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The Survey for Ionization in Neutral Gas Galaxies. I. Description and Initial Results
We introduce the Survey for Ionization in Neutral Gas Galaxies (SINGG),a census of star formation in H I-selected galaxies. The survey consistsof Hα and R-band imaging of a sample of 468 galaxies selected fromthe H I Parkes All Sky Survey (HIPASS). The sample spans three decadesin H I mass and is free of many of the biases that affect otherstar-forming galaxy samples. We present the criteria for sampleselection, list the entire sample, discuss our observational techniques,and describe the data reduction and calibration methods. This paperfocuses on 93 SINGG targets whose observations have been fully reducedand analyzed to date. The majority of these show a single emission linegalaxy (ELG). We see multiple ELGs in 13 fields, with up to four ELGs ina single field. All of the targets in this sample are detected inHα, indicating that dormant (non-star-forming) galaxies withMHI>~3×107 Msolar are veryrare. A database of the measured global properties of the ELGs ispresented. The ELG sample spans 4 orders of magnitude in luminosity(Hα and R band), and Hα surface brightness, nearly 3 ordersof magnitude in R surface brightness and nearly 2 orders of magnitude inHα equivalent width (EW). The surface brightness distribution ofour sample is broader than that of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)spectroscopic sample, the EW distribution is broader than prism-selectedsamples, and the morphologies found include all common types ofstar-forming galaxies (e.g., irregular, spiral, blue compact dwarf,starbursts, merging and colliding systems, and even residual starformation in S0 and Sa spirals). Thus, SINGG presents a superior censusof star formation in the local universe suitable for further studiesranging from the analysis of H II regions to determination of the localcosmic star formation rate density.
| X-ray observations of the edge-on star-forming galaxy NGC 891 and its supernova SN1986J
We present XMM-Newton observations of NGC 891, a nearby edge-on spiralgalaxy. We analyse the extent of the diffuse emission emitted from thedisc of the galaxy, and find that it has a single-temperature profilewith best-fitting temperature of 0.26 keV, though the fit of adual-temperature plasma with temperatures of 0.08 and 0.30 keV is alsoacceptable. There is a considerable amount of diffuse X-ray emissionprotruding from the disc in the north-west direction out toapproximately 6 kpc. We analyse the point-source population using aChandra observation, using a maximum-likelihood method to find that theslope of the cumulative luminosity function of point sources in thegalaxy is -0.77+0.13-0.1. Using a sample of otherlocal galaxies, we compare the X-ray and infrared properties of NGC 891with those of `normal' and starburst spiral galaxies, and conclude thatNGC 891 is most likely a starburst galaxy in a quiescent state. Weestablish that the diffuse X-ray luminosity of spirals scales with thefar-infrared luminosity asLX~L0.87+/-0.07FIR, except for extremestarbursts, and NGC 891 does not fall in the latter category. We studythe supernova SN1986J in both XMM-Newton and Chandra observations, andfind that the X-ray luminosity has been declining with time more steeplythan expected (LX~t-3).
| XMM-Newton observations of the interacting galaxy pairs NGC 7771/0 and NGC 2342/1
We present XMM-Newton X-ray observations of the interacting galaxy pairsNGC 7771/7770 and NGC 2342/2341. In NGC 7771, for the first time we areable to resolve the X-ray emission into a bright central source plus twobright (LX > 1040 erg s-1)ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) located either end of the bar. In thebright central source (LX~ 1041 ergs-1), the soft emission is well-modelled by a two-temperaturethermal plasma with kT= 0.4/0.7 keV. The hard emission is modelled witha flat absorbed power-law (Γ~ 1.7, NH~ 1022cm-2), and this together with a low-significance (1.7σ)~ 300 eV equivalent width emission line at ~6 keV are the firstindications that NGC 7771 may host a low-luminosity AGN. For the barULXs, a power-law fit to X-1 is improved at the 2.5σ level withthe addition of a thermal plasma component (kT~ 0.3 keV), while X-2 isimproved only at the 1.3σ level with the addition of a discblackbody component with Tin~ 0.2 keV. Both sources arevariable on short time-scales implying that their emission is dominatedby single accreting X-ray binaries (XRBs). The three remaining galaxies,NGC 7770, NGC 2342 and NGC 2341, have observed X-ray luminosities of0.2, 1.8 and 0.9 × 1041 erg s-1,respectively (0.3-10 keV). Their integrated spectra are alsowell-modelled by multi-temperature thermal plasma components with kT=0.2-0.7 keV, plus power-law continua with slopes of Γ= 1.8-2.3that are likely to represent the integrated emission of populations ofXRBs as observed in other nearby merger systems. A comparison with otherisolated, interacting and merging systems shows that all four galaxiesfollow the established correlations for starburst galaxies betweenX-ray, far-infrared and radio luminosities, demonstrating that theirX-ray outputs are dominated by their starburst components.
| A Chandra Survey of Nearby Spiral Galaxies. I. Point Source Catalogs
Emission from discrete point sources dominates the X-ray luminosity inspiral galaxies. We present results from a survey of 11 nearby, nearlyface-on spiral galaxies with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Thesegalaxies span the Hubble sequence for spirals, allowing insights intothe X-ray source population of many diverse systems. In this paper, wepresent source lists for the 11 galaxies along with fluxes,luminosities, X-ray colors, and variability properties. We brieflydiscuss X-ray luminosity functions and how they relate to star formationof the host galaxies. We also discuss source colors and variability andwhat these can tell us about the composition of the X-ray sourcepopulation.
| Discovery of a Solitary Dwarf Galaxy in the APPLES Survey
During the APPLES parallel campaign, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST)Advanced Camera for Surveys has resolved a distant stellar system, whichappears to be an isolated dwarf galaxy. It is characterized by acircularly symmetric distribution of stars with an integrated magnitudemF775W=20.13+/-0.02, a central surface brightnessμF775W~=21.33+/-0.18 mag arcsec-2, and ahalf-light radius of ~=1.8". The ACS and VLT spectra show no evidence ofionized gas and appear to be dominated by a 3 Gyr old stellarpopulation. The OB spectral type derived for two resolved stars in thegrism data and the systemic radial velocity (Vhel~=670 kms-1) measured from the VLT data give a fiducial distance of~=9+/-2 Mpc. These findings, with the support of the spatial morphology,would classify the system among the dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies.Following IAU rules, we have named this newly discovered galaxy APPLES1. An intriguing peculiarity of APPLES 1 is that the properties (age andmetallicity) of the stellar content so far detected are similar to thoseof dSph galaxies in the Local Group, where star formation is thought tobe driven by galaxy interactions and mergers. Yet, APPLES 1 seems not tobe associated with a major group or cluster of galaxies. Therefore,APPLES 1 could be the first example of a field dSph galaxy withself-sustained and regulated star formation, and therefore would make aninteresting test case for studies of the formation and evolution ofunperturbed dSph galaxies.
| Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of NGC 4214: the hot interstellar medium and the luminosity function of dwarf starbursts
We present results from Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray observations of NGC4214, a nearby dwarf starburst galaxy containing several young regionsof very active star-formation. Starburst regions are known to beassociated with diffuse X-ray emission, and in this case the X-rayemission from the galaxy shows an interesting morphological structurewithin the galaxy, clearly associated with the central regions of activestar formation. Of the two main regions of star formation in thisgalaxy, X-ray emission associated with the older is identified whereaslittle is detected from the younger, providing an insight into theevolutionary process of the formation of superbubbles around youngstellar clusters. The spectra of the diffuse emission from the galaxycan be fitted with a two-temperature-component thermal model with kT=0.14 keV and 0.52 keV, and analysis of this emission suggests that NGC4214 will suffer a blow-out in the future.The point source population of the galaxy has an X-ray luminosityfunction with a slope of -0.76. This result, together with those forother dwarf starburst galaxies (NGC 4449 and NGC 5253), was added to asample of luminosity functions for spiral and starburst galaxies. Theslope of the luminosity function of dwarf starbursts is seen to besimilar to that of their larger counterparts and clearly flatter thanthose seen in spirals. Further comparisons between the luminosityfunctions of starbursts and spiral galaxies are also made.
| The Ultraluminous X-Ray Source Population from the Chandra Archive of Galaxies
One hundred fifty-four discrete non-nuclear ultraluminous X-ray (ULX)sources, with spectroscopically determined intrinsic X-ray luminositiesgreater than 1039 ergs s-1, are identified in 82galaxies observed with Chandra's Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer.Source positions, X-ray luminosities, and spectral and timingcharacteristics are tabulated. Statistical comparisons between theseX-ray properties and those of the weaker discrete sources in the samefields (mainly neutron star and stellar-mass black hole binaries) aremade. Sources above ~1038 ergs s-1 display similarspatial, spectral, color, and variability distributions. In particular,there is no compelling evidence in the sample for a new and distinctclass of X-ray object such as the intermediate-mass black holes.Eighty-three percent of ULX candidates have spectra that can bedescribed as absorbed power laws with index <Γ>=1.74 andcolumn density =2.24×1021cm-2, or ~5 times the average Galactic column. About 20% ofthe ULXs have much steeper indices indicative of a soft, and likelythermal, spectrum. The locations of ULXs in their host galaxies arestrongly peaked toward their galaxy centers. The deprojected radialdistribution of the ULX candidates is somewhat steeper than anexponential disk, indistinguishable from that of the weaker sources.About 5%-15% of ULX candidates are variable during the Chandraobservations (which average 39.5 ks). Comparison of the cumulative X-rayluminosity functions of the ULXs to Chandra Deep Field results suggests~25% of the sources may be background objects, including 14% of the ULXcandidates in the sample of spiral galaxies and 44% of those inelliptical galaxies, implying the elliptical galaxy ULX population isseverely compromised by background active galactic nuclei. Correlationswith host galaxy properties confirm the number and total X-rayluminosity of the ULXs are associated with recent star formation andwith galaxy merging and interactions. The preponderance of ULXs instar-forming galaxies as well as their similarities to less-luminoussources suggest they originate in a young but short-lived populationsuch as the high-mass X-ray binaries with a smaller contribution (basedon spectral slope) from recent supernovae. The number of ULXs inelliptical galaxies scales with host galaxy mass and can be explainedmost simply as the high-luminosity end of the low-mass X-ray binarypopulation.
| Spiral galaxies observed in the near-infrared K band. I. Data analysis and structural parameters
Deep surface photometry in the K band was obtained for 54 normal spiralgalaxies, with the aim of quantifying the percentage of faint bars andstudying the morphology of spiral arms. The sample was chosen to cover awider range of morphological types while inclination angles anddistances were limited to allow a detailed investigation of the internalstructure of their disks and future observations and studies of the diskkinematics. An additional constraint for a well defined subsample wasthat no bar structure was seen on images in the visual bands. Accuratesky projection parameters were determined from the K maps comparingseveral different methods. The surface brightness distribution wasdecomposed into axisymmetric components while bars and spiral structureswere analyzed using Fourier techniques.Bulges were best represented by a Sérsic r1/n law withan index in the typical range of 1-2. The central surface brightness ofthe exponential disk and bulge-to-disk ratio only showed weakcorrelation with Hubble type. Indications of a central point source werefound in many of the galaxies. An additional central, steep, exponentialdisk improved the fit for more than 80% of the galaxies suggesting thatmany of the bulges are oblate.Bars down to the detection level at a relative amplitude of 3% weredetected in 26 of 30 galaxies in a subsample classified as ordinary SAspirals. This would correspond to only 5% of all spiral galaxies beingnon-barred at this level. In several cases, bars are significantlyoffset compared to the starting points of the main spiral pattern whichindicates that bar and spiral have different pattern speeds. A smallfraction (10%) of the sample has complex central structuresconsisting of several sets of bars, arcs or spirals.A majority of the galaxies (60%) displays a two-armed, grand-designspiral pattern in their inner parts which often breaks up into multiplearms in their outer regions. Phase shifts between the inner and outerpatterns suggest in some cases that they belong to different spiralmodes. The pitch angles of the main two-armed symmetric spiral patternin the galaxies have a typical range of 5-30 °. The sample shows alack of strong, tight spirals which could indicate that such patternsare damped by non-linear, dynamical effects due to their high radialforce perturbations.Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, LaSilla, Chile; programs: ESO 63.N-0343, 65.N-0287, 66.N-0257.Table 2 is only available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymousftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/423/849Appendix A is only available in electronic form athttp://www.edpsciences.org
| The ISOPHOT 170 μm Serendipity Survey II. The catalog of optically identified galaxies%
The ISOPHOT Serendipity Sky Survey strip-scanning measurements covering≈15% of the far-infrared (FIR) sky at 170 μm were searched forcompact sources associated with optically identified galaxies. CompactSerendipity Survey sources with a high signal-to-noise ratio in at leasttwo ISOPHOT C200 detector pixels were selected that have a positionalassociation with a galaxy identification in the NED and/or Simbaddatabases and a galaxy counterpart visible on the Digitized Sky Surveyplates. A catalog with 170 μm fluxes for more than 1900 galaxies hasbeen established, 200 of which were measured several times. The faintest170 μm fluxes reach values just below 0.5 Jy, while the brightest,already somewhat extended galaxies have fluxes up to ≈600 Jy. For thevast majority of listed galaxies, the 170 μm fluxes were measured forthe first time. While most of the galaxies are spirals, about 70 of thesources are classified as ellipticals or lenticulars. This is the onlycurrently available large-scale galaxy catalog containing a sufficientnumber of sources with 170 μm fluxes to allow further statisticalstudies of various FIR properties.Based on observations with ISO, an ESA project with instruments fundedby ESA Member States (especially the PI countries: France, Germany, TheNetherlands and the UK) and with the participation of ISAS and NASA.Members of the Consortium on the ISOPHOT Serendipity Survey (CISS) areMPIA Heidelberg, ESA ISO SOC Villafranca, AIP Potsdam, IPAC Pasadena,Imperial College London.Full Table 4 and Table 6 are only available in electronic form at theCDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/422/39
| Ultraluminous X-ray source populations in normal galaxies: a preliminary survey with Chandra
We present results of a Chandra survey of the ultraluminous X-raysources (ULX) in 13 normal galaxies, in which we combine sourcedetection with X-ray flux measurement. 22 ULX were detected, i.e. withLx > 1 × 1039 erg s-1(L10) and 39 other sources were detected with Lx> 5 × 1038 erg s-1 (L5). Wealso use radial intensity profiles to remove extended sources from thesample. The majority of sources are not extended, which for a typicaldistance constrains the emission region size to less than 50 pc. X-raycolour-colour diagrams and spectral fitting results were examined forindicators of the ULX nature. In the case of the brighter sources,spectral fitting generally requires two-component models. In only a fewcases do colour-colour diagrams or spectral fitting provide evidence ofa black hole nature. We find no evidence of a correlation with stellarmass, however, there is a strong correlation with star formation asindicated by the 60-μm flux as found in previous studies.
| The column density distribution function at z= 0 from HI selected galaxies
We have measured the column density distribution function, f(NHI), at z= 0 using 21-cm HI emission from galaxies selected from ablind HI survey. f(NH I) is found to be smaller and flatterat z= 0 than indicated by high-redshift measurements of damped Lymanα (DLA) systems, consistent with the predictions of hierarchicalgalaxy formation. The derived DLA number density per unit redshift,dNDLA/dz= 0.058, is in moderate agreement with valuescalculated from low-redshift QSO absorption line studies. We use twodifferent methods to determine the types of galaxies which contributemost to the DLA cross-section: comparing the power-law slope off(NH I) to theoretical predictions and analysingcontributions to dNDLA/dz. We find that comparison of thepower-law slope cannot rule out spiral discs as the dominant galaxy typeresponsible for DLA systems. Analysis of dNDLA/dz however, ismuch more discriminating. We find that galaxies with log MHI< 9.0 make up 34 per cent of dNDLA/dz Irregular andMagellanic types contribute 25 per cent; galaxies with surfacebrightness account for 22 per cent and sub-L* galaxiescontribute 45 per cent to dNDLA/dz. We conclude that a largerange of galaxy types give rise to DLA systems, not just large spiralgalaxies as previously speculated.
| A Chandra survey of nearby spiral galaxies
We present results from a Chandra survey of 11 nearby, face-on spiralgalaxies. 24 observations totalling 900 ks of new and archival Chandradata reveal more than 1000 X-ray point sources associated with thegalaxies, diffuse emission, and hundreds of serendipitous sources. Wediscuss source populations and luminosity functions and show that theslope of the X-ray luminosity function is correlated with the starformation rate in the galaxies. We also discuss ultraluminous X-raysources in comparison with sources within the Milky Way. Finally, wediscuss ongoing work on source classification based upon X-ray colorsand spectra, position within the host galaxies, and multiwavelenthcounterparts.
| A Minisurvey of X-Ray Point Sources in Starburst and Nonstarburst Galaxies
We present a comparison of X-ray point-source luminosity functions ofthree starburst galaxies (the Antennae, M82, and NGC 253) and fournonstarburst spiral galaxies (NGC 3184, NGC 1291, M83, and IC 5332). Wefind that the luminosity functions of the starbursts are flatter thanthose of the spiral galaxies; the starbursts have relatively moresources at high luminosities. This trend extends to early-type galaxiesthat have steeper luminosity functions than spirals. We show that theluminosity function slope is correlated with 60 μm luminosity, ameasure of star formation. We suggest that the difference in luminosityfunctions is related to the age of the X-ray binary populations, and wepresent a simple model that highlights how the shape of the luminositydistribution is affected by the age of the underlying X-ray binarypopulation.
| Nearby Optical Galaxies: Selection of the Sample and Identification of Groups
In this paper we describe the Nearby Optical Galaxy (NOG) sample, whichis a complete, distance-limited (cz<=6000 km s-1) andmagnitude-limited (B<=14) sample of ~7000 optical galaxies. Thesample covers 2/3 (8.27 sr) of the sky (|b|>20deg) andappears to have a good completeness in redshift (97%). We select thesample on the basis of homogenized corrected total blue magnitudes inorder to minimize systematic effects in galaxy sampling. We identify thegroups in this sample by means of both the hierarchical and thepercolation ``friends-of-friends'' methods. The resulting catalogs ofloose groups appear to be similar and are among the largest catalogs ofgroups currently available. Most of the NOG galaxies (~60%) are found tobe members of galaxy pairs (~580 pairs for a total of ~15% of objects)or groups with at least three members (~500 groups for a total of ~45%of objects). About 40% of galaxies are left ungrouped (field galaxies).We illustrate the main features of the NOG galaxy distribution. Comparedto previous optical and IRAS galaxy samples, the NOG provides a densersampling of the galaxy distribution in the nearby universe. Given itslarge sky coverage, the identification of groups, and its high-densitysampling, the NOG is suited to the analysis of the galaxy density fieldof the nearby universe, especially on small scales.
| The Southern Sky Redshift Survey
We report redshifts, magnitudes, and morphological classifications for5369 galaxies with m_B <= 15.5 and for 57 galaxies fainter than thislimit, in two regions covering a total of 1.70 sr in the southerncelestial hemisphere. The galaxy catalog is drawn primarily from thelist of nonstellar objects identified in the Hubble Space TelescopeGuide Star Catalog (GSC). The galaxies have positions accurate to ~1"and magnitudes with an rms scatter of ~0.3 mag. We compute magnitudes(m_SSRS2) from the relation between instrumental GSC magnitudes and thephotometry by Lauberts & Valentijn. From a comparison with CCDphotometry, we find that our system is homogeneous across the sky andcorresponds to magnitudes measured at the isophotal level ~26 magarcsec^-2. The precision of the radial velocities is ~40 km s^-1, andthe redshift survey is more than 99% complete to the m_SSRS2 = 15.5 maglimit. This sample is in the direction opposite that of the CfA2; incombination the two surveys provide an important database for studies ofthe properties of galaxies and their large-scale distribution in thenearby universe. Based on observations obtained at Cerro TololoInter-American Observatory, National Optical Astronomy Observatories,operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy,Inc., under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation;Complejo Astronomico El Leoncito, operated under agreement between theConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas de laRepública Argentina and the National Universities of La Plata,Córdoba, and San Juan; the European Southern Observatory, LaSilla, Chile, partially under the bilateral ESO-ObservatórioNacional agreement; Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory;Laboratório Nacional de Astrofísica, Brazil; and the SouthAfrican Astronomical Observatory.
| Catalogue of HI maps of galaxies. I.
A catalogue is presented of galaxies having large-scale observations inthe HI line. This catalogue collects from the literature the informationthat characterizes the observations in the 21-cm line and the way thatthese data were presented by means of maps, graphics and tables, forshowing the distribution and kinematics of the gas. It containsfurthermore a measure of the HI extension that is detected at the levelof the maximum sensitivity reached in the observations. This catalogueis intended as a guide for references on the HI maps published in theliterature from 1953 to 1995 and is the basis for the analysis of thedata presented in Paper II. The catalogue is only available inelectronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp 130.79.128.5 orhttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| Total magnitude, radius, colour indices, colour gradients and photometric type of galaxies
We present a catalogue of aperture photometry of galaxies, in UBVRI,assembled from three different origins: (i) an update of the catalogueof Buta et al. (1995) (ii) published photometric profiles and (iii)aperture photometry performed on CCD images. We explored different setsof growth curves to fit these data: (i) The Sersic law, (ii) The net ofgrowth curves used for the preparation of the RC3 and (iii) A linearinterpolation between the de Vaucouleurs (r(1/4) ) and exponential laws.Finally we adopted the latter solution. Fitting these growth curves, wederive (1) the total magnitude, (2) the effective radius, (3) the colourindices and (4) gradients and (5) the photometric type of 5169 galaxies.The photometric type is defined to statistically match the revisedmorphologic type and parametrizes the shape of the growth curve. It iscoded from -9, for very concentrated galaxies, to +10, for diffusegalaxies. Based in part on observations collected at the Haute-ProvenceObservatory.
| Massive Star Formation Along the Hubble Sequence
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1997AJ....113..599D&db_key=AST
| An Atlas of Hubble Space Telescope Ultraviolet Images of Nearby Galaxies
We present an atlas of UV (~2300 A) images, obtained with the HubbleSpace Telescope (HST) Faint Object Camera, of the central 22" x 22" of110 galaxies. The observed galaxies are an unbiased selectionconstituting about one-half of a complete sample of all large (D >6') and nearby (V < 2000 km s^-1^) galaxies. This is the firstextensive UV imaging survey of normal galaxies. The data are useful forstudying star formation, low-level nuclear activity, and UV emission byevolved stellar populations in galaxies. At the HST resolution (~0.05"),the images display an assortment of morphologies and UV brightnesses.These include bright nuclear point sources, compact young star clustersscattered in the field or arranged in circumnuclear rings, centrallypeaked diffuse light distributions, and galaxies with weak or undetectedUV emission. We measure the integrated ~2300 A flux in each image,classify the UV morphology, and examine trends between these parametersand the optical properties of the galaxies.
| The Absence of X-Ray Flashes from Nearby Galaxies and the Gamma-Ray Burst Distance Scale
If typical gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have X-ray counterparts similar tothose detected by Ginga, then sensitive-focusing X-ray telescopes willbe able to detect GRBs 3 orders of magnitude fainter than the detectionlimit of the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE). If asubstantial portion of the burst population detected by BATSE originatesin a Galactic halo at distances greater than or equal to 150 kpc,existing X-ray telescopes will be able to detect GRBs in externalgalaxies out to a distance of at least 4.5 Mpc. As reported in Gotthelf,Hamilton, & Helfand, the imaging proportional counter (IPC) on boardthe Einstein Observatory detected 42 transient events with pointlikespatial characteristics and timescales of less than 10 s. These eventsare distributed isotropically on the sky; in particular, they are notconcentrated in the directions of nearby external galaxies. For halomodels of the BATSE bursts with radii of 150 kpc or greater, we wouldexpect to see several burst events in observations pointed toward nearbygalaxies. We see none. We therefore conclude that if the Gingadetections are representative of the population of GRBs sampled byBATSE, GRBs cannot originate in a Galactic halo population with limitingradii between 150 and 400 kpc. Inasmuch as halos with limiting radiioutside of this range have been excluded by the BATSE isotropymeasurements, our result indicates that all halo models are excluded.This result is independent of whether the flashes we do detect have anastronomical origin.
| Inner two-arm symmetry in spiral galaxies
Most galaxies with spiral density waves, including those with multiplelong arms, have two prominent symmetric arms in their inner regions,inside approximately 0.5 R25. Grand-design galaxies, whichhave two prominent arms throughout their disks, also have brighter,narrower, and more continuous arms inside this radius. Based onmeasurements of these morphological features in 173 galaxies, and on ourprevious studies of optical resonance indicators, we propose thatcorotation is optically visible in most spiral galaxies and is locatednear the radius of the endpoints of the highly symmetric part of thespiral arms, approximately midway out in the disk. This places the outerLindbald resonance at approximately R25, or approximately 4scale lengths, for most spiral galaxies. In barred galaxies, the twoinner symmetric arms end at twice the bar radius, independent of the bartype. If large bars end near corotation, then the ends of the twoprominent arms must be beyond corotation in these systems.
| A Preliminary Classification Scheme for the Central Regions of Late-Type Galaxies
The large-scale prints in The Carnegie Atlas of Galaxies have been usedto formulate a classification scheme for the central regions oflate-type galaxies. Systems that exhibit small bright central bulges ordisks (type CB) are found to be of earlier Hubble type and of higherluminosity than galaxies that do not contain nuclei (type NN). Galaxiescontaining nuclear bars, or exhibiting central regions that are resolvedinto individual stars and knots, and galaxies with semistellar nuclei,are seen to have characteristics that are intermediate between those oftypes CB and NN. The presence or absence of a nucleus appears to be auseful criterion for distinguishing between spiral galaxies andmagellanic irregulars.
| On the law of star formation in disk galaxies
The observational relationship between the stellar surface brightnessand the surface brightness in H-alpha in galactic disks is shown to bedetermined by the law of star formation in disk galaxies. Assuming therate of star formation to take a generalized Schmidt power-law formdependent on both the total local matter surface density,sigmag; d sigma*/dt = epsilonsigmaTn, we find that the observations constrain(n + m is greater than 1), and that the best fit is obtained for 1.5 isless than (n + m) is less than 2.5. Both a Schmidt Law of the form dsigma*/dt = epsilon sigmag, and a star-formationlaw of the form d sigma*/dt = epsilon Omegasigmag, where Omega is the angular velocity at the radialpoint considered, seem to be excluded by observations. The observedscatter in the stellar surface brightness versus H-alpha surfacebrigtness versus H-alpha surface relationship can be interpreted as ascatter in the ratio of galaxian age to star-formation efficiency;younger galaxies being more gas-rich, and currently more active informing stars. Finally, we discuss particular forms of the Schmidt Lawgiven by theory. We show that a model having n = 1/3 and m = 5/3, whichgives a particularly good fit to the observations, follows as aconsequence of stochastic self-regulating star formation moderated bycloud-cloud interactions in the disk potential, and by the energeticprocesses associated with the formation of massive stars. This modelsexplicitly includes the secular evolution of the vertical structure ofthe gaseous and stellar components of galactic disks, and the effectofthe galaxian potential.
| The relationship between past and present star formation in galactic disks from CCD surface photometry
We present some results of a major new multiband imaging survey of 34nearby southern spiral galaxies. Images in V, I, H-alpha, and theadjacent red continuum have been obtained using a CCD and focal reduceron the 1.0 and 2.3 m telescopes at Siding Spring Observatory. Surfacephotometry using the GASP software package is used first to derive thedisk orientation parameters, then to provide deprojected radial surfacebrightness profiles for each galaxy in V and I, as well as thecontinuum-subtracted H-alpha, which traces the present-day rate ofmassive star formation. In the outer disk, the H-alpha profile can bereasonably well fitted by an exponential disk, but with a scale lengthmuch longer than the V scale length, which itself tends to be sligtlylonger than the I scale length. An almost universal relationship isobserved in the disk between the H-alpha surface brightness and theI-band surface brightness at a given radius, with any residual offsetfrom the mean trend being a weak function of the morphological type.Thus the rate of massive star formation per unit area in the disk isclosely related to the old stellar mass surface density at each radius,and to the mean H I surface density in the disk as a whole. This formsthe basis for a law of (or rather, a consistent on) massive starformation in the disks of spiral galaxies, one that has a surprisingdegree of independence from both galactic dynamics and molecular gascontent.
| On the size and formation mechanism of the largest star-forming complexes in spiral and irregular galaxies
The average diameters of the largest star complexes in most of thespiral and irregular galaxies in the Sandage and Bedke Atlas of Galaxieswere measured from the Atlas photographs. The complex diametersDc correlate with galaxy magnitude as Dc = 0.18 -0.14MB, which has about the same slope as the correlation forthe largest H II regions studied by Kennicutt. There is no obviouscorrelation between Dc and either Hubble type or spiral armclass at a given magnitude. The variation of Dc withMB closely matches the expected variation in thecharacteristic length of the gaseous gravitational instabilityconsidering that the rotation curve varies with MB and thatthe stability parameter Q is about 1 in the outer regions of the disk.This match corresponds to an effective velocity dispersion of 6.1 km/sthat is about the same for all spiral and irregular galaxies.
| An H-alpha atlas of nearby southern spiral galaxies
We present an atlas of CCD images of 25 nearby southern spiral galaxiestaken through narrow-band (15 A) H-alpha filters, and accompanying redcontinuum (6676 A) images. Most of these galaxies have never previouslybeen imaged in H-alpha and will complement the earlier photographicatlas of Hodge and Kennicutt. We comment on the individual distributionsof the H II regions in relation to the morphology and characteristics ofeach galaxy. Nearly half of the galaxies surveyed exhibit ratherasymmetrical distributions of star formation activity, even though thestellar distributions may be quite regular. Among galaxies possessingboth a strong stellar bar and an encircling inner ring, there appears tobe a decrease in the number of H II regions tracing out the bar as thenumber of H II regions in the ring itself increases, and vice versa. Theimages should prove useful mainly as finding charts for in-depth studiesof the H II region populations, as well as for the purposes ofdetermining abundance gradients and the kinematics of these galaxies.
| IRAS CPC Observations of Galaxies - Part One - Catalog and Atlas
. - We present the results of far-infrared imaging observations of 258regions of 12' x9' each centered on a selected individual galaxy, aclose pair, or a compact group of galaxies mapped at 50 and 100 micronwavelength with the CPC instrument of the IRAS satellite. The CPCinstrument has a significantly better resolution than the IRAS Surveyinstrument at these wavelengths, i.e. a round beam with a FWHM of about80" at 50 microns and 95" at 100 microns, respectively, intended to bematched to the diffraction limit of the telescope at 100 microns. Themaps were made using a new algorithm to correct for gain variations,which gives better results than the one used previously for the imagesmade available on tape in 1985. Of 262 objects observed, 167 and 188were detected at 50 and 100 microns, respectively, about 85% of thegalaxies from the same sample listed as detected by the Surveyinstrument in the IRAS Point Source Catalog. For all 55 galaxiesresolved (i.e. with a FWHM major axis diameter exceeding 1.6 times thebeam FWHM and/or extended lower-level emission) by the CPC we alsopresent the averaged maps at 50 and 100 microns. These 55 objectsinclude 35 for which there are no published maps obtained with the IRASSurvey instrument. We rescaled the flux densities of the published CPCmaps using the more accurate IRAS Survey instrument data, since theabsolute flux density calibration of the CPC is only accurate to about+/-60%. We also present images of a triplet of galaxies associated witha single Survey point source, which were resolved into separate sourcesby the CPC.
| Dynamics of the Pavo-Indus and Grus clouds of galaxies
A study of groups of galaxies in the above regions was carried out byselecting a sample extending one magnitude deeper than previous work inthe area, complete down to 15 mag. We report new redshift determinationsfor 58 galaxies in the region and 13 other miscellaneous galaxies, basedon La Silla observations. Using a total of 266 galaxies with measuredredshifts in the Pavo-Indus and Grus clouds, we perform a new analysisof groupings following a well-tested algorithm. A total of 18 groups issingled out, most of them known from previous work, even though a fewadditional members are added. For all the groups, we have calculateddynamical parameters and M/L ratios. All groups are found to be boundaggregates, but only one group can be virialized. For the six mostpopulated examples, having at least five members, we also calculateseveral mass estimators and discuss the wide range of observed M/Lratios, which extends from nine to nearly 500 M(solar)/L(solar). Weintroduce two parameters to measure the presence of either a dominantgalaxy or internal subcondensations, respectively, and test whether anycorrelation with the M/L ratios can be detected. No clear correlationsare found.
| General study of group membership. II - Determination of nearby groups
We present a whole sky catalog of nearby groups of galaxies taken fromthe Lyon-Meudon Extragalactic Database. From the 78,000 objects in thedatabase, we extracted a sample of 6392 galaxies, complete up to thelimiting apparent magnitude B0 = 14.0. Moreover, in order to considersolely the galaxies of the local universe, all the selected galaxieshave a known recession velocity smaller than 5500 km/s. Two methods wereused in group construction: a Huchra-Geller (1982) derived percolationmethod and a Tully (1980) derived hierarchical method. Each method gaveus one catalog. These were then compared and synthesized to obtain asingle catalog containing the most reliable groups. There are 485 groupsof a least three members in the final catalog.
| Groups of galaxies within 80 Mpc. II - The catalogue of groups and group members
This paper gives a catalog of the groups and associations obtained bymeans of a revised hierarchical algorithm applied to a sample of 4143galaxies with diameters larger than 100 arcsec and redshifts smallerthan 6000 km/s. The 264 groups of galaxies obtained in this way (andwhich contain at least three sample galaxies) are listed, with the looseassociations surrounding them and the individual members of eachaggregate as well; moreover, the location of every entity among 13regions corresponding roughly to superclusters is specified. Finally,1729 galaxies belong to the groups, and 466 to the associations, i.e.,the total fraction of galaxies within the various aggregates amounts to53 percent.
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