English

WSRT observations and surface photometry of two unusual spiral galaxies

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 2015-06-15 v1

Abstract

We discuss the results of a mass decomposition of two spiral galaxies, NGC 6824 and UGC 11919. In a previous analysis of the Hyperleda catalog, the galaxies were identified as having a peculiar dynamical M/LM/L. The aim of this study is to confirm or disprove the preliminary findings, indicating a non-standard stellar initial mass function (IMF) for the galaxies. The surface photometry in B, V, and R bands was carried out with the Apache Point 0.5-m telescope and the \ion{H}{I} data cubes were obtained with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT). Photometric profiles were decomposed into bulge and exponential disk components. Using the obtained \ion{H}{I} data cubes, rotation curves of both galaxies were constructed. Employing the photometric profiles, the mass distribution of the galaxies was decomposed into mass components: bulge, stellar disk, gas, and pseudo-isothermal dark halo. We conclude that NGC 6824 possesses a stellar disk with mass-to-light ratio (M/LB)disk=2.5(M/L_B)_{\rm disk} = 2.5, in agreement with its color (BV)0(B-V)_0. On the contrary, UGC 11919 appears to have a very lightweight disk. Its dynamically estimated mass corresponds to a low stellar disk mass-to-light ratio (M/LB)disk0.5(M/L_B)_{\rm disk} \approx 0.5. Under standard assumptions, this ratio does not agree with the relatively red color of the disk, while a bottom light stellar initial mass function is needed to explain the observations.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1305.3112,
  title  = {WSRT observations and surface photometry of two unusual spiral galaxies},
  author = {A. S. Saburova and G. I. G. Józsa and A. V. Zasov and D. V. Bizyaev},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1305.3112},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

14 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics