745 research outputs found
The fate of spiral galaxies in clusters: The star formation history of the anemic Virgo cluster galaxy NGC 4569
We present a new method for studying the star formation history of late-type cluster galaxies undergoing gas starvation or a ram pressure stripping event by combining bidimensional multifrequency observations with multizone models of galactic chemical and spectrophotometric evolution. This method is applied to the Virgo Cluster anemic galaxy NGC 4569. We extract radial profiles from recently obtained UV GALEX images at 1530 and 2310 Å, from visible and near-IR narrow (Hα) and broadband images at different wavelengths (u, B, g, V, r, i, z, J, H, and K), from Spitzer IRAC and MIPS images, and from atomic and molecular gas maps. The model in the absence of interaction (characterized by its rotation velocity and spin parameter) is constrained by the unperturbed H-band light profile and by the Hα rotation curve. We can reconstruct the observed total gas radial density profile and the light surface brightness profiles at all wavelengths in a ram pressure stripping scenario by making simple assumptions about the gas removal process and the orbit of NGC 4569 inside the cluster. The observed profiles cannot be reproduced by simply stopping gas infall, thus mimicking starvation. Gas removal is required, which is more efficient in the outer disk, inducing radial quenching in the star formation activity, as observed and reproduced by the model. This observational result, consistent with theoretical predictions that a galaxy cluster-IGM interaction is able to modify structural disk parameters without gravitational perturbations, is discussed in the framework of the origin of lenticular galaxies in cluster
Ammonia and other parent molecules in comet 10P/Tempel 2 from Herschel/HIFI and ground-based radio observations
The Jupiter-family comet 10P/Tempel 2 was observed during its 2010 return
with the Herschel Space Observatory. We present here the observation of the (J,
K) = (1, 0)-(0, 0) transition of ammonia at 572 GHz in this comet with the
Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared (HIFI) of Herschel. We also report
on radio observations of other molecules (HCN, CH3OH, H2S and CS) obtained
during the 1999 return of the comet with the CSO telescope and the JCMT, and
during its 2010 return with the IRAM 30-m telescope. Molecular abundances
relative to water are 0.09%, 1.8%, 0.4%, and 0.08% for HCN, CH3OH, H2S, and CS,
respectively. An abundance of 0.5% for NH3 is obtained, which is similar to the
values measured in other comets. The hyperfine structure of the ammonia line is
resolved for the first time in an astronomical source. Strong anisotropy in the
outgassing is present in all observations from 1999 to 2010 and is modelled to
derive the production rates.Comment: 6 pages and 8 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Towards understanding the relation between the gas and the attenuation in galaxies at kpc scales
[abridged]
Aims. The aim of the present paper is to provide new and more detailed
relations at the kpc scale between the gas surface density and the face-on
optical depth directly calibrated on galaxies, in order to compute the
attenuation not only for semi-analytic models but also observationally as new
and upcoming radio observatories are able to trace gas ever farther in the
Universe.
Methods. We have selected a sample of 4 nearby resolved galaxies and a sample
of 27 unresolved galaxies from the Herschel Reference Survey and the Very
Nearby Galaxies Survey, for which we have a large set of multi-wavelength data
from the FUV to the FIR including metallicity gradients for resolved galaxies,
along with radio HI and CO observations. For each pixel in resolved galaxies
and for each galaxy in the unresolved sample, we compute the face-on optical
depth from the attenuation determined with the CIGALE SED fitting code and an
assumed geometry. We determine the gas surface density from HI and CO
observations with a metallicity-dependent XCO factor.
Results. We provide new, simple to use, relations to determine the face-on
optical depth from the gas surface density, taking the metallicity into
account, which proves to be crucial for a proper estimate. The method used to
determine the gas surface density or the face-on optical depth has little
impact on the relations except for galaxies that have an inclination over 50d.
Finally, we provide detailed instructions on how to compute the attenuation
practically from the gas surface density taking into account possible
information on the metallicity.
Conclusions. Examination of the influence of these new relations on simulated
FUV and IR luminosity functions shows a clear impact compared to older oft-used
relations, which in turn could affect the conclusions drawn from studies based
on large scale cosmological simulations.Comment: 24 pages, 21 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Searches for HCl and HF in comets 103P/Hartley 2 and C/2009 P1 (Garradd) with the Herschel space observatory
HCl and HF are expected to be the main reservoirs of fluorine and chlorine
wherever hydrogen is predominantly molecular. They are found to be strongly
depleted in dense molecular clouds, suggesting freeze-out onto grains in such
cold environments. We can then expect that HCl and HF were also the major
carriers of Cl and F in the gas and icy phases of the outer solar nebula, and
were incorporated into comets. We aimed to measure the HCl and HF abundances in
cometary ices as they can provide insights on the halogen chemistry in the
early solar nebula. We searched for the J(1-0) lines of HCl and HF at 626 and
1232 GHz, respectively, using the HIFI instrument on board the Herschel Space
Observatory. HCl was searched for in comets 103P/Hartley 2 and C/2009 P1
(Garradd), whereas observations of HF were conducted in comet C/2009 P1. In
addition, observations of HO and HO lines were performed in C/2009
P1 to measure the HO production rate. Three lines of CHOH were
serendipitously observed in the HCl receiver setting. HCl is not detected,
whereas a marginal (3.6-) detection of HF is obtained. The upper limits
for the HCl abundance relative to water are 0.011% and 0.022%, for 103P and
C/2009 P1, respectively, showing that HCl is depleted with respect to the solar
Cl/O abundance by a factor more than 6 in 103P, where the error is
related to the uncertainty in the chlorine solar abundance. The marginal HF
detection obtained in C/2009 P1 corresponds to an HF abundance relative to
water of (1.80.5) 10, which is approximately consistent
with a solar photospheric F/O abundance. The observed depletion of HCl suggests
that HCl was not the main reservoir of chlorine in the regions of the solar
nebula where these comets formed. HF was possibly the main fluorine compound in
the gas phase of the outer solar nebula.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic
UV properties of early-type galaxies in the Virgo cluster
We study the UV properties of a volume limited sample of early-type galaxies
in the Virgo cluster combining new GALEX far- (1530 A) and near-ultraviolet
(2310 A) data with spectro-photometric data available at other wavelengths. The
sample includes 264 ellipticals, lenticulars and dwarfs spanning a large range
in luminosity (M(B)<-15). While the NUV to optical or near-IR color magnitude
relations (CMR) are similar to those observed at optical wavelengths, with a
monotonic reddening of the color index with increasing luminosity, the (FUV-V)
and (FUV-H) CMRs show a discontinuity between massive and dwarf objects. An
even more pronounced dichotomy is observed in the (FUV-NUV) CMR. For
ellipticals the (FUV-NUV) color becomes bluer with increasing luminosity and
with increasing reddening of the optical or near-IR color indices. For the
dwarfs the opposite trend is observed. These observational evidences are
consistent with the idea that the UV emission is dominated by hot, evolved
stars in giant systems, while in dwarf ellipticals residual star formation
activity is more common.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in
Astrophysical Journal Letter
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