Bibcode
Buta, Ronald J.; Sheth, Kartik; Regan, Michael; Hinz, Joannah L.; Gil de Paz, Armando; Menéndez-Delmestre, Karin; Munoz-Mateos, Juan-Carlos; Seibert, Mark; Laurikainen, Eija; Salo, Heikki; Gadotti, Dimitri A.; Athanassoula, E.; Bosma, Albert; Knapen, J. H.; Ho, Luis C.; Madore, Barry F.; Elmegreen, Debra M.; Masters, Karen L.; Comerón, Sebastien; Aravena, Manuel; Kim, Taehyun
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal Supplement, Volume 190, Issue 1, pp. 147-165 (2010).
Advertised on:
9
2010
Citations
77
Refereed citations
68
Description
Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Array Camera imaging provides an
opportunity to study all known morphological types of galaxies in the
mid-IR at a depth significantly better than ground-based near-infrared
and optical images. The goal of this study is to examine the imprint of
the de Vaucouleurs classification volume in the 3.6 μm band, which is
the best Spitzer waveband for galactic stellar mass morphology owing to
its depth and its reddening-free sensitivity mainly to older stars. For
this purpose, we have prepared classification images for 207 galaxies
from the Spitzer archive, most of which are formally part of the Spitzer
Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S4G), a Spitzer
post-cryogenic ("warm") mission Exploration Science Legacy Program
survey of 2331 galaxies closer than 40 Mpc. For the purposes of
morphology, the galaxies are interpreted as if the images are blue
light, the historical waveband for classical galaxy classification
studies. We find that 3.6 μm classifications are well correlated with
blue-light classifications, to the point where the essential features of
many galaxies look very similar in the two very different wavelength
regimes. Drastic differences are found only for the most dusty galaxies.
Consistent with a previous study by Eskridge et al., the main difference
between blue-light and mid-IR types is an ≈1 stage interval
difference for S0/a to Sbc or Sc galaxies, which tend to appear
"earlier" in type at 3.6 μm due to the slightly increased prominence
of the bulge, the reduced effects of extinction, and the reduced (but
not completely eliminated) effect of the extreme population I stellar
component. We present an atlas of all of the 207 galaxies analyzed here
and bring attention to special features or galaxy types, such as nuclear
rings, pseudobulges, flocculent spiral galaxies, I0 galaxies,
double-stage and double-variety galaxies, and outer rings, that are
particularly distinctive in the mid-IR.
Related projects
Spiral Galaxies: Evolution and Consequences
Our small group is well known and respected internationally for our innovative and important work on various aspects of the structure and evolution of nearby spiral galaxies. We primarily use observations at various wavelengths, exploiting synergies that allow us to answer the most pertinent questions relating to what the main properties of
Johan Hendrik
Knapen Koelstra