Other
Scientific paper
Dec 1997
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1997aas...191.4903d&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, 191st AAS Meeting, #49.03; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 29, p.1291
Other
2
Scientific paper
We present a report on our studies of the properties of the mid-ultraviolet (2200 < lambda < 3200 Angstroms) continuum and spectral features of elliptical galaxies. This spectral range is particularly important as it is contributed almost entirely by the main-sequence turnoff, which both defines and is sensitive to the age and metallicity of the bulk stellar population present. In addition, it is readily observable from the ground at z > 1, and it is important to develop tools for its proper interpretation to study ellipticals at significant lookback times. We have produced model spectral energy distributions from stellar isochrones computed using a new interpolation code, and the horizontal branch tracks of Dorman, Rood and O'Connell (1993). We address several issues: the sensitivity of the mid-UV continuum to age and metallicity and the prospects for resolving the ``age-metallicity degeneracy" problem using UV observations; the observational accuracy required to derive a conclusion concerning gross galaxy properties from the data; a technique for removing the contamination due to the hot component that is responsible for the Ultraviolet Upturn phenomenon at shorter UV wavelengths from the observation, and studying the underlying light from the cooler stellar population. We present fits to galaxy spectra (M31, M32, M60, and M89) using our technique. We find that the continua of the galaxies are consistent with solar metallicity populations: in the case of M32, the best fit to the UV/Optical colors is about 7 Gyr, while the other galaxies have implied ages of 12-15 Gyr. Various features of the mid-UV spectra, however, suggest the presence of components warmer than those implied by UV/Optical colors.
Dorman Ben
O'Connell Robert West
Rood Robert T.
No associations
LandOfFree
The Mid-Ultraviolet Spectral Range of Old Stellar Populations does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with The Mid-Ultraviolet Spectral Range of Old Stellar Populations, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The Mid-Ultraviolet Spectral Range of Old Stellar Populations will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1174310