8,373 research outputs found
Calcium Triplet Synthesis
We present theoretical equivalent widths for the sum of the two strongest
lines of the Calcium Triplet, CaT index, in the near-IR, using evolutionary
techniques and the most recent models and observational data for this feature
in individual stars. We compute the CaT index for Single Stellar Populations
(instantaneous burst, standard Salpeter-type IMF) at four metallicities,
Z=0.004, 0.008, 0.02 (solar) and 0.05, and ranging in age from very young
bursts of star formation (few Myr) to old stellar populations, up to 17 gyr,
representative of globular clusters, elliptical galaxies and bulges of spirals.
The interpretation of the observed equivalent widths of CaT in different
stellar systems is discussed. Composite-population models are also computed as
a tool to interpret the CaT detections in star-forming regions, in order to
disantangle between the component due to Red Supergiants stars, RSG, and the
underlying, older, population. CaT is found to be an excellent
metallicity-indicator for populations older than 1 Gyr, practically independent
of the age. We discuss its application to remove the age- metallicity
degeneracy, characteristic of all studies of galaxy evolution based on the
usual integrated indices (both broad band colors and narrow band indices). The
application of the models computed here to the analysis of a sample of
elliptical galaxies will be discussed in a forthcoming paper (Gorgas et al.
1998).Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, to be published in A&
Multiwavelength study of the starburst galaxy NGC7714. I: Ultraviolet-Optical spectroscopy
We have studied the physical conditions in the central 300 pc of the
proto-typical starburst galaxy NGC 7714. Our analysis is based on ultraviolet
spectroscopy with the HST+GHRS and ground-based optical observations.The data
are interpreted using evolutionary models optimized for young starburst
regions. The massive stellar population is derived in a self-consistent way
using the continuum and stellar absorption lines in the ultraviolet and the
nebular emission line optical spectrum.
The central starburst has an age of about 4.5 Myr, with little evidence for
an age spread. Wolf-Rayet features at the ultraviolet indicates a stellar
population of 2000 Wolf-Rayet stars. The overall properties of the newly
formed stars are quite similar to those derived, e.g., in 30 Doradus. A
standard Salpeter IMF is consistent with all observational constraints. We find
evidence for spatial structure within the central 300 pc sampled. Therefore it
is unlikely that the nucleus of NGC 7714 hosts a single star cluster exceeding
the properties of other known clusters. Contrary to previous suggestions, we
find no evidence for a nuclear supernova rate that would significantly exceed
the total disk-integrated rate. About one supernova event per century is
predicted.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures in a tar file. Accepted for publication in ApJ,
1999, March, issue 51
The evolution of H{\sc ii} galaxies: Testing the bursting scenario through the use of self-consistent models
We have computed a series of realistic and self-consistent models of the
emitted spectra of H{\sc ii} galaxies. Our models combine different codes of
chemical evolution, evolutionary population synthesis and photoionization. The
emitted spectrum of H{\sc ii} galaxies is reproduced by means of the
photoionization code CLOUDY, using as ionizing spectrum the spectral energy
distribution of the modelled H{\sc ii} galaxy, which in turn is calculated
according to a Star Formation History (SFH) and a metallicity evolution given
by a chemical evolution model that follows the abundances of 15 different
elements. The contribution of emission lines to the broad-band colours is
explicitly taken into account.
The results of our code are compared with photometric and spectroscopic data
of H{\sc ii} galaxies. Our technique reproduces observed diagnostic diagrams,
abundances, equivalent width-colour and equivalent width-metallicity relations
for local H{\sc ii} galaxies.Comment: 13 figures and 2 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS Main
Journa
Star Formation in the Field and Clusters of NGC 5253
We investigate the star formation history of both the bright star clusters
and the diffuse `field star' population in the dwarf starburst galaxy NGC 5253
using STIS longslit ultraviolet spectroscopy. Our slit covers a physical area
of 370 x 1.6 pc and includes 8 apparent clusters and several inter-cluster
regions of diffuse light which we take to be the field. The diffuse light
spectrum lacks the strong O-star wind features which are clearly visible in
spectra of the brightest clusters. This discrepancy provides compelling
evidence that the diffuse light is not reflected light from nearby clusters,
but originates in a UV-bright field star population, and it raises the issue of
whether the star formation process may be operating differently in the field
than in clusters. We compare our spectra to STARBURST99 evolutionary synthesis
models which incorporate a new low metallicity atlas of O-star spectra. We
favor a scenario which accounts for the paucity of O-stars in the field without
requiring the field to have a different IMF than the clusters: stellar clusters
form continuously and then dissolve on ~10 Myr timescales and disperse their
remaining stars into the field. We consider the probable contribution of an
O-star deficient field population to the spatially unresolved spectra of high
redshift galaxies. (Abridged)Comment: 26 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
LINER/H II "Transition" Nuclei and the Nature of NGC 4569
Motivated by the discovery of young, massive stars in the nuclei of some
LINER/H II ``transition'' nuclei such as NGC 4569, we have computed
photoionization models to determine whether some of these objects may be
powered solely by young star clusters rather than by accretion-powered active
nuclei. The models were calculated with the photoionization code CLOUDY, using
evolving starburst continua generated by the the STARBURST99 code of Leitherer
et al. (1999). We find that the models are able to reproduce the emission-line
spectra of transition nuclei, but only for instantaneous bursts of solar or
higher metallicity, and only for ages of ~3-5 Myr, the period when the
extreme-ultraviolet continuum is dominated by emission from Wolf-Rayet stars.
For clusters younger than 3 Myr or older than 6 Myr, and for models with a
constant star-formation rate, the softer ionizing continuum results in an
emission spectrum more typical of H II regions. This model predicts that
Wolf-Rayet emission features should appear in the spectra of transition nuclei.
While such features have not generally been detected to date, they could be
revealed in observations having higher spatial resolution. Demographic
arguments suggest that this starburst model may not apply to the majority of
transition nuclei, particularly those in early-type host galaxies, but it could
account for some members of the transition class in hosts of type Sa and later.
The starburst models during the Wolf-Rayet-dominated phase can also reproduce
the narrow-line spectra of some LINERs, but only under conditions of
above-solar metallicity and only if high-density gas is present (n_e >~ 10^5
cm^{-3}). This scenario could be applicable to some ``Type 2'' LINERs which do
not show any clear signs of nonstellar activity.Comment: To appear in PASP. 22 pages, includes 9 figures, uses AASTeX v5.
Star Formation and Selective Dust Extinction in Luminous Starburst Galaxies
We investigate the star formation and dust extinction properties of very
luminous infrared galaxies whose spectra display a strong Hdelta line in
absorption and a moderate [OII] emission (e[a] spectrum). This spectral
combination has been suggested to be a useful method to identify dusty
starburst galaxies at any redshift on the basis of optical data alone. We
compare the average e(a) optical spectrum with synthetic spectra that include
both the stellar and the nebular contribution, allowing dust extinction to
affect differentially the stellar populations of different ages. We find that
reproducing the e(a) spectrum requires the youngest stellar generations to be
significantly more extinguished by dust than older stellar populations, and
implies a strong ongoing star formation activity at a level higher than in
quiescent spirals. A model fitting the optical spectrum does not necessarily
produce the observed FIR luminosity and this can be explained by the existence
of stellar populations which are practically obscured at optical wavelengths.
Models in which dust and stars are uniformly mixed yield a reddening of the
emerging emission lines which is too low compared to observations: additional
foreground reddening is required.Comment: 17 pages, 4 Postscript figures, ApJ in pres
Synthetic spectra of H Balmer and HeI absorption lines. II: Evolutionary synthesis models for starburst and post-starburst galaxies
We present evolutionary stellar population synthesis models to predict the
spectrum of a single-metallicity stellar population, with a spectral sampling
of 0.3 A in five spectral regions between 3700 and 5000 A. The models, which
are optimized for galaxies with active star formation, synthesize the profiles
of the hydrogen Balmer series (Hb, Hg, Hd, H8, H9, H10, H11, H12 and H13) and
the neutral helium absorption lines (HeI 4922, HeI 4471, HeI 4388, HeI 4144,
HeI 4121, HeI 4026, HeI 4009 and HeI 3819) for a burst with an age ranging from
1 to 1000 Myr, and different assumptions about the stellar initial mass
function. Continuous star formation models lasting for 1 Gyr are also
presented. The input stellar library includes NLTE absorption profiles for
stars hotter than 25000 K and LTE profiles for lower temperatures. The
temperature and gravity coverage is 4000 K <Teff< 50000 K and 0.0< log g$< 5.0,
respectively.
The models can be used to date starburst and post-starburst galaxies until 1
Gyr. They have been tested on data for clusters in the LMC, the super-star
cluster B in the starburst galaxy NGC 1569, the nucleus of the dwarf elliptical
NGC 205 and a luminous "E+A" galaxy. The full data set is available for
retrieval at http://www.iaa.es/ae/e2.html and at
http://www.stsci.edu/science/starburst/, or on request from the authors at
[email protected]: To be published in ApJS. 48 pages and 20 figure
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