Colour gradients in globular clusters

Radial colour gradients in the globular clusters NGC 2808, NGC 1851, NGC 5139, NGC 5139, NGC 6388, NGC 6441, NGC 6541, NGC 6723, and NGC 7099 were searched byB-V and DDO photoelectric photometry, using a set of circular diaphragms. Two of the observed globular clusters, NGC 5139 (Cen) and NGC 7099 (M30), showedB-V and C(45–48) colour gradients; the colour C(42–45) is essentially constant in these clusters, which means that the physical reason for those gradients cannot be attributed to chemical composition variations, since C(42–45) is a good metal abundance indicator.B-V colours in the external regions of NGC 5139 and NGC 7099 were obtained by synthesizing the observed HR diagrams of these clusters. The ages and the relaxation times for NGC 5139 and NGC 7099 indicate that mass segregation must have taken place in both clusters, which is probably related to the observed colour gradients.     

The distribution of interstellar dust in nine regions near the galactic plane

In dem vorliegenden Artikel werden die interstellare Extinktion und die Verteilung des interstellaren Staubes bis zu einer Entfernung von 8–10 kpc untersucht. Die Messungen erfolgten in der galaktischen Länge von 7° bis 222° in Richtung der offenen Sternhaufen NGC 6531, NGC 6866, Tr 35, NGC 7062, NGC 7654, IC 1805, NGC 1664, NGC 2251 und NGC 2323.     

Distances of Galaxies from the Apparent Size Distribution of Dark Clouds. II NGC 224, NGC 2841 and NGC 7331

The distances of three Sb galaxies NGC 224, NGC 2841 and NGC 7331 have been determined using the apparent size distribution of dark interstellar clouds in each of them. The distances of NGC 224, NGC 2841, NGC 7331 were found to be 727.7 ± 63 kpc, 8.07 ± 0.16 Mpc and 7.22 ± 0.15 Mpc, respectively.     

H<Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis> Velocity Fields and Galaxy Interaction in the Quartet of Galaxies NGC 7769, 7770, 7771 and 7771A

The quartet of galaxies NGC 7769, 7770, 7771 and 7771A is a system of interacting galaxies. Close interaction between galaxies caused characteristic morphological features: tidal arms and bars, as well as an induced star formation. In this study, we performed the Fabry–Perot scanning interferometry of the system in H a line and studied the velocity fields of the galaxies. We found that the rotation curve of NGC 7769 is weakly distorted. The rotation curve of NGC 7771 is strongly distorted with the tidal arms caused by direct flyby of NGC 7769 and flyby of a smaller neighbor NGC 7770. The rotation curve of NGC 7770 is significantly skewed because of the interaction with the much massive NGC 7771. The rotation curves and morphological disturbances suggest that the NGC 7769 and NGC 7771 have passed the first pericenter stage, however, probably the second encounter has not happened yet. Profiles of surface brightness of NGC 7769 have a characteristic break, and profiles of color indices have a minimum at a radius of intensive star formation induced by the interaction with NGC 7771.     

Kinematics of Giant HII Regions in Nearby Galaxies

We present optical high-spectral-resolution long-slit observationsof massive star formation regions in the nearby galaxies M101, NGC2403, and M33 obtained with the WHT. We have constructed velocity,line dispersion and intensity maps using between 6 and 12 parallelslits in each case. We will present the data for seven regions:NGC 5455, NGC 5461, NGC 5471 in M101; three regions in NGC 2403;and NGC 595 in M33. We will also present a detailed study of thedifferent profiles found across the regions, paying specialattention to the presence of supersonic profiles and multiplecomponents.     

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.     

Optical warps in galaxies II

The existence of warps in lenticular galaxies has been confirmed. About 60% of a sample composed of 15 galaxies were found to be warped. Warping was detected in both the inner and outer regions of NGC 4270 and NGC 4503. Two galaxies have squeezed isophotes (NGC 4215 and NGC 4623).     

Radio Emission from Globular Clusters

1 INTRODUCTION Many radio observations have been conducted on globular clusters in the past years, stimu-lated by the detection of pulsars and X-ray sources in them. Globular clusters are good placesfor hunting pulsars (Lyne et al. 2000). Until now, about 50 pulsars have been detected in 17globular clusters (Lyne et al. 1995; Biggs & Lyne 1996; D'Amico et al. 2001; Lyne et al. 2000;Camilo et al. 2000). Except for four long period pulsars, all of these pulsars are millisecondpulsars (M…     

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.     

Detailed isophotometry of some galaxies,I

Results from a detailed isophotometric survey of NGC 5595, NGC 5597, NGC 5605, and NGC 7769 are given. It includes isophotic maps, luminosity profiles and ellipticity curves as well. Scanning of these galaxies was done in theB andV colours.     

Spectral Monitoring of AGN at the 6 Meter Telescope

Spectral monitoring of NGC 3516, NGC 4151, NGC 5548 and NGC 7469 has been carried out in 1986-1996 on time scales of days-months-years. In 1986-1995, the observations were made on the SAO 6-m telescope using a TV scanner with SNR about 20 in the range 4000-5200 Å (about 500 spectra). In 1996, virtually all spectra were obtained using a CCD camera with 2D and 3D spectrographs in the range 4000-7000 Å with SNR 50-100 (270 spectra). The Seyfert galaxies NGC 7469, NGC 5548, and 3C390.3 were observed in the international "AGN Watch" program by about 40 observatories around the world at optical wavelengths and by the IUE and HST in the UV. Our observations in this program demonstrated that there are no significant radial motions inside the broad line regions in NGC 4151, 3C390.3 and, possibly, in NGC 5548; that the BLR dimensions are about half those previously assumed; and that there is stratification of the BLR. The SAO 6-m observations suggest the existence of narrow satellites of the H lines during the low state of NGC 4151 in 1986-1987; new data on the narrow line region indicates the existence of an intermediate-velocity OIII component (about 2000 km/s).     

Cluster AgeS Experiment (CASE): deficiency of observed dwarf novae in globular clusters

We present the results of a search for dwarf novae (DNe) in globular clusters (GCs). It is based on the largest available homogeneous sample of observations, in terms of the time-span, number of observations and number of clusters. It includes 16 Galactic GCs and yielded two new certain DNe: M55-CV1 and M22-CV2. All previously known systems located in our fields were recovered, too. We surveyed M4, M5, M10, M12, M22, M30, M55, NGC 288, NGC 362, NGC 2808, NGC 3201, NGC 4372, NGC 6362, NGC 6752, ω Centauri (NGC 5139) and 47 Tucanae (NGC 104). The discovery of two DNe, namely M55-CV1 and M22-CV2, was already reported by Kaluzny et al. and Pietrukowicz et al., respectively. In the remaining 14 GCs, we found no certain new DNe. Our result raises the total number of known DNe in the Galactic GCs to 12 DNe, distributed among seven clusters. Our survey recovered all three already known erupting cataclysmic variables (CVs) located in our fields, namely M5-V101, M22-CV1, and V4 in the foreground of M30. To assess the efficiency of the survey, we analysed images with inserted artificial stars mimicking outbursts of the prototype DNe SS Cygni and U Geminorum. Depending on the conditions, we recovered between 16–100 per cent of these artificial stars. The efficiency seems to be predominantly affected by duty cycle/time-sampling and much less by distance/magnitude. Except for saturated tiny collapsed cores of M30, NGC 362 and NGC 6752 (and also the dense core of NGC 2808), crowding effects in the V band were avoided by our image subtraction technique augmented with auxiliary unsaturated B -band images. Our results clearly demonstrate that in GCs common types of DNe are very rare indeed. However, great care must be taken before these conclusions can be extended to the CV population in GCs.     

Low frequency observations of emission nebulae and their electron temperatures

Radio observations of emission nebulae at 74 MHz are reported. Flux densities for NGC 1499, IC 405, IC 410, NGC 2024, NGC 2175, NGC 2237-46, and NGC 6820 are given. Most of the observed nebulae are found to be optically thick at 74 MHz. Combining the low frequency results with previously measured flux densities at high frequencies, it is shown that it is possible to derive the mean electron temperatures of the observed nebulae. The results show that the range in temperature is from 3200 to 6800 K.     

Absorption gradient in galaxies,V

The same procedure mentioned in Papers I, II, III for studying the surface distribution of dark clouds is used to study the same phenomenon in the galaxies NGC 253, NGC 2841, NGC 5321, NGC 5194, and NGC 5195 radially and angularly. The general form (sinusoidal distribution function) found earlier is still representative for the present results. Internal absorption was found to vary along these two variables (radially and angularly) in the same way as was found earlier for M31 (the papers cited at the end) which may lead to the assumption of universality of this phenomenon.     

Optical and X-ray variability of Seyfert galaxies NGC 5548, NGC 7469, NGC 3227, NGC 4051, NGC 4151, Mrk 509, Mrk 79, and Akn 564 and quasar 1E 0754

The results of a cross-correlation analysis of the optical and X-ray light curves for eight Seyfert galaxies, NGC 5548, NGC 7469, NGC 3227, NGC 4051, NGC 4151, Mrk 509, Mrk 79, and Akn 564 and for the optical spectra of the quasar 1E 0754 are presented. In the case of the galaxies NGC 5548 and NGC 7469, the maximum values of cross-correlation coefficients for optical and X-ray variations proved to be high (0.73 and 0.79, respectively). The lag time, determined from the maximum of cross-correlation function, is 2.800 _?1.58 ^+3.12 days for NGC 5548 and 0.6 _?4.3 ^+0.9 days for NGC 7469. This result favors downscattering of the X-ray emission into the optical range (direct Compton effect) for NGC 5548 and NGC 7469. In addition to the main maximum, which corresponds to the lag of the optical flux variations behind the X-ray flux, six objects (excluding Akn 564 and NGC 4151) show the wings in the intervals of cross-correlation functions that correspond to the time lags of X-ray emission behind the optical emission of approximately 10 days. A method of determining the masses of central black holes in AGNs through spectral line widths is presented; with this method the mass of the central black hole in the quasar 1E 0754 was found (M _BH = 1.01 × 10⁸ M _sun). The position of the quasar 1E 0754 in the mass-luminosity diagram meets the position of other NLS 1 galaxies.     

Imaging of the shell galaxies NGC 474 and 7600, and implications for their formation

We present photometric observations of two shell galaxies, NGC 474 and 7600. We examine the photometric colours and surface brightnesses of the shells and their host galaxies, and the isophotal parameters of each galaxy. In the case of NGC 474, we find that the shell formation is consistent with a merger origin, although it is possible that the close companion NGC 470 is contributing to the shell system via mass transfer. NGC 7600 exhibits shell geometry and colours which also favour a merger origin.     

X-rays from the open cluster NGC 6633

NGC 6633 is a young, open cluster with a similar age to the Hyades and Praesepe, but probably a lower metallicity. We present the results of ROSAT High Resolution Imager observations of an optically selected catalogue of likely members of NGC 6633. 8 out of 51 NGC 6633 members have been detected, with main-sequence spectral types A to G, above a threshold X-ray luminosity of ≈6–12×10²⁸ erg s⁻¹. We find that NGC 6633 does not contain cool stars that are as X-ray luminous as the most active objects in the Hyades and that the median X-ray luminosity of F-G stars in NGC 6633 is less than that in the Hyades, but probably greater than in Praesepe. However, when X-ray activity is expressed as the X-ray to bolometric flux ratio we find that NGC 6633 and the Hyades are very similar and display similar peak levels of coronal activity. We attribute this discrepancy to a number of possible wide binary systems with higher X-ray (and bolometric) luminosities in the Hyades sample and either a low metallicity in NGC 6633, which makes its cool stars both X-ray and bolometrically less luminous at the same colour, or a distance to NGC 6633 that has been underestimated, which would decrease stellar X-ray luminosities without changing X-ray to bolometric flux ratios.     

Spectral survey of molecular cores NGC 6334I and NGC 6334I(N) in the range 80.5–242.0 GHz

Results of a spectral survey of molecular cores NGC 6334I and NGC 6334I(N) in a number of spectral intervals with widths of about 1000 MHz are presented. Observations were carried out with the SEST radiotelescope. Number of the intervals for NGC 6334I was 11. 209 spectral features were detected towards molecular core NGC 6334I, out of which 203 features were assigned to 25 species.Number of the intervals for NGC 6334I(N) was 6. They represent a subset of the intervals used for the NGC 6334I. The spectrum of NGC 6334I(N) appears to be considerably more poor with the features: 63 features were detected, out of which 55 were assigned to 13 species.Catalogues of assigned features for both sources are presented. They contain the notation of corresponding molecular transition, frequency, and the following observational data: integrated intensity, V_lsr velocity, FWHM and antenna temperature.     

Kinematics, abundances and origin of brightest cluster galaxies

We present kinematic parameters and absorption line strengths for three brightest cluster galaxies, NGC 6166, 6173 and 6086. We find that NGC 6166 has a velocity dispersion profile which rises beyond 20 arcsec from the nucleus, with a halo velocity dispersion in excess of 400 km s⁻¹. All three galaxies show a positive and constant h ₄ Hermite moment. The rising velocity dispersion profile in NGC 6166 thus indicates an increasing mass-to-light ratio. Rotation is low in all three galaxies, and NGC 6173 and 6086 show possible kinematically decoupled cores. All three galaxies have Mg₂ gradients similar to those found in normal bright ellipticals, which are not steep enough to support simple dissipative collapse models, but these could be accompanied by dissipationless mergers which would tend to dilute the abundance gradients. The [Mg/Fe] ratios in NGC 6166 and 6086 are higher than that found in NGC 6173, and if NGC 6173 is typical of normal bright ellipticals, this suggests that cDs cannot form from late mergers of normal galaxies.     

Companions and interactions in the NGC 6946 system

We report the results of a survey of the H  i environment of NGC 6946 in a search for gas-rich companions to the galaxy. Such gas-rich companions could include material left over from the galaxy assembly process which could persist into the current day around an isolated galaxy such as NGC 6946. NGC 6946 is prolifically forming stars, has a nuclear starburst, and has widespread high-velocity clouds associated with the disc. All of these features could be explained by the accretion of low-mass H  i clouds by NGC 6946. Our survey recovered two previously detected dwarf galaxies associated with NGC 6946, but otherwise found no signatures of interactions in the NGC 6946 system. The companions are small enough, and distant enough from NGC 6946 that they should have minimal effect on the main galaxy. Some tidal debris may be expected due to interaction between the two dwarf galaxies, but none is observed. This could be because it is at low column densities, or because the dwarf galaxies are more separated than they appear on the sky. This study of the system suggests that NGC 6946 is a gravitationally bound system with two dwarf galaxies in stable orbits about the larger primary galaxy.