Ultraviolet emission from stellar populations within tidal tails: Catching the youngest galaxies in formation?

S. G. Neff; D. A. Thilker; M. Seibert; A. Gil De Paz; L. Bianchi; D. Schiminovich; D. C. Martin; B. F. Madore; R. M. Rich; T. A. Barlow; Y. I. Byun; J. Donas; K. Forster; P. G. Friedman; T. M. Heckman; P. N. Jelinsky; Y. W. Lee; R. F. Malina; B. Milliard; P. Morrissey; O. H.W. Siegmund; T. Small; A. S. Szalay; B. Y. Welsh; T. K. Wyder

doi:10.1086/426137

Ultraviolet emission from stellar populations within tidal tails: Catching the youngest galaxies in formation?

S. G. Neff, D. A. Thilker, M. Seibert, A. Gil De Paz, L. Bianchi, D. Schiminovich, D. C. Martin, B. F. Madore, R. M. Rich, T. A. Barlow, Y. I. Byun, J. Donas, K. Forster, P. G. Friedman, T. M. Heckman, P. N. Jelinsky, Y. W. Lee, R. F. Malina, B. Milliard, P. MorrisseyO. H.W. Siegmund, T. Small, A. S. Szalay, B. Y. Welsh, T. K. Wyder

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Abstract

New Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) observations have detected significant far-UV (FUV; 1530 Å) and near-UV (NUV; 2310 Å) emission from stellar substructures within the tidal tails of four ongoing galaxy mergers. The UV-bright regions are optically faint and are coincident with H I density enhancements. FUV emission is detected at any location where the H I surface density exceeds ∼2 M_⊙ pc^-2, and it is often detected in the absence of visible wavelength emission. UV luminosities of the brighter regions of the tidal tails imply masses of 10⁶ to ∼10⁹ M_⊙ in young stars in the tails, and H I luminosities imply similar H I masses. UV-optical colors of the tidal tails indicate stellar populations as young as a few megayears, and in all cases ages under 400 Myr. Most of the young stars in the tails formed in single bursts, rather than resulting from continuous star formation, and they formed in situ as the tails evolved. Star formation appears to be older near the parent galaxies and younger at increasing distances from the parent galaxy. This could be because the star formation occurs progressively along the tails, or because the star formation has been inhibited near the galaxy/tail interface. The youngest stellar concentrations, usually near the ends of long tidal tails, have masses comparable to confirmed tidal dwarf galaxies and may be newly forming galaxies undergoing their first burst of star formation.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	L91-L94
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	619
Issue number	1 II
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/426137
Publication status	Published - 2005 Jan 20

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
11 The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation d under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1086/426137

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Neff, S. G., Thilker, D. A., Seibert, M., Gil De Paz, A., Bianchi, L., Schiminovich, D., Martin, D. C., Madore, B. F., Rich, R. M., Barlow, T. A., Byun, Y. I., Donas, J., Forster, K., Friedman, P. G., Heckman, T. M., Jelinsky, P. N., Lee, Y. W., Malina, R. F., Milliard, B., ... Wyder, T. K. (2005). Ultraviolet emission from stellar populations within tidal tails: Catching the youngest galaxies in formation? Astrophysical Journal, 619(1 II), L91-L94. https://doi.org/10.1086/426137

@article{5af57eef3c88491ea83a92b978b4af22,

title = "Ultraviolet emission from stellar populations within tidal tails: Catching the youngest galaxies in formation?",

abstract = "New Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) observations have detected significant far-UV (FUV; 1530 {\AA}) and near-UV (NUV; 2310 {\AA}) emission from stellar substructures within the tidal tails of four ongoing galaxy mergers. The UV-bright regions are optically faint and are coincident with H I density enhancements. FUV emission is detected at any location where the H I surface density exceeds ∼2 M⊙ pc-2, and it is often detected in the absence of visible wavelength emission. UV luminosities of the brighter regions of the tidal tails imply masses of 106 to ∼109 M⊙ in young stars in the tails, and H I luminosities imply similar H I masses. UV-optical colors of the tidal tails indicate stellar populations as young as a few megayears, and in all cases ages under 400 Myr. Most of the young stars in the tails formed in single bursts, rather than resulting from continuous star formation, and they formed in situ as the tails evolved. Star formation appears to be older near the parent galaxies and younger at increasing distances from the parent galaxy. This could be because the star formation occurs progressively along the tails, or because the star formation has been inhibited near the galaxy/tail interface. The youngest stellar concentrations, usually near the ends of long tidal tails, have masses comparable to confirmed tidal dwarf galaxies and may be newly forming galaxies undergoing their first burst of star formation.",

author = "Neff, {S. G.} and Thilker, {D. A.} and M. Seibert and {Gil De Paz}, A. and L. Bianchi and D. Schiminovich and Martin, {D. C.} and Madore, {B. F.} and Rich, {R. M.} and Barlow, {T. A.} and Byun, {Y. I.} and J. Donas and K. Forster and Friedman, {P. G.} and Heckman, {T. M.} and Jelinsky, {P. N.} and Lee, {Y. W.} and Malina, {R. F.} and B. Milliard and P. Morrissey and Siegmund, {O. H.W.} and T. Small and Szalay, {A. S.} and Welsh, {B. Y.} and Wyder, {T. K.}",

note = "Funding Information: 11 The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation d under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.",

year = "2005",

month = jan,

day = "20",

doi = "10.1086/426137",

language = "English",

volume = "619",

pages = "L91--L94",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "IOP Publishing Ltd.",

number = "1 II",

}

Neff, SG, Thilker, DA, Seibert, M, Gil De Paz, A, Bianchi, L, Schiminovich, D, Martin, DC, Madore, BF, Rich, RM, Barlow, TA, Byun, YI, Donas, J, Forster, K, Friedman, PG, Heckman, TM, Jelinsky, PN, Lee, YW, Malina, RF, Milliard, B, Morrissey, P, Siegmund, OHW, Small, T, Szalay, AS, Welsh, BY & Wyder, TK 2005, 'Ultraviolet emission from stellar populations within tidal tails: Catching the youngest galaxies in formation?', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 619, no. 1 II, pp. L91-L94. https://doi.org/10.1086/426137

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ultraviolet emission from stellar populations within tidal tails

T2 - Catching the youngest galaxies in formation?

AU - Neff, S. G.

AU - Thilker, D. A.

AU - Seibert, M.

AU - Gil De Paz, A.

AU - Bianchi, L.

AU - Schiminovich, D.

AU - Martin, D. C.

AU - Madore, B. F.

AU - Rich, R. M.

AU - Barlow, T. A.

AU - Byun, Y. I.

AU - Donas, J.

AU - Forster, K.

AU - Friedman, P. G.

AU - Heckman, T. M.

AU - Jelinsky, P. N.

AU - Lee, Y. W.

AU - Malina, R. F.

AU - Milliard, B.

AU - Morrissey, P.

AU - Siegmund, O. H.W.

AU - Small, T.

AU - Szalay, A. S.

AU - Welsh, B. Y.

AU - Wyder, T. K.

N1 - Funding Information: 11 The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation d under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

PY - 2005/1/20

Y1 - 2005/1/20

N2 - New Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) observations have detected significant far-UV (FUV; 1530 Å) and near-UV (NUV; 2310 Å) emission from stellar substructures within the tidal tails of four ongoing galaxy mergers. The UV-bright regions are optically faint and are coincident with H I density enhancements. FUV emission is detected at any location where the H I surface density exceeds ∼2 M⊙ pc-2, and it is often detected in the absence of visible wavelength emission. UV luminosities of the brighter regions of the tidal tails imply masses of 106 to ∼109 M⊙ in young stars in the tails, and H I luminosities imply similar H I masses. UV-optical colors of the tidal tails indicate stellar populations as young as a few megayears, and in all cases ages under 400 Myr. Most of the young stars in the tails formed in single bursts, rather than resulting from continuous star formation, and they formed in situ as the tails evolved. Star formation appears to be older near the parent galaxies and younger at increasing distances from the parent galaxy. This could be because the star formation occurs progressively along the tails, or because the star formation has been inhibited near the galaxy/tail interface. The youngest stellar concentrations, usually near the ends of long tidal tails, have masses comparable to confirmed tidal dwarf galaxies and may be newly forming galaxies undergoing their first burst of star formation.

AB - New Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) observations have detected significant far-UV (FUV; 1530 Å) and near-UV (NUV; 2310 Å) emission from stellar substructures within the tidal tails of four ongoing galaxy mergers. The UV-bright regions are optically faint and are coincident with H I density enhancements. FUV emission is detected at any location where the H I surface density exceeds ∼2 M⊙ pc-2, and it is often detected in the absence of visible wavelength emission. UV luminosities of the brighter regions of the tidal tails imply masses of 106 to ∼109 M⊙ in young stars in the tails, and H I luminosities imply similar H I masses. UV-optical colors of the tidal tails indicate stellar populations as young as a few megayears, and in all cases ages under 400 Myr. Most of the young stars in the tails formed in single bursts, rather than resulting from continuous star formation, and they formed in situ as the tails evolved. Star formation appears to be older near the parent galaxies and younger at increasing distances from the parent galaxy. This could be because the star formation occurs progressively along the tails, or because the star formation has been inhibited near the galaxy/tail interface. The youngest stellar concentrations, usually near the ends of long tidal tails, have masses comparable to confirmed tidal dwarf galaxies and may be newly forming galaxies undergoing their first burst of star formation.

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U2 - 10.1086/426137

DO - 10.1086/426137

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:20044365970

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 619

SP - L91-L94

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 1 II

ER -

Ultraviolet emission from stellar populations within tidal tails: Catching the youngest galaxies in formation?

Abstract

Bibliographical note

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

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