CHARACTERISTICS OF STAR-FORMING REGIONS IN THE ADVANCED MINOR-MERGER, LUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXY NGC 4194
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nevada, 4505 South Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154 (United States)
- Department of Astronomy, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182-1221 (United States)
We report the results of long-slit spectroscopy at position angles 68 Degree-Sign , 131 Degree-Sign , and 164 Degree-Sign for the minor-merger NGC 4194, a luminous infrared starburst galaxy. The mass within 1.2 kpc of the dynamical center is estimated to be 4.8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 9} to 1.7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 10} M{sub Sun }, depending on the assumed inclination to the plane of the sky. The star formation rate (SFR) in the areas sampled is 8 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}. The metallicity, log(O/H) + 12, ranges from {approx}8.8 to >9.0 in regions of significant star formation, suggesting that the metallicity has been enhanced by the current star formation. The star-forming regions range in age from 5 to 9 Myr, with the youngest ages occurring in the regions of high SFR. Electron temperatures and the location of the spectra in emission line diagnostic diagrams suggest the presence of shock waves, presumably due to the presence of supernovae, winds from massive stars, and/or collisions of clouds due to the merger. The presence of massive stars and supernovae is consistent with the ages determined for the star-forming regions. The ages of the continua produced by the stellar population are estimated to range from 10 Myr to 5 Gyr. Much of the stellar population represented in the continua was probably formed before the merger and represents the progenitor galaxies.
- OSTI ID:
- 22034666
- Journal Information:
- Astronomical Journal (New York, N.Y. Online), Vol. 143, Issue 4; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1538-3881
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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