English

Variation of the 2175 {\AA} extinction feature in Andromeda galaxy

Astrophysics of Galaxies 2026-01-01 v1

Abstract

Extinction curves contain key information on interstellar dust composition and size distribution, with the 2175 {\AA} bump being the most prominent feature. We analyze 20 sightlines toward M31 using HST/STIS UV spectroscopy combined with multi-band photometry to characterize this feature. The extinction curves show substantial diversity, from MW-like shapes to flatter profiles with RVR_V reaching up to 5.8\sim5.8. The strength of the 2175 {\AA} feature varies widely, including two sightlines where the bump is essentially absent. The bump central wavelength spans a broader range than previously reported, while its width remains consistent with earlier studies. A moderate positive correlation is found between bump strength (c3c_3) and width (γ\gamma). We derive an average UV extinction curve toward M31 with RV3.53R_V \approx 3.53. These results provide new constraints on dust properties and their spatial variations in this galaxy.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2512.23958,
  title  = {Variation of the 2175 {\AA} extinction feature in Andromeda galaxy},
  author = {Bing Yan and Shu Wang and Jian Gao and Yuxi Wang and Bingqiu Chen},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2512.23958},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

19pages, 12 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in RAA