Sangam: A Confluence of Knowledge Streams

Search for star cluster age gradients across spiral arms of three LEGUS disc galaxies

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dc.creator Shabani, F
dc.creator Grebel, EK
dc.creator Pasquali, A
dc.creator D'Onghia, E
dc.creator III, GJS
dc.creator Adamo, A
dc.creator Messa, M
dc.creator Elmegreen, BG
dc.creator Dobbs, C
dc.creator Gouliermis, DA
dc.creator Calzetti, D
dc.creator Grasha, K
dc.creator Elmegreen, DM
dc.creator Cignoni, M
dc.creator Dale, DA
dc.creator Aloisi, A
dc.creator Smith, LJ
dc.creator Tosi, M
dc.creator Thilker, DA
dc.creator Lee, JC
dc.creator Sabbi, E
dc.creator Kim, H
dc.creator Pellerin, A
dc.date 2018-11-23T15:26:12Z
dc.date 2018-05-16
dc.date 2018-11-23T15:26:12Z
dc.date.accessioned 2022-05-27T01:03:16Z
dc.date.available 2022-05-27T01:03:16Z
dc.identifier Vol. 478, pp. 3590 - 3604
dc.identifier 10.1093/mnras/sty1277
dc.identifier http://hdl.handle.net/10871/34890
dc.identifier 0035-8711
dc.identifier Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
dc.identifier.uri http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/CUHPOERS/241936
dc.description This is the final version. Available from OUP via the DOI in this record
dc.description One of the main theories for explaining the formation of spiral arms in galaxies is the stationary density wave theory. This theory predicts the existence of an age gradient across the arms. We use the stellar cluster catalogues of the galaxies NGC 1566, M51a, and NGC 628 from the Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey (LEGUS) program. In order to test for the possible existence of an age sequence across the spiral arms, we quantified the azimuthal offset between star clusters of different ages in our target galaxies. We found that NGC 1566, a grand-design spiral galaxy with bisymmetric arms and a strong bar, shows a significant age gradient across the spiral arms that appear to be consistent with the prediction of the stationary density wave theory. In contrast, M51a with its two well-defined spiral arms and a weaker bar does not show an age gradient across the arms. In addition, a comparison with non-LEGUS star cluster catalogues for M51a yields similar results. We believe that the spiral structure of M51a is not the result of a stationary density wave with a fixed pattern speed. Instead, tidal interactions could be the dominant mechanism for the formation of spiral arms. We also found no offset in the azimuthal distribution of star clusters with different ages across the weak spiral arms of NGC 628.
dc.description This work is based on observations made with the NASA/ESA HST, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555. These observations are associated with program 13364. Support for Program 13364 was provided by NASA through a grant from the Space Telescope Science Institute. This research has made use of the NED, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. AA acknowledges the support of the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) and the Swedish National Space Board. DAG kindly acknowledges financial support by the German Research Foundation (DFG) through programme GO 1659/3-2.
dc.language en
dc.publisher Oxford University Press (OUP) / Royal Astronomical Society
dc.rights © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved
dc.subject galaxies: individual: NGC 1566, M51, NGC 628
dc.subject galaxies: spiral
dc.subject galaxies: structure
dc.title Search for star cluster age gradients across spiral arms of three LEGUS disc galaxies
dc.type Article


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