Modelling the Far-Infrared emission in spyral galaxies

Abstract

This thesis presents an original model for the FIR emission in spirals, developed from an existing radiative transfer code (Bianchi, Ferrara & Giovanardi, 1996, ApJ, 465, 127). The model's main features are: a complete treatment of multiple scattering within geometries appropriate for spirals; a full coverage of spectral range of stellar emission; the use of empirically determined dust properties (some of which are derived in the present work); the production of maps of the dust temperature distribution, together with simulated optical, FIR and sub-millimetre images. The model has been applied to observations of stellar and dust emission in the galaxy NGC 6946. It is found that optically thick models (central face-on optrical depth tau_V \~ 5) are necessary to explain the observed FIR output. For such models, almost 30-40% of the intrinsic starlight is absorbed. The observed ratio of FIR and optical scalelengths can be explained if the dust distribution is more extended than the stellar. However, because of the less steep gradients of optical emission in optically thick cases, a very extended dust distribution is needed (alpha_d ~ 3 alpha_s). The distribution of atomic gas in NGC 6946 has a similar extent. I discuss the approximations in the modelling (mainly the use of smooth distributions against the observed clumpiness of the interstellar medium) and the implications of the results.