23,030 research outputs found
Discovery of Counter-Rotating Gas in the Galaxies NGC1596 and NGC3203 and the Incidence of Gas Counter-Rotation in S0 Galaxies
We have identified two new galaxies with gas counter-rotation (NGC1596 and
NGC3203) and have confirmed similar behaviour in another one (NGC128), this
using results from separate studies of the ionized-gas and stellar kinematics
of a well-defined sample of 30 edge-on disc galaxies. Gas counter-rotators thus
represent 10+/-5% of our sample, but the fraction climbs to 21+/-11% when only
lenticular (S0) galaxies are considered and to 27+/-13% for S0s with detected
ionized-gas only. Those fractions are consistent with but slightly higher than
previous studies. A compilation from well-defined studies of S0s in the
literature yields fractions of 15+/-4% and 23+/-5%, respectively. Although
mainly based on circumstantial evidence, we argue that the counter-rotating gas
originates primarily from minor mergers and tidally-induced transfer of
material from nearby objects. Assuming isotropic accretion, twice those
fractions of objects must have undergone similar processes, underlining the
importance of (minor) accretion for galaxy evolution. Applications of gas
counter-rotators to barred galaxy dynamics are also discussed.Comment: 8 pages, including 1 table and 2 figures. Accepted for publication in
MNRAS. Version with full resolution figures available at
http://www-astro.physics.ox.ac.uk/~bureau/pub_list.htm
Molecular Gas and Star Formation in the SAURON Early-type Galaxies
We present the results of a survey of CO emission in 43 of the 48
representative E/S0 galaxies observed in the optical with the SAURON
integral-field spectrograph. The CO detection rate is 12/43 or 28%. This is
lower than previous studies of early-types but can probably be attributed to
different sample selection criteria. As expected, earlier type, more luminous
and massive galaxies have a relatively lower molecular gas content. We find
that CO-rich galaxies tend to have higher H\beta but lower Fe5015 and Mgb
absorption indices than CO-poor galaxies. Those trends appear primarily driven
by the age of the stars, an hypothesis supported by the fact that the galaxies
with the strongest evidence of star formation are also the most CO-rich. In
fact, the early-type galaxies from the current sample appear to extend the
well-known correlations between FIR luminosity, dust mass and molecular mass of
other galaxy types. The star formation interpretation is also consistent with
the SAURON galaxies' radio continuum and FIR flux ratios, and their inferred
star formation efficiencies are similar to those in spiral galaxies. It thus
appears that we have identified the material fueling (residual) star formation
in early-type galaxies, and have demonstrated that it is actively being
transformed. Nevertheless, the lack of strong correlations between the CO
content and most stellar parameters is compatible with the idea that, in a
significant number of sample galaxies, the molecular gas has been accreted from
the outside and has properties rather independent from the old, pre-existing
stellar component.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, accepted in MNRA
Structure and Kinematics of Molecular Disks in Fast-Rotator Early-Type Galaxies
We present interferometric observations resolving the CO emission in the four
gas-rich lenticular galaxies NGC 3032, NGC 4150, NGC 4459, and NGC 4526, and we
compare the CO distribution and kinematics to those of the stars and ionized
gas. Counterrotation documents an external origin for the gas in at least one
case (NGC 3032), and the comparisons to stellar and ionized gas substructures
in all four galaxies offer insights into their formation histories. The
molecular gas is found in kpc-scale disks with mostly regular kinematics and
average surface densities of 100 to 200 \msunsqpc. The disks are well aligned
with the stellar photometric and kinematic axes. In the two more luminous Virgo
Cluster members NGC 4459 and NGC 4526 the molecular gas shows excellent
agreement with circular velocities derived independently from detailed modeling
of stellar kinematic data. There are also two puzzling instances of
disagreements between stellar kinematics and gas kinematics on sub-kpc scales.
In the inner arcseconds of NGC 3032 the CO velocities are significantly lower
than the inferred circular velocities, and the reasons may possibly be related
to the external origin of the gas but are not well understood. In addition, the
very young population of stars in the core of NGC 4150 appears to have the
opposite sense of rotation from the molecular gas.Comment: ApJ, accepte
The Chandra Fornax Survey - I: The Cluster Environment
We present the first results of a deep Chandra survey of the inner 1 degree
of the Fornax cluster of galaxies. Ten 50 ksec pointings were obtained in a
mosaic centered on the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 1399 at the nominal cluster
center. Emission and temperature maps of Fornax are presented, and an initial
study of 771 detected X-ray point sources is made. Regions as small as 100pc
are resolved. The intra-cluster gas in Fornax exhibits a highly asymmetric
morphology and temperature structure, dominated by a 180 kpc extended ``plume''
of low surface brightness, cool, ~1 keV) gas to the North-East of NGC 1399 with
a sharper edge to the South West. The elliptical galaxy NGC 1404 also exhibits
a cool halo of X-ray gas within the cluster, with a highly sharpened leading
edge as it presumably falls into the cluster, and a cometary-like tail. We
estimate that some ~200-400 point sources are physically associated with
Fornax. Confirming earlier works, we find that the globular cluster population
in NGC 1399 is highly X-ray active, extending to globulars which may in fact be
intra-cluster systems. We have also found a remarkable correlation between the
location of giant and dwarf cluster galaxies and the presence of X-ray
counterparts, such that systems inhabiting regions of low gas density are more
likely to show X-ray activity. Not only does this correlate with the asymmetry
of the intra-cluster gas but also with the axis joining the center of Fornax to
an infalling group 1 Mpc to the South-West. We suggest that Fornax may be
experiencing an intergalactic ``headwind'' due to motion relative to the
surrounding large-scale structure.Comment: 35 pages, 15 figures, submitted to ApJ. Most figures not included
owing to severe compression degradation - we strongly recommend downloading
the full resolution paper from
http://www.astro.columbia.edu/~caleb/ms_highres.pdf (1.9Mb
HI and Hot Gas in the Outskirts of the M81 Group
Results are presented from a wide area, high resolution HI synthesis survey
of the outer regions of the nearby M81 group, where internal (galactic) and
external (group-related) evolution processes can be studied simultaneously in
great detail. The survey encompasses the star forming dwarf galaxies M81dwA,
UGC4483, and HoII, where evidence of ram pressure stripping was recently
discovered. The data do not reveal any intergalactic HI, but the outer parts of
HoII are reminiscent of tidal tails. We argue however that those structures are
equally consistent with the latest ram pressure models including cooling. The
case for a hot intergalactic medium in this poor, spiral-only group is thus
still open. The survey also puts tight constraints on possible counterparts to
the local high velocity cloud population in an external group, reaching a 3
sigma column density of 10^19 atom/cm^2 and a 6 sigma limiting mass of 1.5x10^5
M_sun.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, to be published in "Recycling Intergalactic and
Interstellar Matter," eds. P.-A. Duc, J. Braine, & E. Brinks (ASP: San
Francisco
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