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HST Observations of the Toomre Sequence of Merging Galaxies
We discuss our ongoing multi-instrument HST investigation of the nuclearregions of the 11 interacting and merging galaxies in the ToomreSequence. We are studying the nuclear kinematics using STIS (G750M)spectra, the nuclear stellar populations using STIS (G430L) spectra, andthe nuclear morphology using NICMOS and WFPC2 images. The results willprovide new insight into the physical processes that operate duringgalaxy interactions.
| A Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 Investigation of the Nuclear Morphology in the Toomre Sequence of Merging Galaxies
We report on the properties of nuclear regions in the Toomre sequence ofmerging galaxies, based on imaging data gathered with the Hubble SpaceTelescope WFPC2 camera. We have imaged the 11 systems in the proposedevolutionary merger sequence in the F555W and F814W broadband filters,and in Hα+[N II] narrowband filters. The broadband morphology ofthe nuclear regions varies from nonnucleated starburst clumps throughdust-covered nuclei to a nucleated morphology. There is no unambiguoustrend in the morphology with merger stage. The emission-line morphologyis extended beyond the nucleus in most cases, but centrally concentrated(within 1 kpc) emission-line gas can be seen in the four latest-stagemerger systems. We have quantified the intrinsic luminosity densitiesand colors within the inner 100 pc and 1 kpc of each identified nucleus.We find little evidence for a clear trend in nuclear properties alongthe merger sequence other than a suggestive rise in the nuclearluminosity density in the most evolved members of the sequence. The lackof clear trends in nuclear properties is likely due both to the effectsof obscuration and geometry, as well as the physical variety of galaxiesincluded in the Toomre sequence.Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtainedat the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by theAssociation of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASAcontract NAS 5-26555. These observations are associated with proposal8669.
| Cold gas and star formation in a merging galaxy sequence
We explore the evolution of the cold gas (molecular and neutralhydrogen) and star formation activity during galaxy interactions, usinga merging galaxy sequence comprising both pre- and post-mergercandidates. Data for this study come from the literature, but aresupplemented by some new radio observations presented here. First, weconfirm that the ratio of far-infrared luminosity to molecular hydrogenmass (LFIRM(H2); star formation efficiency)increases close to nuclear coalescence. After the merging of the twonuclei there is evidence that the star formation efficiency declinesagain to values typical of ellipticals. This trend can be attributed toM(H2) depletion arising from interaction induced starformation. However, there is significant scatter, likely to arise fromdifferences in the interaction details (e.g., disc-to-bulge ratio,geometry) of individual systems. Secondly, we find that the centralmolecular hydrogen surface density, ΣH2,increases close to the final stages of the merging of the two nuclei.Such a trend, indicating gas inflows caused by gravitationalinstabilities during the interaction, is also predicted by numericalsimulations. Furthermore, there is evidence for a decreasing fraction ofcold gas mass from early interacting systems to merger remnants,attributed to neutral hydrogen conversion into other forms (e.g., stars,hot gas) and molecular hydrogen depletion resulting from ongoing starformation. The evolution of the total-radio to blue-band luminosityratio, reflecting the total (disc and nucleus) star formation activity,is also investigated. Although this ratio is on average higher than thatfor isolated spirals, we find a marginal increase along the mergingsequence, attributed to the relative insensitivity of disc starformation to interactions. However, a similar result is also obtainedfor the nuclear radio emission, although galaxy interactions arebelieved to significantly affect the activity (star formation, AGN) inthe central galaxy regions. Nevertheless, the nuclear-radio to blue-bandluminosity ratio is significantly elevated compared with that forisolated spirals. Finally, we find that the FIR-radio flux ratiodistribution of interacting galaxies is consistent with star formationbeing the main energizing source.
| Southern Isolated Galaxy Triplets
Seventy-six isolated triple systems of galaxies with declinatiosnδ<-3° were selected using ESO/SERC and POSS-I sky surveydata. The equatorial coordinates, configuration types, angular sizes,component angular separations, component morphological types, totalmagnitudes, and other parameters are reported for each triplet.Radial-velocity estimates are available for all components in 33 of the76 triplets. The median values of the main dynamicalparametersradial-velocity dispersion, mean harmonic radius,absolute magnitudes of member galaxies, and mass-to-luminosityratiosare similar to those obtained earlier for 83 isolatedtriple systems with δ>-3°.
| Spectroscopic Observations of Merging Galaxies
In this paper we describe the spectroscopic and infrared properties of asample of 25 merging galaxy pairs, selected from the catalog of Arp& Madore, and we compare them with those observed in a similarsample of interacting galaxies (Donzelli & Pastoriza). It is notedthat mergers as well as interacting systems comprise a wide range ofspectral types, going from those corresponding to well-evolved stellarpopulations (older than 200 Myr) to those that show clear signatures ofH II regions with stellar populations younger than 8 Myr. However,merger galaxies show on average more excited spectra than interactingpairs, which could be attributed to lower gas metallicity. From theemission lines we also found that merging systems show on average higher(about a factor of 2) star formation rates than interacting galaxies.Classical diagnostic diagrams show that only three of 50 of the galaxies(6%) present some form of nuclear activity: two Seyfert galaxies and oneLINER. However, through a detailed analysis of the pure emission-linespectra, we conclude that this fraction may raise up to 23% of themergers if we consider that some galaxies host a low-luminosity activenucleus surrounded by strong star-forming regions. This latterassumption is also supported by the infrared colors of the galaxies.Regarding to the total infrared luminosities, the merging galaxies showon average an IR luminosity, log(Lir)=10.7, lower than thatof interacting systems, log(Lir)=10.9. We find that onlythree mergers of the sample (12%) can be classified as luminous infraredgalaxies, while this fraction increases to 24% in the interactingsample. Based on observations made at CASLEO. ComplejoAstronómico El Leoncito is operated under agreement between theConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasde la República Argentina and the National Universities of LaPlata, Córdoba and San Juan.
| 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.
| The Local Merger Rate of Disk Galaxies
We consider the local population of galaxy merger remnants, morespecifically the remnants of disk-disk mergers for which there arediagnostic features (such as tails) that might be catalogued in a fairlycomplete manner. We estimate the current rate of mergers for suchgalaxies by comparing the luminosity function for mergers with those ofspiral-spiral pairs (their most common precursors) and for all diskgalaxies, incorporating the effects of changing crossing time withluminosity. These are connected via the time scale for mergers, which weestimate from the dynamical properties of our sample and publishedn-body models. We derive a merger rate for spirals in pairs, at thepresent epoch, of 4.2 per Hubble time (2.8 over the age of the Universeat critical density, or extrapolated to all spirals, 0.33 per Hubbletime). Given this large difference, depending on which precursorpopulation is considered, a two-component model seems most appropriateto assess the effects of mergers on galaxy evolution - one for galaxiesoriginally in pairs or small groups, and a second for galaxies whichhave never been in environments so susceptible to merging.Distinguishing the initial contributions of each to the overall galaxypopulations will require samples at high redshift. We also evaluate thehistory of several indicators of observable star formation, using thedynamical state of each remnant as an age estimate. With large scatter,we see evidence that star formation builds up to the time of mergerrather slowly, with a rapid decline thereafter. For most systems, dustseems to be so important in obscuring much of the starburst's opticalradiation that the luminosity increase of a merger over its initialcomponents does not have a profound effect on either our derived mergerrate or on higher-redshift counts. This rapid fading means that mergersper se can be at most a minor contributor to the Butcher-Oemler effect;most blue galaxies in systems fated to merge will be observed during theinteractions that precede the final merging event. Further observationsof the dynamical state of high-redshift systems are clearly needed toassess the time- integrated impact of merging on the overall galaxypopulation; the crude estimates given per Hubble time must be lowerlimits under most conditions. An Appendix describes the luminosityfunction of "field" galaxies of various morphological types, derivedfrom a new analysis of the CfA survey in the B_t_^0^ system.
| The spectroscopic analysis of emission line galaxies identified from an objective prism survey
Spectroscopic observations are described of 42 galaxies that weresuspected to be active galactic nuclei (AGN) on the basis of theirdetection by the objective prism survey of Wamsteker et al. (1985). Thepresence of emission lines was confirmed in nearly all objects, and linefluxes and other spectral properties have been measured. Six new Seyfertgalaxies were discovered, while most of the other objects were found tobe starburst galaxies, some with very strong emission lines. At leastfour of the Seyferts have a broad-line component. The most interestingof these is object 7, for two reasons: (1) the broad lines are verystrong compared with the narrow lines, something that is normally onlyobserved in much more luminous Seyfert nuclei; and (2) the galaxy inwhich this nucleus is embedded seems to be remarkably faint.
| Southern Galaxy Catalogue.
Not Available
| Faint southern galaxies with H-alpha emission
A catalog of 113 emission line galaxies, selected by the presence ofH-alpha + N II forbidden line emission, is presented. The objects wereselected from an objective prism survey made with the ESO Schmidttelescope, using the (IIIaF + RG630) plate-filter combination.
| A List of Peculiar Galaxies, Interacting Pairs, Groups and Clusters South of Declination -43°
The coordinates, dimensions and short descriptions of 186 objects aregiven after a search of the Maksutov plate collection in theObservatorio Astronómico, Universidad de Chile, Santiago
| A List of Interesting Southern Galaxies
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1971PASP...83..310A&db_key=AST
| Some unusual southern hemisphere objects.
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1971AJ.....76..775L&db_key=AST
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