Do disk galaxies with abnormally low mass-to-light ratios exist?

We have performed photometric B, V, and R observations of nine disk galaxies that presumably have abnormally low total mass-to-light (M/L) ratios for given color indices. Our data on surface photometry are used to analyze the possible causes of anomalous M/L estimates. In many cases, these can be the result of errors in photometry or rotational velocity determination but can also reflect the real peculiarities of the stellar composition of galaxies. Comparison of the photometric and dynamical disk mass estimates obtained by analyzing the rotational velocities shows that low M/L values for a given color index are probably real for some of the galaxies. This is primarily true of NGC 4826 (Sab), NGC 5347 (Sab), and NGC 6814 (Sb). The small number of such galaxies suggests that the stellar initial mass function is universal. However, a small fraction of galaxies probably may have a non-typical mass function “depleted” in low-mass stars. Such galaxies require a more careful study.     

Stellar content and distances to the isolated spiral galaxies NGC 6503 and NGC 6946

Based on archival Hubble Space Telescope images, we have performed stellar photometry of several fields in the isolated spiral galaxies NGC 6503 and NGC 6946 with high peculiar velocities. Based on the TRGB method, we have determined the distances to the galaxies: D = 6.30 ± 0.10 Mpc for NGC 6503 and D = 6.72 ± 0.15 Mpc for NGC 6946. The current stellar content of the galaxies does not differ from that of other similar galaxies. The metallicity for young stars in NGC 6503 is Z = 0.02 (corresponding to the solar metallicity), while the metallicity for stars in NGC 6946 reaches Z = 0.05. Very few old globular clusters have been found in NGC 6946, while they have not been found at all in NGC 6503. The number density distribution of stars with different ages in NGC 6503 does not differ from the analogous distributions in other galaxies. The large sizes of the thick disk in NGC 6503, which is clearly seen up to 6 kpc from the galactic disk plane and whose possible extension is noticeable up to 8.6 kpc from the plane, are a difference. The sizes of the region occupied by red giants of the disk in NGC 6503 are 51 × 17 kpc, which are not much larger than the sizes of this galaxy from H I radio observations.     

Kinematics and stellar disk modeling of lenticular galaxies

We present the results of spectroscopic observations of three S0-Sa galaxies: NGC 338, NGC 3245, and NGC 5440 at the SAO RAS 6-m BTA telescope. The radial distributions of the line-ofsight velocities and radial velocity dispersions of stars and ionized gas were obtained, and rotation curves of galaxies were computed. We construct the numerical dynamic N-body galaxy models with N ?? 10⁶ points. The models include three components: a ??live?? bulge, a collisionless disk, dynamically evolving to the marginally stable state, and a pseudo-isothermal dark halo. The estimates of radial velocities and velocity dispersions of stars obtained from observations are compared with model estimates, projected onto the line of sight. We show that the disks of NGC 5440 and the outer regions of NGC 338 are dynamically overheated. Taking into account the previously obtained observations, we conclude that the dynamic heating of the disk is present in a large number of early-type disk galaxies, and it seems to ensue from the external effects. The estimates of the disk mass and relative mass of the dark halo are given, as well as the disk mass-to-luminosity ratio for seven galaxies, observed at the BTA.     

Integral Field Spectroscopy of Six Seyfert Galaxies

We summarize the main conclusions derived from integral field spectroscopy, with optical fibres, of six Seyfert galaxies. More than 95 spectra around the active nucleus have been obtained showing asymmetric emission-line profiles at different positions. Continuum and emission-line intensity maps and ionized gas velocity fields have been derived for these six galaxies. We also present the stellar velocity field for NGC 1068, NGC 3516 and NGC 985. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The phenomenon of the galaxy NGC 6286: A forming polar ring or a superwind?

We present our observations of the pair of interacting galaxies NGC 6285/86 carried out with the 6-m Special Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) telescope using 1D and 2D spectroscopy. The observations of NGC 6286 with a long-slit spectrograph (UAGS) near the Hα line revealed the rotation of the gaseous disk around an axis offset by 5″–7″ from the photometric center and a luminous gas at a distance up to 9 kpc in a direction perpendicular to the galactic plane. Using a multipupil fiber spectrograph (MPFS), we constructed the velocity fields of the stellar and gaseous components in the central region of this galaxy, which proved to be similar. The close radial velocities of the pair and the wide (5′×5′) field of view of the scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer (IFP) allowed us to simultaneously obtain images in the Hα and [N II]λ6583 lines and in the continuum, as well as to construct the radial velocity fields and to map the distribution of the [N II]λ6583/Hα ratio for both galaxies. Based on all these data, we studied the gas kinematics in the galaxies, constructed their rotation curves, and estimated their masses (2 × 10¹¹M_⊙ for NGC 6286 and 1.2 × 10¹⁰M_⊙ for NGC 6285). We found no evidence of gas rotation around the major axis of NGC 6286, which argues against the assumption that this galaxy has a forming polar ring. The IFP observations revealed an emission nebula around this galaxy with a structure characteristic of superwind galaxies. The large [N II]λ6583/Hα ratio, which suggests the collisional excitation of its emission, and the high infrared luminosity are additional arguments for the hypothesis of a superwind in the galaxy NGC 6286. A close encounter between the two galaxies was probably responsible for the starburst and the bipolar outflow of hot gas from the central region of the disk.     

2D spectroscopy of candidate polar-ring galaxies: I. The pair of galaxies UGC 5600/09

Observations of the pair of galaxies VV 330 with the SCORPIO multimode instrument on the 6-m Special Astrophysical Observatory telescope are presented. Large-scale velocity fields of the ionized gas in Hα and brightness distributions in continuum and Hα have been constructed for both galaxies with the help of a scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer. Long-slit spectroscopy is used to study the stellar kinematics. Analysis of the data obtained has revealed a complex structure in each of the pair components. Three kinematic subsystems have been identified in UGC 5600: a stellar disk, an “inner gas ring” turned with respect to the disk through ～80°, and an outer gas disk. The stellar and outer gas disks are noncoplanar. Possible scenarios for the formation of the observed multicomponent kinematic galactic structure are considered, including the case where the large-scale velocity field of the gas is represented by the kinematic model of a disk with a warp. The velocity field in the second galaxy of the pair, UGC 5609, is more regular. A joint analysis of the data on the photometric structure and the velocity field has shown that this is probably a late-type spiral galaxy whose shape is distorted by the gravitational interaction, possibly, with UGC 5600.     

Estimating the dark halo mass from the relative thickness of stellar disks

We analyze the relationship between the mass of a spherical component and the minimum possible thickness of stable stellar disks. This relationship for real galaxies allows the lower limit on the dark halo mass to be estimated (the thinner the stable stellar disk is, the more massive the dark halo must be). In our analysis, we use both theoretical relations and numerical N-body simulations of the dynamical evolution of thin disks in the presence of spherical components with different density profiles and different masses. We conclude that the theoretical relationship between the thickness of disk galaxies and the mass of their spherical components is a lower envelope for the model data points. We recommend using this theoretical relationship to estimate the lower limit for the dark halo mass in galaxies. The estimate obtained turns out to be weak. Even for the thinnest galaxies, the dark halo mass within four exponential disk scale lengths must be more than one stellar disk mass.     

Central regions of the early-type galaxies in the NGC 3169 group

We have investigated the central regions of the galaxies in the NGC 3169/NGC 3166/NGC 3156 group with the multipupil fiber spectrograph of the 6-m telescope; the first (central) galaxy in the group is a spiral (Sa) one and the other two galaxies are lenticular ones. The group is known to have an extended HI cloud with a size of more than 100 kpc that is associated in its position, orientation, and rotation with the central galaxy NGC 3169. The mean age of the stellar populations in the centers of all three galaxies has been found to be approximately the same, ～1 Gyr. Since the galaxies are early-type ones and since NGC 3166 and NGC 3156 show no global star formation, we are dealing here with a synchronous star formation burst in the centers of all three galaxies.     

2-D spectroscopy of polar-ring galaxies candidates. II. The peculiar galaxies NGC 2748 and UGC 4385

This article is devoted to the analysis of new observational data obtained on the 6-m telescope using multimode instrument SCORPIO for two peculiar galaxies NGC 2748 and UGC 4385. Using scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) large-scale velocity fields of ionized gas in lines Hα and [N II] λ6584 Å for NGC 2748 and in line Hα for UGC 4385 and the maps of brightness distribution in continuum and in corresponding lines for both galaxies were constructed. Observational data obtained in the long-slit mode of spectroscopy gave information about the kinematics of stellar component. The analysis of the received materials for NGC 2748 have shown that this object is a disky galaxy with stellar shell which rotates around the major axis of main body. The origin of such shell is most likely connected with the capture and disruption of dwarf companion. The structure of ionized gas velocity field of UGC 4385 appeared to be very complex. The most regular part of the field which concerns the supposed ring is best represented by the model of circular rotation with expansion. In addition long-slit observations showed that the optical spectra of two bright in the infrared region condensations resemble the spectra of galaxies’ nuclei. A supposition was made that UGC 4385 is two galaxies in the stage of head-on collision.     

Neutral hydrogen gas in interacting galaxies: the NGC 1511 galaxy group

We present H  i line and 20-cm radio continuum observations of the NGC 1511 galaxy group obtained with the Australia Telescope Compact Array. The data reveal an extended, rather disturbed H  i distribution for the peculiar starburst galaxy NGC 1511 and a narrow bridge to its small companion galaxy, NGC 1511B, which has been severely distorted by the interaction/collision between the two galaxies. No stellar counterpart to the gaseous bridge has been detected. In addition, we find that the peculiar optical ridge to the east of NGC 1511 is probably the stellar remnant of a galaxy completely disrupted by interactions with NGC 1511. The slightly more distant neighbour, NGC 1511A, shows a regular H  i velocity field and no obvious signs of interactions.
Radio continuum emission from NGC 1511 reveals three prominent sources on top of a more diffuse, extended distribution. We derive an overall star formation rate of  7 M_⊙ yr⁻¹  . The most enhanced star formation is found in the south-eastern part of the disc, coincident with several bright H  ii regions, and closest to the peculiar optical ridge. No continuum emission was detected in the companions, but NGC 1511B appears to show an H  ii region at its faint western edge, closest to NGC 1511. The group displays a prime example of interaction-induced star formation activity.     

Stellar population and evolution of galaxies in groups: the NGC2300 group

Using panoramic and long-slit spectroscopy at the 6-m telescope of SAO RAS, we studied the stellar population and kinematics of five early-type disc galaxies—members of the NGC2300 group. The evolution of galaxies appears to be absolutely out of synch: while the average age of the stars in the central regions of the galaxies located close to the center of the group ranges from 2 to 7 Gyr, the peripheral spiral galaxies have old nuclei and bulges, with the ages of 10–15 Gyr. The brightest galaxy of the NGC2300 group, which up to now has been considered to be lenticular, of the SA0 type, turned out to be extremely hot dynamically: its bulge rotates slowly, v/σ = 0.06, and the outer parts do not rotate at all.We conclude that the kinematics of the stellar component of NGC2300 indicates that it is not a disc galaxy, but a triaxial spheroid.     

The effect of projection on the observed gas velocity fields in barred galaxies

The problem of determining the pattern of gas motions in the central regions of disk spiral galaxies is considered. Two fundamentally different cases—noncircular motions in the triaxial bar potential and motions in circular orbits but with orientation parameters different from those of the main disk—are shown to have similar observational manifestations in the line-of-sight velocity field of the gas. A reliable criterion is needed for the observational data to be properly interpreted. To find such a criterion, we analyze two-dimensional nonlinear hydrodynamic models of gas motions in barred disk galaxies. The gas line-of-sight velocity and surface brightness distributions in the plane of the sky are constructed for various inclinations of the galactic plane to the line of sight and bar orientation angles. We show that using models of circular motions for inclinations i>60° to analyze the velocity field can lead to the erroneous conclusions of a “tilted (polar) disk” at the galaxy center. However, it is possible to distinguish bars from tilted disks by comparing the mutual orientations of the photometric and dynamical axes. As an example, we consider the velocity field of the ionized gas in the galaxy NGC 972.     

The resolved red giant branches of E/S0 galaxies

Formation paradigms for massive galaxies have long centered around two antipodal hypotheses – the monolithic-collapse and the accretion/merger scenarios. Empirical data on the stellar contents of galaxy halos is crucial in order to develop galaxy formation and assembly scenarios which have their root in observations, rather than in numerical simulations. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has enabled us to study directly individual stars in the nearby E/S0 galaxies Cen A, NGC 3115, NGC 5102, and NGC 404. We here present and discuss HST single-star photometry in V and I bands. Using color-magnitude diagrams and stellar luminosity functions, we gauge the galaxies' stellar contents. This can be done at more than one position in the halo, but data with deeper limiting magnitudes are desired to quantify the variation of metallicity with galactocentric radius. We here compare the color distributions of red giant stars with stellar isochrones, and we intercompare the galaxies' halo populations, noting that their total absolute V magnitudes cover the range from about –21.5 to –17.5. In the future, we plan to model the stellar metallicity distributions with the aim to constrain chemical enrichment scenarios, a step towards unravelling the evolutionary history of elliptical and lenticular galaxies. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Observational study of the candidate polar-ring galaxies NGC 304 and NGC 7625

We present the results of our photometric (BV R) and spectroscopic CCD observations of NGC 304 and NGC 7625, candidate polar-ring galaxies, performed with the 6-m Special Astrophysical Observatory telescope. For NGC 304, such a study has been carried out for the first time. We have obtained basic integrated characteristics of the galaxies and determined their morphological types (S0 for NGC 304 and Sa for NGC 7625). The absolute magnitudes of the galaxies, M _B = ?20^m.81 for NGC 304 and M _B = ?19^m.34 for NGC7625, are indicative of their fairly high luminosities. The disk and bulge parameters have been determined forNGC 304 (µ₀ = 20^m.60, h = 3.86 kpc, µ _e = 21^m.59, r _e = 1.26 kpc in the B band); these correspond to the parameters of S0-type objects. The rotation velocity for NGC 304 (200 km s^?1) reaches its maximum at a galactocentric distance of 3.1 kpc, which yields a mass estimate for the galaxy of 2.8 × 10¹⁰ \(\mathcal{M}_ \odot \). The observed photometric features at the center of NGC 304 indicate that it may have an inner ring structure, although we have failed to confirm the existence of two kinematic systems based on our spectroscopic observations. In NGC 7625, the disk makes a dominant contribution to the total brightness. The derived integrated color indices (B-V = 0^m.81 and V-R = 0^m.61) agree with previous determinations of other authors. We have estimated the учештсешщт in the inner galactic regions. In the outer regions, we have detected structures with bluer colors (B-V = 0^m.60), which may be indicative of a polar ring with a minor stellar component.     

Noncircular outer disks in unbarred S0 galaxies: NGC 502 and NGC 5485

Highly noncircular outer stellar disks have been detected in two SA0 (unbarred) galaxies by comparing the spectroscopic data on the rotation of stars and the photometric data on the shape and orientation of isophotes. In NGC 502, the oval distortion of the disk is manifested in the shape of the inner and outer elliptical rings occupying wide radial zones between the bulge and the disk and at the outer disk edge; such a structure can be a consequence of the so-called “dry minor merger,” multiple cannibalization of gas-free satellites. In NGC 5485, the stellar kinematics is absolutely unrelated to the orientation of isophotes in the disk region, and for this galaxy the conclusion about its global triaxial structure is unavoidable.     

Kinematics of gas and stars in circumnuclear star-forming regions of early-type spirals

We present high-resolution (R～20,000) spectra in the blue and the far red of circumnuclear star-forming regions (CNSFRs) in three early-type spirals (NGC3351, NGC2903 and NGC3310), which have allowed the study of the kinematics of the stars and the ionized gas in these structures and, for the first time, the derivation of their dynamical masses for the first two. In some cases, these regions, about 100 to 150 pc in size, are composed of several individual star clusters with sizes between 1.5 and 4.9 pc, estimated from Hubble Space Telescope images. The stellar dispersions have been obtained from the Calcium triplet (CaT) lines at λ λ 8494, 8542, 8662 Å, while the gas velocity dispersions have been measured by means of Gaussian fits to the Hβ and [Oiii]λ 5007 Å lines in the high-dispersion spectra. Values of the stellar velocity dispersions are between 30 and 68 km?s^?1. We apply the virial theorem to estimate dynamical masses of the clusters, assuming that systems are gravitationally bounded and spherically symmetric, and using previously measured sizes. The measured values of the stellar velocity dispersions yield dynamical masses of the order of 10⁷ to 10⁸ M_⊙ for the entire CNSFRs. Stellar and gas velocity dispersions are found to differ by about 20 to 30 km?s^?1, with the Hβ emission lines being narrower than both the stellar lines and the [Oiii]λ 5007 Å lines. The douby-ionized oxygen, on the other hand, exhibits velocity dispersions comparable to those of the stars or, in some cases, even larger. We have found indications of the presence of two different kinematical components in the ionized gas of the regions. We have mapped the velocity field in the central kpc of the spiral galaxies NGC3351 and NGC2903. For the first object, the radial velocity curve shows deviations from circular motions for the ionized hydrogen consistent with its infall towards the central regions of the galaxy, at a velocity of about 25 km?s^?1. For NGC3310, we present preliminary results for the velocity dispersions for one of the two observed slit position angles, two CNSFRs and the nucleus.     

Young Populations in the Nuclei of Barred Galaxies

We have conducted UBVRI and H_α CCD photometry of five barred galaxies (NGC 2523, NGC 2950, NGC 3412, NGC 3945 and NGC 5383),along with SPH simulations, in order to understand the origin of young stellar populations in the nuclei of barred galaxies. The H_α emission, which is thought to be emitted by young stellar populations, is either absent or strongly concentrated in the nuclei of early-type galaxies (NGC 2950, NGC 3412 and NGC 3945),while they are observed in the nuclei and circumnuclear regions of intermediate-type galaxies with strong bars (NGC 2523 and NGC 5383).SPH simulations of realistic mass models for these galaxies show that some disc material can be driven into the nuclear region by a strong bar potential. This implies that the young stellar populations in the circumnuclear regions of barred galaxies can be formed out of such gas. The existence of nuclear dust lanes is an indication of an ongoing gas inflow and extremely young stellar populations in these galaxies, because nuclear dust lanes such as those in NGC 5383 are not long-lasting features according to our simulations. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of data incompleteness on the results of Fourier analysis of line-of-sight velocity fields in spiral-galaxy disks

Our main goal is to investigate the effects of data incompleteness on the results of Fourier analysis of line-of-sight velocity fields in the disks of spiral galaxies. We have carried out a number of numerical experiments, first with an artificially created simple velocity field and then with the velocity fields of two real galaxies, which qualitatively differ in data filling: NGC 157 and NGC 3631 with good and bad data filling, respectively. The field of purely circular velocities is chosen as the simplest artificial velocity field, because the circular velocities of spiral galaxies are much high than the residual (noncircular) velocities. Superimposing a “mask” simulating blank spots (holes) in the map of observational data on this artificial field has no effect on the results of Fourier analysis of this simplest field. A similar result is obtained for real galaxies with good data filling of the observed velocity fields. Superimposing arbitrarily shaped masks on the observed velocity field of NGC 157 in such a way that the field was filled by a mere 50% (at each radius) could not change appreciably the radial variations of large-scale Fourier harmonics. The situation qualitatively changes in attempting to fill the holes in the observed velocity field of NGC 3631 in some way. When missing velocities are artificially introduced by using the simplest model of purely circular gas rotation, the amplitudes and phases of the principal Fourier harmonics are distorted. In particular, a substantial distortion of the third harmonic also causes an increase in the error when determining the corotation radius from data of the filled field. When the filling of the velocity field is increased by degrading the spatial resolution, the amplitudes of most harmonics decrease throughout the entire disk region; as a result, their radial variations are smoothed out and the behavior of harmonic phases in the range of moderately high initial amplitudes can be distorted. An abnormal enhancement of the highest Fourier harmonics in the regions of low filling of the initial field is also possible. At the same time, despite the above distortions, the corotation radius determined from the smoothed fields matches that for the initial velocity fields.     

CDM, Feedback and the Hubble Sequence

We have performed TreeSPH simulations of galaxy formation in a standard ΛCDM cosmology, including effects of star formation, energetic stellar feedback processes and a meta-galactic UV field, and obtain a mix of disk, lenticular and elliptical galaxies. The disk galaxies are deficient in angular momentum by only about a factor of two compared to observed disk galaxies. The stellar disks have approximately exponential surface density profiles, and those of the bulges range from exponential to r ^1/4, as observed. The bulge-to-disk ratios of the disk galaxies are consistent with observations and likewise are their integrated B-V colours, which have been calculated using stellar population synthesis techniques. Furthermore, we can match the observed I-band Tully-Fisher (TF) relation, provided that the mass-to-light ratio of disk galaxies is (M/L _I) ≃ 0.6–0.7. The ellipticals and lenticulars have approximately r ^1/4 stellar surface density profiles, are dominated by non-disklike kinematics and flattened due to non-isotropic stellar velocity distributions, again consistent with observations. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Extended dust emission in NGC 7465

We present SCUBA 850-μm, JCMT  CO( J =2→1)  , B -band imaging and VLA H  i observations of the NGC 7465/4/3 group of galaxies. The 850-μm emission associated with NGC 7465 extends to at least ∼2 R ₂₅ and is well correlated with the H  i . We investigate a range of possible mechanisms by which dust beyond R ₂₅ may be heated to give the observed extended submillimetre emission. By modelling the dust heating by stars in two extreme geometries, we fail to find any reasonable star formation scenario that is consistent with both the 850-μm and optical data. Furthermore, we do not detect any  CO( J =2→1)  emission coincident with the extended dust and atomic gas as would be expected if significant star formation were occurring. We show that shock-heating of dust via cloud–cloud collisions in the stripped interstellar medium of NGC 7465 could be sufficient to explain the extended 850-μm emission and lack of optical emission in the stripped gas, and suggest that cloud–cloud collisions may be an important dust heating mechanism in gas-rich systems.