Old Stellar Populations in Nearby Dwarf Galaxies

What can we learn from the somewhat arduous study of old stellar populations in nearby galaxies? Unless the nearby universe is subtly anomalous, it should contain a relatively normal selection of galaxies whose histories are representative of field galaxies in general throughout the Universe. We can therefore take advantage of our ability to resolve local galaxies into individual stars to directly, and accurately, measure star formation histories. The star formation histories are determined from numerical models, based on stellar evolution tracks, of colour-magnitude diagrams. The most accurate information on star formation rates extending back to the earliest epoches can be obtained from the structure of the main sequence. However, the oldest main sequence turnoffs are very faint, and it is often necessary to use the brighter, more evolved, populations to infer the star formation history at older times. A complete star formation history can be compared with the spectroscopic properties of galaxies seen over a large range of lookback times in redshift surveys. There is considerable evidence that the faint blue galaxies seen in large numbers in cosmological surveys are the progenitors of the late-type irregular galaxies seen in copious numbers in the Local Group, and beyond. We consider how the `Madau-diagram', the star formation history of the Universe, would look if the Local Group were to be considered representative of the Universe as a whole.     

Stellar Populations in Bulges of Spiral Galaxies

We present a few results of a work in progress tackling the radial spectroscopic properties of bulges of spiral galaxies. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Kinematics and Stellar Populations of Seyfert Galaxies

We have analyzed high signal-to-noise spectra of 10 active galaxies in order to investigate the stellar populations of these objects and the kinematics of the gas and stars in their nuclei. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

On the Origin of S0 Stellar Populations

We investigate a one-zone chemo-photometric evolutionary model of truncated spiral galaxies with and without starbursts in order to explore the origin of the spectrophotometric properties of S0s. First, we show that 1) the tight U-V colour–magnitude (CM) relation cannot reject the model with a starburst and 2) the model with a starburst can explain the difference in the I-K colour–magnitude relation between S0 galaxies and spiral galaxies. Next, we demonstrate how we can distinguish the truncated spirals with a starburst from those without a starburst by using the CaII–Hδ/λ4045 diagram (proposed by Leonardi and Rose, 1996) and the 1550-V colour. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The Stellar Populations of Early-Type Galaxies in the Fornax Cluster

We have measured central line strengths for a complete sample of early-type galaxies in the Fornax Cluster comprising 11 elliptical and 11 lenticular galaxies, more luminous than M _B=–17. We find that the centres of Fornax ellipticals follow the locus of galaxies of fixed age in Worthey's models and have metallicities varying roughly from half to 2.5 times solar. The centres of (relatively low luminosity) lenticular galaxies, however, exhibit a substantial spread to younger luminosity-weighted ages indicating amore extended star formation history. Our conclusions are based on two age/metallicity diagnostic diagrams in the Lick/IDS system comprising established indices such as [MgFe]and H_β as well as new and more sensitive indices, such as Fe3and H . The inferred difference in the age distribution between lenticular and elliptical galaxies is a robust conclusion as the models generate consistent relative ages using different age and metallicity indicators even though the absolute ages remain uncertain. The absolute age uncertainty is caused mainly by the effects of non-solar abundance ratios, which are not accounted for in the stellar population models. We find that Es are generally overabundant in magnesium and the most luminous galaxies show stronger overabundances. The luminosity-weighted stellar populations of young S0s are consistent with solar abundance ratios or a weak Mg under abundance. Two of the faintest lenticular galaxies in our sample have blue continua and extremely strong Balmer-line absorptions suggesting starbursts <2 Gyr ago. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A Study of the Emission-Line Spectra and the Stellar Populations of Starburst Galaxies

Based on optical–NIR spectra, we discuss the nebular properties and stellar populations of starburst nuclei. Starbursts are found to have higher electron densities and higher excitations than HII nuclei. The emission lines have been used to estimate the nebular oxygen abundances, ionization parameter and radiation softness parameter. From a study of the H_α emission-line equivalent widths and the CaII triplet absorption line equivalent widths, we infer the ages and stellar content of the starburst regions. Most of the nuclei show evidence for a composite population – a young, ionizing population co-existing with evolved, non-ionizing stars of about 5–7 Myr, which are evolving towards the peak of RSG distribution. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Superassociations and Stellar Complexes in Galaxies

The basic characteristics of stellar complexes and superassociations, as well as the differences between these kinds of gigantic groups of young stars, are discussed. The main difference is that superassociations are the result of induced (triggered) star formation, while the stars and clusters in stellar complexes develop as a result of the spontaneous processes typical of galactic gaseous disks.     

The Stellar Ages of Elliptical Galaxies

Integrated broad-band colors and metallic lines cannot discriminate clearly between the effects of age and Z in old stellar populations. Such data are more sensitive to Z than to age. The Hβ feature provides a way to break this degeneracy. New measurements indicate that the mean stellar ages of typical E galaxy nuclei are fairly young, ranging from 2 to ∼12 Gyr. The outer parts of E galaxies are both older and more metal-poor than nuclei, consistent with the formation of E galaxies via mergers and starbursts. Age effects contribute strongly to the classic color-line strength sequence of E galaxies. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The Stellar Content of Active Galaxies

We present the results of a long-slit spectroscopic study of 38 active and four normal galaxies. Stellar absorption features, continuum colours and their radial variations are analysed in an effort to characterize the stellar population in these galaxies and detect the presence of a featureless continuum underlying the starlight spectral component. Spatial variations of the equivalent widths of conspicuous absorption lines and continuum colours are detected in most galaxies. Star-forming rings, in particular, leave clear fingerprints in the equivalent widths and colour profiles. We find that the stellar populations in the inner regions of active galaxies present a variety of characteristics, and cannot be represented by a single starlight template. Dilution of the stellar lines by an underlying featureless continuum is detected in most broad-lined objects, but little or no dilution is found for most of the 20 type 2 Seyferts in the sample. Colour gradients are also ubiquitous. In particular, all but one of the observed Seyfert 2s are redder at the nucleus than in its immediate vicinity. Possible consequences of these findings are briefly outlined.     

赛弗特星系恒星速度弥散度的测量

星系中心黑洞质量和核球恒星速度弥散度的紧密关系揭示出准确测量恒星速度弥散度对测定星系中心黑洞质量尤为重要.文中提供了一种利用SDSS(Sloan Digital SkySurvey)光谱测定速度弥散度及其不确定性的方法.通过对像素空间包含显著特征吸收线的4个不同谱区的拟合,得到准确测量恒星速度弥散度σ的光谱区域.文中4个拟合波段主要包含的吸收线为CaⅡK,MgⅠb三重线(波长5167.5,5172.7,5183.6(?))和CaT(CaⅡ三重线,波长8498.0,8542.1,8662.1(?)).不同区域结果表明,MgⅠb区由于受到铁族发射线影响,拟合的σ值偏低;CaⅡK线区谱线强度很弱,易受限于最小二乘法搜索算法;CaT+CaⅡK联合区得出的速度弥散度和只计算CaT区域的结果相当.利用该方法,测试了一个红移小于0.05的赛弗特星系样本,发现CaT区是测速度弥散度的最佳谱区.     

Gaseous versus Stellar Velocity Dispersion in Emission-Line Galaxies

We compare the ionized gas velocity dispersion σgas with the stellar velocity dis-persion σ* in star-forming galaxies, composite galaxies, Low Ionization Nuclear Emission-line Regions (LINERs) and Seyfert 2s, compiled from a cross-identification of Sloan Digital Sky Survey Fourth Data Release (SDSS DR4) and Point Source Catalogue Redshift Survey (PSCz). We measure σgas from the FWHMs of emission lines (Hα, [NII]λλ6548, 6583 and [SII] λλ6716, 6731). A significant correlation between the gas and stellar velocity dispersion exists, despite substantial scatter. The mean value of the gas to stellar velocity dispersion ratio is close to unity. This suggests that gas velocity dispersion can substitute for the stellar veloc-ity dispersion as a tracer of the gravitational potential well for all the four types of galaxies,but the involved uncertainties are different from type to type. We also studied σgas/σ* as a function of the redshift and the axial ratio to test the effects of aperture and galaxy inclina-tion, and found that both effects are weak. Finally we checked the trend of σgas/σ* with the infrared luminosity and found no significant correlation.     

Gaseous versus Stellar Velocity Dispersion in Emission-Line Galaxies

We compare the ionized gas velocity dispersion σgas with the stellar velocity dispersion σ＊ in star-forming galaxies, composite galaxies, Low Ionization Nuclear Emissionline Regions （LINERs） and Seyfert 2s, compiled from a cross-identification of Sloan Digital Sky Survey Fourth Data Release （SDSS DR4） and Point Source Catalogue Redshift Survey （PSCz）. We measure σgas from the FWHMs of emission lines （Hα, [NⅡ]λλ6548, 6583 and [SⅡ]λλ6716, 6731）. A significant correlation between the gas and stellar velocity dispersion exists, despite substantial scatter. The mean value of the gas to stellar velocity dispersion ratio is close to unity. This suggests that gas velocity dispersion can substitute for the stellar velocity dispersion as a tracer of the gravitational potential well for all the four types of galaxies, but the involved uncertainties are different from type to type. We also studied -↑σgas, as a function of the redshift and the axial ratio to test the effects of aperture and galaxy inclination, and found that both effects are weak. Finally we checked the trend of -↑σgas/σ＊ with the infrared luminosity and found no significant correlation.     

Stellar Populations in the Magellanic Clouds

There seems to be no strong evidence that the young globular clusters in the MC have metallicities differing significantly from the metallicities of MC field stars of the same age. The old globular clusters in the LMC are of the same age as, or slightly younger than, those in the outer halo of our Galaxy. It is suggested that the increase in the SFR in the LMC ∼ 4 Gyr ago was related to the collapse of the system to a plane. Evidence for a spread in metallicities amongst young stars in either Cloud remains tentative. There is no strong evidence for bursts of star formation being triggered by LMC-SMC-Galaxy interactions but the possibility is raised that the SFR in the SMC has been strongly affected by this interaction. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.