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Spectroscopic study of blue compact galaxies. V. Oxygen abundance and the metallicity-luminosity relation
This is the fifth paper in a series studying the stellar components,star formation histories, star formation rates and metallicities of ablue compact galaxy (BCG) sample. Based on our high-quality ground-basedspectroscopic observations, we have determined the electrontemperatures, electron densities, nitrogen abundances and oxygenabundances for 72 star-forming BCGs in our sample, using differentoxygen abundance indicators. The oxygen abundance covers the range 7.15< 12 + log (O/H)< 9.0, and nitrogen is found to be mostly aproduct of secondary nucleosynthesis for 12 + log (O/H)>8.2 andapparently a product of primary nucleosynthesis for 12 + log (O/H)<8.2. To assess the possible systematic differences among differentoxygen abundance indicators, we have compared oxygen abundances of BCGsobtained with the Te method, R23 method, P method,N2 method and O3N2 method. The oxygen abundances derived from theTe method are systematically lower by 0.1-0.25 dex than thosederived from the strong line empirical abundance indicators, consistentwith previous studies based on region samples. We confirm the existenceof the metallicity-luminosity relation in BCGs over a large range ofabundances and luminosities. Our sample of galaxies shows that the slopeof the metallicity-luminosity relation for the luminous galaxies(~-0.05) is slightly shallower than that for the dwarf galaxies(~-0.17). An offset was found in the metallicity-luminosity relation ofthe local galaxies and that of the intermediate redshift galaxies. Itshows that the metallicity-luminosity relation for the emission linegalaxies at high redshift is displaced to lower abundances, higherluminosities, or both.
| Principal component analysis of International Ultraviolet Explorer galaxy spectra
We analyse the UV spectral energy distribution of a sample of normalgalaxies listed in the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) NewlyExtracted Spectra (INES) Guide No. 2 - Normal Galaxies using a principalcomponent analysis. The sample consists of the IUE short-wavelength (SW)spectra of the central regions of 118 galaxies, where the IUE apertureincluded more than 1 per cent of the galaxy size. The principalcomponents are associated with the main components observed in theultraviolet (UV) spectra of galaxies. The first component, accountingfor the largest source of diversity, may be associated with the UVcontinuum emission. The second component represents the UV contributionof an underlying evolved stellar population. The third component issensitive to the amount of activity in the central regions of galaxiesand measures the strength of star-formation events.In all the samples analysed here, the principal component representativeof star-forming activity accounts for a significant percentage of thevariance. The fractional contribution to the spectral energydistribution (SED) by the evolved stars and by the young population aresimilar.Projecting the SEDs on to their eigenspectra, we find that none of thecoefficients of the principal components can outline an internalcorrelation or can correlate with the optical morphological types. In asubsample of 43 galaxies, consisting of almost only compact and BCDgalaxies, the third principal component defines a sequence related tothe degree of starburst activity of the galaxy.
| Double Nuclei and ``TDGs": Colliding or Activity of Nucleus Monster?
It is known that among active galaxies (AG) with strong emission lines (UV-galaxies, Sy 1 and Sy2, Markarian and Kazarian galaxies,Radio-galaxies, QSO's host galaxies and so on) there are large per centof objects with double and multiple nucleus. The common sizes andvolumes of these nuclei are on the order of a few hundred parsecs orkilo-parsecs. In fact these are not double galaxies or clusters ofgalaxies as many of astronomers believe, but just the complicatednucleus of AG. The problem is: what are the nature and the birth ofthese objects? There are in fact two basic suppositions in the subject:(a) The complicated nuclei are the result of merging or colliding of twoor more galaxies, or: (b) They are the results of nuclear activity. Theresults of detailed spectroscopic observations of a number of "tidalgalaxies", carried out with the 5m Palomar telescope, 2.6m telescope ofAmbartsumian Byurakan astrophysical observatory (multi-pupilspectroscopy with Tiger receiver) and 6m telescope of SpecialAstrophysical observatory of Russia are presented. It is shown that inmany cases the "tidal dwarf galaxies "(or actually complicatednucleus) are the result of galactic nuclear activity.
| Spectroscopic study of blue compact galaxies. IV. Star formation rates and gas depletion timescales
This is the fourth paper in a series studying star formation rates,stellar components, metallicities, and star formation histories of ablue compact galaxy (BCG) sample. Using Hα, [O II]λ3727,infrared (IR), radio (1.4 GHz) luminosities and neutral hydrogen (H I)gas masses, we estimated star formation rates and gas depletiontimescales of 72 star-forming BCGs. The star formation rates of the BCGsin our sample span nearly four orders of magnitude, from approximately10-2 to 102 Mȯ yr-1,with a median star formation rate of about 3 Mȯyr-1. The typical gas depletion timescale of BCGs is aboutone billion years. Star formation could be sustained at the currentlevel only on a timescale significantly lower than the age of theuniverse before their neutral gas reservoir is completely depleted. Toassess the possible systematic differences among different starformation rate indicators, we compared the star formation rates derivedfrom Hα, [O II]λ3727, IR, and radio luminosities, andinvestigated the effects from underlying stellar absorption and dustextinction. We found that subtracting underlying stellar absorption isvery important to calculate both dust extinction and star formation rateof galaxies. Otherwise, the intrinsic extinction will be overestimated,the star formation rates derived from [O II]λ3727 and Hαwill be underestimated (if the underlying stellar absorption and theinternal extinction were not corrected from the observed luminosity) oroverestimated (if an overestimated internal extinction were used forextinction correction). After both the underlying stellar absorption andthe dust extinction were corrected, a remarkably good correlationemerges among Hα, [O II]λ3727, IR and radio star formationrate indicators. Finally, we find a good correlation between themeasured star formation rate and the absolute blue magnitude,metallicity, interstellar extinction of BCGs. Our results indicate thatfaint, low-mass BCGs have lower star formation rates.Star formation rates and gas depletion timescales of BCGs are availablein electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr(130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/425/417
| Starbursts in barred spiral galaxies. VI. HI observations and the K-band Tully-Fisher relation
This paper reports a study of the effect of a bar on the neutralhydrogen (HI) content of starburst and Seyfert galaxies. We also makecomparisons with a sample of ``normal'' galaxies and investigate howwell starburst and Seyfert galaxies follow the fundamental scalingTully-Fisher (TF) relation defined for normal galaxies. 111 Markarian(Mrk) IRAS galaxies were observed with the Nançay radiotelescope,and HI data were obtained for 80 galaxies, of which 64 are newdetections. We determined the (20 and 50%) linewidths, the maximumvelocity of rotation and total HI flux for each galaxy. Thesemeasurements are complemented by data from the literature to form asample of Mrk IRAS (74% starburst, 23% Seyfert and 3% unknown) galaxiescontaining 105 unbarred and 113 barred ones. Barred galaxies have lowertotal and bias-corrected HI masses than unbarred galaxies, and this istrue for both Mrk IRAS and normal galaxies. This robust result suggeststhat bars funnel the HI gas toward the center of the galaxy where itbecomes molecular before forming new stars. The Mrk IRAS galaxies havehigher bias-corrected HI masses than normal galaxies. They also showsignificant departures from the TF relation, both in the B and K bands.The most deviant points from the TF relation tend to have a strongfar-infrared luminosity and a low oxygen abundance. These resultssuggest that a fraction of our Mrk IRAS galaxies are still in theprocess of formation, and that their neutral HI gas, partly of externalorigin, has not yet reached a stationary state.Based on observations obtained at the large radiotelescope ofObservatoire de Nançay, operated by Observatoire de Paris.Tables 5 and 6 are only (and Table 4 also) available in electronic format the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) orvia http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/416/515
| The PDS versus Markarian starburst galaxies: comparing strong and weak IRAS emitter at 12 and 25 μm in the nearby Universe
The characteristics of the starburst galaxies from the Pico dos Diassurvey (PDS) are compared with those of the nearby ultraviolet (UV)bright Markarian starburst galaxies, having the same limit in redshift(vh < 7500 km s-1) and absolute B magnitude(MB < -18). An important difference is found: theMarkarian galaxies are generally undetected at 12 and 25 μm in IRAS.This is consistent with the UV excess shown by these galaxies andsuggests that the youngest star-forming regions dominating thesegalaxies are relatively free of dust.The far-infrared selection criteria for the PDS are shown to introduce astrong bias towards massive (luminous) and large size late-type spiralgalaxies. This is contrary to the Markarian galaxies, which are found tobe remarkably rich in smaller size early-type galaxies. These resultssuggest that only late-type spirals with a large and massive disc arestrong emitters at 12 and 25 μm in IRAS in the nearby Universe.The Markarian and PDS starburst galaxies are shown to share the sameenvironment. This rules out an explanation of the differences observedin terms of external parameters. These differences may be explained byassuming two different levels of evolution, the Markarian being lessevolved than the PDS galaxies. This interpretation is fully consistentwith the disc formation hypothesis proposed by Coziol et al. to explainthe special properties of the Markarian SBNG.
| The Relationship between Stellar Light Distributions of Galaxies and Their Formation Histories
A major problem in extragalactic astronomy is the inability todistinguish in a robust, physical, and model-independent way how galaxypopulations are physically related to each other and to their formationhistories. A similar, but distinct, and also long-standing question iswhether the structural appearances of galaxies, as seen through theirstellar light distributions, contain enough physical information tooffer this classification. We argue through the use of 240 images ofnearby galaxies that three model-independent parameters measured on asingle galaxy image reveal its major ongoing and past formation modesand can be used as a robust classification system. These parametersquantitatively measure: the concentration (C), asymmetry (A), andclumpiness (S) of a galaxy's stellar light distribution. When combinedinto a three-dimensional ``CAS'' volume all major classes of galaxies invarious phases of evolution are cleanly distinguished. We argue thatthese three parameters correlate with important modes of galaxyevolution: star formation and major merging activity. This is arguedthrough the strong correlation of Hα equivalent width andbroadband colors with the clumpiness parameter S, the uniquely largeasymmetries of 66 galaxies undergoing mergers, and the correlation ofbulge to total light ratios, and stellar masses, with the concentrationindex. As an obvious goal is to use this system at high redshifts totrace evolution, we demonstrate that these parameters can be measured,within a reasonable and quantifiable uncertainty with available data outto z~3 using the Hubble Space Telescope GOODS ACS and Hubble Deep Fieldimages.
| Spectroscopic study of blue compact galaxies. III. Empirical population synthesis
This is the third paper of a series dedicated to the study of the starformation rates, star formation histories, metallicities and dustcontents of a sample of blue compact galaxies (BCGs). We constrain thestellar contents of 73 blue compact galaxies by analyzing theircontinuum spectra and the equivalent widths of strong stellar absorptionfeatures using a technique of empirical population synthesis based on alibrary of observed star-cluster spectra. Our results indicate that bluecompact galaxies are typically age-composite stellar systems; inaddition to young stars, intermediate-age and old stars contributesignificantly to the 5870 Å continuum emission of most galaxies inour sample. The stellar populations of blue compact galaxies also span avariety of metallicities. The ongoing episodes of star formation startedtypically less than a billion years ago. Some galaxies may be undergoingtheir first global episode of star formation, while for most galaxies inour sample, older stars are found to contribute up to half the opticalemission. Our results suggest that BCGs are primarily old galaxies withdiscontinuous star formation histories. These results are consistentwith the results from deep imaging observations of the color-magnitudediagrams of a few nearby BCGs using HST and large ground-basedtelescopes. The good quality of our population synthesis fits of BCGspectra allow us to estimate the contamination of the Hβox{Hα }, Hβ , Hγ and Hdelta Balmer emission lines bystellar absorption. The absorption equivalent widths measured in thesynthetic spectra range from typically 1.5 Å for Hβox{Hα }, to 2-5 Å for Hβ , Hγ , and Hdelta . Theimplied accurate measurements of emission-line intensities will be usedin a later study to constrain the star formation rates and gas-phasechemical element abundances of blue compact galaxies.
| A New Database of Observed Spectral Energy Distributions of Nearby Starburst Galaxies from the Ultraviolet to the Far-Infrared
We present a database of UV-to-FIR data of 83 nearby starburst galaxies.The galaxies are selected based upon the availability of IUE data. Wehave recalibrated the IUE UV spectra for these galaxies by incorporatingthe most recent improvements. For 45 of these galaxies we useobservations by Storchi-Bergmann et al. and McQuade et al. for thespectra in the optical range. The NIR data are from new observationsobtained at the NASA/IRTF and the Mount Laguna Observatory, combinedwith the published results from observations at the Kitt Peak NationalObservatory. In addition, published calibrated ISO data are included toprovide mid-IR flux densities for some of the galaxies. Theoptical-to-IR data are matched as closely as possible to the IUE largeaperture. In conjunction with IRAS and ISO FIR flux densities, all thesedata form a set of observed spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of thenuclear regions of nearby starburst galaxies. The SEDs should be usefulin studying star formation and dust/gas attenuation in galaxies. We alsopresent the magnitudes in the standard BVRI and various HST/WFPC2bandpasses synthesized from the UV and optical wavelength ranges ofthese SEDs. For some of the galaxies, the HST/WFPC2 magnitudessynthesized from the SEDs are checked with those directly measured fromWFPC2 images to test the photometric errors of the optical data andtheir effective matching of apertures with the UV data. The implicationsof the new SEDs on the star formation rates and dust/gas attenuation arebriefly discussed.
| A Hubble Space Telescope Survey of the Mid-Ultraviolet Morphology of Nearby Galaxies
We present a systematic imaging survey of 37 nearby galaxies observedwith the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2(WFPC2) in the mid-UV F300W filter, centered at 2930 Å, as well asin the I-band (F814W) filter at 8230 Å. Eleven of these galaxieswere also imaged in the F255W filter, centered at 2550 Å. Oursample is carefully selected to include galaxies of sufficiently smallradius and high predicted mid-UV surface brightness to be detectablewith WFPC2 in one orbit and covers a wide range of Hubble types andinclinations. The mid-UV (2000-3200 Å) spans the gap betweenground-based UBVR(IJHK) images, which are available or were acquired forthe current study, and far-UV images available from the Astro/UITmissions for 15 galaxies in our sample. The first qualitative resultsfrom our study are as follows:1. Early-type galaxies show a significantdecrease in surface brightness going from the red to the mid-UV,reflecting the absence of a dominant young stellar population and insome cases the presence of significant (central) dust lanes. Galaxiesthat are early types in the optical show a variety of morphologies inthe mid-UV that can lead to a different morphological classification,although not necessarily as later type. Some early-type galaxies becomedominated by a blue nuclear feature or a point source in the mid-UV,e.g., as a result of the presence of a Seyfert nucleus or a LINER. Thisis in part due to our mid-UV surface brightness selection, but it alsosuggests that part of the strong apparent evolution of weak AGNs inearly-type galaxies may be due to surface brightness dimming of theirUV-faint stellar population, which renders the early-type host galaxiesinvisible at intermediate to higher redshifts.2. About half of themid-type spiral and star-forming galaxies appear as a latermorphological type in the mid-UV, as Astro/UIT also found primarily inthe far-UV. Sometimes these differences are dramatic (e.g., NGC 6782shows a spectacular ring of hot stars in the mid-UV). However, not allmid-type spiral galaxies look significantly different in the mid-UV.Their mid-UV images show a considerable range in the scale and surfacebrightness of individual star-forming regions. Almost without exception,the mid-type spirals in our sample have their small bulges bisected by adust lane, which often appears to be connected to the inner spiral armstructure.3. The majority of the heterogeneous subset of late-type,irregular, peculiar, and merging galaxies display F300W morphologiesthat are similar to those seen in F814W, but with important differencesdue to recognizable dust features absorbing the bluer light and to hotstars, star clusters, and star formation ``ridges'' that are bright inthe mid-UV. Less than one-third of the galaxies classified as late typein the optical appear sufficiently different in the mid-UV to result ina different classification.Our HST mid-UV survey of nearby galaxiesshows that, when observed in the rest-frame mid-UV, early- to mid-typegalaxies are more likely to be misclassified as later types thanlate-type galaxies are to be misclassified as earlier types. This isbecause the later type galaxies are dominated by the same young and hotstars in all filters from the mid-UV to the red and so have a smaller``morphological K-correction'' than true earlier type galaxies. Themorphological K-correction can thus explain part, but certainly not all,of the excess faint blue late-type galaxies seen in deep HST fields.Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope,obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), which isoperated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy(AURA), Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555. Also based in part onobservations made with the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope: theAlice P. Lennon Telescope and the Thomas J. Bannan AstrophysicsFacility.
| Merger-Induced Starbursts
Starburst galaxies are extremely luminous objects with an abundance ofyoung massive stars and a disturbed optical morphology. Famous examplessuch as the Antennae, involve major mergers, but the starburstphenomenon can also be triggered in a more gentle, minor merger. Such anevent disturbs but does not disrupt the primary galaxy (i.e. the primarywill recover from the interaction without a drastic jump along theHubble sequence). In such an interaction a significant number ofsuper-star clusters (SSCs) are formed,which may be the progenitors ofpresent-day globular clusters. The ubiquity of globular cluster systemsamong a wide range of galaxy types suggests that these interactions playa significant role in the evolution of ‘normal’ galaxies.Therefore to understand the formation and evolution of galaxies, it isessential to understand such processes. Here we present a HST WFPC2broad-band study of three starburst galaxies with different mergerhistories.
| Spectroscopic study of blue compact galaxies. II. Spectral analysis and correlations
This is the second paper in a series studying the star formation rates,stellar components, metallicities, and star formation histories andevolution of a sample of blue compact galaxies. We analyzed spectralproperties of 97 blue compact galaxies, obtained with the BeijingAstronomical Observatory (China) 2.16 m telescope, with spectral range3580 Å-7400 Å. We classify the spectra according to theiremission lines: 13 of the total 97 BCG sample are non-emission linegalaxies (non-ELGs); 10 have AGN-like emission (AGNs), and 74 of themare star-forming galaxies (SFGs). Emission line fluxes and equivalentwidths, continuum fluxes, the 4000 Å Balmer break index andequivalent widths of absorption lines are measured from the spectra. Weinvestigate the emission line trends in the integrated spectra of thestar-forming galaxies in our sample, and find that: 1) The equivalentwidths of emission lines are correlated with the galaxy absolute bluemagnitude MB; lower luminosity systems tend to have largerequivalent widths. 2) The equivalent width ratio [N II]6583/Hα isanti-correlated with equivalent width Hα; a relationship is giventhat can be used to remove the [N II] contribution from blendedHα+ [N II]6548, 6583. 3) The [O II], Hβ , Hγ andHα fluxes are correlated; those can be used as star formationtracers in the blue. 4) The metallicity indices show trends with galaxyabsolute magnitude and attenuation by dust, faint, low-mass BCGs havelower metallicity and color excess. Tables 1-4, and 6 are only availablein electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr(130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/396/503
| Spectroscopic study of blue compact galaxies. I. The spectra
Blue compact galaxies are compact objects that are dominated by intensestar formation. Most of them have dramatically different propertiescompared to the Milky Way and many other nearby galaxies. Using theIRAS, H I data, and optical spectra, we wanted to measure the currentstar formation rates, stellar components, metallicities, and starformation histories and evolution of a large blue compact galaxy sample.We anticipate that our study will be useful as a benchmark for studiesof emission line galaxies at high redshift. In the first paper of thisseries, we describe the selection, spectroscopic observation, datareduction and calibration, and spectrophotometric accuracy of a sampleof 97 luminous blue compact galaxies. We present a spectrophotometricatlas of rest-frame spectra, as well as tables of the recessionvelocities and the signal-to-noise ratios. The recession velocities ofthese galaxies are measured with an accuracy of delta V< 67 kms-1. The average signal-to-noise ratio of sample spectra is ~51. The spectral line strengths, equivalent widths and continuum fluxesare also measured for the same galaxies and will be analyzed in the nextpaper of this series. The atlas and tables of measurements will be madeavailable electronically. Table 3 and Fig. 4 are only available inelectronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr(130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/389/845
| Astrophysics in 1999
The year 1999 saw the arrival of a star with three planets, a universewith three parameters, and a solar corona that could be heated at leastthree ways. In addition, there were at least three papers on everyquestion that has ever been asked in astrophysics, from ``Will theUniverse expand forever?'' to ``Does mantle convection occur in one ortwo layers?'' The answers generally were, ``Yes,'' ``No,'' and ``None ofthe above,'' to each of the questions. The authors have done their bestto organize the richness around centers defined by objects, methods, andmadnesses.
| High-Resolution Radio Maps of Wolf-Rayet Galaxies: Optically Thick H II Regions?
We present 20, 6, 3.6, and 2 cm Very Large Array maps and continuum-freeHα images of nine Wolf-Rayet galaxies. The radio maps were madewith high spatial resolution to reject extended emission and toemphasize the star formation regions. The ratio of Hα to radio isat least a factor of 10 lower than predicted, indicating that the radioemission is from highly obscured sources. We map the radio spectralindex, α (Sν~να), across eachgalaxy. In all the sample galaxies except one, the radio spectrum ismuch flatter than in spiral starburst galaxies, suggesting thatfree-free emission is more dominant in the dwarfs and that these arevery young starbursts that have produced few supernovae. In many of thegalaxies, there are regions where the spectrum rises from 6 to 2 cm.This requires that the radio emission be optically thick at wavelengthsas short as 2 cm. In these optically thick regions, the emissionmeasure, electron density, and ionizing fluxes must be very high, andthey are probably the youngest parts of the starburst. The deducedionization of these sources implies stellar content of hundreds to manythousands of O stars, which means that they may be responsible for asignificant fraction of the total infrared luminosities of the galaxies.We discuss what these sources imply for the history and evolution of thestarburst in each galaxy. Wise Observatory preprint 99/2.
| Deep optical imaging and spectroscopy of a sample of Wolf-Rayet galaxies
We present results of narrow-band (Hα and adjacent continuum) andbroad-band (U, B and V) optical CCD imaging together with high- andintermediate-resolution optical spectroscopy for a sample dwarf and/orirregular Wolf-Rayet (WR) galaxies with absolute B magnitudes in therange -14 to -22 mag, taken from the catalogue of Conti (1991). We findthat the recent star formation processes in the galaxies of the sampleare distributed in different knots. These knots are H ii regionsprobably ionized by so-called super star clusters (or aggregates ofthem) found in space observations of WR and interacting galaxies. Acomparative study of the U-B colour and the -W(Hα ) of thedifferent star-forming knots of the galaxies indicates that these twomagnitudes give consistent age estimates. However, the B-V colour givecomparatively greater ages, which can be explained by the presence ofunderlying stellar populations in many of the objects. This is confirmedby the presence of a much more extended and diffuse morphology (in somecases with a disc shape) in broad-band compared to Hα images. Ourstudy has also revealed that a substantial fraction of irregular anddwarf WR galaxies at first classified as isolated objects, may in factbe interacting or merging with other low surface brightness companionsthat escaped detection in previous studies. These interaction processescould be the cause of the triggering of the strong star formation we arenow seeing in many of the objects. The Hα morphology of thegalaxies indicates that the presence of bubble-like and low surfacebrightness filamentary structures is a rather common characteristic ofthese kinds of objects. Spectroscopic observations reported in this andprevious papers confirm the presence of high-velocity asymmetric flowsthat extend to the outer zones in several galaxies. Figures 1--18 areonly available electronically with the On-Line publication athttp://link.springer.de/link/service/00230/
| Physical morphology and triggers of starburst galaxies
We present a method of determining the likely triggering mechanisms forluminous, nearby starbursts based on their optical asymmetry and (B-V)color - what we term as indices of `physical morphology.' By comparingthe starbursts' locations in a color-asymmetry diagram to anindependent, nearby galaxy sample, we identify which starbursts arelikely triggered by an interaction/merger. We confirm our morphologicalinterpretation based on a comparison to 20% and 50% HI velocity-widthratios. We further explain how this use of physical morphology can putconstraints on the dynamical history of other galaxies, includingstar-forming galaxies at high redshifts.
| Multicolor photometry and spectrophotometry of star-forming complexes in spiral and irregular galaxies for analyses of star-formation parameters. Data and reductions
Intermediate-band photometric measurements of star-forming complexes(SFCs) in six spiral and irregular galaxies are presented, and added topreviously published multicolor data to form a master database. The oldand new data have been reduced to a standard photometric system, and theaccuracy of various color-index measurements compared. A total of 928measurements of 569 SFCs in 49 galaxies are considered. The observedcolors of SFCs-giant HII regions-in external galaxies are compared withtheoretical (U_B)(B_V), LCI(U_B), and LCI(B_V) diagrams for a wide rangeof star-formation parameters (the observed colors were reduced to asingle photometric system and corrected for extinction). The presence ofobservational selection effects in the data sample is demonstrated. Thearea occupied by theoretical evolutionary tracks is consistent with theobserved distribution of colors for star-forming complexes.
| Dust Absorption and the Ultraviolet Luminosity Density at Z~3 as Calibrated by Local Starburst Galaxies
We refine a technique to measure the absorption-corrected ultraviolet(UV) luminosity of starburst galaxies using rest-frame UV quantitiesalone and apply it to Lyman-limit U dropouts at z~3 found in the HubbleDeep Field (HDF). The method is based on an observed correlation betweenthe ratio of far-infrared (FIR) to UV fluxes with spectral slope beta (aUV color). A simple fit to this relation allows the UV flux absorbed bydust and reprocessed to the FIR to be calculated, and hence thedust-free UV luminosity to be determined. International UltravioletExplorer spectra and Infrared Astronomical Satellite fluxes of localstarbursts are used to calibrate the F_FIR/F_1600 versus beta relationin terms of A_1600 (the dust absorption at 1600 Å) and thetransformation from broadband photometric color to beta. Bothcalibrations are almost completely independent of theoreticalstellar-population models. We show that the recent marginal andnondetections of HDF U dropouts at radio and submillimeter wavelengthsare consistent with their assumed starburst nature and our calculatedA_1600. This is also true of recent observations of the ratio of opticalemission-line flux to UV flux density in the brightest U dropouts. Thislatter ratio turns out not to be a good indicator of dust extinction. InU dropouts, absolute magnitude M_1600,0 correlates with beta: brightergalaxies are redder, as is observed to be the case for local starburstgalaxies. This suggests that a mass-metallicity relationship is alreadyin place at z~3. The absorption-corrected UV luminosity function of Udropouts extends up to M_1600,0~-24 AB mag, corresponding to a starformation rate ~200 M_solar yr^-1 (H_0=50 km s^-1 Mpc^-3 and q_0=0.5 areassumed throughout). The absorption-corrected UV luminosity density atz~3 is rho_1600,0>=1.4x10^27 ergs^-1 Hz^-1 Mpc^-1. It is still alower limit since completeness corrections have not been done andbecause only galaxies with A_1600<~3.6 mag are blue enough in the UVto be selected as U dropouts. The luminosity-weighted meandust-absorption factor of our sample is 5.4+/-0.9 at 1600 Å.
| Physical Morphology of Galaxies using Asymmetry
We demonstrate in this paper the use of asymmetry in conjunction withthe integrated (B-V) color of galaxies for physical morphologicalpurposes. We show how color-asymmetry diagrams can be used todistinguish between various types of galaxies, including ellipticals,late and early type disks, irregulars and interacting/merging galaxies.We also show how asymmetry can be used to help decipher the morphologyof nearby starbursts, and galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field.
| New catalogue of Wolf-Rayet galaxies and high-excitation extra-galactic HII regions
We present a new compilation of Wolf-Rayet (WR) galaxies andextra-galactic Hii regions showing broad He ii lambda 4686 emissiondrawn from the literature. Relevant information on the presence of otherbroad emission lines ([N i] lambda 5199ii, C iv lambda 5808 and others)from WR stars of WN and WC subtypes, and other existing broad nebularlines is provided. In total we include 139 known WR galaxies. Amongthese, 57 objects show both broad He ii lambda 4686 and C iv lambda 5808features. In addition to the broad (stellar) He ii lambda 4686 emission,a nebular He ii component is well established (suspected) in 44 (54)objects. We find 19 extra-galatic Hii regions without WR detectionsshowing nebular He ii lambda 4686 emission. The present sample can beused for a variety of studies on massive stars, interactions of massivestars with the ISM, stellar populations, starburst galaxies etc. Thedata is accessible electronically and will be updated periodically. Thecatalogue is available at the CDS via anonymous ftp tocdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| The interacting Wolf-Rayet galaxy MKN 8
We present results of narrow-band and broad-band optical CCD imagingtogether with intermediate-resolution spectroscopy of the Wolf-Rayetgalaxy Mkn 8. Analysis of the morphology and kinematics of the objectindicates that the strong star formation episode we are witnessing inMkn 8 is the product of the interaction of two (or three) disk galaxies.The chemical abundances and abundance ratios measured in the brightestknots suggest that the interacting galaxies are chemically evolvedgas-rich objects, perhaps late-type spirals.
| Ultraviolet spectral properties of magellanic and non-magellanic irregulars, H BT II and starburst galaxies
This paper presents the results of a stellar population analysisperformed on nearby (V_R<=5 000 km s^{-1}) star-forming galaxies,comprising magellanic and non-magellanic irregulars, H Ii and starburstgalaxies observed with the IUE satellite. Before any comparison ofgalaxy spectra, we have formed subsets according to absolute magnitudeand morphological classification. Subsequently, we have coadded thespectra within each subset into groups of similar spectral properties inthe UV. As a consequence, high signal-to-noise ratio templates have beenobtained, and information on spectral features can now be extracted andanalysed. Seven groups resulted from this procedure: the magellanicirregulars (including H Ii galaxies) produced two different bluespectral groups; the non-magellanic irregulars could be grouped into twospectral groups with rather peculiar properties; and the luminousstarbursts produced one flat and two blue template spectra. Theirstellar populations are analysed by means of a population synthesisalgorithm based on star cluster spectral components. The syntheticspectra reproduce the observed ones successfully (except thenon-magellanic irregular groups) both in terms of continuum distributionand spectral features. The synthesis flux fractions of different agegroups were transformed into mass fractions, allowing inferences on thestar formation histories. Young stellar populations (age <500 Myrs)are the main flux contributors; in a few cases the intermediate agepopulation (age~1 M_B-2 Myrs) is important, while the old bulgepopulation contributes at most with ~2 % of the lambda2646 Angstromsflux in the case of starburst galaxies, and is negligible in themagellanic irregulars. We also study the reddening values and theextinction law: an SMC-like extinction law is appropriate for all cases.Based upon data collected with the International Ultraviolet Explorer(IUE) Satellite, supported by NASA, SERC and ESA.
| 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.
| Influence of a partial incompleteness of the sample on the determination of the Hubble constant.
This paper presents a study of the Malmquist bias effect in thedetermination of the Hubble constant from the method of "sosies"(look-alike) galaxies. It is shown that a bias appears when a partialincompleteness exists in the sample. A new method, based on the use ofthe completeness curve, is proposed to correct for such a bias. Afterthis correction, the Hubble constant drops of about 20% just because ofthe existence of the partial incompleteness. From the present resultsand on the acceptance of the distance modulus of primary calibrators,the value of the Hubble constant would be: H_0_=~60km/s/Mpc with aninternal statistical error of about 2km/s/Mpc.
| A multifrequency radio continuum and IRAS faint source survey of markarian galaxies
Results are presented from a multifrequency radio continumm survey ofMarkarian galaxies (MRKs) and are supplemented by IRAS infrared datafrom the Faint Source Survey. Radio data are presented for 899 MRKsobserved at nu = 4.755 GHz with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory(NRAO)-Green Bank 300 foot (91 m) telescope, including nearly 88% ofthose objects in Markarian lists VI-XIV. In addition, 1.415 GHzmeasurements of 258 MRKs, over 30% of the MRKs accessible from theNational Aeronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC)-Arecibo, are reported.Radio continuum observations of smaller numbers of MRKs were made at10.63 GHz and at 23.1 GHz and are also presented. Infrared data from theIRAS Faint Source Survey (Ver. 2) are presented for 944 MRKs, withreasonably secure identifications extracted from the NASA/IPACExtragalactic Database. MRKs exhibit the same canonical infraredcharacteristics as those reported for various other galaxy samples, thatis well-known enhancement of the 25 micrometer/60 micrometer color ratioamong Seyfert MRKs, and a clear tendency for MRKs with warmer 60micrometer/100 micrometer colors to also possess cooler 12 micrometer/25micrometer colors. In addition, non-Seyfert are found to obey thewell-documented infrared/radio luminosity correlation, with the tightestcorrelation seen for starburst MRKs.
| The heating of dust in starburst galaxies: The contribution of the nonionizing radiation
The IUE UV and optical spectra and the far-infrared (FIR) IRAS fluxdensities of a sample of starburst and blue compact galaxies are used toinvestigate the relationship between dust obscuration and dust emission.The amount of dust obscuration at UV wavelengths correlates with theFIR-to-blue ratio; and an analysis of the correlation indicates that notonly the ionizing but also the nonionizing radiation contribute to theFIR emission. The amount of UV and optical energy lost to dustobscuration accounts for most of the cool dust FIUR emission and forabout 70% of the warm dust FIR emission. The remaining 30% of the warmdust FIR flux is probably due to dust emission from regions of starformation which are embedded in opaque giant molecular clouds and do notcontribute to the integrated UV and optical spectrum. The use of the FIRemission as an indicator of high-mass star formation rate instar-forming galaxies can be problematic, since the contribution to theFIR flux from cool dust emission heated by relatively old stars isnonnegligible.
| An atlas of ultraviolet spectra of star-forming galaxies
A systematic study is presented of the UV spectra of star-forminggalaxies of different morphological type and activity class using asample drawn from a uniformly reduced IUE data set. The spectra for awide variety of galaxies, including normal spiral, LINER, starburst,blue compact, blue compact dwarf, and Seyfert 2 galaxies, are presentedin the form of spectral energy distributions to demonstrate the overallcharacteristics according to morphology and activity class and in theform of absolute flux distributions to better show the absorption andemission features of individual objects. The data support the picturebased on UV spectra of the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory and of theAstronautical Netherlands Satellite that spiral galaxies of later Hubbleclass have more flux at the shortest UV wavelengths than do spiralgalaxies of earlier Hubble class.
| Evidence for enhanced star formation in IRAS-detected Markarian galaxies
The IR emission of 640 Markarian galaxies (MrkG), included in the IRASSurvey, is considered as an evidence for enhanced star formation rate(SFR) in these objects. About 73 percent of the MrkG have highfar-infrared luminosities in l-500 mcm IR spectral band. Thedistribution of log(f60/f100), peaked at about 45 K, shows that IRASMrkGs have a tendency to extend the relation f60/f100 vs L(ir)/L(bi) for'normal' S galaxies. They emit up to 100 times more IR energy in 40-120mcm band than in optics. The mean ratio log (L(ir)/L(b)) for 621 IRASMrkG with known redshifts is 2.2. It is suggested that there are twoIR-emitting components in the IRAS MrkG: a warm one connected with theUV-fluxes of the newborn massive stars, reradiated by dust, and a coolone, originated from the dust in galactic disks and heated by thegeneral interstellar radiation field. The mean warm IR fraction for allMrk IRAS detected galaxies with well-defined IR fluxes is 0.83. The dustmass responsible for the IR flux at 60 mcm is derived to be about 10E +5 solar masses. There is a relation between L(ir) and L(bl) which pointsout that the most IRAS MrkG have rather enhanced SFR.
| Pairing properties of Markarian starburst Galaxies
The environmental parameters of 516 non-Seyfert Markarian galaxies werestudied in a redshift-bounded sample, supplemented by new spectra andredshift measures for possible companions, in order to evaluate theiroccurrence in galaxy pairs, defined through quantitative criteria. Itwas found that one-third of these galaxies occur in pairs (while only 6to 10 percent of optically-selected galaxies are known to be paired). Acomparison of various optical and IR properties of paired and nonpairedMarkarian galaxies showed no differences in the shape of the optical,far-IR, or H-alpha luminosity functions. It was found, however, that theMarkarian component is brighter than the other galaxy in each pair by0.66 magnitude in the mean at B.
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