scholarly journals Stellar Populations and the Star Formation Histories of LSB Galaxies: III. Stellar Population Models

Author(s):  
James Schombert ◽  
Stacy McGaugh

AbstractA series of population models are designed to explore the star formation history of gas-rich, low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies. LSB galaxies are unique in having properties of very blue colors, low Hα emission and high gas fractions that indicated a history of constant star formation (versus the declining star formation models used for most spirals and irregulars). The model simulations use an evolving multi-metallicity composite population that follows a chemical enrichment scheme based on Milky Way observations. Color and time sensitive stellar evolution components (i.e., BHB, TP-AGB and blue straggler stars) are included, and model colors are extended into theSpitzerwavelength regions for comparison to new observations. In general, LSB galaxies are well matched to the constant star formation scenario with the variation in color explained by a fourfold increase/decrease in star formation over the last 0.5 Gyrs (i.e., weak bursts). Early-type spirals, from the S4G sample, are better fit by a declining star formation model where star formation has decreased by 40% in the last 12 Gyrs.

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Schombert ◽  
Tamela Maciel ◽  
Stacy McGaugh

This paper presents optical and Hαimaging for a large sample of LSB galaxies selected from the PSS-II catalogs (Schombert et al., 1992). As noted in previous work, LSB galaxies span a range of luminosities () and sizes (), although they are consistent in their irregular morphology. Their Hαluminosities (L(Hα)) range from 1036to 1041 ergs s−1(corresponding to a range in star formation, using canonical prescriptions, from 10−5to 1  yr−1). Although their optical colors are at the extreme blue edge for galaxies, they are similar to the colors of dwarf galaxies (Van Zee, 2001) and gas-rich irregulars (Hunter and Elmegreen, 2006). However, their star formation rates per unit stellar mass are a factor of ten less than other galaxies of the same baryonic mass, indicating that they are not simply quiescent versions of more active star-forming galaxies. This paper presents the data, reduction techniques, and new philosophy of data storage and presentation. Later papers in this series will explore the stellar population and star formation history of LSB galaxies using this dataset.


2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (S256) ◽  
pp. 281-286
Author(s):  
Carme Gallart ◽  
Ingrid Meschin ◽  
Antonio Aparicio ◽  
Peter B. Stetson ◽  
Sebastián L. Hidalgo

AbstractBased on the quantitative analysis of a set of wide-field color—magnitude diagrams reaching the old main sequence-turnoffs, we present new LMC star-formation histories, and their variation with galactocentric distance. Some coherent features are found, together with systematic variations of the star-formation history among the three fields analyzed. We find two main episodes of star formation in all three fields, from 1 to 4 and 7 to 13 Gyr ago, with relatively low star formation around ≃ 4–7 Gyr ago. The youngest age in each field gradually increases with galactocentric radius; in the innermost field, LMC 0514–6503, an additional star formation event younger than 1 Gyr is detected, with star formation declining, however, in the last ≃ 200 Myr. The population is found to be older on average toward the outer part of the galaxy, although star formation in all fields seems to have started around 13 Gyr ago.


2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (S309) ◽  
pp. 99-104
Author(s):  
R. M. González Delgado ◽  
R. Cid Fernandes ◽  
R. García-Benito ◽  
E. Pérez ◽  
A. L. de Amorim ◽  
...  

AbstractWe resolve spatially the star formation history of 300 nearby galaxies from the CALIFA integral field survey to investigate: a) the radial structure and gradients of the present stellar populations properties as a function of the Hubble type; and b) the role that plays the galaxy stellar mass and stellar mass surface density in governing the star formation history and metallicity enrichment of spheroids and the disks of galaxies. We apply the fossil record method based on spectral synthesis techniques to recover spatially and temporally resolved maps of stellar population properties of spheroids and spirals with galaxy mass from 109 to 7×1011 M⊙. The individual radial profiles of the stellar mass surface density (μ⋆), stellar extinction (AV), luminosity weighted ages (〈logage〉L), and mass weighted metallicity (〈log Z/Z⊙〉M) are stacked in seven bins of galaxy morphology (E, S0, Sa, Sb, Sbc, Sc and Sd). All these properties show negative gradients as a sight of the inside-out growth of massive galaxies. However, the gradients depend on the Hubble type in different ways. For the same galaxy mass, E and S0 galaxies show the largest inner gradients in μ⋆; and Andromeda-like galaxies (Sb with log M⋆ (M⊙) ∼ 11) show the largest inner age and metallicity gradients. In average, spiral galaxies have a stellar metallicity gradient ∼ −0.1 dex per half-light radius, in agreement with the value estimated for the ionized gas oxygen abundance gradient by CALIFA. A global (M⋆-driven) and local (μ⋆-driven) stellar metallicity relation are derived. We find that in disks, the stellar mass surface density regulates the stellar metallicity; in spheroids, the galaxy stellar mass dominates the physics of star formation and chemical enrichment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 493 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
J E Young ◽  
Rachel Kuzio de Naray ◽  
Sharon X Wang

ABSTRACT We present the star-formation history of the low surface brightness (LSB) galaxy UGC 628 as part of the MUSCEL program (MUltiwavelength observations of the Structure, Chemistry, and Evolution of LSB galaxies). The star-formation histories of LSB galaxies represent a significant gap in our knowledge of galaxy assembly, with implications for dark matter / baryon feedback, IGM gas accretion, and the physics of star formation in low metallicity environments. Our program uses ground-based IFU spectra in tandem with space-based UV and IR imaging to determine the star-formation histories of LSB galaxies in a spatially resolved fashion. In this work we present the fitted history of our first target to demonstrate our techniques and methodology. Our technique splits the history of this galaxy into 15 semilogarithmically spaced time-steps. Within each time-step the star-formation rate of each spaxel is assumed constant. We then determine the set of 15 star-formation rates that best recreate the spectra and photometry measured in each spaxel. Our main findings with respect to UGC 628 are: (i) the visible properties of UGC 628 have varied over time, appearing as a high surface brightness spiral earlier than 8 Gyr ago and a starburst galaxy during a recent episode of star formation several tens of Myr ago, (ii) the central bar/core region was established early, around 8–10 Gyr ago, but has been largely inactive since, and (iii) star formation in the past 3 Gyr is best characterized as patchy and sporadic.


1999 ◽  
Vol 192 ◽  
pp. 496-502
Author(s):  
U. Kolb ◽  
J. Osborne ◽  
M. G. Watson

X-ray binaries (XBs) dominate the X-ray emission of normal galaxies. The new X-ray satellite XMM will study the XB population of M31 in detail. The resulting M31 sample will significantly advance our understanding of the evolutionary history of XBs, and ultimately allow us to probe the star formation history of stellar populations by X-ray observations.


2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (S258) ◽  
pp. 51-60
Author(s):  
Carme Gallart ◽  
Ingrid Meschin ◽  
Noelia E. D. Noël ◽  
Antonio Aparicio ◽  
Sebastián L. Hidalgo ◽  
...  

AbstractThe star formation history of the Magellanic Clouds, including the old and intermediate-age star formation events, can be studied reliably and in detail through color-magnitude diagrams reaching the oldest main sequence turnoffs. This paper reviews our current understanding of the Magellanic Clouds' star formation histories and discusses the impact of this information on general studies of galaxy formation and evolution.


2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (S284) ◽  
pp. 244-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard M. McDermid ◽  
Katherine Alatalo ◽  
Leo Blitz ◽  
Maxime Bois ◽  
Frédéric Bournaud ◽  
...  

AbstractWe present an exploration of the integrated stellar populations of early-type galaxies (ETGs) from the ATLAS3D survey. We use two approaches: firstly the application of line-indices interpreted through single stellar population (SSP) models, which provide a single value of age, metallicity and abundance ratio. And secondly, by fitting a linear combination of SSP spectra to our data, smoothly weighted in the free parameters of age and metallicity, thereby inferring a star-formation history of these galaxies. Despite the significant differences in these approaches, we obtain generally consistent results, such that galaxies that are more massive appear older with enhanced abundance ratios using line indices, and have shorter star-formation histories weighted to early times. We highlight two limitations of the index-SSP approach. Firstly the SSP-equivalent ages belie the fact that ETGs are overwhelmingly composed of ancient stars. Secondly, the young stellar contributions implied in our star formation histories are required to obtain realistic UV-optical colours. We remark that, even fitting solar-abundance models, we can recover a star-formation duration that correlates with the measured alpha-enhancement, in agreement with other recent work.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (S316) ◽  
pp. 61-69
Author(s):  
Alessandra Aloisi

AbstractColor-magnitude diagrams of resolved stellar populations are the most powerful tool to derive the star formation histories of galaxies. In this review the method to infer star formation histories by comparing synthetic color-magnitude diagrams to deep, high-precision, multi-color photometry is briefly outlined, and our current knowledge of the star formation history of systems within the local Volume is summarized.


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