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Title: MULTI-WAVELENGTH GOALS OBSERVATIONS OF STAR FORMATION AND ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS ACTIVITY IN THE LUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXY IC 883

Abstract

New optical Hubble Space Telescope (HST), Spitzer Space Telescope, Galaxy Evolution Explorer, and Chandra observations of the single-nucleus, luminous infrared galaxy (LIRG) merger IC 883 are presented. The galaxy is a member of the Great Observatories All-sky LIRG Survey and is of particular interest for a detailed examination of a luminous late-stage merger due to the richness of the optically visible star clusters and the extended nature of the nuclear X-ray, mid-IR, CO, and radio emission. In the HST Advanced Camera for Surveys images, the galaxy is shown to contain 156 optically visible star clusters distributed throughout the nuclear regions and tidal tails of the merger, with a majority of visible clusters residing in an arc {approx}3-7 kpc from the position of the mid-infrared core of the galaxy. The luminosity functions of the clusters have an {alpha}{sub F435W} {approx} -2.17 {+-} 0.22 and {alpha}{sub F814W} {approx} -2.01 {+-} 0.21, compared with V-band-derived values measured for the well-studied LIRG NGC 34 and the Antennae Galaxy of {alpha} {approx} -1.7 {+-} 0.1 and -2.13 {+-} 0.07, respectively. Further, the colors and absolute magnitudes of the majority of the clusters are consistent with instantaneous burst population synthesis model ages in the range ofmore » a few Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 7}-10{sup 8} yr (for 10{sup 5} M{sub Sun} clusters), but may be as low as few Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 6} yr with extinction factored in. The X-ray and mid-IR spectroscopies are indicative of predominantly starburst-produced nuclear emission, and the star formation rate, estimated based on the assumption that the radio and far-infrared luminosities are tracing the starburst population, is {approx}80 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}. The kinematics of the CO emission and the morphology of both the CO and radio emission are consistent with the nuclear starburst being situated in a highly inclined disk 2 kpc in diameter with an infrared surface brightness {mu}{sub IR} {approx} 2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 11} L{sub Sun} kpc{sup -2}, a factor of 10 less than that of the Orion star-forming region. Finally, the detection of the [Ne V] 14.32 {mu}m emission line is evidence that an active galactic nucleus (AGN) is present. The faintness of the line (i.e., [Ne V]/[Ne II] 12.8 {mu}m {approx} 0.01) and the small equivalent width of the 6.2 {mu}m polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon feature (=0.39 {mu}m) are both indicative of a relatively weak AGN.« less

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22034302
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astronomical Journal (New York, N.Y. Online)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 143; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 1538-3881
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ANTENNAS; ASTROPHYSICS; BRIGHTNESS; CAMERAS; CARBON MONOXIDE; DETECTION; GALAXIES; GALAXY NUCLEI; GAMMA ASTRONOMY; INFRARED SPECTRA; LUMINOSITY; MORPHOLOGY; NEON IONS; PHOTON EMISSION; POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS; STAR CLUSTERS; STARS; TELESCOPES; X RADIATION

Citation Formats

Modica, F, Vavilkin, T, Evans, A. S., E-mail: tvavilk@vulcan.ess.sunysb.edu, E-mail: aevans@virginia.edu, and others, and. MULTI-WAVELENGTH GOALS OBSERVATIONS OF STAR FORMATION AND ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS ACTIVITY IN THE LUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXY IC 883. United States: N. p., 2012. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/143/1/16.
Modica, F, Vavilkin, T, Evans, A. S., E-mail: tvavilk@vulcan.ess.sunysb.edu, E-mail: aevans@virginia.edu, & others, and. MULTI-WAVELENGTH GOALS OBSERVATIONS OF STAR FORMATION AND ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS ACTIVITY IN THE LUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXY IC 883. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-6256/143/1/16
Modica, F, Vavilkin, T, Evans, A. S., E-mail: tvavilk@vulcan.ess.sunysb.edu, E-mail: aevans@virginia.edu, and others, and. 2012. "MULTI-WAVELENGTH GOALS OBSERVATIONS OF STAR FORMATION AND ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS ACTIVITY IN THE LUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXY IC 883". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-6256/143/1/16.
@article{osti_22034302,
title = {MULTI-WAVELENGTH GOALS OBSERVATIONS OF STAR FORMATION AND ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS ACTIVITY IN THE LUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXY IC 883},
author = {Modica, F and Vavilkin, T and Evans, A. S., E-mail: tvavilk@vulcan.ess.sunysb.edu, E-mail: aevans@virginia.edu and others, and},
abstractNote = {New optical Hubble Space Telescope (HST), Spitzer Space Telescope, Galaxy Evolution Explorer, and Chandra observations of the single-nucleus, luminous infrared galaxy (LIRG) merger IC 883 are presented. The galaxy is a member of the Great Observatories All-sky LIRG Survey and is of particular interest for a detailed examination of a luminous late-stage merger due to the richness of the optically visible star clusters and the extended nature of the nuclear X-ray, mid-IR, CO, and radio emission. In the HST Advanced Camera for Surveys images, the galaxy is shown to contain 156 optically visible star clusters distributed throughout the nuclear regions and tidal tails of the merger, with a majority of visible clusters residing in an arc {approx}3-7 kpc from the position of the mid-infrared core of the galaxy. The luminosity functions of the clusters have an {alpha}{sub F435W} {approx} -2.17 {+-} 0.22 and {alpha}{sub F814W} {approx} -2.01 {+-} 0.21, compared with V-band-derived values measured for the well-studied LIRG NGC 34 and the Antennae Galaxy of {alpha} {approx} -1.7 {+-} 0.1 and -2.13 {+-} 0.07, respectively. Further, the colors and absolute magnitudes of the majority of the clusters are consistent with instantaneous burst population synthesis model ages in the range of a few Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 7}-10{sup 8} yr (for 10{sup 5} M{sub Sun} clusters), but may be as low as few Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 6} yr with extinction factored in. The X-ray and mid-IR spectroscopies are indicative of predominantly starburst-produced nuclear emission, and the star formation rate, estimated based on the assumption that the radio and far-infrared luminosities are tracing the starburst population, is {approx}80 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}. The kinematics of the CO emission and the morphology of both the CO and radio emission are consistent with the nuclear starburst being situated in a highly inclined disk 2 kpc in diameter with an infrared surface brightness {mu}{sub IR} {approx} 2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 11} L{sub Sun} kpc{sup -2}, a factor of 10 less than that of the Orion star-forming region. Finally, the detection of the [Ne V] 14.32 {mu}m emission line is evidence that an active galactic nucleus (AGN) is present. The faintness of the line (i.e., [Ne V]/[Ne II] 12.8 {mu}m {approx} 0.01) and the small equivalent width of the 6.2 {mu}m polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon feature (=0.39 {mu}m) are both indicative of a relatively weak AGN.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-6256/143/1/16},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22034302}, journal = {Astronomical Journal (New York, N.Y. Online)},
issn = {1538-3881},
number = 1,
volume = 143,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2012},
month = {Sun Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2012}
}