Other
Scientific paper
Dec 1982
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1982apj...263....1c&link_type=abstract
Astrophysical Journal, Part 1, vol. 263, Dec. 1, 1982, p. 1-13. NSF-supported research.
Other
22
Astronomical Spectroscopy, Galactic Nuclei, Luminosity, Spiral Galaxies, Star Distribution, Virgo Galactic Cluster, Abundance, Galactic Evolution, Galactic Structure, Globular Clusters, Optical Scanners
Scientific paper
Spectra of the nuclei of 44 normal spiral galaxies have been obtained using the McGraw-Hill Observatory intensified Reticon scanner. A composite spectral index, Σ, has been formed which measures the strengths of Ca II, Hδ , CH, and Mg, all of which correlate with absolute magnitude of the nuclear bulge. It is found that this index can predict the magnitudes of normal galaxies with a dispersion of 0.5 mag. This index is used to show that many galaxies within 6° of the Virgo cluster center, normally assumed to be members, may not be at the mean cluster distance.
Using the same instrument, we also obtained fluxed spectra of halo globular clusters and solar neighborhood stars of both Population I and II. These data were used to construct simple population models for the nuclei of late-type spiral galaxies. It was found that, except in the case of the ∼2" semistellar nucleus in M33, the line strengths of Sc galaxy nuclei fit well models constructed from globular cluster observations but could not be reproduced using only a Population I stellar mix. The reverse was true, on the other hand, for the semistellar nucleus of M33, where a good fit is obtained by using young star light plus a smaller contribution from an old metalpoor population.
We interpret this to indicate that the predominant light from the amorphous nuclear bulges of late-type spiral nuclei is old, but some of these galaxies may have had recent bursts of star formation that affect the spectral characteristics of a central component of the nucleus.
Cowley Anne Pyne
Crampton David
McClure Robert D.
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