Red-channel (6000-8000 {\AA}) nuclear spectra of 376 local galaxies

We obtained long-slit optical spectra of the nuclear regions of 376 galaxies in the local Universe using the 1.5m Cassini telescope of Bologna Observatory. Of these spectra, 164 were either never taken before by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), or given by the Nasa Extragalactic Database (NED). With these new spectra, we contribute investigating the occurrence of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Nevertheless, we stress that the present sample is by no means complete, thus, it cannot be used to perform any demographic study. Following the method presented in Gavazzi et al. (2011), we classify the nuclear spectra using a six bin scheme: SEY (Seyfert), sAGN (strong AGN), and wAGN (weak AGN) represent active galactic nuclei of different levels of activity; HII accounts for star-forming nuclei; RET (retired) and PAS (passive) refer to nuclei with poor or no star-formation activity. The spectral classification is performed using the ratio of 6584 {\lambda} [NII] to H{\alpha} lines and the equivalent width (EW) of H{\alpha} versus [NII]/H{\alpha} (WHAN diagnostic introduced by Cid Fernandes and collaborators) after correcting H{\alpha} for underlying absorption. The obtained spectra are made available in machine readable format via the Strasbourg Astronomical Data Center (CDS) and NED.Comment: 8 pages, 6 Figures, 4 Tables, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Robust automatic photometry of local galaxies from SDSS. Dissecting the color magnitude relation with color profiles

We present an automatic procedure to perform reliable photometry of galaxies on SDSS images. We selected a sample of 5853 galaxies in the Coma and Virgo superclusters. For each galaxy, we derive Petrosian g and i magnitudes, surface brightness and color profiles. Unlike the SDSS pipeline, our procedure is not affected by the well known shredding problem and efficiently extracts Petrosian magnitudes for all galaxies. Hence we derived magnitudes even from the population of galaxies missed by the SDSS which represents ~25% of all local supercluster galaxies and ~95% of galaxies with g < 11 mag. After correcting the g and i magnitudes for Galactic and internal extinction, the blue and red sequences in the color magnitude diagram are well separated, with similar slopes. In addition, we study (i) the color-magnitude diagrams in different galaxy regions, the inner (r ≤ 1 kpc), intermediate (0.2RPet ≤ r ≤ 0.3RPet) and outer, disk-dominated (r ≥ 0.35RPet)) zone; and (ii), we compute template color profiles, discussing the dependences of the templates on the galaxy masses and on their morphological type. The two analyses consistently lead to a picture where elliptical galaxies show no color gradients, irrespective of their masses. Spirals, instead, display a steeper gradient in their color profiles with increasing mass, which is consistent with the growing relevance of a bulge and/or a bar component above 1010 M⊙

Bars as seen by Herschel and Sloan

International audienceWe present an observational study of the effect of bars on the gas component and on the star formation properties of their host galaxies in a statistically significant sample of resolved objects, the Herschel Reference Sample. The analysis of optical and far-infrared images allows us to identify a clear spatial correlation between stellar bars and the cold-gas distribution mapped by the warm dust emission. We find that the infrared counterparts of optically identified bars are either bar-like structures or dead central regions in which star formation is strongly suppressed. Similar morphologies are found in the distribution of star formation directly traced by Hα maps. The sizes of such optical and infrared structures correlate remarkably well, hinting at a causal connection. In the light of previous observations and of theoretical investigations in the literature, we interpret our findings as further evidence of the scenario in which bars drive strong inflows toward their host nuclei: young bars are still in the process of perturbing the gas and star formation clearly delineates the shape of the bars; old bars on the contrary already removed any gas within their extents, carving a dead region of negligible star formation

MUSE sneaks a peek at extreme ram-pressure stripping events – V. Towards a complete view of the galaxy cluster A1367

International audienceWe present an analysis of the kinematics and ionization conditions in a sample composed of seven star-forming galaxies undergoing ram-pressure stripping in the A1367 cluster, and the galaxy ESO137–001 in the Norma cluster. MUSE observations of two new galaxies in this sample, CGCG097–073 and CGCG097–079, are also presented. This sample is characterized by homogeneous integral field spectroscopy with MUSE and by a consistent selection based on the presence of ionized gas tails. The ratio [O i]/H α is consistently elevated in the tails of these objects compared to what observed in unperturbed galaxy discs, an ubiquitous feature which we attribute to shocks or turbulent phenomena in the stripped gas. Compact star-forming regions are observed in only |$\approx 50 {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| of the tails, implying that specific (currently unknown) conditions are needed to trigger star formation inside the stripped gas. Focusing on the interface regions between the interstellar and intracluster medium, we observe different line ratios that we associate to different stages of the stripping process, with galaxies at an early stage of perturbation showing more prominent signatures of elevated star formation. Our analysis, thus, demonstrates the power of a well selected and homogeneous sample to infer general properties arising from ram-pressure stripping inside local clusters

Insights into formation scenarios of massive early-type galaxies from spatially resolved stellar population analysis in CALIFA

We perform spatially resolved stellar population analysis for a sample of 69 early-type galaxies (ETGs) from the CALIFA integral field spectroscopic survey, including 48 ellipticals and 21 S0's. We generate and quantitatively characterize profiles of light-weighted mean stellar age and metallicity within $\lesssim 2R_e$, as a function of radius and stellar-mass surface density $\mu_*$. We study in detail the dependence of profiles on galaxies' global properties, including velocity dispersion $\sigma_e$, stellar mass, morphology. ETGs are universally characterized by strong, negative metallicity gradients ($\sim -0.3\,\text{dex}$ per $R_e$) within $1\,R_e$, which flatten out moving towards larger radii. A quasi-universal local $\mu_*$-metallicity relation emerges, which displays a residual systematic dependence on $\sigma_e$, whereby higher $\sigma_e$ implies higher metallicity at fixed $\mu_*$. Age profiles are typically U-shaped, with minimum around $0.4\,R_e$, asymptotic increase to maximum ages beyond $\sim 1.5\,R_e$, and an increase towards the centre. The depth of the minimum and the central increase anti-correlate with $\sigma_e$. A possible qualitative interpretation of these observations is a two-phase scenario. In the first phase, dissipative collapse occurs in the inner $1\,R_e$, establishing a negative metallicity gradient. The competition between the outside-in quenching due to feedback-driven winds and some form of inside-out quenching, possibly caused by central AGN feedback or dynamical heating, determines the U-shaped age profiles. In the second phase, the accretion of ex-situ stars from quenched and low-metallicity satellites shapes the flatter stellar population profiles in the outer regions.Comment: Accepted version to appear in MNRAS. Improved discussion with respect to original submission and additional tests include

MUSE sneaks a peek at extreme ram-pressure stripping events – IV. Hydrodynamic and gravitational interactions in the Blue Infalling Group

We report new wide-field (≈4 × 4 arcmin2) Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) observations of the Blue Infalling Group (BIG), a compact group of galaxies located at a projected distance of ≃150 kpc from the X-ray centre of the A1367 cluster at z = 0.021. Our MUSE observations map in detail the extended ionized gas, primarily traced by H α emission, in between the members of the group. The gas morphology and its kinematics appear consistent with a tidal origin due to galaxy encounters, as also supported by the disturbed kinematics visible in one of the group members and the presence of tidal dwarf systems. A diffuse tail extending in the direction opposite to the cluster centre is also detected, hinting at a global ram-pressure stripping of the intragroup material as BIG falls inside A1367. Based on the analysis of spatially resolved emission line maps, we identify multiple ionization mechanisms for the diffuse gas filaments, including in situ photoionization from embedded H II regions and shocks. Combining spatially resolved kinematics and line ratios, we rule out the association of the most massive galaxy, CGCG097-120, with the group as this system appears to be decoupled from the intragroup medium and subject to strong ram pressure as it falls into A1367. Through our new analysis, we conclude that BIG is shaped by pre-processing produced by gravitational interactions in the Local Group environment combined with ram-pressure stripping by the global cluster halo

H alpha 3: an H alpha imaging survey of HI selected galaxies from ALFALFA V. The Coma supercluster survey completion

International audienceNeutral hydrogen represents the major observable baryonic constituent of galaxies that fuels the formation of stars through transformation of molecular hydrogen. The emission of the hydrogen recombination line H alpha is the most direct tracer of the process that transforms gas (fuel) into stars. We continue to present H alpha 3 (acronym for H alpha -alpha alpha), an extensive H alpha+[NII] narrow-band imaging campaign of galaxies selected from the HI Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA Survey (ALFALFA), using the instrumentation available at the San Pedro Martir (SPM) observatory (Mexico). In 48 nights since 2011 we were able to carry out the H alpha imaging observations of 724 galaxies in the region of the Coma supercluster 10(h) \textless RA \textless 16(h); 24 degrees \textless Dec \textless 28 degrees and 3900 \textless cz \textless 9000 km s(-1). Of these, 603 are selected from the ALFALFA and constitute a 97% complete sample. They provide for the first time a complete census of the massive star formation properties of local gas-rich galaxies belonging to different environments (cluster vs. filaments), morphological types (spirals vs. dwarf Irr), over a wide range of stellar mass (similar to 10(8) - 10(11.5) M-circle dot) in the Coma supercluster. The present Paper V provides H alpha data and derived star formation rates for the observed galaxies