could be used to test for this effect.

M 87 at metre wavelengths: the LOFAR picture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Gasperin, F.; et al., [Unknown; Alexov, A.; Hessels, J.; Swinbank, J.; van Leeuwen, J.; Wise, M.

2012-01-01

Context.M 87 is a giant elliptical galaxy located in the centre of the Virgo cluster, which harbours a supermassive black hole of mass 6.4 × 109 M⊙, whose activity is responsible for the extended (80 kpc) radio lobes that surround the galaxy. The energy generated by matter falling onto the central

M87 at metre wavelengths: the LOFAR picture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Gasperin, F.; Orrú, E.; Murgia, M.; Merloni, A.; Falcke, H.; Beck, R.; Beswick, R.; Birzan, L.; Bonafede, A.; Brüggen, M.; Brunetti, G.; Chyzy, K.; Conway, J.; Croston, J.H.; Ensslin, T.; Ferrari, C.; Heald, G.; Heidenreich, S.; Jackson, N.; Macario, G.; McKean, J.; Miley, G.; Morganti, R.; Offringa, A.; Pizzo, R.; Rafferty, D.; Röttgering, H.; Shulevski, A.; Steinmetz, M.; Tasse, C.; van der Tol, S.; van Driel, W.; van Weeren, R.J.; van Zwieten, J.E.; Alexov, A.; Anderson, J.; Asgekar, A.; Avruch, M.; Bell, M.; Bell, M.R.; Bentum, M.J.; Bernardi, G.; Best, P.; Breitling, F.; Broderick, J.W.; Butcher, A.; Ciardi, B.; Dettmar, R.J.; Eislöffel, J.; Frieswijk, W.; Gankema, H.; Garrett, M.; Gerbers, M.; Griessmeier, J.M.; Gunst, A.W.; Hassall, T.E.; Hessels, J.; Hoeft, M.; Horneffer, A.; Karastergiou, A.; Köhler, J.; Koopman, Y.; Kuniyoshi, M.; Kuper, G.; Maat, P.; Mann, G.; Mevius, M.; Mulcahy, D.D.; Munk, H.; Nijboer, R.; Noordam, J.; Paas, H.; Pandey, M.; Pandey, V.N.; Polatidis, A.; Reich, W.; Schoenmakers, A.P.; Sluman, J.; Smirnov, O.; Sobey, C.; Stappers, B.; Swinbank, J.; Tagger, M.; Tang, Y.; van Bemmel, I.; van Cappellen, W.; van Duin, A.P.; van Haarlem, M.; van Leeuwen, J.; Vermeulen, R.; Vocks, C.; White, S.; Wise, M.; Wucknitz, O.; Zarka, P.

2012-01-01

Context: M 87 is a giant elliptical galaxy located in the centre of the Virgo cluster, which harbours a supermassive black hole of mass 6.4 × 109 M⊙, whose activity is responsible for the extended (80 kpc) radio lobes that surround the galaxy. The energy generated by matter falling onto the central

Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope Observations of Head–Tail Radio Galaxies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sebastian, Biny; Lal, Dharam V.; Rao, A. Pramesh, E-mail: biny@ncra.tifr.res.in [National Center for Radio Astrophysics—Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Post Box 3, Ganeshkhind P.O., Pune 41007 (India)

2017-10-01

We present results from a study of seven large known head–tail radio galaxies based on observations using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope at 240 and 610 MHz. These observations are used to study the radio morphologies and distribution of the spectral indices across the sources. The overall morphology of the radio tails of these sources is suggestive of random motions of the optical host around the cluster potential. The presence of multiple bends and wiggles in several head–tail sources is possibly due to the precessing radio jets. We find steepening of the spectral index along the radio tails. The prevailing equipartition magnetic field also decreases along the radio tails of these sources. These steepening trends are attributed to the synchrotron aging of plasma toward the ends of the tails. The dynamical ages of these sample sources have been estimated to be ∼10{sup 8} yr, which is a factor of six more than the age estimates from the radiative losses due to synchrotron cooling.

THE SLOAN GREAT WALL. MORPHOLOGY AND GALAXY CONTENT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Einasto, M.; Liivamaegi, L. J.; Tempel, E.; Saar, E.; Tago, E.; Einasto, P.; Enkvist, I.; Einasto, J.; MartInez, V. J.; Heinaemaeki, P.; Nurmi, P.

2011-01-01

We present the results of a study of the morphology and galaxy content of the Sloan Great Wall (SGW), the richest galaxy system in the nearby universe. We use the luminosity density field to determine superclusters in the SGW, and the fourth Minkowski functional V 3 and the morphological signature (the K 1 -K 2 shapefinder curve) to show the different morphologies of the SGW, from a single filament to a multibranching, clumpy planar system. We show that the richest supercluster in the SGW, SCl 126, and especially its core, resembles a very rich filament, while another rich supercluster in the SGW, SCl 111, resembles a 'multispider'-an assembly of high-density regions connected by chains of galaxies. We study the substructure of individual galaxy populations determined by their color in these superclusters using Minkowski functionals and find that in the high-density core of the SGW the clumpiness of red and blue galaxies is similar, but in the outskirts of superclusters the distribution of red galaxies is clumpier than that of blue galaxies. At intermediate densities, the systems of blue galaxies have tunnels through them. We assess the statistical significance of our results using the halo model and smoothed bootstrap. We study the galaxy content and the properties of groups of galaxies in the two richest superclusters of the SGW, paying special attention to bright red galaxies (BRGs) and the first ranked (the most luminous) galaxies in SGW groups. The BRGs are the nearby luminous red galaxies; they are mostly bright and red and typically reside in groups (several groups host five or more BRGs). About one-third of the BRGs are spirals. The scatter of colors of elliptical BRGs is smaller than that of spiral BRGs. About half of the BRGs and of first ranked galaxies in groups have large peculiar velocities. Groups with elliptical BRGs as their first ranked galaxies populate superclusters more uniformly than the groups that have a spiral BRG as their first ranked

Classifying the Optical Morphology of Shocked POststarburst Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Tess; SPOGs Team

2018-01-01

The Shocked POststarburst Galaxy Survey (SPOGS) is a sample of galaxies in transition from blue, star forming spirals to red, inactive ellipticals. These galaxies are earlier in the transition than classical poststarburst samples. We have classified the physical characteristics of the full sample of 1067 SPOGs in 7 categories, covering (1) their shape; (2) the relative prominence of their nuclei; (3) the uniformity of their optical color; (4) whether the outskirts of the galaxy were indicative of on-going star formation; (5) whether they are engaged in interactions with other galaxies, and if so, (6) the kinds of galaxies with which they are interacting; and (7) the presence of asymmetrical features, possibly indicative of recent interactions. We determined that a plurality of SPOGs are in elliptical galaxies, indicating morphological transformations may tend to conclude before other indicators of transitions have faded. Further, early-type SPOGs also tend to have the brightest optical nuclei. Most galaxies do not show signs of current or recent interactions. We used these classifications to search for correlations between qualitative and quantitative characteristics of SPOGs using Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer magnitudes. We find that relative optical nuclear brightness is not a good indicator of the presence of an active galactic nuclei and that galaxies with visible indications of active star formation also cluster in optical color and diagnostic line ratios.

Groups and clusters of galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bijleveld, W.

1984-01-01

In this thesis, a correlative study is performed with respect to the radio and X-ray parameters of galaxy clusters and groups of galaxies (Msub(v)-Psub(1.4); Msub(v)-Lsub(x); Lsub(x)-Psub(1.4); R-Msub(v) correlations). Special attention is paid to correlations with cD and elliptical galaxies. It is concluded that in rich clusters massive cD galaxies form; massive galaxies are able to bind a large X-ray halo; strong X-ray emitters fuel their central radio sources at a high rate; the total gas content of groups is low, which implies that the contribution of groups to the total matter density in the universe is small. (Auth.)

The evolution of high-metallicity horizontal-branch stars and the origin of the ultraviolet light in elliptical galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Horch, E.; Demarque, P.; Pinsonneault, M.

1992-01-01

Evolutionary calculations of high-metallicity horizontal-branch stars show that for the relevant masses and helium abundances, post-HB evolution in the HR diagram does not proceed toward and along the AGB, but rather toward a 'slow blue phase' in the vicinity of the helium-burning main sequence, following the extinction of the hydrogen shell energy source. For solar and twice solar metallicity, the blue phase begins during the helium shell-burning phase (in agreement with the work of Brocato and Castellani and Tornambe); for 3 times solar metallicity, it begins earlier, during the helium core-burning phase. This behavior differs from what takes place at lower metallicities. The implications for high-metallicity old stellar populations in the Galactic bulge and for the integrated colors of elliptical galaxies are discussed.

A computational and observational study of peculiar galaxies in the Coma cluster

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujimoto, Mitsuaki; Sofue, Yoshiaki; Jugaku, Jun.

1977-01-01

Expected numbers of elliptical galaxies distorted tidally in the Coma cluster are formulated in terms of the various parameters of the cluster, and of cross section of galaxy-galaxy encounters and duration of associated tidal distributions. For the latter two quantities, numerical computations are carried out by simulating elliptical galaxies with hundreds of test particles. Comparisons are made with the number of peculiar galaxies observed in the Coma cluster. The hypothesis that the ''missing mass'' of the Coma cluster is hidden in the form of invisible galaxies or huge black holes of ordinary galaxy masses is also tested. It is concluded that tidal interaction between the visible galaxies plays only a minor role in the origin of the peculiar galaxies in the Coma cluster. Most of them would be due to their individual non-tidal mechanisms. If invisible galaxies or massive black holes are assumed as cluster members, their encounters with the luminous members increase the frequency of observable tidal distortion, and approximately half of the number of the peculiar galaxies could be explained in terms of tidal interaction. This result is discussed in relation to some special types of the peculiar galaxies in the Coma cluster. (auth.)

Galaxy formation and evolution

CERN Document Server

Mo, Houjun; White, Simon

2010-01-01

The rapidly expanding field of galaxy formation lies at the interface between astronomy, particle physics, and cosmology. Covering diverse topics from these disciplines, all of which are needed to understand how galaxies form and evolve, this book is ideal for researchers entering the field. Individual chapters explore the evolution of the Universe as a whole and its particle and radiation content; linear and nonlinear growth of cosmic structure; processes affecting the gaseous and dark matter components of galaxies and their stellar populations; the formation of spiral and elliptical galaxies; central supermassive black holes and the activity associated with them; galaxy interactions; and the intergalactic medium. Emphasizing both observational and theoretical aspects, this book provides a coherent introduction for astronomers, cosmologists, and astroparticle physicists to the broad range of science underlying the formation and evolution of galaxies.

M 87 at metre wavelengths : The LOFAR picture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Gasperin, F.; Orru, E.; Murgia, M.; Merloni, A.; Falcke, H.; Beck, R.; Beswick, R.; Birzan, L.; Bonafede, A.; Brueggen, M.; Brunetti, G.; Chyzy, K.; Conway, J.; Croston, J. H.; Ensslin, T.; Ferrari, C.; Heald, G.; Heidenreich, S.; Jackson, N.; Macario, G.; McKean, J.; Miley, G.; Morganti, R.; Offringa, A.; Pizzo, R.; Rafferty, D.; Rottgering, H.; Shulevski, A.; Steinmetz, M.; Tasse, C.; van der Tol, S.; van Driel, W.; van Weeren, R. J.; van Zwieten, J. E.; Alexov, A.; Anderson, J.; Asgekar, A.; Avruch, M.; Bell, M.; Bell, M. R.; Bentum, M.; Bernardi, G.; Best, P.; Breitling, F.; Broderick, J. W.; Butcher, A.; Ciardi, B.; Dettmar, R. J.; Eisloeffel, J.; Frieswijk, W.; Gankema, H.; Garrett, M.; Gerbers, M.; Griessmeier, J. M.; Gunst, A. W.; Hassall, T. E.; Hessels, J.; Hoeft, M.; Horneffer, A.; Karastergiou, A.; Koehler, J.; Koopman, Y.; Kuniyoshi, M.; Kuper, G.; Maat, P.; Mann, G.; Mevius, M.; Mulcahy, D. D.; Munk, H.; Nijboer, R.; Noordam, J.; Paas, Harm; Pandey, M.; Pandey, V. N.; Polatidis, A.; Reich, W.; Schoenmakers, A. P.; Sluman, J.; Smirnov, O.; Sobey, C.; Stappers, B.; Swinbank, J.; Tagger, M.; Tang, Y.; van Bemmel, I.; van Cappellen, W.; van Duin, A. P.; van Haarlem, M.; van Leeuwen, J.; Vermeulen, R.; Vocks, C.; White, S.; Wise, M.; Wucknitz, O.; Zarka, P.

2012-01-01

Context. M87 is a giant elliptical galaxy located in the centre of the Virgo cluster, which harbours a supermassive black hole of mass 6.4x10(9) M-circle dot, whose activity is responsible for the extended (80 kpc) radio lobes that surround the galaxy. The energy generated by matter falling onto the

Listening to Shells: Galaxy Masses from Disrupted Satellites

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Westfall, Kyle; Sanderson, R.

Our ability to measure the dynamical mass of an individual galaxy is limited by the radial extent of the luminous tracers of its potential. For elliptical galaxies, it is difficult to go much beyond two effective radii using integrated light. Appealing to particle tracers like globular clusters has

A massive, dead disk galaxy in the early Universe.

Science.gov (United States)

Toft, Sune; Zabl, Johannes; Richard, Johan; Gallazzi, Anna; Zibetti, Stefano; Prescott, Moire; Grillo, Claudio; Man, Allison W S; Lee, Nicholas Y; Gómez-Guijarro, Carlos; Stockmann, Mikkel; Magdis, Georgios; Steinhardt, Charles L

2017-06-21

At redshift z = 2, when the Universe was just three billion years old, half of the most massive galaxies were extremely compact and had already exhausted their fuel for star formation. It is believed that they were formed in intense nuclear starbursts and that they ultimately grew into the most massive local elliptical galaxies seen today, through mergers with minor companions, but validating this picture requires higher-resolution observations of their centres than is currently possible. Magnification from gravitational lensing offers an opportunity to resolve the inner regions of galaxies. Here we report an analysis of the stellar populations and kinematics of a lensed z = 2.1478 compact galaxy, which-surprisingly-turns out to be a fast-spinning, rotationally supported disk galaxy. Its stars must have formed in a disk, rather than in a merger-driven nuclear starburst. The galaxy was probably fed by streams of cold gas, which were able to penetrate the hot halo gas until they were cut off by shock heating from the dark matter halo. This result confirms previous indirect indications that the first galaxies to cease star formation must have gone through major changes not just in their structure, but also in their kinematics, to evolve into present-day elliptical galaxies.

Dynamics of Triaxial Elliptical Galaxies with Cusps

Science.gov (United States)

Fridman, Tema

1997-06-01

The gravitational potentials, orbital properties, and self-consistent equilibria of triaxial stellar systems with central density cusps are examined. Observations of the nuclei of early-type galaxies with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) suggest that their surface brightness profiles fall into two categories: the 'cores' and the 'power laws.' We show that this dichotomy results from an optical illusion associated with projection onto the plane of the sky. Galaxies of both types have deprojected density profiles that are well-described as power-laws at small radii, with slopes 0≤γ 0.8. Regular box orbits, which depend for their existence on the stability of the long-axis orbit, do not exist in these models. The next-lowest resonance, the 2: 1 banana family, is present whenever the long-axis orbit is unstable. However the banana orbits have a very restricted range of shapes and are thicker than the model isodensity surfaces when c/a/ ~self-consistent models of triaxial galaxies with Dehnen's (1993) density law. We consider central density cusps defined by γ = 1 (weak cusp) and γ = 2 (strong cusp). These values are representative of the nuclear density profiles of bright ('core') and faint ('power-law') galaxies as observed with HST. Both mass models have short-to-long axis ratios of 1:2 and are maximally triaxial. We compute libraries of ~7000 orbits in each of the models and map them as a function of energy. A large fraction of the orbits in both model potentials are stochastic, which diffuse relatively quickly through their allowed phase-space in the strong-cusp potential (~103 dynamical times) and more slowly in the weak-cusp potential (104 dynamical times or longer). Attempts to construct self-consistent solutions using just the regular orbits failed for both mass models. Quasi-equilibrium solutions that include the stochastic orbits exist for both models; however, real galaxies constructed in this way would evolve near the center due to the continued

Chemical evolution of galaxies

CERN Document Server

Matteucci, Francesca

2012-01-01

The term “chemical evolution of galaxies” refers to the evolution of abundances of chemical species in galaxies, which is due to nuclear processes occurring in stars and to gas flows into and out of galaxies. This book deals with the chemical evolution of galaxies of all morphological types (ellipticals, spirals and irregulars) and stresses the importance of the star formation histories in determining the properties of stellar populations in different galaxies. The topic is approached in a didactical and logical manner via galaxy evolution models which are compared with observational results obtained in the last two decades: The reader is given an introduction to the concept of chemical abundances and learns about the main stellar populations in our Galaxy as well as about the classification of galaxy types and their main observables. In the core of the book, the construction and solution of chemical evolution models are discussed in detail, followed by descriptions and interpretations of observations of ...

Dark matter and galaxy formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Umemura, Masayuki

1987-01-01

We propose a hybrid model of universe for galaxy formation, that is, an Einstein- de Sitter universe dominated by two-component dark matter: massive neutrinos and cold dark matter. In this hybrid model, the first luminous objects are dwarf galaxies. The neutrino density fluctuations produce large-scale high density and low density regions, which consequently evolve to superclusters of galaxies and voids, respectively. Dwarf galaxies are formed preferentially in supercluster regions. In voids, the formation of dwarf galaxies is fairly suppressed by diffuse UV flux from QSOs, and instead a number of expanding clouds are born, which produce Lyα forest as seen in QSO spectra. Ordinary galaxies are expected to form as aggregations of dwarf galaxies. In this model, some galaxies are born also in voids, and they tend to evolve to spiral galaxies. Additionally, if the same number of globular clusters are formed in a dwarf, the specific globular cluster frequencies are expected to be much larger in ellipticals than in spirals. (author)

Structure and Formation of cD Galaxies: NGC 6166 in ABELL 2199

Science.gov (United States)

Bender, Ralf; Kormendy, John; Cornell, Mark E.; Fisher, David B.

2015-07-01

 Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) spectroscopy is used to measure the velocity dispersion profile of the nearest prototypical cD galaxy, NGC 6166 in the cluster Abell 2199. We also present composite surface photometry from many telescopes. We confirm the defining feature of a cD galaxy; i.e., (we suggest), a halo of stars that fills the cluster center and that is controlled dynamically by cluster gravity, not by the central galaxy. Our HET spectroscopy shows that the velocity dispersion of NGC 6166 rises from σ ≃ 300 km s-1 in the inner r˜ 10\\prime\\prime to σ =865+/- 58 km s-1 at r ˜ 100″ in the cD halo. This extends published observations of an outward σ increase and shows for the first time that σ rises all the way to the cluster velocity dispersion of 819 ± 32 km s-1. We also observe that the main body of NGC 6166 moves at +206 ± 39 km s-1 with respect to the cluster mean velocity, but the velocity of the inner cD halo is ˜70 km s-1 closer to the cluster velocity. These results support our picture that cD halos consist of stars that were stripped from individual cluster galaxies by fast tidal encounters.  However, our photometry does not confirm the widespread view that cD halos are identifiable as an extra, low-surface-brightness component that is photometrically distinct from the inner, steep-Sérsic-function main body of an otherwise-normal giant elliptical galaxy. Instead, all of the brightness profile of NGC 6166 outside its core is described to ±0.037 V mag arcsec-2 by a single Sérsic function with index n≃ 8.3. The cD halo is not recognizable from photometry alone. This blurs the distinction between cluster-dominated cD halos and the similarly-large-Sérsic-index halos of giant, core-boxy-nonrotating ellipticals. These halos are believed to be accreted onto compact, high-redshift progenitors (“red nuggets”) by large numbers of minor mergers. They belong dynamically to their central galaxies. Still, cDs and core-boxy-nonrotating Es

Imprint of galaxy formation and evolution on globular cluster properties

OpenAIRE

Bekki, Kenji

2006-01-01

We discuss the origin of physical properties of globular cluster systems (GCSs) in galaxies in terms of galaxy formation and evolution processes. Based on numerical simulations of dynamical evolution of GCSs in galaxies, we particularly discuss (1) the origin of radial density profiles of GCSs, (2) kinematics of GCSs in elliptical galaxies, (3) transformation from nucleated dwarf galaxies into GCs (e.g., omega Centauri), and (4) the origin of GCSs in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC).

Implications of the dwarfs spheroidal galaxy mass-metallicity relation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, G.H.

1985-01-01

The properties of the mass-metallicity relation among dwarf spheroidal galaxies are discussed in terms of a model which assumes that the internal chemical evolution of the dwarf spheroidals was promoted by supernova activity. The model can be used to explain the observed dwarf spheroidal mass-metallicity relation assuming the present mass of these systems M sub s is proportional to their initial masses M as M sub s varies according to a power-law index of exp 7/4. It is inferred from the power-law dependence of M on the proto-cloud radius that the most massive dwarf spheroids were formed from the densest clouds. The observed slope of the mass-metallicity relation for dwarf spheroidal galaxies is found to be significantly different from theoretical estimates of this slope for elliptical galaxies. It is suggested that the difference may imply that spheroidal dwarfs and elliptical galaxies had different formation histories, confirming Kormendy's (1985) observations of differences in the brightness and luminosity trends. 54 references

Projected alignment of non-sphericities of stellar, gas, and dark matter distributions in galaxy clusters: analysis of the Horizon-AGN simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Okabe, Taizo; Nishimichi, Takahiro; Oguri, Masamune; Peirani, Sébastien; Kitayama, Tetsu; Sasaki, Shin; Suto, Yasushi

2018-04-01

While various observations measured ellipticities of galaxy clusters and alignments between orientations of the brightest cluster galaxies and their host clusters, there are only a handful of numerical simulations that implement realistic baryon physics to allow direct comparisons with those observations. Here we investigate ellipticities of galaxy clusters and alignments between various components of them and the central galaxies in the state-of-the-art cosmological hydrodynamical simulation Horizon-AGN, which contains dark matter, stellar, and gas components in a large simulation box of (100h-1 Mpc)3 with high spatial resolution (˜1 kpc). We estimate ellipticities of total matter, dark matter, stellar, gas surface mass density distributions, X-ray surface brightness, and the Compton y-parameter of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, as well as alignments between these components and the central galaxies for 120 projected images of galaxy clusters with masses M200 > 5 × 1013M⊙. Our results indicate that the distributions of these components are well aligned with the major-axes of the central galaxies, with the root mean square value of differences of their position angles of ˜20°, which vary little from inner to the outer regions. We also estimate alignments of these various components with total matter distributions, and find tighter alignments than those for central galaxies with the root mean square value of ˜15°. We compare our results with previous observations of ellipticities and position angle alignments and find reasonable agreements. The comprehensive analysis presented in this paper provides useful prior information for analyzing stacked lensing signals as well as designing future observations to study ellipticities and alignments of galaxy clusters.

Gas flows in S-E binary systems of galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Sotnikova, N. YA.

1990-01-01

Tidal interaction between the galaxies in binary systems leads to important consequences. Some peculiarities in galactic morphology as well as the transfer of matter from one galaxy to another may be due to this factor. In particular, gas flows in intergalactic space may be formed. Such flows enriching one component with gas from the other may play a substantial role in the evolution of mixed (S-E) pairs. One can mention several facts corroborating the possibility of the gas transfer from the spiral to the elliptical galaxy. High HI content (10(exp 7) to 10(exp 9) solar mass) is detected in nearly 40 E galaxies (Bottinelli and Gougenheim, 1979; Knapp et al., 1985). Such galaxies are often members of pairs or of multiple systems including an S galaxy, which may be the source of gas (Smirnov and Komberg, 1980). Moreover, the gas kinematics and its distribution also indicate an external origin for this gas (Knapp et al., 1985). In many cases there is an outer gaseous disk. The directions of the disk and of stellar rotation don't always coincide (van Gorkom et al., 1985; Varnas et al., 1987). The galaxy colors in S-E pairs are correlated (the Holmberg effect): bluer ellipticals have spiral components that are usually bluer (Demin et al., 1984). The fraction of E galaxies with emission lines (N sub em) in S-E pairs showing traces of tidal interaction is twice as large (N sub em approx. equals 0.24) as in pairs without interaction (N sub em approx. equals 0.12) (Sotnikova, 1988b). Since the presence of emission lines in a galaxy spectrum strongly depends on gas content, this fact also leads to the conclusion that ellipticals in interacting S-E pairs are enriched with gas. These facts may be considered as a serious indication of the existence of gas transfer. Hence, investigation of this process is of interest.

The evolution of early-type galaxies in distant clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanford, S.A.; Eisenhardt, P.R.; Dickinson, M.

1998-01-01

We present results from an optical-infrared photometric study of early-type (E+S0) galaxies in 19 galaxy clusters out to z=0.9. The galaxy sample is selected on the basis of morphologies determined from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFPC2 images and is photometrically defined in the K band in order to minimize redshift-dependent selection biases. Using new ground-based photometry in five optical and infrared bands for each cluster, we examine the evolution of the color-magnitude relation for early-type cluster galaxies, considering its slope, intercept, and color scatter around the mean relation. New multiwavelength photometry of galaxies in the Coma Cluster is used to provide a baseline sample at z∼0 with which to compare the distant clusters. The optical - IR colors of the early-type cluster galaxies become bluer with increasing redshift in a manner consistent with the passive evolution of an old stellar population formed at an early cosmic epoch. The degree of color evolution is similar for clusters at similar redshift and does not depend strongly on the optical richness or X-ray luminosity of the cluster, which suggests that the history of early-type galaxies is relatively insensitive to environment, at least above a certain density threshold. The slope of the color-magnitude relationship shows no significant change out to z=0.9, which provides evidence that it arises from a correlation between galaxy mass and metallicity, not age. Finally, the intrinsic scatter in the optical - IR colors of the galaxies is small and nearly constant with redshift, which indicates that the majority of giant, early-type galaxies in clusters share a common star formation history, with little perturbation due to uncorrelated episodes of later star formation. Taken together, our results are consistent with models in which most early-type galaxies in rich clusters are old, formed the majority of their stars at high redshift in a well-synchronized fashion, and evolved quiescently

Cosmic Collisions: Galaxy Mergers and Evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Trouille, Laura; Willett, Kyle; Masters, Karen; Lintott, Christopher; Whyte, Laura; Lynn, Stuart; Tremonti, Christina A.

2014-08-01

Over the years evidence has mounted for a significant mode of galaxy evolution via mergers. This process links gas-rich, spiral galaxies; starbursting galaxies; active galactic nuclei (AGN); post-starburst galaxies; and gas-poor, elliptical galaxies, as objects representing different phases of major galaxy mergers. The post-starburst phase is particularly interesting because nearly every galaxy that evolves from star-forming to quiescent must pass through it. In essence, this phase is a sort of galaxy evolution “bottleneck” that indicates that a galaxy is actively evolving through important physical transitions. In this talk I will present the results from the ‘Galaxy Zoo Quench’ project - using post-starburst galaxies to place observational constraints on the role of mergers and AGN activity in quenching star formation. `Quench’ is the first fully collaborative research project with Zooniverse citizen scientists online; engaging the public in all phases of research, from classification to data analysis and discussion to writing the article and submission to a refereed journal.

GALAXY ZOO MORPHOLOGY AND PHOTOMETRIC REDSHIFTS IN THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Way, M. J.

2011-01-01

It has recently been demonstrated that one can accurately derive galaxy morphology from particular primary and secondary isophotal shape estimates in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) imaging catalog. This was accomplished by applying Machine Learning techniques to the Galaxy Zoo morphology catalog. Using the broad bandpass photometry of the SDSS in combination with precise knowledge of galaxy morphology should help in estimating more accurate photometric redshifts for galaxies. Using the Galaxy Zoo separation for spirals and ellipticals in combination with SDSS photometry we attempt to calculate photometric redshifts. In the best case we find that the root-mean-square error for luminous red galaxies classified as ellipticals is as low as 0.0118. Given these promising results we believe better photometric redshift estimates for all galaxies in the SDSS (∼350 million) will be feasible if researchers can also leverage their derived morphologies via Machine Learning. These initial results look to be promising for those interested in estimating weak lensing, baryonic acoustic oscillation, and other fields dependent upon accurate photometric redshifts.

Shell galaxies as laboratories for testing MOND

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bílek, Michal; Ebrová, Ivana; Jungwiert, Bruno; Jílková, L.; Bartošková, Kateřina

2015-01-01

Roč. 93, č. 2 (2015), s. 203-212 ISSN 0008-4204 Grant - others:GA MŠk(CZ) LM2010005; Operational Program Research and Development for Innovations(XE) CZ. 1.05/3.2.00/08.0144 Institutional support: RVO:67985815 Keywords : modified newtonian dynamics * dwarf spheroidal galaxy * elliptic galaxies Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics Impact factor: 0.724, year: 2015

Source-plane reconstruction of the giant gravitational arc in A2667: A candidate Wolf-Rayet galaxy at z ∼ 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao, Shuo; Zhu, Zong-Hong; Federico II, Via Cinthia, I-80126 Napoli (Italy))" data-affiliation=" (Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, Università di Napoli Federico II, Via Cinthia, I-80126 Napoli (Italy))" >Covone, Giovanni; Jullo, Eric; Richard, Johan; Izzo, Luca

2015-01-01

We present a new analysis of Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and Very Large Telescope imaging and spectroscopic data of a bright lensed galaxy at z = 1.0334 in the lensing cluster A2667. Using this high-resolution imaging, we present an updated lens model that allows us to fully understand the lensing geometry and reconstruct the lensed galaxy in the source plane. This giant arc gives a unique opportunity to view the structure of a high-redshift disk galaxy. We find that the lensed galaxy of A2667 is a typical spiral galaxy with a morphology similar to the structure of its counterparts at higher redshift, z ∼ 2. The surface brightness of the reconstructed source galaxy in the z 850 band reveals the central surface brightness I(0) = 20.28 ± 0.22 mag arcsec –2 and a characteristic radius r s = 2.01 ± 0.16 kpc at redshift z ∼ 1. The morphological reconstruction in different bands shows obvious negative radial color gradients for this galaxy. Moreover, the redder central bulge tends to contain a metal-rich stellar population, rather than being heavily reddened by dust due to high and patchy obscuration. We analyze the VIMOS/integral field unit spectroscopic data and find that, in the given wavelength range (∼1800-3200 Å), the combined arc spectrum of the source galaxy is characterized by a strong continuum emission with strong UV absorption lines (Fe II and Mg II) and shows the features of a typical starburst Wolf-Rayet galaxy, NGC 5253. More specifically, we have measured the equivalent widths of Fe II and Mg II lines in the A2667 spectrum, and obtained similar values for the same wavelength interval of the NGC 5253 spectrum. Marginal evidence for [C III] 1909 emission at the edge of the grism range further confirms our expectation.

Metal enriched gaseous halos around distant radio galaxies: Clues to feedback in galaxy formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reuland, M; van Breugel, W; de Vries, W; Dopita, A; Dey, A; Miley, G; Rottgering, H; Venemans, B; Stanford, S A; Lacy, M; Spinrad, H; Dawson, S; Stern, D; Bunker, A

2006-08-01

We present the results of an optical and near-IR spectroscopic study of giant nebular emission line halos associated with three z > 3 radio galaxies, 4C 41.17, 4C 60.07 and B2 0902+34. Previous deep narrow band Ly{alpha} imaging had revealed complex morphologies with sizes up to 100 kpc, possibly connected to outflows and AGN feedback from the central regions. The outer regions of these halos show quiet kinematics with typical velocity dispersions of a few hundred km s{sup -1}, and velocity shears that can mostly be interpreted as being due to rotation. The inner regions show shocked cocoons of gas closely associated with the radio lobes. These display disturbed kinematics and have expansion velocities and/or velocity dispersions >1000 km s{sup -1}. The core region is chemically evolved, and we also find spectroscopic evidence for the ejection of enriched material in 4C 41.17 up to a distance of {approx} 60 kpc along the radio-axis. The dynamical structures traced in the Ly{alpha} line are, in most cases, closely echoed in the Carbon and Oxygen lines. This shows that the Ly{alpha} line is produced in a highly clumped medium of small filling factor, and can therefore be used as a tracer of the dynamics of HzRGs. We conclude that these HzRGs are undergoing a final jet-induced phase of star formation with ejection of most of their interstellar medium before becoming 'red and dead' Elliptical galaxies.

Comparative study of dust and young stars in three small galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Price, J.S.

1984-01-01

A comparative study is presented of dust and young stars in the central regions of the three small galaxies NGC 205, NGC 185, and NGC 3077 in the U, B, V, and K filters, and at six additional optical wavelengths. All three program galaxies have been successfully modeled with the empirical models of Oemler (1976); NGC 205 and NGC 3077 were also modeled with unsharp mask models. Subtracting model galaxies from the data enabled the authors to isolate clusters of young stars and dust clouds in the central regions of each galaxy. A comparison of the colors of the young clusters in NGC 3077 and those in NGC 205 reveals that the colors of the clusters in these two small galaxies are different. In NGC 185, diffuse emission after subtracting an Oemler model was discovered. NGC 205 also showed this remnant emission, with very similar colors to those of the remnant in NGC 185, but NGC 3077 did not. The colors of this diffuse remnant emission in NGC 205 and NGC 185 are interpreted as being due to previous episodes of star formation in the two dwarf ellipticals. A comparison of the author's data with that of Caldwell (1983) on a sample of 33 dwarf elliptical galaxies in Virgo indicates that star formation in dwarf elliptical galaxies is a common phenomenon. The study of dust in NGC 185 and NGC 205 at optical wavelengths shows that the properties of dust in NGC 205 are very similar to those of galactic dust, while the dust in NGC 185 is distinctly different. The optical and 2.2 micron centers of NGC 3077 are found to be different. From comparison of the three galaxies studied here, the author concludes that it is unlikely that NGC 205 and NGC 185 tidally interacted with M31

FURTHER DEFINITION OF THE MASS-METALLICITY RELATION IN GLOBULAR CLUSTER SYSTEMS AROUND BRIGHTEST CLUSTER GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cockcroft, Robert; Harris, William E.; Wehner, Elizabeth M. H.; Whitmore, Bradley C.; Rothberg, Barry

2009-01-01

We combine the globular cluster (GC) data for 15 brightest cluster galaxies and use this material to trace the mass-metallicity relations (MMRs) in their globular cluster systems (GCSs). This work extends previous studies which correlate the properties of the MMR with those of the host galaxy. Our combined data sets show a mean trend for the metal-poor subpopulation that corresponds to a scaling of heavy-element abundance with cluster mass Z ∼ M 0.30±0.05 . No trend is seen for the metal-rich subpopulation which has a scaling relation that is consistent with zero. We also find that the scaling exponent is independent of the GCS specific frequency and host galaxy luminosity, except perhaps for dwarf galaxies. We present new photometry in (g',i') obtained with Gemini/GMOS for the GC populations around the southern giant ellipticals NGC 5193 and IC 4329. Both galaxies have rich cluster populations which show up as normal, bimodal sequences in the color-magnitude diagram. We test the observed MMRs and argue that they are statistically real, and not an artifact caused by the method we used. We also argue against asymmetric contamination causing the observed MMR as our mean results are no different from other contamination-free studies. Finally, we compare our method to the standard bimodal fitting method (KMM or RMIX) and find our results are consistent. Interpretation of these results is consistent with recent models for GC formation in which the MMR is determined by GC self-enrichment during their brief formation period.

Dark matter halo properties from galaxy-galaxy lensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brimioulle, Fabrice

2013-01-01

The scientific results over the past years have shown that the Universe is by far not only composed of baryonic matter. In fact the major energy content of 72% of the Universe appears to be represented by so-called dark energy, while even from the remaining components only about one fifth is of baryonic origin, whereas 80% have to be attributed to dark matter. Originally appearing in observations of spiral galaxy rotation curves, the need for dark matter has also been verified investigating elliptical galaxies and galaxy clusters. In fact, it appears that dark matter played a major role during structure formation in the early Universe. Shortly after the Big Bang, when the matter distribution was almost homogeneous, initially very small inhomogeneities in the matter distribution formed the seeds for the gravitational collapse of the matter structures. Numerical n-body simulations, for instance, clearly indicate that the presently observable evolutionary state and complexity of the matter structure in the Universe would not have been possible without dark matter, which significantly accelerated the structure collapse due to its gravitational interaction. As dark matter does not interact electromagnetically and therefore is non-luminous but only interacts gravitationally, the gravitational lens effect provides an excellent opportunity for its detection and estimation of its amount. Weak gravitational lensing is a technique that makes use of the random orientation of the intrinsic galaxy ellipticities and thus their uniform distribution. Gravitational tidal forces introduce a coherent distortion of the background object shapes, leading to a deviation from the uniform distribution which depends on the lens galaxy properties and therefore can be used to study them. This thesis describes the galaxy-galaxy lensing analysis of 89deg 2 of optical data, observed within the CFHTLS-WIDE survey. In the framework of this thesis the data were used in order to create photometric

Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2016-01-27

Jan 27, 2016 ... Subdwarf B stars play a significant role in close binary evolution and in the hot star content of old stellar populations, in particular in giant elliptical galaxies. ... question of their origin poses several problems for stellar evolution ...

Resolving the faint end of the satellite luminosity function for the nearest elliptical Centaurus A

Science.gov (United States)

Crnojevic, Denija

2014-10-01

We request HST/ACS imaging to follow up 15 new faint candidate dwarfs around the nearest elliptical Centaurus A (3.8 Mpc). The dwarfs were found via a systematic ground-based (Magellan/Megacam) survey out to ~150 kpc, designed to directly confront the "missing satellites" problem in a wholly new environment. Current Cold Dark Matter models for structure formation fail to reproduce the shallow slope of the satellite luminosity function in spiral-dominated groups for which dwarfs fainter than M_V<-14 have been surveyed (the Local Group and the nearby, interacting M81 group). Clusters of galaxies show a better agreement with cosmological predictions, suggesting an environmental dependence of the (poorly-understood) physical processes acting on the evolution of low mass galaxies (e.g., reionization). However, the luminosity function completeness for these rich environments quickly drops due to the faintness of the satellites and to the difficult cluster membership determination. We target a yet unexplored "intermediate" environment, a nearby group dominated by an elliptical galaxy, ideal due to its proximity: accurate (10%) distance determinations for its members can be derived from resolved stellar populations. The proposed observations of the candidate dwarfs will confirm their nature, group membership, and constrain their luminosities, metallicities, and star formation histories. We will obtain the first complete census of dwarf satellites of an elliptical down to an unprecedented M_V<-9. Our results will crucially constrain cosmological predictions for the faint end of the satellite luminosity function to achieve a more complete picture of the galaxy formation process.

RAVEN AND THE CENTER OF MAFFEI 1: MULTI-OBJECT ADAPTIVE OPTICS OBSERVATIONS OF THE CENTER OF A NEARBY ELLIPTICAL GALAXY AND THE DETECTION OF AN INTERMEDIATE AGE POPULATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davidge, T. J.; Andersen, D. R. [Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, National Research Council of Canada, 5071 West Saanich Road, Victoria, BC V9E 2E7 (Canada); Lardière, O.; Bradley, C.; Blain, C. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 3P2 (Canada); Oya, S. [Subaru Telescope, National Optical Observatory of Japan Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Akiyama, M.; Ono, Y. H., E-mail: tim.davidge@nrc.ca, E-mail: david.andersen@nrc.ca, E-mail: lardiere@uvic.ca, E-mail: cbr@uvic.ca, E-mail: celia.blain@gmail.com, E-mail: oya@subaru.naoj.org, E-mail: akiyama@astr.tohoku.ac.jp, E-mail: yo-2007@astr.tohoku.ac.jp [Astronomical Institute, Tohoku University 6–3 Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sedai, 980-8578 Japan (Japan)

2015-10-01

Near-infrared (NIR) spectra that have an angular resolution of ∼0.15 arcsec are used to examine the stellar content of the central regions of the nearby elliptical galaxy Maffei 1. The spectra were recorded at the Subaru Telescope, with wavefront distortions corrected by the RAVEN Multi-object Adaptive Optics science demonstrator. The Ballick–Ramsey C{sub 2} absorption bandhead near 1.76 μm is detected, and models in which ∼10%–20% of the light near 1.8 μm originates from stars of spectral type C5 reproduce the depth of this feature. Archival NIR and mid-infrared images are also used to probe the structural and photometric properties of the galaxy. Comparisons with models suggest that an intermediate age population dominates the spectral energy distribution between 1 and 5 μm near the galaxy center. This is consistent not only with the presence of C stars, but also with the large Hβ index that has been measured previously for Maffei 1. The J − K color is more or less constant within 15 arcsec of the galaxy center, suggesting that the brightest red stars are well-mixed in this area.

Effect of a Brans--Dicke cosmology upon stellar evolution and the evolution of galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prather, M.J.

1976-01-01

The effect which a variable G cosmology, such as Brans-Dicke, will have on the evolution of individual stars and of galaxies composed of these stars is examined in the hope that present day observation of globular clusters or giant elliptical galaxies will provide a test for the Brans--Dicke theory. The higher value of the gravitational coupling coefficient G in the past history of various Brans--Dicke universes is studied in detail. A low density, open universe is selected for study: fractional closure density = 0.2, present Hubble constant = km/s/Mpc, stellar formation at a red-shift of 5, and the Brans--Dicke parameter omega = 6. In this universe a set of stellar evolutionary tracks is computed from the Zero-Age Main Sequence through the Giant Branch to the Horizontal Branch for approximately solar composition, (Y,Z) = (0.25, 0.02). When compared at equivalent evolutionary phases, the luminosity of individual stars is found to increase greatly with G from the ZAMS to the HB. The higher G greatly speeds up the evolutionary time scale for the main sequence, and it decreases the core mass at the helium flash, leaving the luminosity of the tip of the GB and the HB unchanged. The net effect of a higher G on a cluster of stars is to increase the apparent mass at the turn-off and to reduce the lifetimes of all the evolutionary phases from the ZAMS to the HB by the same factor. Thus, the relative number density of stars in the major phases of stellar evolution is unchanged

The rotation of galaxies: clues to their formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fall, S.M.

1982-01-01

The rotation of galaxies of different morphological types is closely linked with their structural features and therefore with the processes by which they formed. In this context, the most important distinction is between galaxies that are dominated by a spheroid or bulge component - the ellipticals and some lenticulars - and galaxies that are dominated by a disk component - some lenticulars, the spirals and some irregulars. As the result of improvements in spectroscopic techniques, we now have reliable kinematic data for galaxies of most types in a wide range of masses and sizes. The author discusses the observational results and their implications for several views of the origin and evolution of galaxies. (Auth.)

A MINUET OF GALAXIES

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

This troupe of four galaxies, known as Hickson Compact Group 87 (HCG 87), is performing an intricate dance orchestrated by the mutual gravitational forces acting between them. The dance is a slow, graceful minuet, occurring over a time span of hundreds of millions of years. The Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 on NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (HST) provides a striking improvement in resolution over previous ground-based imaging. In particular, this image reveals complex details in the dust lanes of the group's largest galaxy member (HCG 87a), which is actually disk-shaped, but tilted so that we see it nearly edge-on. Both 87a and its elliptically shaped nearest neighbor (87b) have active galactic nuclei which are believed to harbor black holes that are consuming gas. A third group member, the nearby spiral galaxy 87c, may be undergoing a burst of active star formation. Gas flows within galaxies can be intensified by the gravitational tidal forces between interacting galaxies. So interactions can provide fresh fuel for both active nuclei and starburst phenomena. These three galaxies are so close to each other that gravitational forces disrupt their structure and alter their evolution. From the analysis of its spectra, the small spiral near the center of the group could either be a fourth member or perhaps an unrelated background object. The HST image was made by combining images taken in four different color filters in order to create a three-color picture. Regions of active star formation are blue (hot stars) and also pinkish if hot hydrogen gas is present. The complex dark bands across the large edge-on disk galaxy are due to interstellar dust silhouetted against the galaxy's background starlight. A faint tidal bridge of stars can be seen between the edge-on and elliptical galaxies. HCG 87 was selected for Hubble imaging by members of the public who visited the Hubble Heritage website (http://heritage.stsci.edu) during the month of May and registered their votes

UNVEILING THE σ-DISCREPANCY IN INFRARED-LUMINOUS MERGERS. I. DUST AND DYNAMICS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rothberg, Barry; Fischer, Jacqueline

2010-01-01

Mergers in the local universe present a unique opportunity for studying the transformations of galaxies in detail. Presented here are recent results, based on multi-wavelength, high-resolution imaging and medium resolution spectroscopy, which demonstrate how star formation and the presence of red supergiants and/or asymptotic giant branch stars have led to a serious underestimation of the dynamical masses of infrared-bright galaxies. The dominance of a nuclear disk of young stars in the near-infrared bands, where dust obscuration does not block their signatures, can severely bias the global properties measured in a galaxy, including mass. This explains why past studies of gas-rich luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) and ultraluminous infrared galaxies, which have measured dynamical masses using the 1.62 or 2.29 μm CO band heads, have found that these galaxies are forming m m* ellipticals. Moreover, merger remnants, including LIRGs, are placed on the I-band fundamental plane for the first time and appear to be virtually indistinguishable from elliptical galaxies.

The Stellar Initial Mass Function in Early-type Galaxies from Absorption Line Spectroscopy. I. Data and Empirical Trends

Science.gov (United States)

van Dokkum, Pieter G.; Conroy, Charlie

2012-11-01

The strength of gravity-sensitive absorption lines in the integrated light of old stellar populations is one of the few direct probes of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) outside of the Milky Way. Owing to the advent of fully depleted CCDs with little or no fringing it has recently become possible to obtain accurate measurements of these features. Here, we present spectra covering the wavelength ranges 0.35-0.55 μm and 0.72-1.03 μm for the bulge of M31 and 34 early-type galaxies from the SAURON sample, obtained with the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer on Keck. The signal-to-noise ratio is >~ 200 Å-1 out to 1 μm, which is sufficient to measure gravity-sensitive features for individual galaxies and to determine how they depend on other properties of the galaxies. Combining the new data with previously obtained spectra for globular clusters in M31 and the most massive elliptical galaxies in the Virgo cluster, we find that the dwarf-sensitive Na I λ8183, 8195 doublet and the FeH λ9916 Wing-Ford band increase systematically with velocity dispersion, while the giant-sensitive Ca II λ8498, 8542, 8662 triplet decreases with dispersion. These trends are consistent with a varying IMF, such that galaxies with deeper potential wells have more dwarf-enriched mass functions. In a companion paper, we use a comprehensive stellar population synthesis model to demonstrate that IMF effects can be separated from age and abundance variations and quantify the IMF variation among early-type galaxies.

THE STELLAR INITIAL MASS FUNCTION IN EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES FROM ABSORPTION LINE SPECTROSCOPY. I. DATA AND EMPIRICAL TRENDS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Dokkum, Pieter G.; Conroy, Charlie

2012-01-01

The strength of gravity-sensitive absorption lines in the integrated light of old stellar populations is one of the few direct probes of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) outside of the Milky Way. Owing to the advent of fully depleted CCDs with little or no fringing it has recently become possible to obtain accurate measurements of these features. Here, we present spectra covering the wavelength ranges 0.35-0.55 μm and 0.72-1.03 μm for the bulge of M31 and 34 early-type galaxies from the SAURON sample, obtained with the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer on Keck. The signal-to-noise ratio is ∼> 200 Å –1 out to 1 μm, which is sufficient to measure gravity-sensitive features for individual galaxies and to determine how they depend on other properties of the galaxies. Combining the new data with previously obtained spectra for globular clusters in M31 and the most massive elliptical galaxies in the Virgo cluster, we find that the dwarf-sensitive Na I λ8183, 8195 doublet and the FeH λ9916 Wing-Ford band increase systematically with velocity dispersion, while the giant-sensitive Ca II λ8498, 8542, 8662 triplet decreases with dispersion. These trends are consistent with a varying IMF, such that galaxies with deeper potential wells have more dwarf-enriched mass functions. In a companion paper, we use a comprehensive stellar population synthesis model to demonstrate that IMF effects can be separated from age and abundance variations and quantify the IMF variation among early-type galaxies.

Interpretation of galaxy counts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tinsely, B.M.

1980-01-01

New models are presented for the interpretation of recent counts of galaxies to 24th magnitude, and predictions are shown to 28th magnitude for future comparison with data from the Space Telescope. The results supersede earlier, more schematic models by the author. Tyson and Jarvis found in their counts a ''local'' density enhancement at 17th magnitude, on comparison with the earlier models; the excess is no longer significant when a more realistic mixture of galaxy colors is used. Bruzual and Kron's conclusion that Kron's counts show evidence for evolution at faint magnitudes is confirmed, and it is predicted that some 23d magnitude galaxies have redshifts greater than unity. These may include spheroidal systems, elliptical galaxies, and the bulges of early-type spirals and S0's, seen during their primeval rapid star formation

Formation of massive clouds and dwarf galaxies during tidal encounters

Science.gov (United States)

Kaufman, Michele; Elmegreen, Bruce G.; Thomasson, Magnus; Elmegreen, Debra M.

1993-01-01

Gerola et al. (1983) propose that isolated dwarf galaxies can form during galaxy interactions. As evidence of this process, Mirabel et al. (1991) find 10(exp 9) solar mass clouds and star formation complexes at the outer ends of the tidal arms in the Antennae and Superantennae galaxies. We describe observations of HI clouds with mass greater than 10(exp 8) solar mass in the interacting galaxy pair IC 2163/NGC 2207. This pair is important because we believe it represents an early stage in the formation of giant clouds during an encounter. We use a gravitational instability model to explain why the observed clouds are so massive and discuss a two-dimensional N-body simulation of an encounter that produces giant clouds.

Stellar feedback in galaxies and the origin of galaxy-scale winds

Science.gov (United States)

Hopkins, Philip F.; Quataert, Eliot; Murray, Norman

2012-04-01

Feedback from massive stars is believed to play a critical role in driving galactic super-winds that enrich the intergalactic medium and shape the galaxy mass function, mass-metallicity relation and other global galaxy properties. In previous papers, we have introduced new numerical methods for implementing stellar feedback on sub-giant molecular cloud (sub-GMC) through galactic scales in numerical simulations of galaxies; the key physical processes include radiation pressure in the ultraviolet through infrared, supernovae (Type I and Type II), stellar winds ('fast' O star through 'slow' asymptotic giant branch winds), and H II photoionization. Here, we show that these feedback mechanisms drive galactic winds with outflow rates as high as ˜10-20 times the galaxy star formation rate. The mass-loading efficiency (wind mass-loss rate divided by the star formation rate) scales roughly as ? (where Vc is the galaxy circular velocity), consistent with simple momentum-conservation expectations. We use our suite of simulations to study the relative contribution of each feedback mechanism to the generation of galactic winds in a range of galaxy models, from Small Magellanic Cloud like dwarfs and Milky Way (MW) analogues to z˜ 2 clumpy discs. In massive, gas-rich systems (local starbursts and high-z galaxies), radiation pressure dominates the wind generation. By contrast, for MW-like spirals and dwarf galaxies the gas densities are much lower and sources of shock-heated gas such as supernovae and stellar winds dominate the production of large-scale outflows. In all of our models, however, the winds have a complex multiphase structure that depends on the interaction between multiple feedback mechanisms operating on different spatial scales and time-scales: any single feedback mechanism fails to reproduce the winds observed. We use our simulations to provide fitting functions to the wind mass loading and velocities as a function of galaxy properties, for use in cosmological

Ultra-low dispersion spectroscopy of stars and galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bappu, M.K.V.; Parthasarathy, M.

1977-01-01

Application of ultra-low dispersion spectroscopy 10,000 A mm - 1 , is described to study the nuclei of elliptical galaxies, the quasi-stellar objects and for the discovery of faint OB stars, reddened stars and red stars. The instrument used is an f/2 slitless spectrograph with a three degree quartz prism at the Cassegrain focus of the 102-cm Ritchey-Chratien reflector at Kavalur. The spectra cover a field of 40 minutes of arc and the dispersion is 10,000 A mm - 1 . Ultra-low dispersion spectra (microspectra) were obtained for fifteen elliptical and three SO galaxies from the list of Ekers and Ekers (1973) who classified them as compact and extended sources from the observations of radio emission at 6 cms. From an analysis of micro-spectra and from direct photographs with graded exposure times, it is found that all compact radio galaxies in the Ekers list also have optically compact nuclei. Some of these elliptical galaxies with compact nuclei show enhancement of intensity in the blue violet region. From an examination of microspectra of forty-three of the known quasi-stellar objects of different redshifts it is found that the most striking characteristic of the spectra is their flat appearance. This characteristic flatness is also noticed in the microspectrum of the large redshift quasi-stellar objects like OH 471 and OQ 172 which do not have UV excess. Because of this characteristic difference in the appearance of the microspectra of the quasi-stellar objects and stellar objects, it is possible to detect new OSO's with this technique. An application of this technique to detect red stars in our galaxy and in the Large Magellanic cloud is discussed. (author)

Ultraviolet Extinction in Backlit Galaxies - from Galaxy Zoo to GALEX

Science.gov (United States)

Keel, William C.; Manning, A.; Holwerda, B. W.; Lintott, C.; Schawinski, K.; Galaxy Zoo Team

2012-01-01

We examine the ultraviolet extinction of galaxies on large scales, combining optical and GALEX UV data on backlit galaxies (most found in the Galaxy Zoo citizen-science project). We analyze the images in matching ways, modelling both foreground and background galaxies by symmetry or elliptical isophote families as appropriate, and using the non-overlapping regions of the galaxies to estimate errors in the derived transmission T=e-κ. Spirals appear less symmetric in the UV, as star-forming regions become more dominant, so that our most reliable results are mean values across multiple regions and multiple galaxies. Our mean effective extinction curve is dominated by the contribution of luminous spirals,and shows a fairly flat gray" extinction law into the ultraviolet. For example, the median of κNUV/κB in spiral arms is only 1.3. Along with previous high-resolution HST studies of a few nearby backlit galaxies, this suggests that on kpc scales the effective extinction is dominated by the dust clumping rather than the intrinsic reddening law. This implies that extrapolation of local properties to short wavelengths, a step toward the history of dust in galaxies through comparison of local properties with a similar analysis in deep HST fields, can be done without introducing much additional error. This work was supported by NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program grant NNX10AD54G.

The lowest surface brightness disc galaxy known

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davies, J.I.; Phillipps, S.; Disney, M.J.

1988-01-01

The discovery of a galaxy with a prominent bulge and a dominant extremely low surface brightness disc component is reported. The profile of this galaxy is very similar to the recently discovered giant low surface brightness galaxy Malin 1. The disc central surface brightness is found to be ∼ 26.4 Rμ, some 1.5 mag fainter than Malin 1 and thus by far the lowest yet observed. (author)

Recent star formation in interacting galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joseph, R.D.; Wright, G.S.

1985-01-01

The subset of galaxy-galaxy interactions which have resulted in a merger are, as a class, ultraluminous IR galaxies. Their IR luminosities span a narrow range which overlaps with the most luminous Seyfert galaxies. However, in contrast with Seyfert galaxies, the available optical, IR, and radio properties of mergers show no evidence for a compact non-thermal central source, and are easily understood in terms of a burst of star formation of extraordinary intensity and spatial extent; they are 'super starbursts'. We argue that super starbursts occur in the evolution of most mergers, and discuss the implications of super starbursts for the suggestion that mergers evolve into elliptical galaxies. Finally, we note that merger-induced shocks are likely to leave the gas from both galaxies in dense molecular form which will rapidly cool, collapse, and fragment. Thus a merger might in fact be expected to result in a burst of star formation of exceptional intensity and spatial extent, i.e. a super starburst. (author)

Geometrical evidence for dark matter: X-ray constraints on the mass of the elliptical galaxy NGC 720

Science.gov (United States)

Buote, David A.; Canizares, Claude R.

1994-01-01

We describe (1) a new test for dark matter and alternate theories of gravitation based on the relative geometries of the X-ray and optical surface brightness distributions and an assumed form for the potential, of the optical light, (2) a technique to measure the shapes of the total gravitating matter and dark matter of an ellipsoidal system which is insensitive to the precise value of the temperature of the gas and to modest temperature gradients, and (3) a new method to determine the ratio of dark mass to stellar mass that is dependent on the functional forms for the visible star, gas and dark matter distributions, but independent of the distance to the galaxy or the gas temperature. We apply these techniques to X-ray data from the ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC) of the optically flattened elliptical galaxy NGC 720; the optical isophotes have ellipticity epsilon approximately 0.40 extending out to approximately 120 sec. The X-ray isophotes are significantly elongated, epsilon = 0.20-0.30 for semimajor axis a approximately 100 sec. The major axes of the optical and X-ray isophotes are misaligned by approximately 30 deg +/- 15 deg. Spectral analysis of the X-ray data reveals no evidence of temperature gradients or anisotropies and demonstrates that a single-temperature plasma (T approximately 0.6 keV) having subsolar heavy element abundances and a two-temperature model having solar abundances describe the spectrum equally well. Considering only the relative geometries of the X-ray and optical surface brightness distributions and an assumed functional form for the potential of the optical light, we conclude that matter distributed like the optical light cannot produce the observed ellipticities of the X-ray isophotes, independent of the gas pressure, the gas temperature, and the value of the stellar mass; this comparison assumes a state of quasi-hydrostatic equilibrium so that the three-dimensional surfaces of the gas emissivity trace the three

Discovery of Molecular Gas Shells around the Unusual Galaxy Centaurus A

Science.gov (United States)

2000-03-01

molecular clouds . The observations were carried out with the 15-metre Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope (SEST) at the ESO La Silla Observatory (Chile). This telescope is the only one of its kind in the southern hemisphere and is particularly suited to register emissions from gases that are common in molecular clouds, e.g. those of carbon monoxide (CO) near a wavelength of 3 mm . This search was successful, notably in the case of Centaurus A , a nearby giant elliptical galaxy with strong radio emission and an active nucleus (AGN), cf. ESO PR Photos 05b-c/00. For the first time, carbon monoxide molecules (CO) were found to be present in two of the surrounding shells, cf. PR Photo 08a/00 . These shells are located at a distance of about 50,000 light-years (15 kpc) from the nucleus of the galaxy and, as can be seen on the photo, the regions of the observed molecules appear to be aligned with the radio jet. This important discovery supports the above mentioned hypothesis and thus provides an important clue as to why there can be gas very far from the centre of an elliptical galaxy after a collision/merger. It is therefore likely that a certain fraction of the gas in the "cannibalized" companion galaxy is made up by small and dense molecular clouds. During the collision, they behave similarly to the stars and end up by forming gaseous shells. The fate of the gas in the shells What is then the likely fate of these gaseous shells? They are most certainly gravitationally well bound to the Centaurus A galaxy and cannot escape into the surrounding intergalactic space. But while the thin and diffuse hydrogen gas will probably move towards the galaxy centre fairly quickly, the more clumpy clouds and the molecular gas therein may remain in the outer shells during long periods. Over time though, also this gas will become less prominent, as the clouds slowly disperse. Interesting perspectives The discovery of carbon monoxide in the shells around Centaurus A opens very interesting

Formation of Triaxial Galaxy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jang-Hyeon Park

1987-06-01

Full Text Available Results of N-body simulation of dissipationless cold collapse of spherical gravitating system are presented. We compared the results with properties of elliptical galaxies. The system gradually evolved to triaxial system. The projected density profile is in good agreement with observations. In addition to triaxial instability, it seems that there is another instability.

Snapshot Survey of the Globular Cluster Populations of Isolated Early Type Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Gregg, Michael

2017-08-01

We propose WFC3/UVIS snapshot observations of a sample of 75 isolated early type galaxiesresiding in cosmic voids or extremely low density regions. The primary aim is to usetheir globular cluster populations to reconstruct their evolutionary history, revealingif, how, and why void ellipticals differ from cluster ellipticals. The galaxies span arange of luminosities, providing a varied sample for comparison with the well-documentedglobular cluster populations in denser environments. This proposed WFC3 study of isolatedearly type galaxies breaks new ground by targeting a sample which has thus far receivedlittle attention, and, significantly, this will be the first such study with HST.Characterizing early type galaxies in voids and their GC systems promises to increase ourunderstanding of galaxy formation and evolution of galaxies in general because isolatedobjects are the best approximation to a control sample that we have for understanding theinfluence of environment on formation and evolution. Whether these isolated objects turnout to be identical to or distinct from counterparts in other regions of the Universe,they will supply insight into the formation and evolution of all galaxies. Parallel ACSimaging will help to characterize the near field environments of the sample.

Cold Dark Matter Cosmogony with Hydrodynamics and Galaxy Formation: Galaxy Properties at Redshift Zero

Science.gov (United States)

Cen, Renyue; Ostriker, Jeremiah P.

1993-11-01

We have supplemented our code, which computes the evolution of the physical state of a representative piece of the universe, to include not only the dynamics of dark matter (with a standard PM code) and the hydrodynamics of the gaseous component (including detailed collisional and radiative processes), but also galaxy formation on a heuristic but plausible basis. If, within a cell, the gas is Jeans-unstable, collapsing and cooling rapidly, it is transformed to galaxy subunits, which are then followed with a collisionless code. We study two representative boxes with sizes L = (80, 8) h-1 Mpc, in both cases utilizing a mesh of 2003 cells containing 2003 dark matter particles and having nominal resolutions of (400, 40) h-1 kpc, respectively, with true resolution approximately 2.5 times worse. We adopt the standard cold dark matter (CDM) perturbation spectrum with an amplitude of σ8 ≡ = (δM/M)rms,8 = 0.77, a compromise between the COBE normalization σ8 = 1.05 and that indicated by the small-scale velocity dispersion (perhaps σ8 = 0.45). We find a mass function which is similar to that observed. There is a strong correlation between galactic age and environment. Identifying the oldest fraction with elliptical and 50 galaxies, we find a density morphology relation of the same type as is observed as well as a correlation between gas mass/total mass ratio and morphology that is similar to observations. In addition, we find that low-mass galaxies contain relatively more dark matter than giants. We present analytic fits to our derived results for "bias," the dependence of ρgal/ on ρtot/. Spatial structures resemble quantitatively those seen in redshift surveys, with galaxies concentrated in clusters and on filaments (or sheets) which surround quite empty voids. The void probability statistics indicate that this model is consistent with magnitude-limited real data. The small-scale velocity field is too large compared with the observed velocity correlation function

Progenitors of type Ia supernovae in elliptical galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilfanov, M.; Bogdan, A.

2011-01-01

Although there is a nearly universal agreement that type Ia supernovae are associated with the thermonuclear disruption of a CO white dwarf, the exact nature of their progenitors is still unknown. The single degenerate scenario envisages a white dwarf accreting matter from a non-degenerate companion in a binary system. Nuclear energy of the accreted matter is released in the form of electromagnetic radiation or gives rise to numerous classical nova explosions prior to the supernova event. We show that combined X-ray output of supernova progenitors and statistics of classical novae predicted in the single degenerate scenario are inconsistent with X-ray and optical observations of nearby early type galaxies and galaxy bulges. White dwarfs accreting from a donor star in a binary system and detonating at the Chandrasekhar mass limit can account for no more than ∼5% of type Ia supernovae observed in old stellar populations.

Dynamics of galaxies and the 'missing mass' problem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gunn, J E [Hale Observatories, Pasadena, CA (USA)

1980-03-06

The observational situation concerning the existence of dark matter in the outer parts of galaxies is reviewed. Observation now leaves little doubt of its presence, and both observation and simple theory suggest that the dark matter is probably bound to galaxies, and furthermore is present around both spirals and ellipticals. New evidence concerning the rotation curve of the Galaxy shows that the distribution of the halo stuff in our own system is roughly spherical, as seems natural from existing dynamical data on the nature of the halo material.

Colors of galaxies with continuing star formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zasov, A.V.; Demin, V.V.

1979-01-01

A position of non-elliptical galaxies on a two-colour diagram (B-V)-(U-B) is considered from the data on the RC2 catalogue. Correction was made for internal reddening of light in galaxies. A sequence of colour indices on a two-colour diagram is compared with theoretical sequences for the Salpeter's initial mass function of stars (IMF). To reach the best agreement between calculated and observed colours of galaxies it is demanded that IMF change systematically along a morphological Hubble's sequence of galaxies and IMF in most of spiral galaxies of early types must have a deficiency of massive stars with respect to the Salpeter's IMF. A difference between colour indices of inner and outer parts of spiral galaxies shows that internal light absorption is possibly stronger in the inner regions of galaxies. A relation between dust content of galaxies and their IMF is in qualitative agreement with the Kahn's theory which gives an upper limit of mass of young stars

Photometric Signatures of Starbursts in Interacting Galaxies and the Butcher-Oemler Effect

Science.gov (United States)

Rakos, Karl D.; Maindl, Thomas I.; Schombert, James M.

1996-01-01

This paper presents new and synthetic narrow band photometry of ellipticals, spirals, Seyferts and interacting galaxies in an attempt to identify the cause of the unusually high fraction of blue cluster galaxies in distant clusters (the Butcher-Oemler Effect). The properties and distribution of the low redshift sample specifically points to starbursts as the origin of the blue narrow band colors in interacting Arp galaxies.

Anomalous evolution of the dwarf galaxy HIPASS J1321-31

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pritzl, BJ; Knezek, PM; Gallagher, JS; Grossi, M; Disney, MJ; Minchin, RF; Freeman, KC; Tolstoy, E; Saha, A

2003-01-01

We present Hubble Space Telescope/WFPC2 observations of the dwarf galaxy HIPASS J1321-31. This unusual galaxy lies in the direction of the Centaurus A group of galaxies and has a color-magnitude diagram with a distinctive red plume of luminous stars. This feature could arise from (1) a red giant

THE DENSEST GALAXY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strader, Jay [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (United States); Seth, Anil C. [University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 (United States); Forbes, Duncan A.; Pota, Vincenzo; Usher, Christopher [Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University, Hawthorn, VIC 3122 (Australia); Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Caldwell, Nelson [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Romanowsky, Aaron J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, San José State University, San Jose, CA 95192 (United States); Brodie, Jean P.; Arnold, Jacob A. [University of California Observatories/Lick Observatory, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Conroy, Charlie, E-mail: strader@pa.msu.edu [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States)

2013-09-20

We report the discovery of a remarkable ultra-compact dwarf galaxy around the massive Virgo elliptical galaxy NGC 4649 (M60), which we call M60-UCD1. With a dynamical mass of 2.0 × 10{sup 8} M {sub ☉} but a half-light radius of only ∼24 pc, M60-UCD1 is more massive than any ultra-compact dwarfs of comparable size, and is arguably the densest galaxy known in the local universe. It has a two-component structure well fit by a sum of Sérsic functions, with an elliptical, compact (r{sub h} = 14 pc; n ∼ 3.3) inner component and a round, exponential, extended (r{sub h} = 49 pc) outer component. Chandra data reveal a variable central X-ray source with L{sub X} ∼ 10{sup 38} erg s{sup –1} that could be an active galactic nucleus associated with a massive black hole or a low-mass X-ray binary. Analysis of optical spectroscopy shows the object to be old (∼> 10 Gyr) and of solar metallicity, with elevated [Mg/Fe] and strongly enhanced [N/Fe] that indicates light-element self-enrichment; such self-enrichment may be generically present in dense stellar systems. The velocity dispersion (σ ∼ 70 km s{sup –1}) and resulting dynamical mass-to-light ratio (M/L{sub V} = 4.9 ± 0.7) are consistent with—but slightly higher than—expectations for an old, metal-rich stellar population with a Kroupa initial mass function. The presence of a massive black hole or a mild increase in low-mass stars or stellar remnants is therefore also consistent with this M/L{sub V} . The stellar density of the galaxy is so high that no dynamical signature of dark matter is expected. However, the properties of M60-UCD1 suggest an origin in the tidal stripping of a nucleated galaxy with M{sub B} ∼ –18 to –19.

A 5-GHz survey of bright southern elliptical and SO galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Disney, M.J.; Wall, J.V.

1977-01-01

The Parkes 64-m telescope has been used in a 5.0 GHz survey of 181 Southern E and SO galaxies from the Reference catalogue of bright galaxies. Of the 39 detections above the nominal limit of 12 mJy, 15 are new, several have radio spectra indicating membership in the active class, and two have shown intensity variations at centimetre wavelengths. The results of this survey combined with results from earlier surveys of lower sensitivity suggest that only about 40 per cent of the E/SO galaxies in the Reference catalogue have Ssub(5GHz)>1 mJy. (author)

Deep Galex Observations of the Coma Cluster: Source Catalog and Galaxy Counts

Science.gov (United States)

Hammer, D.; Hornschemeier, A. E.; Mobasher, B.; Miller, N.; Smith, R.; Arnouts, S.; Milliard, B.; Jenkins, L.

2010-01-01

We present a source catalog from deep 26 ks GALEX observations of the Coma cluster in the far-UV (FUV; 1530 Angstroms) and near-UV (NUV; 2310 Angstroms) wavebands. The observed field is centered 0.9 deg. (1.6 Mpc) south-west of the Coma core, and has full optical photometric coverage by SDSS and spectroscopic coverage to r-21. The catalog consists of 9700 galaxies with GALEX and SDSS photometry, including 242 spectroscopically-confirmed Coma member galaxies that range from giant spirals and elliptical galaxies to dwarf irregular and early-type galaxies. The full multi-wavelength catalog (cluster plus background galaxies) is 80% complete to NUV=23 and FUV=23.5, and has a limiting depth at NUV=24.5 and FUV=25.0 which corresponds to a star formation rate of 10(exp -3) solar mass yr(sup -1) at the distance of Coma. The GALEX images presented here are very deep and include detections of many resolved cluster members superposed on a dense field of unresolved background galaxies. This required a two-fold approach to generating a source catalog: we used a Bayesian deblending algorithm to measure faint and compact sources (using SDSS coordinates as a position prior), and used the GALEX pipeline catalog for bright and/or extended objects. We performed simulations to assess the importance of systematic effects (e.g. object blends, source confusion, Eddington Bias) that influence source detection and photometry when using both methods. The Bayesian deblending method roughly doubles the number of source detections and provides reliable photometry to a few magnitudes deeper than the GALEX pipeline catalog. This method is also free from source confusion over the UV magnitude range studied here: conversely, we estimate that the GALEX pipeline catalogs are confusion limited at NUV approximately 23 and FUV approximately 24. We have measured the total UV galaxy counts using our catalog and report a 50% excess of counts across FUV=22-23.5 and NUV=21.5-23 relative to previous GALEX

Charting the Giants

Science.gov (United States)

2004-06-01

the very massive galaxy cluster RXCJ1131.9-1955 at redshift z = 0.306 [3] in a very rich galaxy field with two major concentrations. It was originally found by George Abell and designated "Abell 1300". The image was obtained with the ESO/MPG 2.2-m telescope and the WFI camera at La Silla. ESO PR Photo 18c/04 ESO PR Photo 18c/04 Galaxy Cluster RXCJ0937.9-2020 [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 746 pix - 60k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 1491 pix - 1.3M] [HiRes - JPEG: 2380 x 4437 pix - 14.2M] Caption: PR Photo 18c/04 shows the much smaller, more nearby galaxy group RXCJ0937.9-2020 at a redshift of z = 0.034 [3]. It is dominated by the massive elliptical galaxy seen at the top of the image. The photo covers only the southern part of this group. Such galaxy groups with typical masses of a few 1013 solar masses constitute the smallest objects included in the REFLEX catalogue. This image was obtained with the FORS1 multi-mode instrument on the ESO 8.2-m VLT Antu telescope. ESO PR Video Clip 05/04 ESO PR Video Clip 05/04 Galaxy Clusters in the REFLEX Catalogue (3D-visualization) [MPG - 11.7Mb] Caption: ESO PR Video Clip 05/04 illustrates the three-dimensional distribution of the galaxy clusters identfied in the ROSAT All-Sky survey in the northern and southern sky. In addition to the galaxy clusters in the REFLEX catalogue this movie also contains those identified during the ongoing, deeper search for X-ray clusters: the extension of the southern REFLEX Survey and the northern complementary survey that is conducted by the MPE team at the Calar Alto observatory and at US observatories in collaboration with John Huchra and coworkers at the Harvard-Smithonian Center for Astrophysics. In total, more than 1400 X-ray bright galaxy cluster have been found to date. (Prepared by Ferdinand Jamitzky.) Following this idea, a European team of astronomers [2], under the leadership of Hans Böhringer (MPE, Garching, Germany), Luigi Guzzo (INAF, Milano, Italy), Chris A. Collins (JMU, Liverpool), and Peter

LEDA 074886: A REMARKABLE RECTANGULAR-LOOKING GALAXY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graham, Alister W.; Spitler, Lee R.; Forbes, Duncan A.; Lisker, Thorsten; Janz, Joachim; Moore, Ben

2012-01-01

We report the discovery of an interesting and rare rectangular-shaped galaxy. At a distance of 21 Mpc, the dwarf galaxy LEDA 074886 has an absolute R-band magnitude of –17.3 mag. Adding to this galaxy's intrigue is the presence of an embedded, edge-on stellar disk (of extent 2 R e,disk = 12'' = 1.2 kpc) for which Forbes et al. reported v rot /σ ≈ 1.4. We speculate that this galaxy may be the remnant of two (nearly edge-on) merged disk galaxies in which the initial gas was driven inward and subsequently formed the inner disk, while the stars at larger radii effectively experienced a dissipationless merger event resulting in this 'emerald cut galaxy' having very boxy isophotes with a 4 /a = –0.05 to –0.08 from 3 to 5 kpc. This galaxy suggests that knowledge from simulations of both 'wet' and 'dry' galaxy mergers may need to be combined to properly understand the various paths that galaxy evolution can take, with a particular relevance to blue elliptical galaxies.

The ellipticities of a sample of globular clusters in M31

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lupton, R.H.

1989-01-01

Images for a sample of 18 globular clusters in M31 have been obtained. The mean ellipticity on the sky in the range 7-14 pc (2-4 arcsec) is 0.08 + or - 0.02 and 0.12 + or - 0.01 in the range 14-21 pc (4-6 arcsec), with corresponding true ellipticities of 0.12 and 0.18. The difference between the inner and outer parts is significant at a 99 percent level. The flattening of the inner parts is statistically indistinguishable from that of the Galactic globular clusters, while the outer parts are flatter than the Galactic clusters at a 99.8 percent confidence level. There is a significant anticorrelation of ellipticity with line strength; such a correlation may in retrospect also be seen in the Galactic globular cluster system. For the M31 data, this anticorrelation is stronger in the inner parts of the galaxy. 30 refs

A Hubble Space Telescope survey for novae in M87 - III. Are novae good standard candles 15 d after maximum brightness?

Science.gov (United States)

Shara, Michael M.; Doyle, Trisha F.; Pagnotta, Ashley; Garland, James T.; Lauer, Tod R.; Zurek, David; Baltz, Edward A.; Goerl, Ariel; Kovetz, Attay; Machac, Tamara; Madrid, Juan P.; Mikołajewska, Joanna; Neill, J. D.; Prialnik, Dina; Welch, D. L.; Yaron, Ofer

2018-02-01

Ten weeks of daily imaging of the giant elliptical galaxy M87 with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has yielded 41 nova light curves of unprecedented quality for extragalactic cataclysmic variables. We have recently used these light curves to demonstrate that the observational scatter in the so-called maximum-magnitude rate of decline (MMRD) relation for classical novae is so large as to render the nova-MMRD useless as a standard candle. Here, we demonstrate that a modified Buscombe-de Vaucouleurs hypothesis, namely that novae with decline times t2 > 10 d converge to nearly the same absolute magnitude about two weeks after maximum light in a giant elliptical galaxy, is supported by our M87 nova data. For 13 novae with daily sampled light curves, well determined times of maximum light in both the F606W and F814W filters, and decline times t2 > 10 d we find that M87 novae display M606W,15 = -6.37 ± 0.46 and M814W,15 = -6.11 ± 0.43. If very fast novae with decline times t2 < 10 d are excluded, the distances to novae in elliptical galaxies with stellar binary populations similar to those of M87 should be determinable with 1σ accuracies of ± 20 per cent with the above calibrations.

Observations of ultraviolet spectra of H II regions and galaxies with IUE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gondhalekar, P.M.

1982-08-01

The ultraviolet spectra, obtained with the International Ultraviolet Explorer, of a sample of H II regions and the nuclear regions of spiral and elliptical galaxies are described. The star formation rates in the nuclei of spiral galaxies are similar to the star formation rate in the solar neighbourhood. The data indicate that the current thinking on the synthesis of carbon and nitrogen in galaxies has to be revised and the K-corrections determined from the ultraviolet spectra of galaxies when compared with the photometry of distant galaxies suggests colour evolution of galaxies at z > 0.3. (author)

Very Luminous X-ray Point Sources in Starburst Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Colbert, E.; Heckman, T.; Ptak, A.; Weaver, K. A.; Strickland, D.

Extranuclear X-ray point sources in external galaxies with luminosities above 1039.0 erg/s are quite common in elliptical, disk and dwarf galaxies, with an average of ~ 0.5 and dwarf galaxies, with an average of ~0.5 sources per galaxy. These objects may be a new class of object, perhaps accreting intermediate-mass black holes, or beamed stellar mass black hole binaries. Starburst galaxies tend to have a larger number of these intermediate-luminosity X-ray objects (IXOs), as well as a large number of lower-luminosity (1037 - 1039 erg/s) point sources. These point sources dominate the total hard X-ray emission in starburst galaxies. We present a review of both types of objects and discuss possible schemes for their formation.

A relation between the characteristic stellar ages of galaxies and their intrinsic shapes

Science.gov (United States)

van de Sande, Jesse; Scott, Nicholas; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Brough, Sarah; Bryant, Julia J.; Colless, Matthew; Cortese, Luca; Croom, Scott M.; d'Eugenio, Francesco; Foster, Caroline; Goodwin, Michael; Konstantopoulos, Iraklis S.; Lawrence, Jon S.; McDermid, Richard M.; Medling, Anne M.; Owers, Matt S.; Richards, Samuel N.; Sharp, Rob

2018-04-01

Stellar population and stellar kinematic studies provide unique but complementary insights into how galaxies build-up their stellar mass and angular momentum1-3. A galaxy's mean stellar age reveals when stars were formed, but provides little constraint on how the galaxy's mass was assembled. Resolved stellar dynamics4 trace the change in angular momentum due to mergers, but major mergers tend to obscure the effect of earlier interactions5. With the rise of large multi-object integral field spectroscopic surveys, such as SAMI6 and MaNGA7, and single-object integral field spectroscopic surveys (for example, ATLAS3D (ref. 8), CALIFA9, MASSIVE10), it is now feasible to connect a galaxy's star formation and merger history on the same resolved physical scales, over a large range in galaxy mass, morphology and environment4,11,12. Using the SAMI Galaxy Survey, here we present a combined study of spatially resolved stellar kinematics and global stellar populations. We find a strong correlation of stellar population age with location in the (V/σ, ɛe) diagram that links the ratio of ordered rotation to random motions in a galaxy to its observed ellipticity. For the large majority of galaxies that are oblate rotating spheroids, we find that characteristic stellar age follows the intrinsic ellipticity of galaxies remarkably well.

A relation between the characteristic stellar ages of galaxies and their intrinsic shapes

Science.gov (United States)

van de Sande, Jesse; Scott, Nicholas; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Brough, Sarah; Bryant, Julia J.; Colless, Matthew; Cortese, Luca; Croom, Scott M.; d'Eugenio, Francesco; Foster, Caroline; Goodwin, Michael; Konstantopoulos, Iraklis S.; Lawrence, Jon S.; McDermid, Richard M.; Medling, Anne M.; Owers, Matt S.; Richards, Samuel N.; Sharp, Rob

2018-06-01

Stellar population and stellar kinematic studies provide unique but complementary insights into how galaxies build-up their stellar mass and angular momentum1-3. A galaxy's mean stellar age reveals when stars were formed, but provides little constraint on how the galaxy's mass was assembled. Resolved stellar dynamics4 trace the change in angular momentum due to mergers, but major mergers tend to obscure the effect of earlier interactions5. With the rise of large multi-object integral field spectroscopic surveys, such as SAMI6 and MaNGA7, and single-object integral field spectroscopic surveys (for example, ATLAS3D (ref. 8), CALIFA9, MASSIVE10), it is now feasible to connect a galaxy's star formation and merger history on the same resolved physical scales, over a large range in galaxy mass, morphology and environment4,11,12. Using the SAMI Galaxy Survey, here we present a combined study of spatially resolved stellar kinematics and global stellar populations. We find a strong correlation of stellar population age with location in the (V/σ, ɛe) diagram that links the ratio of ordered rotation to random motions in a galaxy to its observed ellipticity. For the large majority of galaxies that are oblate rotating spheroids, we find that characteristic stellar age follows the intrinsic ellipticity of galaxies remarkably well.

Active Galactic Nucleus Feedback in an Elliptical Galaxy with the Most Updated AGN Physics. I. Low Angular Momentum Case

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Feng; Yoon, DooSoo; Li, Ya-Ping; Gan, Zhao-Ming; Ho, Luis C.; Guo, Fulai

2018-04-01

We investigate the effects of AGN feedback on the cosmological evolution of an isolated elliptical galaxy by performing two-dimensional high-resolution hydrodynamical numerical simulations. The inner boundary of the simulation is chosen so that the Bondi radius is resolved. Compared to previous works, the two accretion modes—namely, hot and cold, which correspond to different accretion rates and have different radiation and wind outputs—are carefully discriminated, and the feedback effects by radiation and wind in each mode are taken into account. The most updated AGN physics, including the descriptions of radiation and wind from the hot accretion flows and wind from cold accretion disks, are adopted. Physical processes like star formation and SNe Ia and II are taken into account. We study the AGN light curve, typical AGN lifetime, growth of the black hole mass, AGN duty cycle, star formation, and X-ray surface brightness of the galaxy. We compare our simulation results with observations and find general consistency. Comparisons with previous simulation works find significant differences, indicating the importance of AGN physics. The respective roles of radiation and wind feedback are examined, and it is found that they are different for different problems of interest, such as AGN luminosity and star formation. We find that it is hard to neglect any of them, so we suggest using the names “cold feedback mode” and “hot feedback mode” to replace the currently used ones.

BEYOND ELLIPSE(S): ACCURATELY MODELING THE ISOPHOTAL STRUCTURE OF GALAXIES WITH ISOFIT AND CMODEL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciambur, B. C.

2015-01-01

This work introduces a new fitting formalism for isophotes that enables more accurate modeling of galaxies with non-elliptical shapes, such as disk galaxies viewed edge-on or galaxies with X-shaped/peanut bulges. Within this scheme, the angular parameter that defines quasi-elliptical isophotes is transformed from the commonly used, but inappropriate, polar coordinate to the “eccentric anomaly.” This provides a superior description of deviations from ellipticity, better capturing the true isophotal shape. Furthermore, this makes it possible to accurately recover both the surface brightness profile, using the correct azimuthally averaged isophote, and the two-dimensional model of any galaxy: the hitherto ubiquitous, but artificial, cross-like features in residual images are completely removed. The formalism has been implemented into the Image Reduction and Analysis Facility tasks Ellipse and Bmodel to create the new tasks “Isofit,” and “Cmodel.” The new tools are demonstrated here with application to five galaxies, chosen to be representative case-studies for several areas where this technique makes it possible to gain new scientific insight. Specifically: properly quantifying boxy/disky isophotes via the fourth harmonic order in edge-on galaxies, quantifying X-shaped/peanut bulges, higher-order Fourier moments for modeling bars in disks, and complex isophote shapes. Higher order (n > 4) harmonics now become meaningful and may correlate with structural properties, as boxyness/diskyness is known to do. This work also illustrates how the accurate construction, and subtraction, of a model from a galaxy image facilitates the identification and recovery of over-lapping sources such as globular clusters and the optical counterparts of X-ray sources

Only marginal alignment of disc galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Andrae, René; Jahnke, Knud

2011-12-01

Testing theories of angular-momentum acquisition of rotationally supported disc galaxies is the key to understanding the formation of this type of galaxies. The tidal-torque theory aims to explain this acquisition process in a cosmological framework and predicts positive autocorrelations of angular-momentum orientation and spiral-arm handedness, i.e. alignment of disc galaxies, on short distance scales of 1 Mpc h-1. This disc alignment can also cause systematic effects in weak-lensing measurements. Previous observations claimed discovering these correlations but are overly optimistic in the reported level of statistical significance of the detections. Errors in redshift, ellipticity and morphological classifications were not taken into account, although they have a significant impact. We explain how to rigorously propagate all the important errors through the estimation process. Analysing disc galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data base, we find that positive autocorrelations of spiral-arm handedness and angular-momentum orientations on distance scales of 1 Mpc h-1 are plausible but not statistically significant. Current data appear not good enough to constrain parameters of theory. This result agrees with a simple hypothesis test in the Local Group, where we also find no evidence for disc alignment. Moreover, we demonstrate that ellipticity estimates based on second moments are strongly biased by galactic bulges even for Scd galaxies, thereby corrupting correlation estimates and overestimating the impact of disc alignment on weak-lensing studies. Finally, we discuss the potential of future sky surveys. We argue that photometric redshifts have too large errors, i.e. PanSTARRS and LSST cannot be used. Conversely, the EUCLID project will not cover the relevant redshift regime. We also discuss the potentials and problems of front-edge classifications of galaxy discs in order to improve the autocorrelation estimates of angular-momentum orientation.

The X-ray properties of normal galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Fabbiano, G.

1986-01-01

X-ray observations with the Einstein satellite have shown that normal galaxies of all morphological types are spatially extended sources of X-ray emission with luminosities in the range of L(x) of about 10 to the 39th to 10 to the 41st erg/s. Although this is only a small fraction of the total energy output of a normal galaxy, X-ray observations are uniquely suited to study phenomena that are otherwise elusive. In X-rays one can study directly the end products of stellar evolution (SNRs and compact remnants). X-ray observations have led to the discovery of gaseous outflows linked to starburst nuclear activity in spiral galaxies and to the detection of a hot interstellar medium in early-type galaxies. Through X-ray observations it is possible to set constraints on structural galaxy parameters, such as the mass of elliptical galaxies, and perhaps get new insight on the origin of cosmic rays and the properties of the magnetic fields of spiral galaxies.

Galaxy dynamics and the mass density of the universe.

Science.gov (United States)

Rubin, V C

1993-06-01

Dynamical evidence accumulated over the past 20 years has convinced astronomers that luminous matter in a spiral galaxy constitutes no more than 10% of the mass of a galaxy. An additional 90% is inferred by its gravitational effect on luminous material. Here I review recent observations concerning the distribution of luminous and nonluminous matter in the Milky Way, in galaxies, and in galaxy clusters. Observations of neutral hydrogen disks, some extending in radius several times the optical disk, confirm that a massive dark halo is a major component of virtually every spiral. A recent surprise has been the discovery that stellar and gas motions in ellipticals are enormously complex. To date, only for a few spheroidal galaxies do the velocities extend far enough to probe the outer mass distribution. But the diverse kinematics of inner cores, peripheral to deducing the overall mass distribution, offer additional evidence that ellipticals have acquired gas-rich systems after initial formation. Dynamical results are consistent with a low-density universe, in which the required dark matter could be baryonic. On smallest scales of galaxies [10 kiloparsec (kpc); Ho = 50 km.sec-1.megaparsec-1] the luminous matter constitutes only 1% of the closure density. On scales greater than binary galaxies (i.e., >/=100 kpc) all systems indicate a density approximately 10% of the closure density, a density consistent with the low baryon density in the universe. If large-scale motions in the universe require a higher mass density, these motions would constitute the first dynamical evidence for nonbaryonic matter in a universe of higher density.

MORFOMETRYKA—A NEW WAY OF ESTABLISHING MORPHOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION OF GALAXIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferrari, F. [IMEF—FURG, Rio Grande, RS (Brazil); Carvalho, R. R. de; Trevisan, M., E-mail: fabricio@ferrari.pro.br [INPE/MCT, Divisão de Astrofi´sica, S. J. dos Campos (Brazil)

2015-11-20

We present an extended morphometric system to automatically classify galaxies from astronomical images. The new system includes the original and modified versions of the CASGM coefficients (Concentration C{sub 1}, Asymmetry A{sub 3}, and Smoothness S{sub 3}), and the new parameters entropy, H, and spirality σ{sub ψ}. The new parameters A{sub 3}, S{sub 3}, and H are better to discriminate galaxy classes than A{sub 1}, S{sub 1}, and G, respectively. The new parameter σ{sub ψ} captures the amount of non-radial pattern on the image and is almost linearly dependent on T-type. Using a sample of spiral and elliptical galaxies from the Galaxy Zoo project as a training set, we employed the Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) technique to classify EFIGI (Baillard et al. 4458 galaxies), Nair and Abraham (14,123 galaxies), and SDSS Legacy (779,235 galaxies) samples. The cross-validation test shows that we can achieve an accuracy of more than 90% with our classification scheme. Therefore, we are able to define a plane in the morphometric parameter space that separates the elliptical and spiral classes with a mismatch between classes smaller than 10%. We use the distance to this plane as a morphometric index (M{sub i}) and we show that it follows the human based T-type index very closely. We calculate morphometric index M{sub i} for ∼780k galaxies from SDSS Legacy Survey–DR7. We discuss how M{sub i} correlates with stellar population parameters obtained using the spectra available from SDSS–DR7.

Cusp-core problem and strong gravitational lensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Nan; Chen Daming

2009-01-01

Cosmological numerical simulations of galaxy formation have led to the cuspy density profile of a pure cold dark matter halo toward the center, which is in sharp contradiction with the observations of the rotation curves of cold dark matter-dominated dwarf and low surface brightness disk galaxies, with the latter tending to favor mass profiles with a flat central core. Many efforts have been devoted to resolving this cusp-core problem in recent years, among them, baryon-cold dark matter interactions are considered to be the main physical mechanisms erasing the cold dark matter (CDM) cusp into a flat core in the centers of all CDM halos. Clearly, baryon-cold dark matter interactions are not customized only for CDM-dominated disk galaxies, but for all types, including giant ellipticals. We first fit the most recent high resolution observations of rotation curves with the Burkert profile, then use the constrained core size-halo mass relation to calculate the lensing frequency, and compare the predicted results with strong lensing observations. Unfortunately, it turns out that the core size constrained from rotation curves of disk galaxies cannot be extrapolated to giant ellipticals. We conclude that, in the standard cosmological paradigm, baryon-cold dark matter interactions are not universal mechanisms for galaxy formation, and therefore, they cannot be true solutions to the cusp-core problem.

Some problems of the origin of galaxy nests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metlov, V.G.

1979-01-01

The origin of galaxy nests have been studied. The nests of galaxies consist of a few (more than two) galaxies in contact with each other and strongly distorted by mutual interaction. Their colour, geometrical and morphological characteristics are compared with ones of ordinary galaxies and groups of galaxies. Conclusions are drawn that 5% to 15% of the total number of nests may be the evolutionary products of tight groups of galaxies (with diameter 11 Msub(Sun)). About half of such objects consist of elliptical galaxies. Galaxies in sufficiently tight groups may merge in consequence of dynamical friction. The remaining (85-95%) nests origin may be possibly explained by different kinds of instabilities in certain flat galaxies, with transformation of one galaxy to the nest, or by interaction of two galaxies containing large amounts of gas and consequent intensive star formation in very large regions, or by other causes. To establish relative contribution of each possible phenomenon in nests origin, it is required to carry out further detailed investigations of these objects

XMM-Newton high-resolution spectroscopy reveals the chemical evolution of M 87

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Werner, N.; Boehringer, H.; Kaastra, J.S.; de Plaa, J.; Simionescu, D.; Vink, J.

2006-01-01

We present a study of chemical abundances in the giant elliptical galaxy M 87 using high-resolution spectra obtained with the Reflection Grating Spectrometers during two deep XMM-Newton observations. While we confirm the two-temperature structure of the inter-stellar medium (ISM) in M 87, we also

DEEP GALEX OBSERVATIONS OF THE COMA CLUSTER: SOURCE CATALOG AND GALAXY COUNTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammer, D.; Hornschemeier, A. E.; Miller, N.; Jenkins, L.; Mobasher, B.; Smith, R.; Arnouts, S.; Milliard, B.

2010-01-01

We present a source catalog from a deep 26 ks Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) observation of the Coma cluster in the far-UV (FUV; 1530 A) and near-UV (NUV; 2310 A) wavebands. The observed field is centered ∼0. 0 9 (1.6 Mpc) southwest of the Coma core in a well-studied region of the cluster known as 'Coma-3'. The entire field is located within the apparent virial radius of the Coma cluster, and has optical photometric coverage with Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and deep spectroscopic coverage to r ∼ 21. We detect GALEX sources to NUV = 24.5 and FUV = 25.0, which corresponds to a star formation rate of ∼10 -3 M sun yr -1 for galaxies at the distance of Coma. We have assembled a catalog of 9700 galaxies with GALEX and SDSS photometry, including 242 spectroscopically confirmed Coma member galaxies that span a large range of galaxy types from giant spirals and elliptical galaxies to dwarf irregular and early-type galaxies. The full multi-wavelength catalog (cluster plus background galaxies) is ∼80% complete to NUV = 23 and FUV = 23.5. The GALEX images presented here are very deep and include detections of many resolved cluster members superposed on a dense field of unresolved background galaxies. This required a two-fold approach to generating a source catalog: we used a Bayesian deblending algorithm to measure faint and compact sources (using SDSS coordinates as position prior), and used the GALEX pipeline catalog for bright and/or extended objects. We performed simulations to assess the importance of systematic effects (e.g., object blends, source confusion, Eddington Bias) that influence the source detection and photometry when using both methods. The Bayesian deblending method roughly doubles the number of source detections and provides reliable photometry to a few magnitudes deeper than the GALEX pipeline catalog. This method is free from source confusion over the UV magnitude range studied here; we estimate that the GALEX pipeline catalogs are

REVISITING SCALING RELATIONS FOR GIANT RADIO HALOS IN GALAXY CLUSTERS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cassano, R.; Brunetti, G.; Venturi, T.; Kale, R. [INAF/IRA, via Gobetti 101, I-40129 Bologna (Italy); Ettori, S. [INAF/Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, via Ranzani 1, I-40127 Bologna (Italy); Giacintucci, S. [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-2421 (United States); Pratt, G. W. [Laboratoire AIM, IRFU/Service dAstrophysique-CEA/DSM-CNRS-Université Paris Diderot, Bât. 709, CEA-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Dolag, K. [University Observatory Munich, Scheinerstr. 1, D-81679 Munich (Germany); Markevitch, M. [Astrophysics Science Division, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

2013-11-10

Many galaxy clusters host megaparsec-scale radio halos, generated by ultrarelativistic electrons in the magnetized intracluster medium. Correlations between the synchrotron power of radio halos and the thermal properties of the hosting clusters were established in the last decade, including the connection between the presence of a halo and cluster mergers. The X-ray luminosity and redshift-limited Extended GMRT Radio Halo Survey provides a rich and unique dataset for statistical studies of the halos. We uniformly analyze the radio and X-ray data for the GMRT cluster sample, and use the new Planck Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) catalog to revisit the correlations between the power of radio halos and the thermal properties of galaxy clusters. We find that the radio power at 1.4 GHz scales with the cluster X-ray (0.1-2.4 keV) luminosity computed within R{sub 500} as P{sub 1.4}∼L{sup 2.1±0.2}{sub 500}. Our bigger and more homogenous sample confirms that the X-ray luminous (L{sub 500} > 5 × 10{sup 44} erg s{sup –1}) clusters branch into two populations—radio halos lie on the correlation, while clusters without radio halos have their radio upper limits well below that correlation. This bimodality remains if we excise cool cores from the X-ray luminosities. We also find that P{sub 1.4} scales with the cluster integrated SZ signal within R{sub 500}, measured by Planck, as P{sub 1.4}∼Y{sup 2.05±0.28}{sub 500}, in line with previous findings. However, contrary to previous studies that were limited by incompleteness and small sample size, we find that 'SZ-luminous' Y{sub 500} > 6 × 10{sup –5} Mpc{sup 2} clusters show a bimodal behavior for the presence of radio halos, similar to that in the radio-X-ray diagram. Bimodality of both correlations can be traced to clusters dynamics, with radio halos found exclusively in merging clusters. These results confirm the key role of mergers for the origin of giant radio halos, suggesting that they trigger the

Formation of Compact Ellipticals in the merging star cluster scenario

Science.gov (United States)

Urrutia Zapata, Fernanda Cecilia; Theory and star formation group

2018-01-01

In the last years, extended old stellar clusters have been observed. They are like globular clusters (GCs) but with larger sizes(a limit of Re=10 pc is currently seen as reasonable). These extended objects (EOs) cover a huge range of mass. Objects at the low mass end with masses comparable to normal globular clusters are called extended clusters or faint fuzzies Larsen & Brodie (2000) and objects at the high-mass end are called ultra compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs). Ultra compact dwarf galaxies are compact object with luminositys above the brigtest known GCs. UCDs are more compact than typical dwarf galaxies but with comparable luminosities. Usually, a lower mass limit of 2 × 10^6 Solar masses is applied.Fellhauer & Kroupa (2002a,b) demostrated that object like ECs, FFs and UCDs can be the remnants of the merger of star clusters complexes, this scenario is called the Merging Star Cluster Scenario. Amore concise study was performed by Bruens et al. (2009, 2011).Our work tries to explain the formation of compact elliptical(cE). These objects are a comparatively rare class of spheroidal galaxies, possessing very small Re and high central surface brightnesses (Faber 1973). cEs have the same parameters as extended objects but they are slightly larger than 100 pc and the luminosities are in the range of -11 to -12 Mag.The standard formation sceanrio of these systems proposes a galaxy origin. CEs are the result of tidal stripping and truncation of nucleated larger systems. Or they could be a natural extension of the class of elliptical galaxies to lower luminosities and smaller sizes.We want to propose a completely new formation scenario for cEs. In our project we try to model cEs in a similar way that UCDs using the merging star cluster scenario extended to much higher masses and sizes. We think that in the early Universe we might have produced sufficiently strong star bursts to form cluster complexes which merge into cEs. So far it is observationally unknown if cEs are

Suzaku Diagnostics of the Energetics in the Lobes of the Giant Radio Galaxy 3C 35

Science.gov (United States)

Isobe, Naoki; Seta, Hiromi; Gandhi, Poshak; Tashiro, Makoto S.

2011-02-01

The Suzaku observation of a giant radio galaxy 3C 35 revealed faint extended X-ray emission, associated with its radio lobes and/or host galaxy. After careful subtraction of the X-ray and non-X-ray background and contaminating X-ray sources, the X-ray spectrum of the faint emission was reproduced by a sum of the power-law (PL) and soft thermal components. The soft component was attributed to the thermal plasma emission from the host galaxy. The photon index of the PL component, Γ = 1.35+0.56 -0.86 +0.11 -0.10, where the first and second errors represent the statistical and systematic ones, was found to agree with the synchrotron radio index from the lobes, ΓR = 1.7. Thus, the PL component was attributed to the inverse Compton (IC) X-rays from the synchrotron electrons in the lobes. The X-ray flux density at 1 keV was derived as 13.6 ± 5.4+4.0 -3.6 nJy with the photon index fixed at the radio value. The X-ray surface brightness from these lobes (~0.2 nJy arcmin-2) is lowest among the lobes studied through the IC X-ray emission. In combination with the synchrotron radio flux density, 7.5 ± 0.2 Jy at 327.4 MHz, the electron energy density spatially averaged over the lobes was evaluated to be the lowest among those radio galaxies, as u e = (5.8 ± 2.3+1.9 -1.7) × 10-14 erg cm-3 over the electron Lorentz factor of 103-105. The magnetic energy density was calculated as u m = (3.1+2.5 -1.0 +1.4 -0.9) × 10-14 erg cm-3, corresponding to the magnetic field strength of 0.88+0.31 -0.16 +0.19 -0.14 μG. These results suggest that the energetics in the 3C 35 lobes are nearly consistent with equipartition between the electrons and magnetic fields.

Towards Understanding The Origin And Evolution Of Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies

OpenAIRE

Burg, van der, R.F.J.; Sifon, Andalaft C.J.; Muzzin, A.; Hoekstra, H.; Collaboration, K.

2017-01-01

Recent observations have shown that Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies (UDGs, which have the luminosities of dwarfs but sizes of giant galaxies) are surprisingly abundant in clusters of galaxies. The origin of these galaxies remains unclear, since one would naively expect them to be easily disrupted by tidal interactions in the cluster environment. Several formation scenarios have been proposed for UDGs, but these make a wide range of different testable observational predictions. I’ll summarise recent re...

The fate of high redshift massive compact galaxies in dense environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaufmann, Tobias; /Zurich, ETH; Mayer, Lucio; /Zurich U.; Carollo, Marcella; /Zurich, ETH; Feldmann, Robert; /Fermilab /Chicago U., KICP

2012-01-01

Massive compact galaxies seem to be more common at high redshift than in the local universe, especially in denser environments. To investigate the fate of such massive galaxies identified at z {approx} 2 we analyse the evolution of their properties in three cosmological hydrodynamical simulations that form virialized galaxy groups of mass {approx} 10{sup 13} M{sub {circle_dot}} hosting a central massive elliptical/S0 galaxy by redshift zero. We find that at redshift {approx} 2 the population of galaxies with M{sub *} > 2 x 10{sup 10} M{sub {circle_dot}} is diverse in terms of mass, velocity dispersion, star formation and effective radius, containing both very compact and relatively extended objects. In each simulation all the compact satellite galaxies have merged into the central galaxy by redshift 0 (with the exception of one simulation where one of such satellite galaxy survives). Satellites of similar mass at z = 0 are all less compact than their high redshift counterparts. They form later than the galaxies in the z = 2 sample and enter the group potential at z < 1, when dynamical friction times are longer than the Hubble time. Also, by z = 0 the central galaxies have increased substantially their characteristic radius via a combination of in situ star formation and mergers. Hence in a group environment descendants of compact galaxies either evolve towards larger sizes or they disappear before the present time as a result of the environment in which they evolve. Since the group-sized halos that we consider are representative of dense environments in the {Lambda}CDM cosmology, we conclude that the majority of high redshift compact massive galaxies do not survive until today as a result of the environment.

Protogalaxy interactions in newly formed clusters: Galaxy luminosities, colors, and intergalactic gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silk, J.

1978-01-01

The role of protogalaxy interactions in galactic evolution is studied during the formation of galaxy clusters. In the early stages of the collapse, coalescent encounters of protogalaxies lead to the development of a galactic luminosity function. Once galaxies acquire appreciable random motions, mutual collisions between galaxies in rich clusters will trigger the collapse of interstellar clouds to form stars. This provides both a source for enriched intracluster gas and an interpretation of the correlation between luminosity and color for cluster elliptical galaxies. Other observational consequences that are considered include optical, X-ray, and diffuse nonthermal radio emission from newly formed clusters of galaxies

Testing MOND gravity in the shell galaxy NGC 3923

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bílek, Michal; Jungwiert, Bruno; Jílková, L.; Ebrová, Ivana; Bartošková, Kateřina; Křížek, Miroslav

2013-01-01

Roč. 559, November (2013), A110/1-A110/8 ISSN 0004-6361 Institutional support: RVO:67985815 Keywords : gravitation * elliptical and lenticular galaxies Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics Impact factor: 4.479, year: 2013

Infrared photometry of galaxies in the Butcher-Oemler cluster 0024+1654

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lilly, S.J.; Gunn, J.E.

1985-01-01

Infrared photometry is presented for 21 galaxies that are spectroscopically confirmed members of the Butcher-Oemler cluster C10024+1654 at z=0.39. These data are combined with optical CCD photometry and transformed to produce rest-frame UBVK colours. The distribution of colours in the (U-V)/(V-K) plane is analysed. The 11 'red' galaxies have colours that are broadly similar to those of nearby elliptical galaxies. All but one of the 10 'blue' galaxies have the colours of nearby spiral galaxies, including one Im-type galaxy, and other interpretations, e.g. a young age, may be discounted. The (V-K) colour of the remaining 'blue' galaxy, however, suggests the presence of a substantial intermediate age (approx. 1 Gyr) stellar population. (author)

SDSS-IV MaNGA: Variation of the Stellar Initial Mass Function in Spiral and Early-type Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hongyu; Ge, Junqiang; Mao, Shude; Cappellari, Michele; Long, R. J.; Li, Ran; Emsellem, Eric; Dutton, Aaron A.; Li, Cheng; Bundy, Kevin; Thomas, Daniel; Drory, Niv; Lopes, Alexandre Roman

2017-04-01

We perform Jeans anisotropic modeling (JAM) on elliptical and spiral galaxies from the MaNGA DR13 sample. By comparing the stellar mass-to-light ratios estimated from stellar population synthesis and from JAM, we find a systematic variation of the initial mass function (IMF) similar to that in the earlier {{ATLAS}}3{{D}} results. Early-type galaxies (elliptical and lenticular) with lower velocity dispersions within one effective radius are consistent with a Chabrier-like IMF, while galaxies with higher velocity dispersions are consistent with a more bottom-heavy IMF such as the Salpeter IMF. Spiral galaxies have similar systematic IMF variations, but with slightly different slopes and larger scatters, due to the uncertainties caused by the higher gas fractions and extinctions for these galaxies. Furthermore, we examine the effects of stellar mass-to-light ratio gradients on our JAM modeling, and we find that the trends become stronger after considering the gradients.

Bulge Growth Through Disc Instabilities in High-Redshift Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Bournaud, Frédéric

The role of disc instabilities, such as bars and spiral arms, and the associated resonances, in growing bulges in the inner regions of disc galaxies have long been studied in the low-redshift nearby Universe. There it has long been probed observationally, in particular through peanut-shaped bulges (Chap. 14 10.1007/978-3-319-19378-6_14"). This secular growth of bulges in modern disc galaxies is driven by weak, non-axisymmetric instabilities: it mostly produces pseudobulges at slow rates and with long star-formation timescales. Disc instabilities at high redshift (z > 1) in moderate-mass to massive galaxies (1010 to a few 1011 M⊙ of stars) are very different from those found in modern spiral galaxies. High-redshift discs are globally unstable and fragment into giant clumps containing 108-9 M⊙ of gas and stars each, which results in highly irregular galaxy morphologies. The clumps and other features associated to the violent instability drive disc evolution and bulge growth through various mechanisms on short timescales. The giant clumps can migrate inward and coalesce into the bulge in a few 108 years. The instability in the very turbulent media drives intense gas inflows toward the bulge and nuclear region. Thick discs and supermassive black holes can grow concurrently as a result of the violent instability. This chapter reviews the properties of high-redshift disc instabilities, the evolution of giant clumps and other features associated to the instability, and the resulting growth of bulges and associated sub-galactic components.

Spherical galaxies.

Science.gov (United States)

Telles, J. E.; de Souza, R. E.; Penereiro, J. C.

1990-11-01

RESUMEN. Presentamos fotometria fotografica de 8 objetos y espectrosco- pla para 3 galaxias, las cuales son buenos candidatos para galaxias esfericas. Los resultados fotometricos se presentan en la forma de iso- fotas y de perfiles radiales promedlo, de los cuales se derivan para- metros estructurales. Estas observaciones combinadas con parametros di- namicos obtenidos de observaciones espectrosc6picas, son consistentes con el plano fundamental derivado por Djorgovski y Davis (1987). ABSTRACT. We present photographic surface photometry for 8 objects and spectroscopy for 3 galaxies which are good candidates for spherical galaxies. Photometric results are presented in the form of isophotes and mean radial profiles from which we derived structural parameters. These observations combined with dynamical parameters obtained from spectroscopic observations are consistent with the fundamental plane derived by Djorgovski and Davis (1987). Keq wo : CALAXIES-ELLIPTICAL

Spiral-arm instability: giant clump formation via fragmentation of a galactic spiral arm

Science.gov (United States)

Inoue, Shigeki; Yoshida, Naoki

2018-03-01

Fragmentation of a spiral arm is thought to drive the formation of giant clumps in galaxies. Using linear perturbation analysis for self-gravitating spiral arms, we derive an instability parameter and define the conditions for clump formation. We extend our analysis to multicomponent systems that consist of gas and stars in an external potential. We then perform numerical simulations of isolated disc galaxies with isothermal gas, and compare the results with the prediction of our analytic model. Our model describes accurately the evolution of the spiral arms in our simulations, even when spiral arms dynamically interact with one another. We show that most of the giant clumps formed in the simulated disc galaxies satisfy the instability condition. The clump masses predicted by our model are in agreement with the simulation results, but the growth time-scale of unstable perturbations is overestimated by a factor of a few. We also apply our instability analysis to derive scaling relations of clump properties. The expected scaling relation between the clump size, velocity dispersion, and circular velocity is slightly different from that given by the Toomre instability analyses, but neither is inconsistent with currently available observations. We argue that the spiral-arm instability is a viable formation mechanism of giant clumps in gas-rich disc galaxies.

Isolated ellipticals and their globular cluster systems. III. NGC 2271, NGC 2865, NGC 3962, NGC 4240, and IC 4889

Science.gov (United States)

Salinas, R.; Alabi, A.; Richtler, T.; Lane, R. R.

2015-05-01

As tracers of star formation, galaxy assembly, and mass distribution, globular clusters have provided important clues to our understanding of early-type galaxies. But their study has been mostly constrained to galaxy groups and clusters where early-type galaxies dominate, leaving the properties of the globular cluster systems (GCSs) of isolated ellipticals as a mostly uncharted territory. We present Gemini-South/GMOS g'i' observations of five isolated elliptical galaxies: NGC 3962, NGC 2865, IC 4889, NGC 2271, and NGC 4240. Photometry of their GCSs reveals clear color bimodality in three of them, but remains inconclusive for the other two. All the studied GCSs are rather poor with a mean specific frequency SN ~ 1.5, independently of the parent galaxy luminosity. Considering information from previous work as well, it is clear that bimodality and especially the presence of a significant, even dominant, population of blue clusters occurs at even the most isolated systems, which casts doubts on a possible accreted origin of metal-poor clusters, as suggested by some models. Additionally, we discuss the possible existence of ultra-compact dwarfs around the isolated elliptical NGC 3962. Based on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (United States), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (United Kingdom), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), the Australian Research Council (Australia), Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brazil) and Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva (Argentina).Globular cluster photometry is available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/577/A59Appendices are available in

Chemical evolution of galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matteucci, F.; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Frascati

1989-01-01

In principle, a good model of galactic chemical evolution should fulfil the majority of well established observational constraints. The goal of this paper is to review the observational data together with the existing chemical evolution models for the Milky Way (the disk), Blue Compact and Elliptical galaxies and to show how well the models can account for the observations. Some open problems and future prospects are also discussed. (author)

Galaxy distances and deviations from universal expansion; Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop, Kona, HI, Jan. 13-17, 1986

Science.gov (United States)

Madore, Barry F.; Tully, R. Brent

A collection of papers on galaxy distances and deviations from universal expansion is presented. Individual topics addressed include: new results on the distance scale and the Hubble constant, Magellanic Clouds and the distance scale, CCD observations of Cepheids in nearby galaxies, distances using A supergiant stars, infrared calibration of the Cepheid distance scale, two stepping stones to the Hubble constant, physical models of supernovae and the distance scale, 21 cm line widths and distances of spiral galaxies, infrared color-luminosity relations for field galaxies, minimizing the scatter in the Tully-Fisher relation, photometry of galaxies and the local peculiar motion, elliptical galaxies and nonuniformities in the Hubble flow, and large-scale anisotropy in the Hubble flow. Also discussed are: improved distance indicator for elliptical galaxies, anisotropy of galaxies detected by IRAS, the local gravitational field, measurements of the CBR, measure of cosmological times, ages from nuclear cosmochronology, extragalactic gas at high redshift, supercluster infall models, Virgo infall and the mass density of the universe, dynamics of superclusters and Omega(0), distribution of galaxies versus dark matter, peculiar velocities and galaxy formation, cosmological shells and blast waves.

Morphological and photometric studies of galaxies by electronography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youll, D.P.

1978-10-01

Astronomical sources of low surface brightness, or sources with high luminosity gradients can be difficult to observe with photographic techniques. However, developments in electronographic techniques over recent years have made them suitable for precise observations of such objects. The use of these techniques for morphological and photometric studies of galaxies is discussed. Where appropriate, improvements in the methods for recovering information from electronographs, and analysing the data with computers are suggested. These techniques were used to study eight galaxy systems which have compact parts where the luminosity gradients are relatively high. Morphological studies of these systems are presented, together with measurements of some of their photometric parameters. The galaxy NGC 4881 was also studied so that the photometric calibration could be checked against previous studies, and so that the parameters of compact galaxies could be compared against this elliptical galaxy. (author)

Prominent string of galaxies in Bootes: evidence for a Lagrangian singularity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tago, E; Einasto, J; Saar, E

1986-01-15

An outstanding string of galaxies and of small groups in Bootes has been found during a study of bridges between the Coma and the Local superclusters. It lies on the boundary of a large void between the Hercules and the Local superclusters, has a length of 50 Mpc, is only a few megaparsecs wide and consists of non-elliptical galaxies. A possible explanation by a specific Lagrangian singularity at the formation, the imprint of which has survived in the present galaxy distribution, is proposed. (author).

Cosmic Ray and Tev Gamma Ray Generation by Quasar Remnants

Science.gov (United States)

Boldt, Elihu; Loewenstein, Michael; White, Nicholas E. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Results from new broadband (radio to X-ray) high-resolution imaging studies of the dormant quasar remnant cores of nearby giant elliptical galaxies are now shown to permit the harboring of compact dynamos capable of generating the highest energy cosmic ray particles and associated curvature radiation of TeV photons. Confirmation would imply a global inflow of interstellar gas all the way to the accretion powered supermassive black hole at the center of the host galaxy.

Brightest Cluster Galaxies in REXCESS Clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Haarsma, Deborah B.; Leisman, L.; Bruch, S.; Donahue, M.

2009-01-01

Most galaxy clusters contain a Brightest Cluster Galaxy (BCG) which is larger than the other cluster ellipticals and has a more extended profile. In the hierarchical model, the BCG forms through many galaxy mergers in the crowded center of the cluster, and thus its properties give insight into the assembly of the cluster as a whole. In this project, we are working with the Representative XMM-Newton Cluster Structure Survey (REXCESS) team (Boehringer et al 2007) to study BCGs in 33 X-ray luminous galaxy clusters, 0.055 < z < 0.183. We are imaging the BCGs in R band at the Southern Observatory for Astrophysical Research (SOAR) in Chile. In this poster, we discuss our methods and give preliminary measurements of the BCG magnitudes, morphology, and stellar mass. We compare these BCG properties with the properties of their host clusters, particularly of the X-ray emitting gas.

A STELLAR MASS THRESHOLD FOR QUENCHING OF FIELD GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geha, M.; Blanton, M. R.; Yan, R.; Tinker, J. L.

2012-01-01

We demonstrate that dwarf galaxies (10 7 stellar 9 M ☉ , –12 > M r > –18) with no active star formation are extremely rare ( Hα stellar 9 M ☉ below which quenched galaxies do not exist in the field. Below this threshold, we find that none of the 2951 field dwarf galaxies are quenched; all field dwarf galaxies show evidence for recent star formation. Correcting for volume effects, this corresponds to a 1σ upper limit on the quenched fraction of 0.06%. In more dense environments, quenched galaxies account for 23% of the dwarf population over the same stellar mass range. The majority of quenched dwarf galaxies (often classified as dwarf elliptical galaxies) are within 2 virial radii of a massive galaxy, and only a few percent of quenched dwarf galaxies exist beyond 4 virial radii. Thus, for galaxies with stellar mass less than 1.0 × 10 9 M ☉ , ending star formation requires the presence of a more massive neighbor, providing a stringent constraint on models of star formation feedback.

Stripping of gas and dust from the elliptical galaxy M86

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, D.A.; Fabian, A.C.; Forman, W.; Jones, C.; Stern, C.

1990-01-01

Past observations of the x ray morphology of M86 have revealed that the galaxy is experiencing ram-pressure stripping due to its large velocity (1500 km s(-1)) relative to the intracluster medium of Virgo (Forman et al. 1979, Fabian, Schwartz, and Forman 1980). Observations indicate that the x ray emitting gas in the plume of M86 is still being produced from the continual heating of gas and dust stripped from nearer the galaxy's center. Researchers obtained two-dimensional Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) images of M86 which have revealed that there are two spatially separated regions of emission, one at 60 microns and the other at 100 microns of the IRAS wavebands. The 100 microns emission, presumably from cool dust (at approximately 20 K), appears to be located near the center of the galaxy together with HI (detected by Bregman, Roberts and Giovanelli 1988), while the 60 microns emission appears to lie more than 3 arcminutes away from the optical center in a direction slightly south of the center of the plume. Optical images produced by scanning U.K. Schmidt plates, reveal asymmetric isophotal contours along the major axis of the galaxy (first reported by Nulsen and Carter in 1987, which they propose as excess emission due to star formation). This excess optical emission is co-incident with the direction of the 60 micron infra-red emission

Star-formation complexes in the `galaxy-sized' supergiant shell of the galaxy Holmberg I

Science.gov (United States)

Egorov, Oleg V.; Lozinskaya, Tatiana A.; Moiseev, Alexei V.; Smirnov-Pinchukov, Grigory V.

2018-05-01

We present the results of observations of the galaxy Holmberg I carried out at the Russian 6-m telescope in the narrow-band imaging, long-slit spectroscopy, and scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer modes. A detailed analysis of gas kinematics, ionization conditions, and metallicity of star-forming regions in the galaxy is presented. The aim of the paper is to analyse the propagation of star formation in the galaxy and to understand the role of the ongoing star formation in the evolution of the central `galaxy-sized' supergiant H I shell (SGS), where all regions of star formation are observed. We show that star formation in the galaxy occurs in large unified complexes rather than in individual giant H II regions. Evidence of the triggered star formation is observed both on scales of individual complexes and of the whole galaxy. We identified two supernova-remnant candidates and one late-type WN star and analysed their spectrum and surrounding-gas kinematics. We provide arguments indicating that the SGS in Holmberg I is destructing by the influence of star formation occurring on its rims.

Metallicities for old stellar systems from Ca II triplet strengths in member giants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armandroff, T.E.; Da costa, G.S.

1991-01-01

The spectra of giants in six well-studied Galactic globulars spanning a wide range of abundance are used to investigate the utility of the Ca II triplet as an abundance indicator. The calibration resulting from these clusters is used to derive metal abundances from the spectra of giants in Eridanus, Pal 12, and the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy. The results obtained are compared with earlier determinations based on giant branch photometry. 37 refs

Photometric properties of galaxies in the SDSS

Science.gov (United States)

Hogg, D. W.; Blanton, M.; SDSS Collaboration

2001-12-01

We analyze the number density distribution of galaxy properties in a sample of 8x 104 galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, in the redshift range 0.02calculated for each galaxy. The photometry is of excellent quality; every galaxy has CCD imaging with signal-to-noise for the flux well above 100. The distribution of galaxies in the (six-dimensional) space spanned by four colors, central surface-brightness, and radial concentration is described and analyzed, with the following results: \\textsl{(1)} The galaxies occupy only a small part of the six-dimensional space. \\textsl{(2)} The distribution of galaxy number density in the space is a strong function of intrinsic galaxy luminosity. \\textsl{(3)} Elliptical (or early type) and spiral (or late type) galaxies are clearly separated in the space. The ratio of early-type to late-type galaxy contributions to the luminosity density of the Universe is computed, as a function of wavelength. At 1 {μm }, early-type galaxies dominate the luminosity density. \\textsl{(4)} Outliers in color tend to be lower surface-brightness galaxies. Funding for the SDSS has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the SDSS member institutions, NASA, NSF, DOE, the Japanese Monbukagakusho, and the Max Planck Society. This research has been supported by the NYU Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Infrared photometry of the nuclei of early-type radio galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sparks, W.B.; Bailey, J.

1986-01-01

J,H,K,L' two-aperture photometry and single-aperture 10-μm(N) photometry of the nuclei of 44 nearby radio elliptical and SO galaxies are presented. Clear infrared excesses are found from the galaxies with broad emission-lines, the BL Lac objects, and two other galaxies, one of which appears to have an extended infrared excess. In addition, the sample as a whole appears to have positive 10-μm emission which is believed to be largely due to starlight. The near-infrared colours in general are characteristic of normal starlight, with only the strongest 10-μm emitters showing a significant near-infrared excess. These latter galaxies have blue optical colours. (author)

Luminosity distribution in galaxies. I. The elliptical galaxy NGC 3379 as a luminosity distribution standard

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

de Vaucouleurs, G.; Capaccioli, M.

1979-01-01

A standard mean luminosity profile in the B band of the El galaxy NGC 3379 along its east-west x-axis is derived from four sets of medium- and low-resolution photographic and photoelectric McDonald data. The 154 mean points cover a range in excess of 11 mag down to μ/sub B/=27.8 mag arcsec -2 (x=7'.3), with possible detection out to x=16'.3 (μ/sub B/approx. =30.9).The profile is presented within +- 0.08 mag at all x>10'' by μ 1 =14.076+3.0083 x/sup 1/4/ (x in arcsec). Near the center the galaxy is brighter than μ 1 by up to 0.35 mag; the excess can be represented by a Gaussian core μ/sub II/=18.565+0.03965 r 2 (r in arcsec) contributing 19.8% of the integrated magnitude B=11.97 within r* =12'' and 4.0% of the total magnitude B/sub T/=10.225 of the galaxy.This two-component model convolved by the appropriate point spread function represents the data within a standard deviation of 0.04 mag over the whole range. Other analytical formulae give generally poorer fits. There is no evidence for a tidal cutoff or a tidal extension.The integrated magnitudes derived from the model agree with aperture photometry (47 values) within 0.05 mag

Scale-free, axisymmetry galaxy models with little angular momentum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richstone, D.O.

1980-01-01

Two scale-free models of elliptical galaxies are constructed using a self-consistent field approach developed by Schwarschild. Both models have concentric, oblate spheroidal, equipotential surfaces, with a logarithmic potential dependence on central distance. The axial ratio of the equipotential surfaces is 4:3, and the extent ratio of density level surfaces id 2.5:1 (corresponding to an E6 galaxy). Each model satisfies the Poisson and steady state Boltzmann equaion for time scales of order 100 galactic years

Formation and evolution of dwarf early-type galaxies in the Virgo cluster I. Internal kinematics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Toloba, E.; Boselli, A.; Cenarro, A. J.; Peletier, R. F.; Gorgas, J.; Gil de Paz, A.; Munoz-Mateos, J. C.

We present new medium resolution kinematic data for a sample of 21 dwarf early-type galaxies (dEs) mainly in the Virgo cluster, obtained with the WHT and INT telescopes at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (La Palma, Spain). These data are used to study the origin of the dwarf elliptical galaxy

Infrared studies of asymptotic giant branch stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willems, F.J.

1987-01-01

In this thesis studies are presented of asymptotic giant branch stars, which are thought to be an important link in the evolution of the galaxy. The studies were performed on the basis of data collected by the IRAS, the infrared astronomical satelite. 233 refs.; 33 figs.; 16 tabs

HH 222: A GIANT HERBIG-HARO FLOW FROM THE QUADRUPLE SYSTEM V380 ORI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reipurth, Bo; Aspin, Colin; Connelley, M. S. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 640 North Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Bally, John [Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Geballe, T. R. [Gemini Observatory, 670 North Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Kraus, Stefan [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, MS-78, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Appenzeller, Immo [Landessternwarte Heidelberg, Königstuhl 12, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Burgasser, Adam, E-mail: reipurth@ifa.hawaii.edu, E-mail: caa@ifa.hawaii.edu, E-mail: msc@ifa.hawaii.edu, E-mail: John.Bally@colorado.edu, E-mail: tgeballe@gemini.edu, E-mail: stefan.kraus@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: iappenze@lsw.uni-heidelberg.de, E-mail: aburgasser@ucsd.edu [Center for Astrophysics and Space Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States)

2013-11-01

HH 222 is a giant shocked region in the L1641 cloud, and is popularly known as the Orion Streamers or ''the waterfall'' on account of its unusual structure. At the center of these streamers are two infrared sources coincident with a nonthermal radio jet aligned along the principal streamer. The unique morphology of HH 222 has long been associated with this radio jet. However, new infrared images show that the two sources are distant elliptical galaxies, indicating that the radio jet is merely an improbable line-of-sight coincidence. Accurate proper motion measurements of HH 222 reveal that the shock structure is a giant bow shock moving directly away from the well-known, very young, Herbig Be star V380 Ori. The already known Herbig-Haro object HH 35 forms part of this flow. A new Herbig-Haro object, HH 1041, is found precisely in the opposite direction of HH 222 and is likely to form part of a counterflow. The total projected extent of this HH complex is 5.3 pc, making it among the largest HH flows known. A second outflow episode from V380 Ori is identified as a pair of HH objects, HH 1031 to the northwest and the already known HH 130 to the southeast, along an axis that deviates from that of HH 222/HH 1041 by only 3.°7. V380 Ori is a hierarchical quadruple system, including a faint companion of spectral type M5 or M6, which at an age of ∼1 Myr corresponds to an object straddling the stellar-to-brown dwarf boundary. We suggest that the HH 222 giant bow shock is a direct result of the dynamical interactions that led to the conversion from an initial non-hierarchical multiple system into a hierarchical configuration. This event occurred no more than 28,000 yr ago, as derived from the proper motions of the HH 222 giant bow shock.

SPITZER OBSERVATIONS OF PASSIVE AND STAR-FORMING EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES: AN INFRARED COLOR-COLOR SEQUENCE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Temi, Pasquale; Brighenti, Fabrizio; Mathews, William G.

2009-01-01

We describe the infrared properties of a large sample of early-type galaxies, comparing data from the Spitzer archive with Ks-band emission from the Two Micron All Sky Survey. While most representations of this data result in correlations with large scatter, we find a remarkably tight relation among colors formed by ratios of luminosities in Spitzer-Multiband Imaging Photometer bands (24, 70, and 160 μm) and the Ks band. Remarkably, this correlation among E and S0 galaxies follows that of nearby normal galaxies of all morphological types. In particular, the tight infrared color-color correlation for S0 galaxies alone follows that of the entire Hubble sequence of normal galaxies, roughly in order of galaxy type from ellipticals to spirals to irregulars. The specific star formation rate (SFR) of S0 galaxies estimated from the 24 μm luminosity increases with decreasing K-band luminosity (or stellar mass) from essentially zero, as with most massive ellipticals, to rates typical of irregular galaxies. Moreover, the luminosities of the many infrared-luminous S0 galaxies can significantly exceed those of the most luminous (presumably post-merger) E galaxies. SFRs in the most infrared-luminous S0 galaxies approach 1-10 solar masses per year. Consistently, with this picture we find that while most early-type galaxies populate an infrared red sequence, about 24% of the objects (mostly S0s) are in an infrared blue cloud together with late-type galaxies. For those early-type galaxies also observed at radio frequencies, we find that the far-infrared luminosities correlate with the mass of neutral and molecular hydrogen, but the scatter is large. This scatter suggests that the star formation may be intermittent or that similar S0 galaxies with cold gaseous disks of nearly equal mass can have varying radial column density distributions that alter the local and global SFRs.

Precision Distances with the Tip of the Red Giant Branch Method

Science.gov (United States)

Beaton, Rachael Lynn; Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program Team

2018-01-01

The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program aims to construct a distance ladder that utilizes old stellar populations in the outskirts of galaxies to produce a high precision measurement of the Hubble Constant that is independent of Cepheids. The CCHP uses the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) method, which is a statistical measurement technique that utilizes the termination of the red giant branch. Two innovations combine to make the TRGB a competitive route to the Hubble Constant (i) the large-scale measurement of trigonometric parallax by the Gaia mission and (ii) the development of both precise and accurate means of determining the TRGB in both nearby (~1 Mpc) and distant (~20 Mpc) galaxies. Here I will summarize our progress in developing these standardized techniques, focusing on both our edge-detection algorithm and our field selection strategy. Using these methods, the CCHP has determined equally precise (~2%) distances to galaxies in the Local Group (< 1 Mpc) and across the Local Volume (< 20 Mpc). The TRGB is, thus, an incredibly powerful and straightforward means to determine distances to galaxies of any Hubble Type and, thus, has enormous potential for putting any number of astrophyiscal phenomena on absolute units.

DYNAMIC S0 GALAXIES. II. THE ROLE OF DIFFUSE HOT GAS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Jiangtao; Chen Yang; Daniel Wang, Q.; Li Zhiyuan

2011-01-01

Cold gas loss is thought to be important in star formation quenching and morphological transition during the evolution of S0 galaxies. In high-density environments, this gas loss can be achieved via many external mechanisms. However, in relatively isolated environments, where these external mechanisms cannot be efficient, the gas loss must then be dominated by some internal processes. We have performed Chandra analysis of hot gas in five nearby isolated S0 galaxies, based on the quantitative subtraction of various stellar contributions. We find that all the galaxies studied in the present work are X-ray faint, with the luminosity of the hot gas (L X ) typically accounting for ∼ X at the low-mass end (typically with K-band luminosity L K ∼ 11 L sun,K ). However, at the high-mass end, S0 galaxies tend to have significantly lower L X than elliptical galaxies of the same stellar masses, as already shown in previous observational and theoretical works. We further discuss the potential relationship of the diffuse X-ray emission with the cold (atomic and molecular) gas content in the S0 and elliptical galaxies included in our study. We find that L X /L 2 K tends to correlate positively with the total cold gas mass (M H 2 +H i ) for cold-gas-poor galaxies with M H 2 +H i ∼ 8 M sun , while they anti-correlate with each other for cold-gas-rich galaxies. This cold-hot gas relationship can be explained in a scenario of early-type galaxy evolution, with the leftover cold gas from the precursor star-forming galaxy mainly removed by the long-lasting Type Ia supernova (SN) feedback. The two different trends for cold-gas-rich and cold-gas-poor galaxies may be the results of the initial fast decreasing SN rate and the later fast decreasing mass loading to hot gas, respectively.

Rapidly star-forming galaxies adjacent to quasars at redshifts exceeding 6.

Science.gov (United States)

Decarli, R; Walter, F; Venemans, B P; Bañados, E; Bertoldi, F; Carilli, C; Fan, X; Farina, E P; Mazzucchelli, C; Riechers, D; Rix, H-W; Strauss, M A; Wang, R; Yang, Y

2017-05-24

The existence of massive (10 11 solar masses) elliptical galaxies by redshift z ≈ 4 (refs 1, 2, 3; when the Universe was 1.5 billion years old) necessitates the presence of galaxies with star-formation rates exceeding 100 solar masses per year at z > 6 (corresponding to an age of the Universe of less than 1 billion years). Surveys have discovered hundreds of galaxies at these early cosmic epochs, but their star-formation rates are more than an order of magnitude lower. The only known galaxies with very high star-formation rates at z > 6 are, with one exception, the host galaxies of quasars, but these galaxies also host accreting supermassive (more than 10 9 solar masses) black holes, which probably affect the properties of the galaxies. Here we report observations of an emission line of singly ionized carbon ([C ii] at a wavelength of 158 micrometres) in four galaxies at z > 6 that are companions of quasars, with velocity offsets of less than 600 kilometres per second and linear offsets of less than 100 kiloparsecs. The discovery of these four galaxies was serendipitous; they are close to their companion quasars and appear bright in the far-infrared. On the basis of the [C ii] measurements, we estimate star-formation rates in the companions of more than 100 solar masses per year. These sources are similar to the host galaxies of the quasars in [C ii] brightness, linewidth and implied dynamical mass, but do not show evidence for accreting supermassive black holes. Similar systems have previously been found at lower redshift. We find such close companions in four out of the twenty-five z > 6 quasars surveyed, a fraction that needs to be accounted for in simulations. If they are representative of the bright end of the [C ii] luminosity function, then they can account for the population of massive elliptical galaxies at z ≈ 4 in terms of the density of cosmic space.

The impact of ΛCDM substructure and baryon-dark matter transition on the image positions of quad galaxy lenses

Science.gov (United States)

Gomer, Matthew R.; Williams, Liliya L. R.

2018-04-01

The positions of multiple images in galaxy lenses are related to the galaxy mass distribution. Smooth elliptical mass profiles were previously shown to be inadequate in reproducing the quad population. In this paper, we explore the deviations from such smooth elliptical mass distributions. Unlike most other work, we use a model-free approach based on the relative polar image angles of quads, and their position in 3D space with respect to the fundamental surface of quads (FSQ). The FSQ is defined by quads produced by elliptical lenses. We have generated thousands of quads from synthetic populations of lenses with substructure consistent with Lambda cold dark matter (ΛCDM) simulations, and found that such perturbations are not sufficient to match the observed distribution of quads relative to the FSQ. The result is unchanged even when subhalo masses are increased by a factor of 10, and the most optimistic lensing selection bias is applied. We then produce quads from galaxies created using two components, representing baryons and dark matter. The transition from the mass being dominated by baryons in inner radii to being dominated by dark matter in outer radii can carry with it asymmetries, which would affect relative image angles. We run preliminary experiments using lenses with two elliptical mass components with non-identical axial ratios and position angles, perturbations from ellipticity in the form of non-zero Fourier coefficients a4 and a6, and artificially offset ellipse centres as a proxy for asymmetry at image radii. We show that combination of these effects is a promising way of accounting for quad population properties. We conclude that the quad population provides a unique and sensitive tool for constraining detailed mass distribution in the centres of galaxies.

Capture of terrestrial-sized moons by gas giant planets.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Darren M

2013-04-01

Terrestrial moons with masses >0.1 M (symbol in text) possibly exist around extrasolar giant planets, and here we consider the energetics of how they might form. Binary-exchange capture can occur if a binary-terrestrial object (BTO) is tidally disrupted during a close encounter with a giant planet and one of the binary members is ejected while the other remains as a moon. Tidal disruption occurs readily in the deep gravity wells of giant planets; however, the large encounter velocities in the wells make binary exchange more difficult than for planets of lesser mass. In addition, successful capture favors massive binaries with large rotational velocities and small component mass ratios. Also, since the interaction tends to leave the captured moons on highly elliptical orbits, permanent capture is only possible around planets with sizable Hill spheres that are well separated from their host stars.

VLT/UVES abundances in four nearby dwarf spheroidal galaxies. II. Implications for understanding galaxy evolution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tolstoy, E; Venn, KA; Shetrone, M; Primas, F; Hill, [No Value; Kaufer, A; Szeifert, T

We have used the Ultraviolet Visual-Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) on Kueyen (UT2) of the Very Large Telescope to take spectra of 15 individual red giant stars in the centers of four nearby dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSph's) : Sculptor, Fornax, Carina, and Leo I. We measure the abundance variations of

A close nuclear black-hole pair in the spiral galaxy NGC 3393.

Science.gov (United States)

Fabbiano, G; Wang, Junfeng; Elvis, M; Risaliti, G

2011-08-31

The current picture of galaxy evolution advocates co-evolution of galaxies and their nuclear massive black holes, through accretion and galactic merging. Pairs of quasars, each with a massive black hole at the centre of its galaxy, have separations of 6,000 to 300,000 light years (refs 2 and 3; 1 parsec = 3.26 light years) and exemplify the first stages of this gravitational interaction. The final stages of the black-hole merging process, through binary black holes and final collapse into a single black hole with gravitational wave emission, are consistent with the sub-light-year separation inferred from the optical spectra and light-variability of two such quasars. The double active nuclei of a few nearby galaxies with disrupted morphology and intense star formation (such as NGC 6240 with a separation of about 2,600 light years and Mrk 463 with a separation of about 13,000 light years between the nuclei) demonstrate the importance of major mergers of equal-mass spiral galaxies in this evolution; such mergers lead to an elliptical galaxy, as in the case of the double-radio-nucleus elliptical galaxy 0402+379 (with a separation of about 24 light years between the nuclei). Minor mergers of a spiral galaxy with a smaller companion should be a more common occurrence, evolving into spiral galaxies with active massive black-hole pairs, but have hitherto not been seen. Here we report the presence of two active massive black holes, separated by about 490 light years, in the Seyfert galaxy NGC 3393 (50 Mpc, about 160 million light years). The regular spiral morphology and predominantly old circum-nuclear stellar population of this galaxy, and the closeness of the black holes embedded in the bulge, provide a hitherto missing observational point to the study of galaxy/black hole evolution. Comparison of our observations with current theoretical models of mergers suggests that they are the result of minor merger evolution. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights

High spatial resolution imaging of some of the distant 3CR galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Fevre, O.; Hammer, F.; Jones, J.

1988-01-01

Deep, high spatial resolution imaging of several sources from the high-redshift 3CR galaxy sample is presented. Very complex and unexpected morphologies are found. All the galaxies observed so far are resolved, and most of them show multimodal sources. Significant color differences for the components of each galaxy are measured. An interpretation in terms of gravitational amplification/lensing by foreground galaxies or galactic clusters is proposed for 3C 238, 3C 241, and 3C 305.1, 3C 238 being the strongest candidate. The complexity of the 3CR galaxies like 3C 356, which includes a compact object, and 3C 326.1 shows that they are not normal ellipticals and their use as standard candles to test for galaxy evolution is therefore questionable. 29 references

Distance determinations to shield galaxies from Hubble space telescope imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McQuinn, Kristen B. W.; Skillman, Evan D. [Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, 116 Church Street, S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); Cannon, John M.; Cave, Ian [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macalester College, 1600 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105 (United States); Dolphin, Andrew E. [Raytheon Company, 1151 E. Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85756 (United States); Salzer, John J. [Department of Astronomy, Indiana University, 727 East 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47405 (United States); Haynes, Martha P.; Adams, Elizabeth; Giovanelli, Riccardo [Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Elson, Ed C. [Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravity Centre (ACGC), Department of Astronomy, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701 (South Africa); Ott, Juërgen [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box O, 1003 Lopezville Road, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States); Saintonge, Amélie, E-mail: kmcquinn@astro.umn.edu [Max-Planck-Institute for Astrophysics, D-85741 Garching (Germany)

2014-04-10

The Survey of H I in Extremely Low-mass Dwarf (SHIELD) galaxies is an ongoing multi-wavelength program to characterize the gas, star formation, and evolution in gas-rich, very low-mass galaxies. The galaxies were selected from the first ∼10% of the H I Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (ALFALFA) survey based on their inferred low H I mass and low baryonic mass, and all systems have recent star formation. Thus, the SHIELD sample probes the faint end of the galaxy luminosity function for star-forming galaxies. Here, we measure the distances to the 12 SHIELD galaxies to be between 5 and 12 Mpc by applying the tip of the red giant method to the resolved stellar populations imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope. Based on these distances, the H I masses in the sample range from 4 × 10{sup 6} to 6 × 10{sup 7} M {sub ☉}, with a median H I mass of 1 × 10{sup 7} M {sub ☉}. The tip of the red giant branch distances are up to 73% farther than flow-model estimates in the ALFALFA catalog. Because of the relatively large uncertainties of flow-model distances, we are biased toward selecting galaxies from the ALFALFA catalog where the flow model underestimates the true distances. The measured distances allow for an assessment of the native environments around the sample members. Five of the galaxies are part of the NGC 672 and NGC 784 groups, which together constitute a single structure. One galaxy is part of a larger linear ensemble of nine systems that stretches 1.6 Mpc from end to end. Three galaxies reside in regions with 1-9 neighbors, and four galaxies are truly isolated with no known system identified within a radius of 1 Mpc.

MOLECULAR DISK PROPERTIES IN EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, X.; Walker, C.; Narayanan, D.

2010-01-01

We study the simulated CO emission from elliptical galaxies formed in the mergers of gas-rich disk galaxies. The cold gas not consumed in the merger-driven starburst quickly resettles into a disk-like configuration. By analyzing a variety of arbitrary merger orbits that produce a range of fast- to slow-rotating remnants, we find that molecular disk formation is a fairly common consequence of gas-rich galaxy mergers. Hence, if a molecular disk is observed in an early-type merger remnant, it is likely the result of a 'wet merger' rather than a 'dry merger'. We compare the physical properties from our simulated disks (e.g., size and mass) and find reasonably good agreement with recent observations. Finally, we discuss the detectability of these disks as an aid to future observations.

E+A Galaxy Properties and Post-Starburst Galaxy Evolution Data through SDSS-IV MaNGA and Illustris: A Co-Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Ojanen, Winonah; Dudley, Raymond; Edwards, Kay; Gonzalez, Andrea; Johnson, Amalya; Kerrison, Nicole; Marinelli, Mariarosa; Melchert, Nancy; Liu, Charles; Sloan Collaboration, SDSS-IV MaNGA

2018-01-01

E+A galaxies (Elliptical + A-type stars) are post-starburst galaxies that have experienced a sudden quenching phase. Using previous research methods, 39 candidates out of 2,812 galaxies observed, or 1.4%, were selected from the SDSS-IV MaNGA survey. We then identified morphological characteristics of the 39 galaxies including stellar kinematics, Gini coefficient, gas density and distribution and stellar ages. To study the origin of how E+A galaxies evolved to their present state, galaxy simulation data from the Illustris simulation was utilized to identify similar quenched post-starburst candidates. Seven post-starburst candidates were identified through star formation rate histories of Illustris simulated galaxies. The evolution of these galaxies is studied from 0 to 13.8 billion years ago to identify what caused the starburst and quenching of the Illustris candidates. Similar morphological characteristics of Illustris post-starburst candidates are pulled from before, during, and post-starburst and compared to the same morphological characteristics of the E+A galaxies from SDSS-IV MaNGA. The characteristics and properties of the Illustris galaxies are used to identify the possible evolutionary histories of the observed E+A galaxies. This work was supported by grants AST-1460860 from the National Science Foundation and SDSS FAST/SSP-483 from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to the CUNY College of Staten Island.

GMRT Low Radio Frequency Study of the Wolf Rayet Galaxy NGC ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In this paper, we present the first low frequency (< 1.4 GHz) radio continuum study of a Wolf Rayet galaxy NGC 4214 using the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT). We detect diffuse extended emission from the galaxy disk at 325 MHz and find that the radio emission closely follows the ultraviolet emission mapped by ...

GMRT Low Radio Frequency Study of the Wolf Rayet Galaxy NGC ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. In this paper, we present the first low frequency (< 1.4 GHz) radio continuum study of a Wolf Rayet galaxy NGC 4214 using the. Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT). We detect diffuse extended emission from the galaxy disk at 325 MHz and find that the radio emis- sion closely follows the ultraviolet emission ...

OXYGEN METALLICITY DETERMINATIONS FROM OPTICAL EMISSION LINES IN EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Athey, Alex E.; Bregman, Joel N.

2009-01-01

We measured the oxygen abundances of the warm (T ∼ 10 4 K) phase of gas in seven early-type galaxies through long-slit observations. A template spectra was constructed from galaxies void of warm gas and subtracted from the emission-line galaxies, allowing for a clean measurement of the nebular lines. The ratios of the emission lines are consistent with photoionization, which likely originates from the ultraviolet flux of postasymototic giant branch stars. We employ H II region photoionization models to determine a mean oxygen metallicity of 1.01 ± 0.50 solar for the warm interstellar medium (ISM) in this sample. This warm ISM 0.5-1.5 solar metallicity is consistent with modern determinations of the metallicity in the hot (T ∼ 10 6 -10 7 K) ISM and the upper range of this warm ISM metallicity is consistent with stellar population metallicity determinations. A solar metallicity of the warm ISM favors an internal origin for the warm ISM such as asymptotic giant branch mass loss within the galaxy.

An ALMA survey of submillimeter galaxies in the extended Chandra deep field south: The redshift distribution and evolution of submillimeter galaxies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simpson, J. M.; Swinbank, A. M.; Smail, Ian; Alexander, D. M.; Danielson, A. L. R.; Thomson, A. P. [Institute for Computational Cosmology, Department of Physics, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom); Brandt, W. N. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 525 Davey Lab, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Bertoldi, F.; Karim, A. [Argelander-Institute for Astronomy, Bonn University, Auf dem Hügel 71, D-53121 Bonn (Germany); De Breuck, C. [European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild Straße, D-85748 Garching bei München (Germany); Chapman, S. C. [Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 3J5 (Canada); Coppin, K. E. K. [Centre for Astrophysics Research, Science and Technology Research Institute, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB (United Kingdom); Da Cunha, E.; Hodge, J. A.; Schinnerer, E. [Max-Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Dannerbauer, H. [Universität Wien, Institut für Astrophysik, Türkenschanzstraße 17, A-1180 Wien (Austria); Greve, T. R. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom); Ivison, R. J. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom); Knudsen, K. K. [Department of Earth and Space Science, Onsala Space Observatory, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-43992 Onsala (Sweden); Poggianti, B. M., E-mail: j.m.simpson@dur.ac.uk [INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Padova, I-35122 Padova (Italy); and others

2014-06-20

We present the first photometric redshift distribution for a large sample of 870 μm submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) with robust identifications based on observations with ALMA. In our analysis we consider 96 SMGs in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South, 77 of which have 4-19 band photometry. We model the SEDs for these 77 SMGs, deriving a median photometric redshift of z {sub phot} = 2.3 ± 0.1. The remaining 19 SMGs have insufficient photometry to derive photometric redshifts, but a stacking analysis of Herschel observations confirms they are not spurious. Assuming that these SMGs have an absolute H-band magnitude distribution comparable to that of a complete sample of z ∼ 1-2 SMGs, we demonstrate that they lie at slightly higher redshifts, raising the median redshift for SMGs to z {sub phot} = 2.5 ± 0.2. Critically we show that the proportion of galaxies undergoing an SMG-like phase at z ≥ 3 is at most 35% ± 5% of the total population. We derive a median stellar mass of M {sub *} = (8 ± 1) × 10{sup 10} M {sub ☉}, although there are systematic uncertainties of up to 5 × for individual sources. Assuming that the star formation activity in SMGs has a timescale of ∼100 Myr, we show that their descendants at z ∼ 0 would have a space density and M{sub H} distribution that are in good agreement with those of local ellipticals. In addition, the inferred mass-weighted ages of the local ellipticals broadly agree with the look-back times of the SMG events. Taken together, these results are consistent with a simple model that identifies SMGs as events that form most of the stars seen in the majority of luminous elliptical galaxies at the present day.

An ALMA survey of submillimeter galaxies in the extended Chandra deep field south: The redshift distribution and evolution of submillimeter galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simpson, J. M.; Swinbank, A. M.; Smail, Ian; Alexander, D. M.; Danielson, A. L. R.; Thomson, A. P.; Brandt, W. N.; Bertoldi, F.; Karim, A.; De Breuck, C.; Chapman, S. C.; Coppin, K. E. K.; Da Cunha, E.; Hodge, J. A.; Schinnerer, E.; Dannerbauer, H.; Greve, T. R.; Ivison, R. J.; Knudsen, K. K.; Poggianti, B. M.

2014-01-01

We present the first photometric redshift distribution for a large sample of 870 μm submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) with robust identifications based on observations with ALMA. In our analysis we consider 96 SMGs in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South, 77 of which have 4-19 band photometry. We model the SEDs for these 77 SMGs, deriving a median photometric redshift of z phot = 2.3 ± 0.1. The remaining 19 SMGs have insufficient photometry to derive photometric redshifts, but a stacking analysis of Herschel observations confirms they are not spurious. Assuming that these SMGs have an absolute H-band magnitude distribution comparable to that of a complete sample of z ∼ 1-2 SMGs, we demonstrate that they lie at slightly higher redshifts, raising the median redshift for SMGs to z phot = 2.5 ± 0.2. Critically we show that the proportion of galaxies undergoing an SMG-like phase at z ≥ 3 is at most 35% ± 5% of the total population. We derive a median stellar mass of M * = (8 ± 1) × 10 10 M ☉ , although there are systematic uncertainties of up to 5 × for individual sources. Assuming that the star formation activity in SMGs has a timescale of ∼100 Myr, we show that their descendants at z ∼ 0 would have a space density and M H distribution that are in good agreement with those of local ellipticals. In addition, the inferred mass-weighted ages of the local ellipticals broadly agree with the look-back times of the SMG events. Taken together, these results are consistent with a simple model that identifies SMGs as events that form most of the stars seen in the majority of luminous elliptical galaxies at the present day.

THE XMM CLUSTER SURVEY: GALAXY MORPHOLOGIES AND THE COLOR-MAGNITUDE RELATION IN XMMXCS J2215.9 - 1738 AT z = 1.46

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hilton, Matt; Stanford, S. Adam; Stott, John P.; Collins, Chris A.; Hoyle, Ben; Nichol, Robert C.; Davidson, Michael; Mann, Robert G.; Hosmer, Mark; Liddle, Andrew R.; Lloyd-Davies, Ed; Mehrtens, Nicola; Romer, A. Kathy; Sabirli, Kivanc; Sahlen, Martin; Kay, Scott T.; Miller, Christopher J.; Viana, Pedro T. P.; West, Michael J.; Barbary, Kyle

2009-01-01

We present a study of the morphological fractions and color-magnitude relation (CMR) in the most distant X-ray selected galaxy cluster currently known, XMMXCS J2215.9 - 1738 at z = 1.46, using a combination of optical imaging data obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys, and infrared data from the Multi-Object Infrared Camera and Spectrograph, mounted on the 8.2 m Subaru telescope. We find that the morphological mix of the cluster galaxy population is similar to clusters at z ∼ 1. Within the central 0.5 Mpc, approximately ∼62% of the galaxies identified as likely cluster members are ellipticals or S0s; and ∼38% are spirals or irregulars. Therefore, early-type galaxies were already entrenched as the dominant galaxy population in at least some clusters approximately ∼4.5 Gyr after the big bang. We measure the CMRs for the early-type galaxies, finding that the slope in the z 850 -J relation is consistent with that measured in the Coma cluster, some ∼9 Gyr earlier, although the uncertainty is large. In contrast, the measured intrinsic scatter about the CMR is more than three times the value measured in Coma, after conversion to rest-frame U - V. From comparison with stellar population synthesis models, the intrinsic scatter measurements imply mean luminosity-weighted ages for the early-type galaxies in J2215.9 - 1738 of ∼3 Gyr, corresponding to the major epoch of star formation coming to an end at z f ∼ 3-5. We find that the cluster exhibits evidence of the 'downsizing' phenomenon: the fraction of faint cluster members on the red sequence expressed using the Dwarf-to-Giant Ratio (DGR) is 0.32 ± 0.18 within a radius of 0.5R 200 . This is consistent with extrapolation of the redshift evolution of the DGR seen in cluster samples at z 1 clusters, we find a lack of very bright galaxies within the cluster.

The formation of galaxies from pregalactic stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, Janet

1982-01-01

A knowledge of how and when the first stars formed is vital for our understanding of the formation and early evolution of galaxies. Evidence is given that the first stars were pregalactic: indeed, that at least two generations of stars had formed before galaxies collapsed. A model is presented describing the effects of pregalactic stars on galaxy evolution. The first generation -primordial stars- were massive and few in number. A brief description is given for the formation of such a star. The second generation included stars of all masses and involved widespread star formation. Gas ejected from these stars on timescales of 6 x 10 7 to 6 x 10 8 years induced a qualitative change into the dynamics of collapsing perturbations, leading to a characteristic mass of galaxies of 10 10 - 10 12 M 0 . Variations in the rate of gas ejection were responsible for different morphological structures - elliptical and spirals. A few comments are made on some other implications of the model

CORES AND THE KINEMATICS OF EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lauer, Tod R.

2012-01-01

I have combined the Emsellem et al. ATLAS 3D rotation measures of a large sample of early-type galaxies with Hubble Space Telescope based classifications of their central structure to characterize the rotation velocities of galaxies with cores. 'Core galaxies' rotate slowly, while 'power-law galaxies' (galaxies that lack cores) rotate rapidly, confirming the analysis of Faber et al. Significantly, the amplitude of rotation sharply discriminates between the two types in the –19 > M V > –22 domain over which the two types coexist. The slow rotation in the small set of core galaxies with M V > –20, in particular, brings them into concordance with the more massive core galaxies. The ATLAS 3D 'fast-rotating' and 'slow-rotating' early-type galaxies are essentially the same as power-law and core galaxies, respectively, or the Kormendy and Bender two families of elliptical galaxies based on rotation, isophote shape, and central structure. The ATLAS 3D fast rotators do include roughly half of the core galaxies, but their rotation amplitudes are always at the lower boundary of that subset. Essentially, all core galaxies have ATLAS 3D rotation amplitudes λ R e /2 ≤0.25, while all galaxies with λ R e /2 >0.25 and figure eccentricity >0.2 lack cores. Both figure rotation and the central structure of early-type galaxies should be used together to separate systems that appear to have formed from 'wet' versus 'dry' mergers.

A 17-billion-solar-mass black hole in a group galaxy with a diffuse core.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Jens; Ma, Chung-Pei; McConnell, Nicholas J; Greene, Jenny E; Blakeslee, John P; Janish, Ryan

2016-04-21

Quasars are associated with and powered by the accretion of material onto massive black holes; the detection of highly luminous quasars with redshifts greater than z = 6 suggests that black holes of up to ten billion solar masses already existed 13 billion years ago. Two possible present-day 'dormant' descendants of this population of 'active' black holes have been found in the galaxies NGC 3842 and NGC 4889 at the centres of the Leo and Coma galaxy clusters, which together form the central region of the Great Wall--the largest local structure of galaxies. The most luminous quasars, however, are not confined to such high-density regions of the early Universe; yet dormant black holes of this high mass have not yet been found outside of modern-day rich clusters. Here we report observations of the stellar velocity distribution in the galaxy NGC 1600--a relatively isolated elliptical galaxy near the centre of a galaxy group at a distance of 64 megaparsecs from Earth. We use orbit superposition models to determine that the black hole at the centre of NGC 1600 has a mass of 17 billion solar masses. The spatial distribution of stars near the centre of NGC 1600 is rather diffuse. We find that the region of depleted stellar density in the cores of massive elliptical galaxies extends over the same radius as the gravitational sphere of influence of the central black holes, and interpret this as the dynamical imprint of the black holes.

Nuclei of dwarf spheroidal galaxies KKs3 and ESO269-66 and their counterparts in our Galaxy

OpenAIRE

Sharina, M. E.; Shimansky, V. V.; Kniazev, A. Y.

2017-01-01

We present the analysis of medium-resolution spectra obtained at the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) for nuclear globular clusters (GCs) in two dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs). The galaxies have similar star formation histories, but they are situated in completely different environments. ESO269-66 is a close neighbour of the giant S0 NGC5128. KKs3 is one of the few truly isolated dSphs within 10 Mpc. We estimate the helium abundance $Y=0.3$, $\\rm age=12.6\\pm1$ Gyr, $[Fe/H]=-1.5,-1.5...

SDSS-IV MaNGA: Stellar angular momentum of about 2300 galaxies: unveiling the bimodality of massive galaxy properties

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Mark T.; Cappellari, Michele; Li, Hongyu; Mao, Shude; Bershady, Matthew; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Brinkmann, Jonathan; Brownstein, Joel R.; Bundy, Kevin; Drory, Niv; Law, David R.; Pan, Kaike; Thomas, Daniel; Wake, David A.; Weijmans, Anne-Marie; Westfall, Kyle B.; Yan, Renbin

2018-03-01

We measure λ _{R_e}, a proxy for galaxy specific stellar angular momentum within one effective radius, and the ellipticity, ɛ, for about 2300 galaxies of all morphological types observed with integral field spectroscopy as part of the MaNGA survey, the largest such sample to date. We use the (λ _{R_e}, ɛ ) diagram to separate early-type galaxies into fast and slow rotators. We also visually classify each galaxy according to its optical morphology and two-dimensional stellar velocity field. Comparing these classifications to quantitative λ _{R_e} measurements reveals tight relationships between angular momentum and galaxy structure. In order to account for atmospheric seeing, we use realistic models of galaxy kinematics to derive a general approximate analytic correction for λ _{R_e}. Thanks to the size of the sample and the large number of massive galaxies, we unambiguously detect a clear bimodality in the (λ _{R_e}, ɛ ) diagram which may result from fundamental differences in galaxy assembly history. There is a sharp secondary density peak inside the region of the diagram with low λ _{R_e} and ɛ their distribution of the misalignments between the photometric and kinematic position angles. We confirm that genuine slow rotators start appearing above M ≥ 2 × 1011M⊙ where a significant number of high-mass fast rotators also exist.

X-ray Arcs Tell The Tale Of Giant Eruption

Science.gov (United States)

2002-08-01

Long ago, a giant eruption occurred in a nearby galaxy and plunged it into turmoil. Now NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has revealed the remains of that explosion in the form of two enormous arcs of hot gas. This discovery can help astronomers better understand the cause and effect of violent outbursts from the vicinity of supermassive black holes in the centers of many so-called "active" galaxies. Scientists from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) report that two arc-like structures of multimillion-degree gas in the galaxy Centaurus A appear to be part of a ring 25,000 light years in diameter. The size and location of the ring suggest that it could have been produced in a titanic explosion that occurred about ten million years ago. A composite image of the galaxy made with radio (red and green), optical (yellow-orange), and X-ray data (blue) presents a stunning tableau of a tumultuous galaxy. A broad band of dust and cold gas is bisected at an angle by opposing jets of high-energy particles blasting away from the supermassive black hole in the nucleus. Lying in a plane perpendicular to the jets are the two large arcs of X-ray emitting hot gas. "Putting all the images together was the key to understanding what Chandra showed," said Margarita Karovska, lead author on a paper in the September 20, 2002, issue of The Astrophysical Journal. "Suddenly it all clicked in, as with a giant puzzle, and the images fit together to make a complete picture of the galaxy geometry that was not at all apparent before." The team proposes that the orientation of the arcs of hot gas perpendicular to the jet and the symmetry of the projected ring with respect to the center of the galaxy could be evidence that the ring is the result of a giant eruption in the nucleus of the galaxy 10 million years ago. This explosion may have produced a galaxy-sized shock wave that has been moving outward at speeds of a million miles per hour. The age of 10 million years for the

BVRI SURFACE PHOTOMETRY OF ISOLATED GALAXY TRIPLETS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hernandez-Toledo, H. M.; Mendez-Hernandez, H.; Aceves, H.; OlguIn, L.

2011-01-01

Optical broadband BVRI observations of 54 galaxies selected from the Catalog of Isolated Triplets of Galaxies in the Northern Hemisphere have been carried out at San Pedro Martir National Observatory to evaluate their photometric and morphological properties. We complement our analysis with Two-Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) and Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) images and look for signatures likely related to interactions/mergers. We report apparent/absolute BVRI magnitudes and colors for the 54 galaxies. The membership of these galaxies is re-evaluated by imposing a reasonable condition of concordant redshifts upon the original selection criteria, rendering a final sample of 34 galaxies in 13 triplets, 12 galaxies in close pairs, and 8 galaxy outliers. The triplets are spiral-dominated systems in different dynamical stages from loosely interacting to almost merged objects. The incidence fraction of features likely associated with interactions is ∼56%, similar to those found in northern and southern compact groups. The average fraction of bars is 35% with a mean value of maximum bar ellipticity ε max ∼ 0.4. Bars are hosted in the late-type triplet spirals, almost twice more than in early-type spirals. The global fraction of rings is 20%, all in the late-type components. The overdensity of triplets with respect to the background and their current dynamical status, as devised from our estimate of their dynamical parameters, namely the harmonic radius R H , velocity dispersion σ, dimensionless crossing time H 0 τ c , and virial mass M V , appear to be sufficient to favor galaxy transformations similar to those seen in dense groups and clusters. By contrast, the lower fraction of bonafide ellipticals and the relatively higher fraction of late-type spirals make these triplets essentially different from the Hickson Compact Groups and more representative of the field. A modest 1.6 enhancement factor in the optical luminosity of the late-type triplet components

The stellar content of the isolated transition dwarf galaxy DDO210

OpenAIRE

McConnachie, Alan W.; Arimoto, Nobuo; Irwin, Mike; Tolstoy, Eline

2006-01-01

We use Subaru Suprime-Cam and VLT FORS1 photometry of the dwarf galaxy DDO210 to study the global stellar content and structural properties of a transition-type galaxy (with properties intermediate between dwarf irregular and dwarf spheroidal systems). This galaxy is sufficiently isolated that tidal interactions are not likely to have affected its evolution in any way. The colour-magnitude diagrams of DDO210 show a red giant branch (RGB) population (with an RGB bump), a bright asymptotic gian...

Figures of equilibrium inside a gravitating ring and the limiting oblateness of elliptical galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Kondratyev, B. P.; Trubitsyna, N. G.; Kireeva, E. N.

2016-05-01

A new class of figures of equilibrium for a rotating gravitating fluid located inside a gravitating ring or torus is studied. These figures form a family of sequences of generalized oblate spheroids, in which there is for any value of the tidal parameter α in the interval 0 ≤ 0 ≤slant α /{π Gρ } ≤slant 0.1867 ≤ 0.1867 a sequence of spheroids with oblatenesses emin ( α) ≤ e ≤ e max ( α). A series of classicalMaclaurin spheroids from a sphere to a flat disk is obtained for α = 0. At intermediate values 0 isolated non-rotating galaxy is unstable, and it cannot be supported purely by anisotropy of the stellar velocity dispersion. A ring of dark matter can stabilize a weakly rotating galaxy, supplementing standard dynamical models for such stellar systems. In order for a galaxy to acquire appreciable oblateness, the mass of the ring must be an order of magnitude higher than the mass of the galaxy itself, consistent with the ratios of the masses of dark and baryonic matter in the Universe. The influence of massive external rings could shed light on the existence of galaxies with the critical oblateness E7.

LOFAR reveals the giant: a low-frequency radio continuum study of the outflow in the nearby FR I radio galaxy 3C 31

Science.gov (United States)

Heesen, V.; Croston, J. H.; Morganti, R.; Hardcastle, M. J.; Stewart, A. J.; Best, P. N.; Broderick, J. W.; Brüggen, M.; Brunetti, G.; ChyŻy, K. T.; Harwood, J. J.; Haverkorn, M.; Hess, K. M.; Intema, H. T.; Jamrozy, M.; Kunert-Bajraszewska, M.; McKean, J. P.; Orrú, E.; Röttgering, H. J. A.; Shimwell, T. W.; Shulevski, A.; White, G. J.; Wilcots, E. M.; Williams, W. L.

2018-03-01

We present a deep, low-frequency radio continuum study of the nearby Fanaroff-Riley class I (FR I) radio galaxy 3C 31 using a combination of LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR; 30-85 and 115-178 MHz), Very Large Array (VLA; 290-420 MHz), Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT; 609 MHz) and Giant Metre Radio Telescope (GMRT; 615 MHz) observations. Our new LOFAR 145-MHz map shows that 3C 31 has a largest physical size of 1.1 Mpc in projection, which means 3C 31 now falls in the class of giant radio galaxies. We model the radio continuum intensities with advective cosmic ray transport, evolving the cosmic ray electron population and magnetic field strength in the tails as functions of distance to the nucleus. We find that if there is no in situ particle acceleration in the tails, then decelerating flows are required that depend on radius r as v∝rβ (β ≈ -1). This then compensates for the strong adiabatic losses due to the lateral expansion of the tails. We are able to find self-consistent solutions in agreement with the entrainment model of Croston & Hardcastle, where the magnetic field provides ≈1/3 of the pressure needed for equilibrium with the surrounding intracluster medium. We obtain an advective time-scale of ≈190 Myr, which, if equated to the source age, would require an average expansion Mach number M ≈ 5 over the source lifetime. Dynamical arguments suggest that instead either the outer tail material does not represent the oldest jet plasma or else the particle ages are underestimated due to the effects of particle acceleration on large scales.

Study on the formation and dynamics of galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fillmore, J.A.

1985-01-01

The first half of this thesis is a study on the growth of perturbations in the early universe that might lead to galaxies, clusters of galaxies, or regions void of galaxies. The growth of self-similar perturbations in an Einstein-deSitter universe with cold, collisionless particles is investigated. Three classes of solutions are obtained; one each with planar, cylindrical, and spherical symmetry. The solutions follow the development of structure in both the linear and nonlinear regimes. Self-similar spherical voids which develop from initially underdense regions are also investigated. The character of each solution depends upon the initial density deficit. The second half of this thesis details solutions of steady-state axisymmetric models of elliptical and disk galaxies, and considers which observable properties can be used as diagnostics of the kinematic configuration of the spheroidal component of these systems. Two component mass models are fitted to surface brightness measurements and used to fit kinematic models to the velocity data

Study on the formation and dynamics of galaxies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fillmore, J.A.

1985-01-01

The first half of this thesis is a study on the growth of perturbations in the early universe that might lead to galaxies, clusters of galaxies, or regions void of galaxies. The growth of self-similar perturbations in an Einstein-deSitter universe with cold, collisionless particles is investigated. Three classes of solutions are obtained; one each with planar, cylindrical, and spherical symmetry. The solutions follow the development of structure in both the linear and nonlinear regimes. Self-similar spherical voids which develop from initially underdense regions are also investigated. The character of each solution depends upon the initial density deficit. The second half of this thesis details solutions of steady-state axisymmetric models of elliptical and disk galaxies, and considers which observable properties can be used as diagnostics of the kinematic configuration of the spheroidal component of these systems. Two component mass models are fitted to surface brightness measurements and used to fit kinematic models to the velocity data.

Modeling groundwater flow to elliptical lakes and through multi-aquifer elliptical inhomogeneities

Science.gov (United States)

Bakker, Mark

2004-05-01

Two new analytic element solutions are presented for steady flow problems with elliptical boundaries. The first solution concerns groundwater flow to shallow elliptical lakes with leaky lake beds in a single-aquifer. The second solution concerns groundwater flow through elliptical cylinder inhomogeneities in a multi-aquifer system. Both the transmissivity of each aquifer and the resistance of each leaky layer may differ between the inside and the outside of an inhomogeneity. The elliptical inhomogeneity may be bounded on top by a shallow elliptical lake with a leaky lake bed. Analytic element solutions are obtained for both problems through separation of variables of the Laplace and modified-Helmholtz differential equations in elliptical coordinates. The resulting equations for the discharge potential consist of infinite sums of products of exponentials, trigonometric functions, and modified-Mathieu functions. The series are truncated but still fulfill the differential equation exactly; boundary conditions are met approximately, but up to machine accuracy provided enough terms are used. The head and flow may be computed analytically at any point in the aquifer. Examples are given of uniform flow through an elliptical lake, a well pumping near two elliptical lakes, and uniform flow through three elliptical inhomogeneities in a multi-aquifer system. Mathieu functions may be applied in a similar fashion to solve other groundwater flow problems in semi-confined aquifers and leaky aquifer systems with elliptical internal or external boundaries.

Full-sky Ray-tracing Simulation of Weak Lensing Using ELUCID Simulations: Exploring Galaxy Intrinsic Alignment and Cosmic Shear Correlations

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Chengliang; Li, Guoliang; Kang, Xi; Luo, Yu; Xia, Qianli; Wang, Peng; Yang, Xiaohu; Wang, Huiyuan; Jing, Yipeng; Mo, Houjun; Lin, Weipeng; Wang, Yang; Li, Shijie; Lu, Yi; Zhang, Youcai; Lim, S. H.; Tweed, Dylan; Cui, Weiguang

2018-01-01

The intrinsic alignment of galaxies is an important systematic effect in weak-lensing surveys, which can affect the derived cosmological parameters. One direct way to distinguish different alignment models and quantify their effects on the measurement is to produce mock weak-lensing surveys. In this work, we use the full-sky ray-tracing technique to produce mock images of galaxies from the ELUCID N-body simulation run with WMAP9 cosmology. In our model, we assume that the shape of the central elliptical galaxy follows that of the dark matter halo, and that of the spiral galaxy follows the halo spin. Using the mock galaxy images, a combination of galaxy intrinsic shape and the gravitational shear, we compare the predicted tomographic shear correlations to the results of the Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS) and Deep Lens Survey (DLS). We find that our predictions stay between the KiDS and DLS results. We rule out a model in which the satellite galaxies are radially aligned with the center galaxy; otherwise, the shear correlations on small scales are too high. Most importantly, we find that although the intrinsic alignment of spiral galaxies is very weak, they induce a positive correlation between the gravitational shear signal and the intrinsic galaxy orientation (GI). This is because the spiral galaxy is tangentially aligned with the nearby large-scale overdensity, contrary to the radial alignment of the elliptical galaxy. Our results explain the origin of the detected positive GI term in the weak-lensing surveys. We conclude that in future analyses, the GI model must include the dependence on galaxy types in more detail.

Fast computation of complete elliptic integrals and Jacobian elliptic functions

Science.gov (United States)

Fukushima, Toshio

2009-12-01

As a preparation step to compute Jacobian elliptic functions efficiently, we created a fast method to calculate the complete elliptic integral of the first and second kinds, K( m) and E( m), for the standard domain of the elliptic parameter, 0 procedure to compute simultaneously three Jacobian elliptic functions, sn( u| m), cn( u| m), and dn( u| m), by repeated usage of the double argument formulae starting from the Maclaurin series expansions with respect to the elliptic argument, u, after its domain is reduced to the standard range, 0 ≤ u procedure is 25-70% faster than the methods based on the Gauss transformation such as Bulirsch’s algorithm, sncndn, quoted in the Numerical Recipes even if the acceleration of computation of K( m) is not taken into account.

Stellar Evolution in NGC 6791: Mass Loss on the Red Giant Branch and the Formation of Low-Mass White Dwarfs

Science.gov (United States)

Kalirai, Jasonjot S.; Bergeron, P.; Hansen, Brad M. S.; Kelson, Daniel D.; Reitzel, David B.; Rich, R. Michael; Richer, Harvey B.

2007-12-01

We present the first detailed study of the properties (temperatures, gravities, and masses) of the NGC 6791 white dwarf population. This unique stellar system is both one of the oldest (8 Gyr) and most metal-rich ([Fe/H]~+0.4) open clusters in our Galaxy and has a color-magnitude diagram (CMD) that exhibits both a red giant clump and a much hotter extreme horizontal branch. Fitting the Balmer lines of the white dwarfs in the cluster using Keck/LRIS spectra suggests that most of these stars are undermassive, =0.43+/-0.06 Msolar, and therefore could not have formed from canonical stellar evolution involving the helium flash at the tip of the red giant branch. We show that at least 40% of NGC 6791's evolved stars must have lost enough mass on the red giant branch to avoid the flash and therefore did not convert helium into carbon-oxygen in their core. Such increased mass loss in the evolution of the progenitors of these stars is consistent with the presence of the extreme horizontal branch in the CMD. This unique stellar evolutionary channel also naturally explains the recent finding of a very young age (2.4 Gyr) for NGC 6791 from white dwarf cooling theory; helium-core white dwarfs in this cluster will cool ~3 times slower than carbon-oxygen-core stars, and therefore the corrected white dwarf cooling age is in fact >~7 Gyr, consistent with the well-measured main-sequence turnoff age. These results provide direct empirical evidence that mass loss is much more efficient in high-metallicity environments and therefore may be critical in interpreting the ultraviolet upturn in elliptical galaxies. Data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation. Based on observations obtained at the

Individual stellar haloes of massive galaxies measured to 100 kpc at 0.3 < z < 0.5 using Hyper Suprime-Cam

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Song; Leauthaud, Alexie; Greene, Jenny E.; Bundy, Kevin; Lin, Yen-Ting; Tanaka, Masayuki; Miyazaki, Satoshi; Komiyama, Yutaka

2018-04-01

Massive galaxies display extended light profiles that can reach several hundreds of kiloparsecs. We use data from the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) survey that is simultaneously wide (˜100 deg2) and deep (>28.5 mag arcsec-2 in i band) to study the stellar haloes of a sample of ˜7000 massive galaxies at z ˜ 0.4. The depth of the HSC data enables us to measure surface mass density profiles to 100 kpc for individual galaxies without stacking. As in previous work, we find that more massive galaxies exhibit more extended outer profiles than smaller galaxies. When this extended light is not properly accounted for (because of shallow imaging and/or inadequate profile modelling), the derived stellar mass function can be significantly underestimated at the high-mass end. Across our sample, the ellipticity of outer light profile increases substantially with radius. We show for the first time that these ellipticity gradients steepen dramatically as a function of galaxy mass, but we detect no mass dependence in outer colour gradients. Our results support the two-phase formation scenario for massive galaxies in which outer envelopes are built up at a later time from a series of merging events. We provide surface mass density profiles in a convenient tabulated format to facilitate comparisons with predictions from numerical simulations of galaxy formation.

A deep redshift survey of field galaxies. Comments on the reality of the Butcher-Oemler effect

Science.gov (United States)

Koo, David C.; Kron, Richard G.

1987-01-01

A spectroscopic survey of over 400 field galaxies has been completed in three fields for which we have deep UBVI photographic photometry. The galaxies typically range from B=20 to 22 and possess redshifts z from 0.1 to 0.5 that are often quite spiky in distribution. Little, if any, luminosity evolution is observed up to redshifts z approx 0.5. By such redshifts, however, an unexpectedly large fraction of luminous galaxies has very blue intrinsic colors that suggest extensive star formation; in contrast, the reddest galaxies still have colors that match those of present-day ellipticals.

Planar elliptic growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mineev, Mark [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2008-01-01

The planar elliptic extension of the Laplacian growth is, after a proper parametrization, given in a form of a solution to the equation for areapreserving diffeomorphisms. The infinite set of conservation laws associated with such elliptic growth is interpreted in terms of potential theory, and the relations between two major forms of the elliptic growth are analyzed. The constants of integration for closed form solutions are identified as the singularities of the Schwarz function, which are located both inside and outside the moving contour. Well-posedness of the recovery of the elliptic operator governing the process from the continuum of interfaces parametrized by time is addressed and two examples of exact solutions of elliptic growth are presented.

STAR FORMATION IN DISK GALAXIES. I. FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF GIANT MOLECULAR CLOUDS VIA GRAVITATIONAL INSTABILITY AND CLOUD COLLISIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tasker, Elizabeth J.; Tan, Jonathan C.

2009-01-01

We investigate the formation and evolution of giant molecular clouds (GMCs) in a Milky-Way-like disk galaxy with a flat rotation curve. We perform a series of three-dimensional adaptive mesh refinement numerical simulations that follow both the global evolution on scales of ∼20 kpc and resolve down to scales ∼ H ≥ 100 cm -3 and track the evolution of individual clouds as they orbit through the galaxy from their birth to their eventual destruction via merger or via destructive collision with another cloud. After ∼140 Myr a large fraction of the gas in the disk has fragmented into clouds with masses ∼10 6 M sun and a mass spectrum similar to that of Galactic GMCs. The disk settles into a quasi-steady-state in which gravitational scattering of clouds keeps the disk near the threshold of global gravitational instability. The cloud collision time is found to be a small fraction, ∼1/5, of the orbital time, and this is an efficient mechanism to inject turbulence into the clouds. This helps to keep clouds only moderately gravitationally bound, with virial parameters of order unity. Many other observed GMC properties, such as mass surface density, angular momentum, velocity dispersion, and vertical distribution, can be accounted for in this simple model with no stellar feedback.

CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE FROM THE PALOMAR TRANSIENT FACTORY: INDICATIONS FOR A DIFFERENT POPULATION IN DWARF GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arcavi, Iair; Gal-Yam, Avishay; Kasliwal, Mansi M.; Quimby, Robert M.; Ofek, Eran O.; Kulkarni, Shrinivas R.; Law, Nicholas; Cooke, Jeff; Nugent, Peter E.; Poznanski, Dovi; Cenko, S. Bradley; Bloom, Joshua S.; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Sullivan, Mark; Hook, Isobel; Joensson, Jakob; Blake, Sarah; Howell, D. Andrew; Dekany, Richard; Rahmer, Gustavo

2010-01-01

We use the first compilation of 72 core-collapse supernovae (SNe) from the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) to study their observed subtype distribution in dwarf galaxies compared to giant galaxies. Our sample is the largest single-survey, untargeted, spectroscopically classified, homogeneous collection of core-collapse events ever assembled, spanning a wide host-galaxy luminosity range (down to M r ∼ -14 mag) and including a substantial fraction (>20%) of dwarf (M r ≥ -18 mag) hosts. We find more core-collapse SNe in dwarf galaxies than expected and several interesting trends emerge. We use detailed subclassifications of stripped-envelope core-collapse SNe and find that all Type I core-collapse events occurring in dwarf galaxies are either SNe Ib or broad-lined SNe Ic (SNe Ic-BL), while 'normal' SNe Ic dominate in giant galaxies. We also see a significant excess of SNe IIb in dwarf hosts. We hypothesize that in lower metallicity hosts, metallicity-driven mass loss is reduced, allowing massive stars that would have appeared as 'normal' SNe Ic in metal-rich galaxies to retain some He and H, exploding as Ib/IIb events. At the same time, another mechanism allows some stars to undergo extensive stripping and explode as SNe Ic-BL (and presumably also as long-duration gamma-ray bursts). Our results are still limited by small-number statistics, and our measurements of the observed N(Ib/c)/N(II) number ratio in dwarf and giant hosts (0.25 +0.3 -0.15 and 0.23 +0.11 -0.08 , respectively; 1σ uncertainties) are consistent with previous studies and theoretical predictions. As additional PTF data accumulate, more robust statistical analyses will be possible, allowing the evolution of massive stars to be probed via the dwarf-galaxy SN population.

The Weak Lensing Masses of Filaments between Luminous Red Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Epps, Seth D.; Hudson, Michael J.

2017-07-01

In the standard model of non-linear structure formation, a cosmic web of dark-matter-dominated filaments connects dark matter haloes. In this paper, we stack the weak lensing signal of an ensemble of filaments between groups and clusters of galaxies. Specifically, we detect the weak lensing signal, using CFHTLenS galaxy ellipticities, from stacked filaments between Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)-III/Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey luminous red galaxies (LRGs). As a control, we compare the physical LRG pairs with projected LRG pairs that are more widely separated in redshift space. We detect the excess filament mass density in the projected pairs at the 5σ level, finding a mass of (1.6 ± 0.3) × 1013 M⊙ for a stacked filament region 7.1 h-1 Mpc long and 2.5 h-1 Mpc wide. This filament signal is compared with a model based on the three-point galaxy-galaxy-convergence correlation function, as developed in Clampitt et al., yielding reasonable agreement.

The Horizontal Branch of the Sculptor Dwarf galaxy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Salaris, Maurizio; de Boer, Thomas; Tolstoy, Eline; Fiorentino, Giuliana; Cassisi, Santi

2013-01-01

We have performed the first detailed simulation of the horizontal branch of the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy by means of synthetic modelling techniques, taking consistently into account the star formation history and metallicity evolution as determined from the main sequence and red giant branch

Stellar kinematics and populations out to 1.5 effective radii in the elliptical galaxy NGC 4636

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pu Shibi; Han Zhanwen

2011-01-01

We present high quality long slit spectra along the major and minor axes out to 1.5 effective radii of the massive galaxy NGC 4636 taken by the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. Using the Fourier Correlation Quotient method, we measured the stellar line-of-sight velocity distribution along the axes. Furthermore, six Lick/IDS indices (Hβ, Mgb, Fe 5015 , Fe 5270 , Fe 5335 , Fe 5406 ) are derived from the clean spectrum. By comparing the measured absorption line strengths with the predictions of Simple Stellar Population (SSP) models, we derived ages, total metallicity and α abundance profiles of the galaxy. This galaxy presents old and [α/Fe] overabundant stellar populations. Indeed, using the SSP model, we obtained the broadband color profiles. The theoretical colors match well with the measured colors and present red sharp peaks at the galaxy center. The sharp peaks of the colors are mainly shaped by the high metallicity in the galaxy's center. Interestingly, the galaxy has steep negative metallicity gradients, but the trend flattens outwards. This result likely suggests that the center and outer regions of the galaxy formed through different formation processes.

Bimodal star formation - constraints from galaxy colors at high redshift

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wyse, R.F.G.; Silk, J.

1987-01-01

The possibility that at early epochs the light from elliptical galaxies is dominated by stars with an initial mass function (IMF) which is deficient in low-mass stars, relative to the solar neighborhood is investigated. V-R colors for the optical counterparts of 3CR radio sources offer the most severe constraints on the models. Reasonable fits are obtained to both the blue, high-redshift colors and the redder, low-redshift colors with a model galaxy which forms with initially equal star formation rates in each of two IMF modes: one lacking low-mass stars, and one with stars of all masses. The net effect is that the time-integrated IMF has twice as many high-mass stars as the solar neighborhood IMF, relative to low mass stars. A conventional solar neighborhood IMF does not simultaneously account for both the range in colors at high redshift and the redness of nearby ellipticals, with any single star formation epoch. Models with a standard IMF require half the stellar population to be formed in a burst at low redshift z of about 1. 38 references

Multiarm spirals on the periphery of disc galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Lubov, Spiegel; Evgeny, Polyachenko

2018-04-01

Spiral patterns in some disc galaxies have two arms in the centre, and three or more arms on the periphery. The same result is also obtained in numerical simulations of stellar and gaseous discs.We argue that such patterns may occur due to fast cooling of the gas, resulting in formation of giant molecular clouds. The timescale of this process is 50 Myr, the factor of 10 shorter than of ordinary secular instability. The giant molecular clouds give rise to multiarm spirals through the mechanism of swing amplification.

An Intermediate-Mass Black Hole in the Dwarf Seyfert 1 Galaxy POX 52

Science.gov (United States)

Barth, A.; Ho, L.; Sargent, W.

2004-06-01

We describe new observations of POX 52, a previously known but nearly forgotten example of a dwarf galaxy with an active nucleus. While POX 52 was originally thought to be a Seyfert 2 galaxy, the new data reveal an emission-line spectrum very similar to that of the dwarf Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4395, with clear broad components to the permitted line profiles. The host galaxy appears to be a dwarf elliptical; this is the only known case of a Seyfert nucleus in a galaxy of this type. Applying scaling relations to estimate the black hole mass from the broad Hβ linewidth and continuum luminosity, we find MBH ≈ 1.6×105 M⊙. The stellar velocity dispersion in the host galaxy is 36 km s-1, also suggestive of a black hole mass of order 105 M⊙. Further searches for AGNs in dwarf galaxies can provide crucial constraints on the demographics of black holes in the mass range below 106 M⊙.

Globular Clusters for Faint Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-07-01

The origin of ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) has posed a long-standing mystery for astronomers. New observations of several of these faint giants with the Hubble Space Telescope are now lending support to one theory.Faint-Galaxy MysteryHubble images of Dragonfly 44 (top) and DFX1 (bottom). The right panels show the data with greater contrast and extended objects masked. [van Dokkum et al. 2017]UDGs large, extremely faint spheroidal objects were first discovered in the Virgo galaxy cluster roughly three decades ago. Modern telescope capabilities have resulted in many more discoveries of similar faint galaxies in recent years, suggesting that they are a much more common phenomenon than we originally thought.Despite the many observations, UDGs still pose a number of unanswered questions. Chief among them: what are UDGs? Why are these objects the size of normal galaxies, yet so dim? There are two primary models that explain UDGs:UDGs were originally small galaxies, hence their low luminosity. Tidal interactions then puffed them up to the large size we observe today.UDGs are effectively failed galaxies. They formed the same way as normal galaxies of their large size, but something truncated their star formation early, preventing them from gaining the brightness that we would expect for galaxies of their size.Now a team of scientists led by Pieter van Dokkum (Yale University) has made some intriguing observations with Hubble that lend weight to one of these models.Globulars observed in 16 Coma-cluster UDGs by Hubble. The top right panel shows the galaxy identifications. The top left panel shows the derived number of globular clusters in each galaxy. [van Dokkum et al. 2017]Globulars GaloreVan Dokkum and collaborators imaged two UDGs with Hubble: Dragonfly 44 and DFX1, both located in the Coma galaxy cluster. These faint galaxies are both smooth and elongated, with no obvious irregular features, spiral arms, star-forming regions, or other indications of tidal interactions

Study of the Lynx-Cancer void galaxies. - V. The extremely isolated galaxy UGC 4722

Science.gov (United States)

Chengalur, J. N.; Pustilnik, S. A.; Makarov, D. I.; Perepelitsyna, Y. A.; Safonova, E. S.; Karachentsev, I. D.

2015-04-01

We present a detailed study of the extremely isolated Sdm galaxy UGC 4722 (MB = -17.4) located in the nearby Lynx-Cancer void. UGC 4722 is a member of the Catalogue of Isolated Galaxies, and has also been identified as one of the most isolated galaxies in the Local Supercluster. Optical images of the galaxy however show that it has a peculiar morphology with an elongated ˜14 kpc-long plume. New observations with the Russian 6-m telescope (BTA) and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) of the ionized and neutral gas in UGC 4722 reveal the second component responsible for the disturbed morphology of the system. This is a small, almost completely destroyed, very gas-rich dwarf (MB = -15.2, M(H I)/LB ˜ 4.3) We estimate the oxygen abundance for both galaxies to be 12 + log (O/H) ˜ 7.5-7.6 which is two to three times lower than what is expected from the luminosity-metallicity relation for similar galaxies in denser environments. The ugr colours of the plume derived from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) images are consistent with a simple stellar population with a post starburst age of 0.45-0.5 Gyr. This system hence appears to be the first known case of a minor merger with a prominent tidal feature consisting of a young stellar population.

Properties of Galaxies and Groups: Nature versus Nurture

Science.gov (United States)

Niemi, Sami-Matias

2011-09-01

Due to the inherently nonlinear nature of gravity cosmological N-body simulations have become an invaluable tool when the growth of structure is being studied and modelled closer to the present epoch. Large simulations with high dynamical range have made it possible to model the formation and growth of cosmic structure with unprecedented accuracy. Moreover, galaxies, the basic building blocks of the Universe, can also be modelled in cosmological context. However, despite all the simulations and successes in recent decades, there are still many unanswered questions in the field of galaxy formation and evolution. One of the longest standing issue being the significance of the formation place and thus initial conditions to a galaxy's evolution in respect to environment, often formulated simply as "nature versus nurture" like in human development and psychology. Unfortunately, our understanding of galaxy evolution in different environments is still limited, albeit, for example, the morphology-density relation has shown that the density of the galaxy's local environment can affect its properties. Consequently, the environment should play a role in galaxy evolution, however despite the efforts, the exact role of the galaxy's local environment to its evolution remains open. This thesis introduction discusses briefly the background cosmology, cosmological N-body simulations and semi-analytical models. The second part is reserved for groups of galaxies, whether they are gravitationally bound, and what this may imply for galaxy evolution. The third part of the thesis concentrates on describing results of a case study of isolated field elliptical galaxies. The final chapter discusses another case study of luminous infra-red galaxies.

A study of the formation and dynamics of galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Fillmore, J. A.

The first half of this thesis is a study on the growth of perturbations in the early universe which might lead to galaxies, clusters of galaxies, or regions void of galaxies. The growth of self-similar perturbations in an Einstein-deSitter universe with cold, collisionless particles is investigated. Three classes of solutions are obtained; one each with planar, cylindrical, and spherical symmetry. The solutions follow the development of structure in both the linear and nonlinear regimes. Self-similar spherical voids which develop from initially underdense regions are also investigated. The character of each solution depends upon the initial density deficit. The second half of this thesis details solutions of steady-state axisymmetric models of elliptical and disk galaxies, and considers which observable properties can be used as diagnostics of the kinematic configuration of the spheroidal component of these systems. Two component mass models are fitted to surface brightness measurements and used to fit kinematic models to the velocity data.

SECOND-GENERATION STELLAR DISKS IN DENSE STAR CLUSTERS AND CLUSTER ELLIPTICITIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mastrobuono-Battisti, Alessandra; Perets, Hagai B.

2016-01-01

Globular clusters (GCs) and nuclear star clusters (NSCs) are typically composed of several stellar populations, characterized by different chemical compositions. Different populations show different ages in NSCs, but not necessarily in GCs. The youngest populations in NSCs appear to reside in disk-like structures as observed in our Galaxy and in M31. Gas infall followed by formation of second-generation (SG) stars in GCs may similarly form disk-like structures in the clusters nuclei. Here we explore this possibility and follow the long-term evolution of stellar disks embedded in GCs, and study their effects on the evolution of the clusters. We study disks with different masses by means of detailed N-body simulations and explore their morphological and kinematic signatures on the GC structures. We find that as a SG disk relaxes, the old, first-generation stellar population flattens and becomes more radially anisotropic, making the GC structure become more elliptical. The SG stellar population is characterized by a lower velocity dispersion and a higher rotational velocity compared with the primordial older population. The strength of these kinematic signatures depends both on the relaxation time of the system and on the fractional mass of the SG disk. We therefore conclude that SG populations formed in flattened configurations will give rise to two systematic trends: (1) a positive correlation between GC ellipticity and fraction of SG population and (2) a positive correlation between GC relaxation time and ellipticity. Therefore, GC ellipticities and rotation could be related to the formation of SG stars and their initial configuration.

Oscillating Red Giants Observed during Campaign 1 of the Kepler K2 Mission: New Prospects for Galactic Archaeology

Science.gov (United States)

Stello, Dennis; Huber, Daniel; Sharma, Sanjib; Johnson, Jennifer; Lund, Mikkel N.; Handberg, Rasmus; Buzasi, Derek L.; Silva Aguirre, Victor; Chaplin, William J.; Miglio, Andrea; Pinsonneault, Marc; Basu, Sarbani; Bedding, Tim R.; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Casagrande, Luca; Davies, Guy; Elsworth, Yvonne; Garcia, Rafael A.; Mathur, Savita; Di Mauro, Maria Pia; Mosser, Benoit; Schneider, Donald P.; Serenelli, Aldo; Valentini, Marica

2015-08-01

NASA’s re-purposed Kepler mission—dubbed K2—has brought new scientific opportunities that were not anticipated for the original Kepler mission. One science goal that makes optimal use of K2's capabilities, in particular its 360° ecliptic field of view, is galactic archaeology—the study of the evolution of the Galaxy from the fossil stellar record. The thrust of this research is to exploit high-precision, time-resolved photometry from K2 in order to detect oscillations in red giant stars. This asteroseismic information can provide estimates of stellar radius (hence distance), mass, and age of vast numbers of stars across the Galaxy. Here we present the initial analysis of a subset of red giants, observed toward the north galactic gap, during the mission’s first full science campaign. We investigate the feasibility of using K2 data for detecting oscillations in red giants that span a range in apparent magnitude and evolutionary state (hence intrinsic luminosity). We demonstrate that oscillations are detectable for essentially all cool giants within the {log}g range ˜1.9-3.2. Our detection is complete down to {\\text{Kp}} ˜ 14.5, which results in a seismic sample with little or no detection bias. This sample is ideally suited to stellar population studies that seek to investigate potential shortcomings of contemporary Galaxy models.

The Near-infrared Tip of the Red Giant Branch. I. A Calibration in the Isolated Dwarf Galaxy IC 1613

Science.gov (United States)

Madore, Barry F.; Freedman, Wendy L.; Hatt, Dylan; Hoyt, Taylor J.; Monson, Andrew J.; Beaton, Rachael L.; Rich, Jeffrey A.; Jang, In Sung; Lee, Myung Gyoon; Scowcroft, Victoria; Seibert, Mark

2018-05-01

Based on observations from the FourStar near-infrared camera on the 6.5 m Baade-Magellan telescope at Las Campanas, Chile, we present calibrations of the JHK luminosities of stars defining the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) in the halo of the Local Group dwarf galaxy IC 1613. We employ metallicity-independent (rectified) T-band magnitudes—constructed using J-, H-, and K-band magnitudes and both (J ‑ H) and (J ‑ K) colors to flatten the upward-sloping red giant branch tips as otherwise seen in their apparent color–magnitude diagrams. We describe and quantify the advantages of working at these particular near-infrared wavelengths, which are applicable to both the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We also note that these same wavelengths can be accessed from the ground for an eventual tie-in to Gaia for absolute astrometry and parallaxes to calibrate the intrinsic luminosity of the TRGB. Adopting the color terms derived from the IC 1613 data, as well as the zero points from a companion study of the Large Magellanic Cloud, whose distance is anchored to the geometric distances of detached eclipsing binaries, we find a true distance modulus of 24.32 ± 0.02 (statistical) ±0.05 mag (systematic) for IC 1613, which compares favorably with the recently published multi-wavelength, multi-method consensus modulus of 24.30 ± 0.05 mag by Hatt et al.

Hydrodynamic effects of nuclear active galaxy winds on host galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schiano, A.V.R.

1984-01-01

In order to test the hypothesized existence of a powerful, thermal wind in active galactic nuclei, the hydrodynamic effects of such a wind on a model galactic interstellar medium (ISM) are investigated. The properties of several model ISMs are derived from observations of the Milky Way's ISM and those of nearby spiral and elliptical galaxies. The propagation of the wind into the low density gas component of the ISM is studied using the Kompaneets approximation of a strong explosion in an exponential atmosphere. Flattened gas distributions are shown to experience blow-out of wind gas along the symmetry axis. Next, the interaction of dense, interstellar clouds with the wind is investigated. The stability and mass loss of clouds in the wind are studied and it is proposed that clouds survive the encounter with the wind over large timescales. It is proposed that the narrow emission line regions (NELR) of active galaxies are the result of the interaction of active nuclei photons and a thermal wind on large, interstellar clouds

STarlight Absorption Reduction through a Survey of Multiple Occulting Galaxies (STARSMOG)

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Holwerda, Benne

2014-10-01

Dust absorption remains the poorest constrained parameter in both Cosmological distances and multi-wavelength studies of galaxy populations. A galaxy's dust distribution can be measured to great accuracy in the case of an overlapping pair of galaxies, i.e., when a foreground spiral galaxy accidentally overlaps a more distant, preferably elliptical galaxy. We have identified over 300 bona-fide overlapping pairs --well separated in redshift but close on the sky-- in the GAMA spectroscopic survey, taking advantage of its high completeness (98%) on small scales. We propose to map the fine-scale (~50pc) dust structure in these occulting galaxies, using HST/WFC3 SNAP observations. The resulting dust maps will (1) serve as an extinction probability for supernova lightcurve fits in similar type host galaxies, (2) strongly constrain the role of ISM structure in Spectral Energy Distribution models of spiral galaxies, and (3) map the level of ISM turbulence (through the spatial power-spectrum). We ask for SNAP observations with a parent list of 355 targets to ensure a complete and comprehensive coverage of each foreground galaxy mass, radius and inclination. The resulting extinction maps will serve as a library for SNIa measurements, galaxy SED modelling and ISM turbulence measurements.

An intermediate-mass black hole in the darf galaxy Pox 52

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Barth, Aaron

2005-01-01

Do dwarf elliptical and dwarf spiral galaxies contain central black holes with masses below 106 solar masses? Beyond the Local Group dynamical searches for black holes in this mass range are very difficult but the detection of accretion-powered nuclear activity could be used to infer the presence of a black hole. The nearby dwarf spiral galaxy NGC 4395 hosts a faint Seyfert 1 nucleus with a likely black hole mass in the range 104-105 solar masses and for more than a decade it has been the only known example of a Seyfert 1 nucleus in a dwarf galaxy. I will present new Keck spectra of the dwarf galaxy POX 52 which demonstrate that it has a Seyfert 1 spectrum nearly identical to that of NGC 4395. Its velocity dispersion is 37 km/s suggesting a possible black hole mass of order 105 solar masses. I will discuss the prospects for systematic searches for nuclear activity in dwarf galaxies and the implications for black hole demographics.

An Intermediate-Mass Black Hole in the Dwarf Galaxy Pox 52

Science.gov (United States)

Barth, Aaron

Do dwarf elliptical and dwarf spiral galaxies contain central black holes with masses below 106 solar masses? Beyond the Local Group dynamical searches for black holes in this mass range are very difficult but the detection of accretion-powered nuclear activity could be used to infer the presence of a black hole. The nearby dwarf spiral galaxy NGC 4395 hosts a faint Seyfert 1 nucleus with a likely black hole mass in the range 104-105 solar masses and for more than a decade it has been the only known example of a Seyfert 1 nucleus in a dwarf galaxy. I will present new Keck spectra of the dwarf galaxy POX 52 which demonstrate that it has a Seyfert 1 spectrum nearly identical to that of NGC 4395. Its velocity dispersion is 37 km/s suggesting a possible black hole mass of order 105 solar masses. I will discuss the prospects for systematic searches for nuclear activity in dwarf galaxies and the implications for black hole demographics.

The Nature and Origin of UCDs in the Coma Cluster

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Chiboucas, Kristin; Tully, R. Brent; Madrid, Juan; Phillipps, Steven; Carter, David; Peng, Eric

2018-01-01

UCDs are super massive star clusters found largely in dense regions but have also been found around individual galaxies and in smaller groups. Their origin is still under debate but currently favored scenarios include formation as giant star clusters, either as the brightest globular clusters or through mergers of super star clusters, themselves formed during major galaxy mergers, or as remnant nuclei from tidal stripping of nucleated dwarf ellipticals. Establishing the nature of these enigmatic objects has important implications for our understanding of star formation, star cluster formation, the missing satellite problem, and galaxy evolution. We are attempting to disentangle these competing formation scenarios with a large survey of UCDs in the Coma cluster. Using ACS two-passband imaging from the HST/ACS Coma Cluster Treasury Survey, we are using colors and sizes to identify the UCD cluster members. With a large size limited sample of the UCD population within the core region of the Coma cluster, we are investigating the population size, properties, and spatial distribution, and comparing that with the Coma globular cluster and nuclear star cluster populations to discriminate between the threshing and globular cluster scenarios. In previous work, we had found a possible correlation of UCD colors with host galaxy and a possible excess of UCDs around a non-central giant galaxy with an unusually large globular cluster population, both suggestive of a globular cluster origin. With a larger sample size and additional imaging fields that encompass the regions around these giant galaxies, we have found that the color correlation with host persists and the giant galaxy with unusually large globular cluster population does appear to host a large UCD population as well. We present the current status of the survey.

Kinematical tests for the intrinsic shapes of galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capaccioli, M.; Fasano, G.

1984-01-01

Determining the intrinsic shape of elliptical galaxies has been an illusive enterprise, but one fundamental to the understanding of their internal dynamics and formation. Here the problem is approached dynamically; noting that the velocity dispersion is largest when sighted down the longest axis, the correlations are derived of velocity dispersion with observed eccentricity expected, after the known trend of velocity dispersion with luminosity is removed. Using a compilation of published data, the relation between luminosity and velocity dispersion is determined more accurately. The residuals are examined as a function of axis ratio in order to construct a test for the intrinsic shape of galaxies. The effects of projection are modelled and possible intrinsic variations are examined. (author)

HST images of dark giants as dark matter: Part.I The black cocoon stars of Carina Nebula region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Celis, S.L.

2001-01-01

dark giants can be connected to each other to form Unions of conglomerates. The associated objects -might configure a dark network structure that belongs to the spiral branches. The contribution of mass is indicated by the large amount of dark giants, which widely surpasses the luminosity matter of the Galaxy. Over 7,600 of these objects, located in a small sector of the Carina nebula image (∼30x40 arcseconds), were individualized by their clear definition. There are more than 60,000 objects in the full Carina nebula image. Assuming that this number of dark giants of the Hubble image is representative of all dark giants of the Galaxy, it is possible to conclude that they might represent 96.3% - 98.9% of dark matter in the spirals of the Galaxy. This percentage of dark giants could also represent the needed mass required to explain the dynamic of the galactic disc if they had an average of 0.8 solar masses

Galaxy And Mass Assembly: automatic morphological classification of galaxies using statistical learning

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Sreejith, Sreevarsha; Pereverzyev, Sergiy, Jr.; Kelvin, Lee S.; Marleau, Francine R.; Haltmeier, Markus; Ebner, Judith; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Driver, Simon P.; Graham, Alister W.; Holwerda, Benne W.; Hopkins, Andrew M.; Liske, Jochen; Loveday, Jon; Moffett, Amanda J.; Pimbblet, Kevin A.; Taylor, Edward N.; Wang, Lingyu; Wright, Angus H.

2018-03-01

We apply four statistical learning methods to a sample of 7941 galaxies (z test the feasibility of using automated algorithms to classify galaxies. Using 10 features measured for each galaxy (sizes, colours, shape parameters, and stellar mass), we apply the techniques of Support Vector Machines, Classification Trees, Classification Trees with Random Forest (CTRF) and Neural Networks, and returning True Prediction Ratios (TPRs) of 75.8 per cent, 69.0 per cent, 76.2 per cent, and 76.0 per cent, respectively. Those occasions whereby all four algorithms agree with each other yet disagree with the visual classification (`unanimous disagreement') serves as a potential indicator of human error in classification, occurring in ˜ 9 per cent of ellipticals, ˜ 9 per cent of little blue spheroids, ˜ 14 per cent of early-type spirals, ˜ 21 per cent of intermediate-type spirals, and ˜ 4 per cent of late-type spirals and irregulars. We observe that the choice of parameters rather than that of algorithms is more crucial in determining classification accuracy. Due to its simplicity in formulation and implementation, we recommend the CTRF algorithm for classifying future galaxy data sets. Adopting the CTRF algorithm, the TPRs of the five galaxy types are : E, 70.1 per cent; LBS, 75.6 per cent; S0-Sa, 63.6 per cent; Sab-Scd, 56.4 per cent, and Sd-Irr, 88.9 per cent. Further, we train a binary classifier using this CTRF algorithm that divides galaxies into spheroid-dominated (E, LBS, and S0-Sa) and disc-dominated (Sab-Scd and Sd-Irr), achieving an overall accuracy of 89.8 per cent. This translates into an accuracy of 84.9 per cent for spheroid-dominated systems and 92.5 per cent for disc-dominated systems.

The baryonic mass function of galaxies.

Science.gov (United States)

Read, J I; Trentham, Neil

2005-12-15

In the Big Bang about 5% of the mass that was created was in the form of normal baryonic matter (neutrons and protons). Of this about 10% ended up in galaxies in the form of stars or of gas (that can be in molecules, can be atomic, or can be ionized). In this work, we measure the baryonic mass function of galaxies, which describes how the baryonic mass is distributed within galaxies of different types (e.g. spiral or elliptical) and of different sizes. This can provide useful constraints on our current cosmology, convolved with our understanding of how galaxies form. This work relies on various large astronomical surveys, e.g. the optical Sloan Digital Sky Survey (to observe stars) and the HIPASS radio survey (to observe atomic gas). We then perform an integral over our mass function to determine the cosmological density of baryons in galaxies: Omega(b,gal)=0.0035. Most of these baryons are in stars: Omega(*)=0.0028. Only about 20% are in gas. The error on the quantities, as determined from the range obtained between different methods, is ca 10%; systematic errors may be much larger. Most (ca 90%) of the baryons in the Universe are not in galaxies. They probably exist in a warm/hot intergalactic medium. Searching for direct observational evidence and deeper theoretical understanding for this will form one of the major challenges for astronomy in the next decade.

ON THE HOST GALAXY OF GRB 150101B AND THE ASSOCIATED ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS