46 research outputs found
Lopsided spiral galaxies: evidence for gas accretion
We quantify the degree of lopsidedness for a sample of 149 galaxies observed
in the near-infrared from the OSUBGS sample, and try to explain the physical
origin for the observed disk lopsidedness. We confirm previous studies, but now
for a larger sample, that a large fraction of galaxies show significant
lopsidedness in their stellar disks, measured as the Fourier amplitude of the
m=1 component, normalised to the average or m=0 component, in the surface
density. Late-type galaxies are found to be more lopsided, while the presence
of m=2 spiral arms and bars is correlated. The m=1 amplitude is found to be
uncorrelated with the tidal forces acting on a galaxy via nearby companions.
Numerical simulations are carried out to study the generation of m=1 via
different processes: galaxy tidal encounters, galaxy mergers, and external gas
accretion and subsequent star formation. The simulations show that galaxy
interactions and mergers can trigger strong lopsidedness, but do not explain
several independent statistical properties of observed galaxies. To explain all
the observational results, it is required that a large fraction of lopsidedness
results from cosmological accretion of gas on galactic disks, which can create
strongly lopsided disks when this accretion is asymmetrical enough.Comment: accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics - Final
version after language editio
Gravitational torques in spiral galaxies: gas accretion as a driving mechanism of galactic evolution
The distribution of gravitational torques and bar strengths in the local
Universe is derived from a detailed study of 163 galaxies observed in the
near-infrared. The results are compared with numerical models for spiral galaxy
evolution. It is found that the observed distribution of torques can be
accounted for only with external accretion of gas onto spiral disks. Accretion
is responsible for bar renewal - after the dissolution of primordial bars - as
well as the maintenance of spiral structures. Models of isolated, non-accreting
galaxies are ruled out. Moderate accretion rates do not explain the
observational results: it is shown that galactic disks should double their mass
in less than the Hubble time. The best fit is obtained if spiral galaxies are
open systems, still forming today by continuous gas accretion, doubling their
mass every 10 billion years.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, Astronomy and Astrophysics Letters (accepted
Variation of Galactic Bar Length with Amplitude and Density as Evidence for Bar Growth over a Hubble Time
K_s-band images of 20 barred galaxies show an increase in the peak amplitude
of the normalized m=2 Fourier component with the R_25-normalized radius at this
peak. This implies that longer bars have higher amplitudes. The long bars
also correlate with an increased density in the central parts of the disks, as
measured by the luminosity inside 0.25R_25 divided by the cube of this radius
in kpc. Because denser galaxies evolve faster, these correlations suggest that
bars grow in length and amplitude over a Hubble time with the fastest evolution
occurring in the densest galaxies. All but three of the sample have early-type
flat bars; there is no clear correlation between the correlated quantities and
the Hubble type.Comment: ApJ Letters, 670, L97, preprint is 7 pages, 4 figure
Dust penetrated morphology in the high redshift Universe
Images from the Hubble Deep Field (HDF) North and South show a large
percentage of dusty, high redshift galaxies whose appearance falls outside
traditional classification systems. The nature of these objects is not yet
fully understood. Since the HDF preferentially samples restframe UV light, HDF
morphologies are not dust or `mask' penetrated. The appearance of high redshift
galaxies at near-infrared restframes remains a challenge for the New
Millennium. The Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) could routinely provide
us with such images. In this contribution, we quantitatively determine the
dust-penetrated structures of high redshift galaxies such as NGC 922 in their
near-infrared restframes. We show that such optically peculiar objects may
readily be classified using the dust penetrated z ~ 0 templates of Block and
Puerari (1999) and Buta and Block (2001).Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. Presented at the conference "The Link between
Stars and Cosmology", 26-30 March, 2001, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. To be
published by Kluwer, eds. M. Chavez, A. Bressan, A. Buzzoni, and D. Mayya.
High-resolution version of Figure 2 can be found at
http://www.inaoep.mx/~puerari/conf_puertovallart
Keck spectroscopy and Spitzer Space Telescope analysis of the outer disk of the Triangulum Spiral Galaxy M33
In an earlier study of the spiral galaxy M33, we photometrically identified
arcs or outer spiral arms of intermediate age (0.6 Gyr - 2 Gyr) carbon stars
precisely at the commencement of the HI-warp. Stars in the arcs were
unresolved, but were likely thermally-pulsing asymptotic giant branch carbon
stars. Here we present Keck I spectroscopy of seven intrinsically bright and
red target stars in the outer, northern arc in M33. The target stars have
estimated visual magnitudes as faint as V \sim 25 mag. Absorption bands of CN
are seen in all seven spectra reported here, confirming their carbon star
status. In addition, we present Keck II spectra of a small area 0.5 degree away
from the centre of M33; the target stars there are also identified as carbon
stars. We also study the non-stellar PAH dust morphology of M33 secured using
IRAC on board the Spitzer Space Telescope. The Spitzer 8 micron image attests
to a change of spiral phase at the start of the HI warp. The Keck spectra
confirm that carbon stars may safely be identified on the basis of their red
J-K_s colours in the outer, low metallicity disk of M33. We propose that the
enhanced number of carbon stars in the outer arms are an indicator of recent
star formation, fueled by gas accretion from the HI-warp reservoir.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, accepted in A&
Very Luminous Carbon Stars in the Outer Disk of the Triangulum Spiral Galaxy
Stars with masses in the range from about 1.3 to 3.5 Mo pass through an
evolutionary stage where they become carbon stars. In this stage, which lasts a
few Myr, these stars are extremely luminous pulsating giants. They are so
luminous in the near-infrared that just a few of them can double the integrated
luminosity of intermediate-age (0.6 to 2 Gyr) Magellanic Cloud clusters at 2.2
microns. Astronomers routinely use such near-infrared observations to minimize
the effects of dust extinction, but it is precisely in this band that carbon
stars can contribute hugely. The actual contribution of carbon stars to the
outer disk light of evolving spiral galaxies has not previously been
morphologically investigated. Here we report new and very deep near-IR images
of the Triangulum spiral galaxy M33=NGC 598, delineating spectacular arcs of
carbon stars in its outer regions. It is these arcs which dominate the
near-infrared m=2 Fourier spectra of M33. We present near-infrared photometry
with the Hale 5-m reflector, and propose that the arcs are the signature of
accretion of low metallicity gas in the outer disk of M33.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. Revised version submitted to A&A Letter
Generation of rotationally dominated galaxies by mergers of pressure-supported progenitors
Through the analysis of a set of numerical simulations of major mergers
between initially non-rotating, pressure supported progenitor galaxies with a
range of central mass concentrations, we have shown that: (1) it is possible to
generate elliptical-like galaxies, with v/sigma > 1 outside one effective
radius, as a result of the conversion of orbital- into internal-angular
momentum; (2) the outer regions acquire part of the angular momentum first; (3)
both the baryonic and the dark matter components of the remnant galaxy acquire
part of the angular momentum, the relative fractions depend on the initial
concentration of the merging galaxies. For this conversion to occur the initial
baryonic component must be sufficiently dense and/or the encounter should take
place on a orbit with high angular momentum. Systems with these hybrid
properties have been recently observed through a combination of stellar
absorption lines and planetary nebulae for kinematic studies of early-type
galaxies. Our results are in qualitative agreement with such observations and
demonstrate that even mergers composed of non-rotating, pressure-supported
progenitor galaxies can produce early-type galaxies with significant rotation
at large radii.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in A&A Letter
Early Science with the Large Millimeter Telescope: an energy-driven wind revealed by massive molecular and fast X-ray outflows in the Seyfert Galaxy IRAS 17020+4544
We report on the coexistence of powerful gas outflows observed in millimeter
and X-ray data of the Radio-Loud Narrow Line Seyfert 1 Galaxy IRAS 17020+4544.
Thanks to the large collecting power of the Large Millimeter Telescope, a
prominent line arising from the 12CO(1-0) transition was revealed in recent
observations of this source. The complex profile is composed by a narrow
double-peak line and a broad wing. While the double-peak structure may be
arising in a disk of molecular material, the broad wing is interpreted as the
signature of a massive outflow of molecular gas with an approximate bulk
velocity of -660 km/s. This molecular wind is likely associated to a
multi-component X-ray Ultra-Fast Outflow with velocities reaching up to ~0.1c
and column densities in the range 10^{21-23.9} cm^-2 that was reported in the
source prior to the LMT observations. The momentum load estimated in the two
gas phases indicates that within the observational uncertainties the outflow is
consistent with being propagating through the galaxy and sweeping up the gas
while conserving its energy. This scenario, which has been often postulated as
a viable mechanism of how AGN feedback takes place, has so far been observed
only in ULIRGs sources. IRAS 17020+4544 with bolometric and infrared luminosity
respectively of 5X10^{44} erg/s and 1.05X10^{11} L_sun appears to be an example
of AGN feedback in a NLSy1 Galaxy (a low power AGN). New proprietary
multi-wavelength data recently obtained on this source will allow us to
corroborate the proposed hypothesis.Comment: Accepted for publication on ApJ Letters, 9 pages, 4 figure
A New Model for the Spiral Structure of the Galaxy. Superposition of 2+4-armed patterns
We investigate the possibility of describing the spiral pattern of the Milky
Way in terms of a model of superposition 2- and 4-armed wave harmonics (the
simplest description, besides pure modes). Two complementary methods are used:
a study of stellar kinematics, and direct tracing of positions of spiral arms.
In the first method, the parameters of the galactic rotation curve and the free
parameters of the spiral density waves were obtained from Cepheid kinematics,
under different assumptions. To turn visible the structure corresponding to
these models, we computed the evolution of an ensemble of N-particles,
simulating the ISM clouds, in the perturbed galactic gravitational field. In
the second method, we present a new analysis of the longitude-velocity (l-v)
diagram of the sample of galactic HII regions, converting positions of spiral
arms in the galactic plane into locii of these arms in the l-v diagram. Both
methods indicate that the ``self-sustained'' model, in which the 2-armed and
4-armed mode have different pitch angles (6 arcdeg and 12 arcdeg, respectively)
is a good description of the disk structure. An important conclusion is that
the Sun happens to be practically at the corotation circle. As an additional
result of our study, we propose an independent test for localization of the
corotation circle in a spiral galaxy: a gap in the radial distribution of
interstellar gas has to be observed in the corotation region.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, Latex, uses aas2pp4.st
The Building of Galactic Disks: Insights from the Triangulum Spiral Galaxy Messier 33
The Triangulum Spiral Galaxy Messier 33 offers unique insights into the
building of a galactic disk. We identify spectacular arcs of intermediate age
(0.6 Gyr - 2 Gyr) stars in the low-metallicity outer disk. The northern arc
spans approx. 120 degrees in azimuth and up to 5 arcmin in width. The arcs are
located 2-3 disk scale lengths from the galaxy centre (where 1 disk scale
length is equivalent to 0.1 degrees in the V-band) and lie precisely where
there is a warp in the HI profile of M33. Warps and infall are inextricably
linked (Binney, 1992). We present spectroscopy of candidate stars in the outer
northern arc, secured using the Keck I telescope in Hawaii. The target stars
have estimated visual magnitudes as faint as V ~ 25m. Absorption bands of CN
are seen in all spectra reported in this review talk, confirming their carbon
star status. Also presented are PAH emissivity radial profiles generated from
IRAC observations of M33 using the Spitzer Space Telescope. A dramatic change
of phase in the m=2 Fourier component is detected at the domain of the arcs.
M33 serves as an excellent example how the disks of spiral galaxies in our
Universe are built: as dynamically open systems, growing from the inward,
outward.Comment: Invited review paper presented at IAU Simposium 235, Galaxy Evolution
Across the Hubble Time, Prague. To be published by Cambridge University
Press, eds. F. Combes & J. Palou