A low-absorption disk zone at low Galactic latitude in Centaurus

We investigate the properties of two stellar concentrations in a low-absorption disk zone in Centaurus, located respectively at $\ell=306.47^{\circ}$, $b=-0.61 ^{\circ}$, and $\ell=307.01^{\circ}$, $b=-0.74 ^{\circ}$. The present analysis is based mostly on 2MASS photometry, as well as optical photometry. Based on colour-magnitude diagrams and stellar radial density profiles, we show that these concentrations are not open star clusters. Instead, they appear to be field stars seen through a differentially-reddened window. We estimate that the bulk of the stars in both stellar concentrations is located at $\sim1.5$ kpc from the Sun, a distance consistent with that of the Sgr-Car arm in that direction. This low-absorption window allows one to probe into distant parts of the disk besides the Sgr-Car arm, probably the tangent part of the Sct-Cru arm, and/or the far side of the Sgr-Car arm in that direction. The main sequence associated to the Sgr-Car arm is reddened by \ebv\sim0.5, so that this window through the disk is comparable in reddening to Baade's window to the bulge. We also investigate the nature of the open cluster candidate Ru 166. The presently available data do not allow us to conclude whether Ru 166 is an actual open cluster or field stars seen through a small-scale low-absorption window

Balmer and Metal Absorption Feature Gradients in M32

Spectra from MDM Observatory are used to assess Lick/IDS feature strength gradients inside the half-light radius of the compact Local Group elliptical galaxy M32. All but a few (of 24 measured) indices show a statistically significant gradient. Comparing with models, the index gradients indicate a mean age and abundance gradient in the sense that the nucleus is a factor of 2.5 younger and a factor of 0.3 dex more metal-rich than at 1 effective radius. This conclusion is only weakly dependent on which index combinations are used and is robust to high accuracy. Stars near the M32 nucleus have a mean age and heavy element abundance [M/H] of (4.7 Gyr, +0.02), judging from models by Worthey with variable abundance ratios. This result has very small formal random errors, although, of course, there is significant age-metallicity degeneracy along an (age, abundance) line segment from (5.0 Gyr, 0.00) to (4.5 Gyr, +0.05). An abundance pattern of [C/M]=+0.077, [N/M]=-0.13, [Mg/M]=-0.18, [Fe/M]~0.0, and [Na/M]=+0.12 is required to fit the feature data, with a fitting precision of about 0.01 dex. Model uncertainties make the accuracies of these values at least twice the magnitude of the precision. Forcing scaled-solar abundances does not change the age very much, but it increases the rms goodness of model-data fit by a factor of 3 and broadens the allowed range of age to $\pm 1$ Gyr. The overall abundance pattern contrasts with larger elliptical galaxies, in which all measurable lighter elements are enhanced relative to iron and calcium.Comment: 23 pages, 9 figures, Astronomical Journal, in pres

A Chandra Observation of the Nearby Lenticular Galaxy NGC 5102: Where are the X-ray Binaries?

We present results from a 34 ks Chandra/ACIS-S observation of the nearby (d=3.1 Mpc) lenticular galaxy NGC 5102, previously shown to have an unusually low X-ray luminosity. We detect eleven X-ray point sources within the the $D_{25}$ optical boundary of the galaxy (93% of the light), one third to one half of which are likely to be background AGN. One source is coincident with the optical nucleus and may be a low-luminosity AGN. Only two sources with an X-ray luminosity greater than 10$^{37}$ ergs s$^{-1}$ in the 0.5-5.0 keV band were detected, one of which is statistically likely to be a background AGN. We expected to detect 6 such luminous sources if the XRB population scales linearly with optical magnitude of the host galaxy. NGC 5102 has an unusually low number of XRBs. NGC 5102 is unusually blue for its morphological type, and has undergone at least two recent bursts of star formation. We present the results of optical/UV spectral synthesis analysis and demonstrate that a significant fraction ($>$50%) of the stars in this galaxy are comparatively young ($<3\times10^9$ years old). If the lack of X-ray binaries is related to the relative youth of most of the stars, this would support models of LMXB formation and evolution that require wide binaries to shed angular momentum on a timescale of Gyrs. We find that NGC 5102 has an unusually low specific frequency of globular clusters ($S_N\sim$0.4), which could also explain the lack of LMXBs. We also detect diffuse X-ray emission in the central $\sim$1 kpc of the galaxy. This hot gas is most likely a superbubble created by multiple supernovae of massive stars born during the most recent star burst, and is driving the shock into the ISM which was inferred from optical observations.Comment: 33 pages, 7 figures, 6 tables - Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

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

Compact Nuclei in Moderately Redshifted Galaxies

The Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 is being used to obtain high-resolution images in the V and I bands for several thousand distant galaxies as part of the Medium Deep Survey (MDS). An important scientific aim of the MDS is to identify possible AGN candidates from these images in order to measure the faint end of the AGN luminosity function as well as to study the host galaxies of AGNs and nuclear starburst systems. We are able to identify candidate objects based on morphology. Candidates are selected by fitting bulge+disk models and bulge+disk+point source nuclei models to HST imaged galaxies and determining the best model fit to the galaxy light profile. We present results from a sample of MDS galaxies with I less than 21.5 mag that have been searched for AGN/starburst nuclei in this manner. We identify 84 candidates with unresolved nuclei in a sample of 825 galaxies. For the expected range of galaxy redshifts, all normal bulges are resolved. Most of the candidates are found in galaxies displaying exponential disks with some containing an additional bulge component. 5% of the hosts are dominated by an r^-1/4 bulge. The V-I color distribution of the nuclei is consistent with a dominant population of Seyfert-type nuclei combined with an additional population of starbursts. Our results suggest that 10% +/- 1% of field galaxies at z less than 0.6 may contain AGN/starburst nuclei that are 1 to 5 magnitudes fainter than the host galaxies.Comment: 12 pages AASTeX manuscript, 3 separate Postscript figures, to be published in ApJ Letter

Structures in surface-brightness profiles of LMC and SMC star clusters: evidence of mergers?

The LMC and SMC are rich in binary star clusters, and some mergers are expected. It is important to characterize single clusters, binary clusters and candidates to mergers. We selected a sample of star clusters in each Cloud with this aim. Surface photometry of 25 SMC and 22 LMC star clusters was carried with the ESO Danish 1.54 m telescope. 23 clusters were observed for the first time for these purposes. We fitted Elson, Fall and Freeman (1987, EFF) profiles to the data, deriving structural parameters, luminosities and masses. We also use isophotal maps to constrain candidates to cluster interactions.} {The structural parameters, luminosities and masses presented good agreement with those in the literature. Three binary clusters in the sample have a double profile. Four clusters (NGC 376, K 50, K 54 and NGC 1810) do not have companions and present as well important deviations from EFF profiles. The present sample contains blue and red Magellanic clusters. Extended EFF profiles were detected in some blue clusters. We find evidence that important deviations from the body of EFF profiles might be used as a tool to detect cluster mergers.Comment: 16 pages and 8 figures. Accepted by A&

Bridge over troubled gas: clusters and associations under the SMC and LMC tidal stresses

We obtained SOAR telescope B and V photometry of 14 star clusters and 2 associations in the Bridge tidal structure connecting the LMC and SMC. These objects are used to study the formation and evolution of star clusters and associations under tidal stresses from the Clouds. Typical star clusters in the Bridge are not richly populated and have in general relatively large diameters (~30-35 pc), being larger than Galactic counterparts of similar age. Ages and other fundamental parameters are determined with field-star decontaminated photometry. A self-consistent approach is used to derive parameters for the most-populated sample cluster NGC 796 and two young CMD templates built with the remaining Bridge clusters. We find that the clusters are not coeval in the Bridge. They range from approximately a few Myr (still related to optical HII regions and WISE and Spitzer dust emission measurements) to about 100-200 Myr. The derived distance moduli for the Bridge objects suggests that the Bridge is a structure connecting the LMC far-side in the East to the foreground of the SMC to the West. Most of the present clusters are part of the tidal dwarf candidate D 1, which is associated with an H I overdensity. We find further evidence that the studied part of the Bridge is evolving into a tidal dwarf galaxy, decoupling from the Bridge.Comment: 15 pages, 15 figures, MNRAS, Accepted 2015 July 2

The frequency of nuclear star-formation in Seyfert 2 galaxies

We investigate the detectability of starburst signatures in the nuclear spectrum of Seyfert 2 galaxies by constructing spectral models in the wavelength range 3500-4100A, combining the spectrum of a bulge population (of age ~10Gyr) with that of younger stellar populations, spanning ages from ~3 Myr to 1 Gyr. We also construct models combining the bulge template with a power-law (PL) continuum, which is observed in some Seyfert 2's in polarized light, contributing with typically 10-40% of the flux at 4020A. We conclude that such continuum cannot be distinguished from that of a very young stellar population (age < 10 Myr), contributing with less than ~0.02% of the mass of the bulge. The models are compared with nuclear spectra - corresponding to a radius of 200-300 pc at the galaxy - of 20 Seyfert 2 galaxies, in which we specifically look for the signatures above of young to intermediate age stellar populations. We find them in ten galaxies, thus 50% of the sample. But only in six cases (30% of the sample) they can be attributed to young stars (age < 500 Myr): Mrk 1210, ESO 362-G8, NGC 5135, NGC 5643, NGC 7130 and NGC 7582. In the remaining four cases, the signatures are due to intermediate age stars (~1 Gyr). We find a tendency for the young stars to be found more frequently among the late type Seyfert's. This tendency is supported by a comparison between the equivalent widths (W) of absorption lines of the nuclear spectra of the Seyfert 2's with those of normal galaxies of the same Hubble type.Comment: 18 figures, revised version published in ApJ, December 2000, vol. 544, p. 74

Near Infrared properties of 12 Globular Clusters toward the inner Bulge of the Galaxy

We present near-IR Colour-Magnitude diagrams and physical parameters for a sample of 12 galactic globular clusters located toward the inner Bulge region. For each cluster we provide measurements of the reddening, distance, photometric metallicity, luminosity of the horizontal branch red clump, and of the red giant branch bump and tip. The sample discussed here together with that presented in Valenti, Ferraro & Origlia (2007) represent the largest homogeneous catalog of Bulge globular clusters (comprising ~ 80% of the entire Bulge cluster population) ever studied. The compilation is available in electronic form on the World Wide Web (http://www.bo.astro.it/~GC/ir_archive)Comment: 2 pages, 13 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA

Spectral Classification of Galaxies

We investigate the integrated spectra of a sample of 24 normal galaxies. A principal component analysis suggests that most of the variance present in the spectra is due to the differences in morphology of the galaxies in the sample. We show that spectroscopic parameters extracted from the spectra, like the amplitude of the 4000 \AA~ break or of the CN band, correlate well with Hubble types and are useful for quantitative classification.Comment: 7 pages uuencoded compressed PostScript file. To appear in Vistas in Astronomy, special issue on Artificial Neural Networks in Astronom