The stellar populations of spiral galaxies

We have used a large sample of low-inclination spiral galaxies with radially resolved optical and near-infrared photometry to investigate trends in star formation history with radius as a function of galaxy structural parameters. A maximum-likelihood method was used to match all the available photometry of our sample to the colours predicted by stellar population synthesis models. The use of simplistic star formation histories, uncertainties in the stellar population models and considering the importance of dust all compromise the absolute ages and metallicities derived in this work; however, our conclusions are robust in a relative sense. We find that most spiral galaxies have stellar population gradients, in the sense that their inner regions are older and more metal rich than their outer regions. Our main conclusion is that the surface density of a galaxy drives its star formation history, perhaps through a local density dependence in the star formation law. The mass of a galaxy is a less important parameter; the age of a galaxy is relatively unaffected by its mass; however, the metallicity of galaxies depends on both surface density and mass. This suggests that galaxy‐mass-dependent feedback is an important process in the chemical evolution of galaxies. In addition, there is significant cosmic scatter suggesting that mass and density may not be the only parameters affecting the star formation history of a galaxy.     

Quantifying dust and the ultraviolet radiation density in the local Universe

A sample of local galaxies for which far-infrared and ultraviolet fluxes are available is used to estimate the characteristic dust extinction in galaxies and to test whether standard dust properties are plausible. Assuming galaxies can be characterized by a single dust optical depth (certainly not valid for galaxies with a dominant starburst component), the infrared excess and ultraviolet colours of local galaxies are found to be consistent with normal Milky Way dust, with a mean value for   E ( B − V )  of 0.16. A significant fraction of the dust heating is caused by older, lower-mass stars, and this fraction increases towards earlier galaxy types.
Analysis of  ( F _FIR/ F _UV)  versus ultraviolet colour diagrams for starburst galaxies in terms of a simple screen dust model does not support a Calzetti (1997) rather than a Milky Way extinction law, though the absence of the expected strong 2200- Å feature in several galaxies with IUE spectra does show that more detailed radiative transfer models are needed – probably with nonspherical geometry.
A simple treatment in which the  100/60-μm  flux ratio is used to subtract the optically thick starburst contribution to the far-infrared radiation results in lower extinction estimates for the optically thin cirrus component, with a mean   E ( B − V )  of 0.10.
The ultraviolet luminosity density, corrected for dust extinction, is derived and a value for the local mean star formation rate inferred. This is consistent with previous estimates from ultraviolet surveys and from  Hα  surveys.     

Expansion of the stellar subsystems of disk galaxies

Based on archival Hubble Space Telescope images, we have performed stellar photometry for eight edge-on spiral and irregular galaxies. We have identified stars with ages of 20, 50, 80, 160, and 500 Myr in the derived Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams and constructed their number density distributions perpendicularly to the plane of the galactic disk. We have determined the sizes of the stellar subsystems and constructed the size-age diagrams for the stars constituting these subsystems. The stellar subsystems have been found to expand in all of the investigated galaxies within the range of ages studied (from 20 to 500 Myr). The expansion velocity of the subsystems decreases as one recedes from the galactic plane. The subsystems with ages of 1.5 and 6 Gyr also exhibit an increase in their sizes with age. The sizes of these subsystems approach those of the thick disk consisting of red giants. Our results confirm the model of thick-disk formation in irregular and low-mass spiral galaxies through thin-disk expansion.     

How the extinction of extragalactic background light affects surface photometry of galaxies, groups and clusters

The faint regions of galaxies, groups and clusters hold important clues about how these objects formed, and surface photometry at optical and near-infrared wavelengths represents a powerful tool for studying such structures. Here, we identify a hitherto unrecognized problem with this technique, related to how the night sky flux is typically measured and subtracted from astronomical images. While most of the sky flux comes from regions between the observer and the target object, a small fraction – the extragalactic background light (EBL) – comes from behind. We argue that since this part of the sky flux can be subjected to extinction by dust present in the galaxy/group/cluster studied, standard reduction procedures may lead to a systematic oversubtraction of the EBL. Even very small amounts of extinction can lead to spurious features in radial surface brightness profiles and colour maps of extended objects. We assess the likely impact of this effect on a number of topics in extragalactic astronomy where very deep surface photometry is currently attempted, including studies of stellar haloes, starburst host galaxies, disc truncations and diffuse intragroup/intracluster light. We argue that EBL extinction may provide at least a partial explanation for the anomalously red colours reported for the haloes of disc galaxies and for the hosts of local starburst galaxies. EBL extinction effects also mimic truncations in discs with unusually high dust opacities, but are unlikely to be the cause of such features in general. Failure to account for EBL extinction can also give rise to a non-negligible underestimate of intragroup and intracluster light at the faintest surface brightness levels currently probed. Finally, we discuss how EBL extinction effects may be exploited to provide an independent constraint on the surface brightness of the EBL, using a combination of surface photometry and direct star counts.     

Young stellar populations in the local group: an HST and GALEX comprehensive study

The study of the stellar constituents of star-forming sites in a wide variety of conditions yields the key to interpreting wide-field UV-optical imaging of extended nearby galaxies, and of distant galaxies. We obtained six-band imaging (from far-UV to I) with HST-WFPC2 of 67 sites of recent star formation in eight Local Group galaxies. HST pointings were selected from GALEX wide-field FUV imaging, which traces the young stellar populations. The HST observations were optimized to characterize the hottest, most massive stars in these regions. From the HST photometry, analyzed with stellar model colors, we derived the physical parameters of the massive stars in each field, and of the extinction by interstellar dust. The HST results are used to interpret GALEX UV measurements of SF across the entire galaxies. Our comprehensive photometric study at HST resolution (sub-pc scale in these galaxies) also provides an ideal selection of targets for follow-up spectroscopy with large ground-based telescopes, and in the UV with HST- or WSO-class telescopes, to clarify the influence of metallicity on the properties and the evolution of massive stars.     

The material of the interstellar dust and the surface of asteroids: A comparison of the spectral properties in the 0.3–1.1-μm range

From the data on bright stars of different spectral and luminosity classes from the 13-color photometry catalog, the selective extinction of light by the interstellar dust has been studied. The stars from the 1000-pc vicinity of the Sun were investigated. In the optical spectral range, the interstellar extinction curves show systematic deviations from the “λ^?1” law, which allows one to sort them into three types. The observed curves of the interstellar dust extinction were compared with the theoretical curves calculated from the reflectance spectra of the asteroids under the approximation of the Rayleigh particles. The calculated extinction curves for the surface material of D-type asteroids and the Tagish Lake carbonaceous chondrite agree rather well with the observed curves of the interstellar extinction of the first type.     

0422−476: a shell galaxy with azimuthally distributed shells

A morphological and two-colour charge-coupled device photometry study of the shell galaxy 0422−476, one of the richest known azimuthally distributed shell galaxies, is presented. Taking this galaxy as a prototype, a general method for reducing observational data of these objects is defined and quantitative parameters for use in further theoretical studies are derived.
According to some recent models (e.g. that of Thomson and Wright in 1990), the shells in such a galaxy could be density waves induced in a thick disc population of dynamically cold stars by a weak interaction with another galaxy. In 0422−476 there is no evidence of either a conventional exponential disc or a thick disc. Although it is not possible to rule out the weak interaction model, the observations continue to favour the merger model (e.g. that of Quinn from 1984).     

Stellar subsystems of different ages in spiral and irregular galaxies

Based on archival Hubble Space Telescope images, we have performed stellar photometry for eight edge-on spiral and irregular galaxies. We have identified stars of three ages in the derived Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams and constructed their number density distribution perpendicularly to the plane of the galactic disk. The sizes of the stellar subsystems of young (up to 100 Myr), middle (0.1–1.0 Gyr), and old (up to 12 Gyr) ages have been determined. A relationship between the age of a subsystem and its size has been found in all of the galaxies studied. Our results can be explained by the model of galactic thick-disk formation through thin-disk expansion. In this case, the middle-age stellar subsystem is a transitional stage from the thin disk to the thick one.     

The nature of a dusty ring in Virgo

We detected a ring-like distribution of far-infrared (FIR) emission in the direction of the centre of the Virgo cluster (VC). We studied this feature in the FIR, radio and optical domains, and deduced that the dust within the feature reddens the galaxies in the direction of the VC but does not affect stars within the Milky Way. This is likely to be a dusty feature in the foreground of the VC, presumably in the Galactic halo. The H  i distribution follows the morphology of the FIR emission and shows peculiar kinematic behaviour. We propose that a highly supersonic past collision between an H  i cloud and the Galactic H  i formed a shock that heated the interface gas to soft X-ray temperatures. H  i remnants from the projectile and from the shocked Galactic H  i rain down on to the disc as intermediate-velocity gas.
Our finding emphasizes that extragalactic astronomy must consider the possibility of extinction by dust at high galactic latitude and far from the Galactic plane, which may show structure on 1° and smaller scales. This is particularly important for studies of the VC, e.g. in the determination of the Hubble constant from Cepheids in cluster galaxies.     

Stars and clusters of the coma galaxies NGC 4921 and NGC 4923

Based on deep Hubble Space Telescope ACS/WFC images, we have performed stellar photometry for the spiral and lenticular galaxies NGC 4921 and NGC 4923 in the Coma cluster. The derived Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams show that, apart from the stellar population, NGC 4921 has several thousand globular clusters. The asymmetry of their apparent distribution proves that NGC 4921 is in close spatial proximity to NGC 4923. We have determined the positions of the peaks for the luminosity functions of globular clusters in the two galaxies, which has allowed us to measure the distance to this pair (D = 97±5 Mpc). In many cases, compact star-forming regions at the periphery of NGC 4921 are located at the ends of extended (up to 1.5 kpc) radial gas and dust filaments. The metallicity of young stars in these star-forming regions is close to that of the Sun (Z = 0.02).     

The inner Galaxy resolved at IJK using DENIS data

We present the analysis of three-colour optical/near-infrared images, in IJK , taken for the DEep Near Infrared Southern Sky Survey (DENIS) project. The region considered covers 17.4 deg² and lies within <5°, b <1.°5. The adopted methods for deriving photometry and astrometry in these crowded images, together with an analysis of the deficiencies nevertheless remaining, are presented. The numbers of objects extracted in I , J and K are 748 000, 851 000 and 659 000 respectively, to magnitude limits of 17, 15 and 13. Eighty per cent completeness levels typically fall at magnitudes 16, 13 and 10 respectively, fainter by about 2 mag than the usual DENIS limits as a result of the crowded nature of these fields. A simple model to describe the disc contribution to the number counts is constructed, and parameters for the dust layer are derived. We find that a formal fit of parameters for the dust plane, from these data in limited directions, gives a scalelength and scaleheight of 3.4±1.0 kpc and 40±5 pc respectively, and a solar position 14.0±2.5 pc below the plane. This latter value is likely to be affected by localized dust asymmetries. We convolve a detailed model of the systematic and random errors in the photometry with a simple model of the Galactic disc and dust distribution to simulate expected colourmagnitude diagrams. These are in good agreement with the observed diagrams, allowing us to isolate those stars from the inner disc and bulge. After correcting for local dust-induced asymmetries, we find evidence for longitude-dependent asymmetries in the distant J and K sources, consistent with the general predictions of some Galactic bar models. We consider complementary L -band observations in the companion paper.     

The shapes of galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

We determine the underlying shapes of spiral and elliptical galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 6 (SDSS DR6) from the observed distribution of projected galaxy shapes, taking into account the effects of dust extinction and reddening. We assume that the underlying shapes of spirals and ellipticals are well approximated by triaxial ellipsoids. The elliptical galaxy data are consistent with oblate spheroids, with a correlation between luminosity and ellipticity: the mean values of minor to middle axis ratios are 0.41 ± 0.03 for   M _r ≈−18  ellipticals and 0.76 ± 0.04 for   M _r ≈−22.5  ellipticals. Ellipticals show almost no dependence of axial ratio on galaxy colour, implying a negligible dust optical depth.
There is a strong variation of spiral galaxy shapes with colour indicating the presence of dust. The intrinsic shapes of spiral galaxies in the SDSS DR6 are consistent with flat discs with a mean and dispersion of thickness to diameter ratio of (21 ± 2) per cent, and a face-on ellipticity, e , of  ln( e ) =−2.33 ± 0.79  . Not including the effects of dust in the model leads to discs that are systematically rounder by up to 60 per cent. More luminous spiral galaxies tend to have thicker and rounder discs than lower luminosity spirals. Both elliptical and spiral galaxies tend to be rounder for larger galaxies.
The marginalized value of the edge-on r -band dust extinction E ₀ in spiral galaxies is   E ₀≃ 0.45  mag for galaxies of median colours, increasing to   E ₀= 1  mag for   g − r > 0.9  and   E ₀= 1.9  for the luminous and most compact galaxies, with half-light radii  <2  h ⁻¹ kpc  .     

The expected detection of dust emission from high-redshift Lyman α galaxies

Recent results have shown that a substantial fraction of high-redshift Lyman α (Lyα) galaxies contain considerable amounts of dust. This implies that Lyα galaxies are not primordial, as has been thought in the past. However, this dust has not been directly detected in emission; rather it has been inferred based on extinction estimates from rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) and optical observations. This can be tricky, as both dust and old stars redden galactic spectra at the wavelengths used to infer dust. Measuring dust emission directly from these galaxies is thus a more accurate way to estimate the total dust mass, giving us real physical information on the stellar populations and interstellar medium enrichment. New generation instruments, such as the Atacama Large Millimeter Array and Sub-Millimeter Array, should be able to detect dust emission from some of these galaxies in the submillimeter. Using measurements of the UV spectral slopes, we derive far-infrared flux predictions for of a sample of  23 z ≥ 4  Lyα galaxies. We find that in only a few hours, we can detect dust emission from 39 ± 22 per cent of our Lyα galaxies. Comparing these results to those found from a sample of 21 Lyman break galaxies (LBGs), we find that LBGs are on average 60 per cent more likely to be detected than Lyα galaxies, implying that they are more dusty, and thus indicating an evolutionary difference between these objects. These observations will provide better constraints on dust in these galaxies than those derived from their UV and optical fluxes alone. Undeniable proof of dust in these galaxies could explain the larger than expected Lyα equivalent widths seen in many Lyα galaxies today.     

Interstellar extinction in the vicinity of the reflection nebula NGC 1333 in Perseus

The dependence of interstellar extinction on distance in the direction of a dark cloud around the reflection nebula NGC 1333 is determined on the basis of photoelectric Vilnius photometry and photometric classification of 78 stars. Two dust clouds are noted at distances 160 and 220 pc. The first one with mean extinction of 0.4 mag is concluded to belong to the Taurus cloud complex and the second cloud with mean extinction of 1.8 mag belongs to the chain of dark clouds and other young objects which is almost perpendicular to the spiral arm but lies 80 pc below the galactic plane. The star BD +30°549 which illuminates the NGC 1333 nebula is at distance 212 pc from the Sun. No extinction increase behind the Perseus cloud is detected.     

Modelling gaseous and stellar kinematics in the disc galaxies NGC 772, 3898 and 7782

We present V -band surface photometry and major-axis kinematics of stars and ionized gas of three early-type spiral galaxies, namely NGC 772, 3898 and 7782. For each galaxy we present a self-consistent Jeans model for the stellar kinematics, adopting the light distribution of bulge and disc derived by means of a two-dimensional parametric photometric decomposition. This allows us to investigate the presence of non-circular gas motions, and derive the mass distribution of luminous and dark matter in these objects.
NGC 772 and 7782 have apparently normal kinematics with the ionized gas tracing the gravitational equilibrium circular speed. This is not true in the innermost region (| r |≲8 arcsec) of NGC 3898, where the ionized gas is rotating more slowly than the circular velocity predicted by dynamical modelling. This phenomenon is common in the bulge-dominated galaxies for which dynamical modelling enables us to make the direct comparison between the gas velocity and the circular speed, and it poses questions about the reliability of galaxy mass distributions derived by the direct decomposition of the observed ionized-gas rotation curve into the contributions of luminous and dark matter.     

Stellar Disks and Halos of Edge-on Spiral Galaxies: NGC 891, NGC 4144, and NGC 4244

Stellar photometry of images from the ACS and WFPC2 cameras on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is used to study the star composition and spatial distribution of stars in three edge-on visible spiral galaxies: NGC 891, NGC 4144, and NGC 4244. Measurements of the surface number density of old stars revealed two stellar subsystems in these galaxies: a thick disk and a halo. The boundaries of these subsystems, which consist mainly of red giants, are determined from the change in the gradient of the number density of the stars. The halos are flattened at the poles of the galaxies and extend to distances of 8–25 kpc from the planes of the galaxies. The present results on the number density distribution of stars with different ages perpendicular to the planes of these galaxies make it possible to improve our model for the stellar structure of spiral galaxies. The distances to these galaxies are calculated using a determination of the tip of the red giant branches (the TRGB method): D = 9.82 Mpc (NGC 891), D = 7.24 Mpc (NGC 4144), and D = 4.29 Mpc (NGC 4244).__________Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 48, No. 2, pp. 261–280 (May 2005).     

The poor cluster of galaxies S639

We have studied the poor southern cluster of galaxies S639. Based on new Strömgren photometry of stars in the direction of the cluster, we confirm that the Galactic extinction affecting the cluster is large. We find the extinction in Johnson B to be A_B =0.75±0.03. We have obtained new photometry in Gunn r for E and S0 galaxies in the cluster. If the Fundamental Plane is used for determination of the relative distance and the peculiar velocity of the cluster, we find a distance, in velocity units, of (5706±350) km s⁻¹, and a substantial peculiar velocity, (839±350) km s⁻¹. However, the colours and the absorption line indices of the E and S0 galaxies indicate that the stellar populations in these galaxies are different from those in similar galaxies in the two rich clusters Coma and Hydra I. This difference may severely affect the distance determination and the derived peculiar velocity. The data are consistent with a non-significant peculiar velocity for S639 and the galaxies in the cluster being on average 0.2 dex younger than similar galaxies in Coma and Hydra I. The results for S639 caution that some large peculiar velocities may be spurious and caused by unusual stellar populations.     

Effects of clumping on the observed properties of dusty galaxies

We present Monte Carlo radiative-transfer simulations for spiral galaxies modelled as a stellar disc and a two-phase clumpy dust distribution. We divide the volume occupied by the dust into a three-dimensional grid and assign each cell a clump or smooth medium status. Cell dimension, clump dust mass and spatial distribution are derived from the observed properties of giant molecular clouds and molecular gas in the Galaxy. We produce models for several values of the optical depth and fraction of the interstellar medium residing in clumps. As a general result, clumpy models are less opaque than the corresponding homogeneous models. For the adopted parameters, the increase in the fraction of energy that escapes the disc is moderate, resulting in surface-brightness profiles that are less than one magnitude brighter than those of the homogeneous models. The effects of clumping are larger for edge-on views of the disc. This is in contrast with previous preliminary results for clumping in the literature. We show how differences arise from the different parametrization and clump distribution adopted. We also consider models in which a fraction of the stellar radiation is emitted within the clumps. In this case, galaxies are less transparent than in the case when only dust is clumped. The opacity can be even higher than in the homogeneous case, depending on the fraction of embedded stellar emission. We point out the implications of the results for the determination of the opacity and dust mass of spiral galaxies.