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The Survey for Ionization in Neutral Gas Galaxies. I. Description and Initial Results
We introduce the Survey for Ionization in Neutral Gas Galaxies (SINGG),a census of star formation in H I-selected galaxies. The survey consistsof Hα and R-band imaging of a sample of 468 galaxies selected fromthe H I Parkes All Sky Survey (HIPASS). The sample spans three decadesin H I mass and is free of many of the biases that affect otherstar-forming galaxy samples. We present the criteria for sampleselection, list the entire sample, discuss our observational techniques,and describe the data reduction and calibration methods. This paperfocuses on 93 SINGG targets whose observations have been fully reducedand analyzed to date. The majority of these show a single emission linegalaxy (ELG). We see multiple ELGs in 13 fields, with up to four ELGs ina single field. All of the targets in this sample are detected inHα, indicating that dormant (non-star-forming) galaxies withMHI>~3×107 Msolar are veryrare. A database of the measured global properties of the ELGs ispresented. The ELG sample spans 4 orders of magnitude in luminosity(Hα and R band), and Hα surface brightness, nearly 3 ordersof magnitude in R surface brightness and nearly 2 orders of magnitude inHα equivalent width (EW). The surface brightness distribution ofour sample is broader than that of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)spectroscopic sample, the EW distribution is broader than prism-selectedsamples, and the morphologies found include all common types ofstar-forming galaxies (e.g., irregular, spiral, blue compact dwarf,starbursts, merging and colliding systems, and even residual starformation in S0 and Sa spirals). Thus, SINGG presents a superior censusof star formation in the local universe suitable for further studiesranging from the analysis of H II regions to determination of the localcosmic star formation rate density.
| Simulating observations of dark matter dominated galaxies: towards the optimal halo profile
Low surface brightness galaxies are dominated by dark matter, and theirrotation curves thus reflect their dark matter distribution. Recenthigh-resolution rotation curves suggest that their dark mattermass-density distributions are dominated by a constant-density core.This seems inconsistent with the predictions of cold dark matter (CDM)models which produce haloes with compact density cusps and steepmass-density profiles. However, the observationally determined massprofiles may be affected by non-circular motions, asymmetries andoffsets between optical and dynamical centres, all of which tend tolower the observed slopes. Here we determine the impact of each of theseeffects on a variety of halo models, and we compare the results withobserved mass-density profiles. Our simulations suggest that no singlesystematic effect can reconcile the data with the cuspy CDM haloes. Thedata are best described by a model with a soft core with an innerpower-law mass-density slope α=-0.2 +/- 0.2. However, no singleuniversal halo profile provides a completely adequate description of thedata.
| A search for Low Surface Brightness galaxies in the near-infrared. I. Selection of the sample
A sample of about 3800 Low Surface Brightness (LSB) galaxies wasselected using the all-sky near-infrared (J, H and Ks-band)2MASS survey. The selected objects have a mean central surfacebrightness within a 5'' radius around their centre fainter than 18 magarcsec-2 in the Ks band, making them the lowestsurface brightness galaxies detected by 2MASS. A description is given ofthe relevant properties of the 2MASS survey and the LSB galaxy selectionprocedure, as well as of basic photometric properties of the selectedobjects. The latter properties are compared to those of other samples ofgalaxies, of both LSBs and ``classical'' high surface brightness (HSB)objects, which were selected in the optical. The 2MASS LSBs have aBT_c-KT colour which is on average 0.9 mag bluerthan that of HSBs from the NGC. The 2MASS sample does not appear tocontain a significant population of red objects.All tables and Figs. 2a-c are only available in electronic form athttp://www.edpsciences.org
| Automated Galaxy Morphology: A Fourier Approach
We use automated surface photometry and pattern classificationtechniques to morphologically classify galaxies. The two-dimensionallight distribution of a galaxy is reconstructed using Fourier seriesfits to azimuthal profiles computed in concentric elliptical annulicentered on the galaxy. Both the phase and amplitude of each Fouriercomponent have been studied as a function of radial bin number for alarge collection of galaxy images using principal-component analysis. Wefind that up to 90% of the variance in many of these Fourier profilesmay be characterized in as few as three principal components and thattheir use substantially reduces the dimensionality of the classificationproblem. We use supervised learning methods in the form of artificialneural networks to train galaxy classifiers that detect morphologicalbars at the 85%-90% confidence level and can identify the Hubble typewith a 1 σ scatter of 1.5 steps on the 16 step stage axis of therevised Hubble system. Finally, we systematically characterize theadverse effects of decreasing resolution and signal-to-noise ratio onthe quality of morphological information predicted by these classifiers.
| Bar Galaxies and Their Environments
The prints of the Palomar Sky Survey, luminosity classifications, andradial velocities were used to assign all northern Shapley-Ames galaxiesto either (1) field, (2) group, or (3) cluster environments. Thisinformation for 930 galaxies shows no evidence for a dependence of barfrequency on galaxy environment. This suggests that the formation of abar in a disk galaxy is mainly determined by the properties of theparent galaxy, rather than by the characteristics of its environment.
| Nearby Optical Galaxies: Selection of the Sample and Identification of Groups
In this paper we describe the Nearby Optical Galaxy (NOG) sample, whichis a complete, distance-limited (cz<=6000 km s-1) andmagnitude-limited (B<=14) sample of ~7000 optical galaxies. Thesample covers 2/3 (8.27 sr) of the sky (|b|>20deg) andappears to have a good completeness in redshift (97%). We select thesample on the basis of homogenized corrected total blue magnitudes inorder to minimize systematic effects in galaxy sampling. We identify thegroups in this sample by means of both the hierarchical and thepercolation ``friends-of-friends'' methods. The resulting catalogs ofloose groups appear to be similar and are among the largest catalogs ofgroups currently available. Most of the NOG galaxies (~60%) are found tobe members of galaxy pairs (~580 pairs for a total of ~15% of objects)or groups with at least three members (~500 groups for a total of ~45%of objects). About 40% of galaxies are left ungrouped (field galaxies).We illustrate the main features of the NOG galaxy distribution. Comparedto previous optical and IRAS galaxy samples, the NOG provides a densersampling of the galaxy distribution in the nearby universe. Given itslarge sky coverage, the identification of groups, and its high-densitysampling, the NOG is suited to the analysis of the galaxy density fieldof the nearby universe, especially on small scales.
| Structure and Star Formation in NGC 925
We present the results from an optical study of the stellar and starformation properties of NGC 925 using the WIYN 3.5 m telescope. Imagesin B, V, R, and Hα reveal a galaxy that is fraught withasymmetries. From isophote fits we discover that the bar center is notcoincident with the center of the outer isophotes or with the dynamicalcenter (from Paper I in this series). Cuts across the spiral arms revealthat the northern arms are distinctly different from the southern arm.The southern arm not only appears more coherent, but the peaks instellar and Hα emission are found to be coincident with those ofthe H I distribution, while no such consistency is present in thenorthern disk. We also examine the gas surface density criterion formassive star formation in NGC 925, and we find that its behavior is moreconsistent with that for irregular galaxies than with late-type spirals.In particular, star formation persists beyond the radius at which thegas surface density falls below the predicted critical value for starformation for late-type spirals. Such properties are characteristic ofMagellanic spirals but are present at a less dramatic level in NGC 925,a late-type spiral.
| Bulge-Disk Decomposition of 659 Spiral and Lenticular Galaxy Brightness Profiles
We present one of the largest homogeneous sets of spiral and lenticulargalaxy brightness profile decompositions completed to date. The 659galaxies in our sample have been fitted with a de Vaucouleurs law forthe bulge component and an inner-truncated exponential for the diskcomponent. Of the 659 galaxies in the sample, 620 were successfullyfitted with the chosen fitting functions. The fits are generally welldefined, with more than 90% having rms deviations from the observedprofile of less than 0.35 mag. We find no correlations of fittingquality, as measured by these rms residuals, with either morphologicaltype or inclination. Similarly, the estimated errors of the fittedcoefficients show no significant trends with type or inclination. Thesedecompositions form a useful basis for the study of the lightdistributions of spiral and lenticular galaxies. The object base issufficiently large that well-defined samples of galaxies can be selectedfrom it.
| The H I Distribution and Dynamics in Two Late-Type Barred Spiral Galaxies: NGC 925 and NGC 1744
We present H i observations of NGC 925 and NGC 1744, two late-typebarred spiral galaxies that are quite comparable in mass and opticalmorphology. NGC 925 is a very asymmetric galaxy with a strong spiral armin the south and flocculent arms in the north. The rotation curves ofthe east and west sides of the galaxy are consistent with this asymmetryas well. In addition, NGC 925's dynamical center may be slightly offset(21.5", or ~1 kpc) from its optical center. The ratio of the H i tooptical diameter of NGC 925 is small compared with other galaxies. Wedetected a ~10^7 M_ȯ H i cloud and streamer, with little or nostellar component, apparently interacting with NGC 925. While theinteraction between NGC 925 and the cloud may be responsible for theobserved asymmetries, given the weakness of the interaction we postulatethat NGC 925 has suffered other gravitational encounters over the pastfew gigayears. NGC 1744, on the other hand, is an unperturbed galaxyhaving a textbook example of a velocity field for a disk galaxy. It hasa symmetric, albeit weak, spiral structure. Both NGC 925 and NGC 1744have small streaming motions (~10 km s^-1) associated with the bar andspiral arms.
| Catalogue of HI maps of galaxies. I.
A catalogue is presented of galaxies having large-scale observations inthe HI line. This catalogue collects from the literature the informationthat characterizes the observations in the 21-cm line and the way thatthese data were presented by means of maps, graphics and tables, forshowing the distribution and kinematics of the gas. It containsfurthermore a measure of the HI extension that is detected at the levelof the maximum sensitivity reached in the observations. This catalogueis intended as a guide for references on the HI maps published in theliterature from 1953 to 1995 and is the basis for the analysis of thedata presented in Paper II. The catalogue is only available inelectronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp 130.79.128.5 orhttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| 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.
| Homogeneous Velocity-Distance Data for Peculiar Velocity Analysis. III. The Mark III Catalog of Galaxy Peculiar Velocities
This is the third in a series of papers in which we assemble and analyzea homogeneous catalog of peculiar velocity data. In Papers I and II, wedescribed the Tully-Fisher (TF) redshift-distance samples thatconstitute the bulk of the catalog and our methodology for obtainingmutually consistent TF calibrations for these samples. In this paper, wesupply further technical details of the treatment of the data andpresent a subset of the catalog in tabular form. The full catalog, knownas the Mark III Catalog of Galaxy Peculiar Velocities, is available inaccessible on-line databases, as described herein. The electroniccatalog incorporates not only the TF samples discussed in Papers I andII but also elliptical galaxy Dn- sigma samples originally presentedelsewhere. The relative zero pointing of the elliptical and spiral datasets is discussed here. The basic elements of the Mark III Catalog arethe observables for each object (redshift, magnitude, velocity width,etc.) and inferred distances derived from the TF or Dn- sigma relations.Distances obtained from both the forward and inverse TF relations aretabulated for the spirals. Malmquist bias--corrected distances arecomputed for each catalog object using density fields obtained from theIRAS 1.2 Jy redshift survey. Distances for both individual objects andgroups are provided. A variety of auxiliary data, including distancesand local densities predicted from the IRAS redshift surveyreconstruction method, are tabulated as well. We study the distributionsof TF residuals for three of our samples and conclude that they are wellapproximated as Gaussian. However, for the Mathewson et al. sample wedemonstrate a significant decrease in TF scatter with increasingvelocity width. We test for, but find no evidence of, a correlationbetween TF residuals and galaxy morphology. Finally, we derivetransformations that map the apparent magnitude and velocity width datafor each spiral sample onto a common system. This permits theapplication of analysis methods that assume that a unique TF relationdescribes the entire sample.
| Massive Star Formation Along the Hubble Sequence
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1997AJ....113..599D&db_key=AST
| The I band Tully-Fisher relation for cluster galaxies: data presentation.
Observational parameters which can be used for redshift-independentdistance determination using the Tully-Fisher (TF) technique are givenfor \ntot spiral galaxies in the fields of 24 clusters or groups. I bandphotometry for the full sample was either obtained by us or compiledfrom published literature. Rotational velocities are derived either from21 cm spectra or optical emission line long-slit spectra, and convertedto a homogeneous scale. In addition to presenting the data, a discussionof the various sources of error on TF parameters is introduced, and thecriteria for the assignment of membership to each cluster are given.
| Near-IR photometry of disk galaxies: Search for nuclear isophotal twist and double bars
We present a near-IR, mainly $H$ band, photometry of 72 nearby (d <40 Mpc) disk galaxies. The main goal of the survey was to search forisophotal twist inside their nuclear regions. As the twist can be due insome cases to projection effects, rather than resulting from a dynamicalphenomenon, we deproject -- under the simplifying assumption of a 2Dgeometry -- all galaxies whose disk position angle and inclination areknown, the latter not exceeding 75 degrees. We show the ellipticity,position angle and surface brightness radial profiles, and discuss how aprojection of 2D and 3D bars can distort the isophotes, give an illusionof a non-existing double bar or mask a real one. We report 15 newdouble-barred galaxies and confirm 2 detected previously. We identify 14additional twists not known before and we also find nuclear triaxialstructures in three SA galaxies. The frequency of Seyferts amonggalaxies with nuclear bars or twists is high. Since these observationsare part of a larger survey, the interpretation of the results will begiven in a future paper, as soon as the number of objects grows enoughto permit meaningful statistics. As a secondary product, we publishstructural parameters (length and axis ratio) of large-scale bars inorder to extend still scarce data on bars in the near-IR.
| An Atlas of Hubble Space Telescope Ultraviolet Images of Nearby Galaxies
We present an atlas of UV (~2300 A) images, obtained with the HubbleSpace Telescope (HST) Faint Object Camera, of the central 22" x 22" of110 galaxies. The observed galaxies are an unbiased selectionconstituting about one-half of a complete sample of all large (D >6') and nearby (V < 2000 km s^-1^) galaxies. This is the firstextensive UV imaging survey of normal galaxies. The data are useful forstudying star formation, low-level nuclear activity, and UV emission byevolved stellar populations in galaxies. At the HST resolution (~0.05"),the images display an assortment of morphologies and UV brightnesses.These include bright nuclear point sources, compact young star clustersscattered in the field or arranged in circumnuclear rings, centrallypeaked diffuse light distributions, and galaxies with weak or undetectedUV emission. We measure the integrated ~2300 A flux in each image,classify the UV morphology, and examine trends between these parametersand the optical properties of the galaxies.
| Parameters of 2447 Southern Spiral Galaxies for Use in the Tully-Fisher Relation
I-band luminosities, rotational velocities, and redshifts of 1092 spiralgalaxies have been measured by CCD photometry and Hα spectroscopyusing the 1 m and 2.3 m telescopes at Siding Spring Observatory,respectively. The results are tabulated. Luminosity profiles andHα rotation curves are given for the galaxies. When these resultsare combined with similar data for 1355 spiral galaxies publishedpreviously (Mathewson, Ford, & Buchhorn, hereafter Paper I), itprovides a large, uniform, and unique data set with which to measure,via the Tully-Fisher relation, the peculiar velocities of galaxies inthe local universe to a distance of 11,000 km s^-1^ (Mathewson &Ford). Taking advantage of the opportunity for publishing this data inmachine-readable form, in the CD-ROM, we have also included similar datafor the 1355 galaxies in Paper I.
| The Absence of X-Ray Flashes from Nearby Galaxies and the Gamma-Ray Burst Distance Scale
If typical gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have X-ray counterparts similar tothose detected by Ginga, then sensitive-focusing X-ray telescopes willbe able to detect GRBs 3 orders of magnitude fainter than the detectionlimit of the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE). If asubstantial portion of the burst population detected by BATSE originatesin a Galactic halo at distances greater than or equal to 150 kpc,existing X-ray telescopes will be able to detect GRBs in externalgalaxies out to a distance of at least 4.5 Mpc. As reported in Gotthelf,Hamilton, & Helfand, the imaging proportional counter (IPC) on boardthe Einstein Observatory detected 42 transient events with pointlikespatial characteristics and timescales of less than 10 s. These eventsare distributed isotropically on the sky; in particular, they are notconcentrated in the directions of nearby external galaxies. For halomodels of the BATSE bursts with radii of 150 kpc or greater, we wouldexpect to see several burst events in observations pointed toward nearbygalaxies. We see none. We therefore conclude that if the Gingadetections are representative of the population of GRBs sampled byBATSE, GRBs cannot originate in a Galactic halo population with limitingradii between 150 and 400 kpc. Inasmuch as halos with limiting radiioutside of this range have been excluded by the BATSE isotropymeasurements, our result indicates that all halo models are excluded.This result is independent of whether the flashes we do detect have anastronomical origin.
| Light Profiles and Pattern Speeds for Bars in Early- and Late-Type Galaxies
J, H, and K infrared band observations of 11 barred galaxies, and B andI band observations of 8 barred galaxies, spanning a wide range ofHubble types, confirm the trend found earlier that early types tend tohave flat light profiles along the bars and late types have exponentiallight profiles. Both types have nearly continuous exponential lightprofiles when azimuthally averaged. The flat profiles arise from excessold and young stars at the bar ends, presumably where the orbits crowdtogether near the inner 4:1 resonance. The exponential profiles have nosuch crowding and also lack offset leading dustlanes as if there is noinner Lindblad resonance inside the bar. Arm/interarm contrasts in Jband increase with radius near the center and then become constant ordecrease with radius at a value of arm/interarm ~6. This saturation ofwave amplitude tends to occur at the same radius where the armsbifurcate or become multiple, suggesting that spiral waves limit theirown amplitudes at large radii by coupling to higher order modes. Acompilation of bar pattern speeds from the literature, mostly coveringearly types, generally puts corotation at a distance between 1.2 and 1.4times the bar semi-major axis length, usually in the middle of thestrong part of the spiral arms. These observations imply that early-typebars end because of orbit resonance scattering slightly beyond theirinner 4:1 resonances; the spirals and rings in these galaxies appear tocorotate with the bars. Patterns speeds in late type bars remainunknown.
| Near-Infrared Observations of Isophotal Twists in Barred Spiral Galaxies
We present observations in JHK passbands for 12 barred galaxies and inBI passbands for 9 galaxies in order to study isophotal twists in early-and late-type barred spirals. We also summarize previous observationsand examine high-resolution atlas images to compile data on twists as afunction of Hubble type. Twists have been detected only in early-typespirals. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that only early-type bars have inner Lindblad resonances and that twists are associatedwith ILRs. The transition occurs around type SBbc and parallels thetransition from bars with relatively flat intensity profiles to barswith exponential profiles in later types.
| Recalibration of the H-0.5 magnitudes of spiral galaxies
The H-magnitude aperture data published by the Aaronson et al.collaboration over a 10 year period is collected into a homogeneous dataset of 1731 observations of 665 galaxies. Ninety-six percent of thesegalaxies have isophotal diameters and axial ratios determined by theThird Reference Cataloque of Bright Galaxies (RC3; de Vaucouleurs et al.1991), the most self-consistent set of optical data currently available.The precepts governing the optical data in the RC3 are systematicallydifferent from those of the Second Reference Catalogue (de Vaucouleurs,de Vaucouleurs, & Corwin 1976), which were used by Aaronson et al.for their original analyses of galaxy peculiar motions. This in turnleads to systematic differences in growth curves and fiducialH-magnitudes, prompting the present recalibration of the near-infraredTully-Fisher relationship. New optically normalized H-magnitude growthcurves are defined for galaxies of types SO to Im, from which new valuesof fiducial H-magnitudes, Hg-0.5, are measured forthe 665 galaxies. A series of internal tests show that these fourstandard growth curves are defined to an accuracy of 0.05 mag over theinterval -1.5 less than or equal to log (A/Dg) less than orequal to -0.2. Comparisons with the Aaronson et al. values of diameters,axial ratios, and fiducial H-magnitudes show the expected differences,given the different definitions of these parameters. The values ofHg-0.5 are assigned quality indices: a qualityvalue of 1 indicates an accuracy of less than 0.2 mag, quality 2indicates an accuracy of 0.2-0.35 mag, and quality 3 indicates anaccuracy of more than 0.35 mag. Revised values of corrected H I velocitywidths are also given, based on the new set of axial ratios defiend bythe RC3.
| A Preliminary Classification Scheme for the Central Regions of Late-Type Galaxies
The large-scale prints in The Carnegie Atlas of Galaxies have been usedto formulate a classification scheme for the central regions oflate-type galaxies. Systems that exhibit small bright central bulges ordisks (type CB) are found to be of earlier Hubble type and of higherluminosity than galaxies that do not contain nuclei (type NN). Galaxiescontaining nuclear bars, or exhibiting central regions that are resolvedinto individual stars and knots, and galaxies with semistellar nuclei,are seen to have characteristics that are intermediate between those oftypes CB and NN. The presence or absence of a nucleus appears to be auseful criterion for distinguishing between spiral galaxies andmagellanic irregulars.
| Quantitative Morphology of Bars in Spiral Galaxies
As suggested by numerical simulations, the axis ratio of the bar is afundamental parameter to describe the dynamical evolution of a barredgalaxy. In a first-order approximation considering bars as ellipticalfeatures, visual measurements of bar axis ratios and lengths of 136spiral galaxies were performed on photographs of good linear scale.Despite the limitations affecting such measurements, morphologicalproperties of bars in spirals along the Hubble sequence as well as therelationship between the bar axis ratio and nuclear star formationactivity are studied. It is found that the relative length of bars inearly-type galaxies is, on average, about a factor of 3 larger than thelength observed in late-type spirals. Also, a relation between barlengths and bulge diameters is observed for both early-type andlate-type spirals, confirming results from previous works. Furthermore,although the number of objects is small, there is an apparentcorrelation between the presence of nuclear star formation activity andthe bar axis ratio: about 71% of the starburst galaxies included in thesample have a strong bar (b/a < 0.6). The introduction of thesequantitative parameters in galaxy classification schemes is discussed.
| On the law of star formation in disk galaxies
The observational relationship between the stellar surface brightnessand the surface brightness in H-alpha in galactic disks is shown to bedetermined by the law of star formation in disk galaxies. Assuming therate of star formation to take a generalized Schmidt power-law formdependent on both the total local matter surface density,sigmag; d sigma*/dt = epsilonsigmaTn, we find that the observations constrain(n + m is greater than 1), and that the best fit is obtained for 1.5 isless than (n + m) is less than 2.5. Both a Schmidt Law of the form dsigma*/dt = epsilon sigmag, and a star-formationlaw of the form d sigma*/dt = epsilon Omegasigmag, where Omega is the angular velocity at the radialpoint considered, seem to be excluded by observations. The observedscatter in the stellar surface brightness versus H-alpha surfacebrigtness versus H-alpha surface relationship can be interpreted as ascatter in the ratio of galaxian age to star-formation efficiency;younger galaxies being more gas-rich, and currently more active informing stars. Finally, we discuss particular forms of the Schmidt Lawgiven by theory. We show that a model having n = 1/3 and m = 5/3, whichgives a particularly good fit to the observations, follows as aconsequence of stochastic self-regulating star formation moderated bycloud-cloud interactions in the disk potential, and by the energeticprocesses associated with the formation of massive stars. This modelsexplicitly includes the secular evolution of the vertical structure ofthe gaseous and stellar components of galactic disks, and the effectofthe galaxian potential.
| The relationship between past and present star formation in galactic disks from CCD surface photometry
We present some results of a major new multiband imaging survey of 34nearby southern spiral galaxies. Images in V, I, H-alpha, and theadjacent red continuum have been obtained using a CCD and focal reduceron the 1.0 and 2.3 m telescopes at Siding Spring Observatory. Surfacephotometry using the GASP software package is used first to derive thedisk orientation parameters, then to provide deprojected radial surfacebrightness profiles for each galaxy in V and I, as well as thecontinuum-subtracted H-alpha, which traces the present-day rate ofmassive star formation. In the outer disk, the H-alpha profile can bereasonably well fitted by an exponential disk, but with a scale lengthmuch longer than the V scale length, which itself tends to be sligtlylonger than the I scale length. An almost universal relationship isobserved in the disk between the H-alpha surface brightness and theI-band surface brightness at a given radius, with any residual offsetfrom the mean trend being a weak function of the morphological type.Thus the rate of massive star formation per unit area in the disk isclosely related to the old stellar mass surface density at each radius,and to the mean H I surface density in the disk as a whole. This formsthe basis for a law of (or rather, a consistent on) massive starformation in the disks of spiral galaxies, one that has a surprisingdegree of independence from both galactic dynamics and molecular gascontent.
| Mean morphological types of bright galaxies
The revised Hubble classifications provided in the Third ReferenceCatalogue of Bright Galaxies (RC3) are based on nine lists andcatalogues, both published and unpublished, from five observers. Thispaper describes the procedures that were used to combine theseclassifications into mean classifications including the family, variety,and stage. The best classifications in RC3 are based on large-scalephotographic images taken with 1.5-5 m class reflectors. However, mostof the types in RC3 are based on the small-scale prints, plates, andfilms of the first Palomar Sky Survey and the UK Schmidt IIIa-J SouthernSky Survey. The overlap between the different observers, samples alloweddetermination of the reliability of sky survey types and the effects ofdiameter and inclination on the accuracy of these types. We find thatfor a typical galaxy having isophotal diameter D25approximately = 2 min and inclined by approximately 50 degs, types Tfrom the sky surveys have a mean error (averaged over all of theobservers) of sigma(T) = 0.7 step on the numerical scale of the revisedHubble system. With the new database of classifications, we rederive theclassical relations between Hubble type and integrated colors, surfacebrightnesses, and hydrogen index (hydrogen flux to blue light ratio) fora large sample of galaxies. We also present a table of galaxies which weconsider to be representative examples of each type.
| An H-alpha atlas of nearby southern spiral galaxies
We present an atlas of CCD images of 25 nearby southern spiral galaxiestaken through narrow-band (15 A) H-alpha filters, and accompanying redcontinuum (6676 A) images. Most of these galaxies have never previouslybeen imaged in H-alpha and will complement the earlier photographicatlas of Hodge and Kennicutt. We comment on the individual distributionsof the H II regions in relation to the morphology and characteristics ofeach galaxy. Nearly half of the galaxies surveyed exhibit ratherasymmetrical distributions of star formation activity, even though thestellar distributions may be quite regular. Among galaxies possessingboth a strong stellar bar and an encircling inner ring, there appears tobe a decrease in the number of H II regions tracing out the bar as thenumber of H II regions in the ring itself increases, and vice versa. Theimages should prove useful mainly as finding charts for in-depth studiesof the H II region populations, as well as for the purposes ofdetermining abundance gradients and the kinematics of these galaxies.
| A southern sky survey of the peculiar velocities of 1355 spiral galaxies
The paper presents data from photometric and spectroscopic observationsof 1355 southern spiral galaxies and uses them to determine theirdistances and peculiar velocities via the Tully-Fisher (TF) relation.I-band CCD surface photometry was carried out using the 1-m and 3.9-mtelescopes at Siding Spring Observatory. H-alpha rotation curves for 965galaxies and 551 H I profiles are presented. The physical parameters,photometric and velocity data, distances, and peculiar velocities of thegalaxies are presented in tabular form. The mean distance, systemicvelocity, and average peculiar velocity of 24 clusters in the sample aregiven. TF diagrams are presented for each cluster.
| Nearby galaxy flows modeled by the light distribution - Distances, model, and the local velocity anomaly
Tables giving measured galaxy distances used to construct a map ofobserved peculiar velocities, and giving a grid of the distribution oflight used to construct a map of expected peculiar velocities arepresented. A preferred model was developed which yielded a best fitbetween these maps, and this model was used to generate output kinematicdistances which are recorded for groups and individual galaxies withV0 of less than 3000 km/s. In terms of the ratio ofpeculiar-to-systemic velocities, the local velocity anomaly is the mostimportant perturbation involving substantial numbers of galaxies forthis case. The ratio of these quantities in this case is larger than forthe more famous cases of the Virgocentric or Great Attractorperturbations. Maps which illustrate the fit of the present mass modelto the velocity data in the local region are provided. A graphicaldemonstration of the relative importance of large-scale streaming tolocal motions within the context of this model is presented.
| Southern Sky Redshift Survey - The catalog
The catalog of radial velocities for galaxies which comprise thediameter-limited sample of the Southern Sky Redshift Survey ispresented. It consolidates the data of observations carried out at theLas Campanas Observatory, Observatorio Nacional, and South AfricanAstronomical Observatory. The criteria used for the sample selection aredescribed, as well as the observational procedures and the techniqueutilized to obtain the final radial velocities. The intercomparisonbetween radial velocity measurements from different telescopes indicatesthat the final data base is fairly homogeneous with a typical error ofabout 40 km/s. The sample is at present 90 percent complete, and themissing galaxies are predominantly objects with very low surfacebrightness for which it is very difficult to obtain optical redshifts.
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