arXiv subjects

Christopher Añorve

Publications and source records attributed to Christopher Añorve.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

ELLIPSECT: A surface brightness analysis tool for GALFIT 3

EllipSect is a user-friendly analysis and measurement tool, implemented in Python, that operates on the imaging data together with the output of the widely used 2D surface-brightness fitting code GALFIT 3. It produces publication-quality figures and exportable data products to enable quantitative assessment of GALFIT 3 models and their individual components. In addition, EllipSect computes non-parametric measurements that are not provided by GALFIT 3, including the total effective radius resulting from multi-component fits, cusp radius, and the Petrosian radius. This paper provides examples and a quick guide for EllipSect.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2026

GALFITools: A Python library to enhance GALFIT usage in galaxy image modeling

Understanding how galaxies form and evolve requires measuring their light distributions in images taken by telescopes. This process often involves fitting mathematical models to galaxy images to extract properties such as size, brightness, components, and shape. GALFIT is a widely used tool for this purpose, but it requires careful preparation of input files and interpretation of results, which can be a barrier to efficient use. GALFITools is a Python library that streamlines this workflow by automating many of the tasks surrounding the use of GALFIT. These include generating image masks, estimating sky background, modeling the telescope's point spread function (PSF), and extracting physical parameters from GALFIT outputs. The software is designed for researchers and students who work with galaxy image modeling and aims to make the process more reproducible, accessible, and scalable.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

2D Surface Brightness Modelling of Large 2MASS Galaxies II: The Role of Classical Bulges and Pseudobulges on Galaxy Scaling Relations and its implication for Supermassive Black Hole Formation

We have generated 2D-multicomponent surface brightness (SB) modelling for 100 galaxies in the Large Galaxy Atlas (LGA) together with 19 nearby cD galaxies using the near-infrared (NIR) images from 2MASS (J, H and Ks ). Our final sample of 119 galaxies includes cD galaxies, Virgo cluster galaxies, group galaxies, and field galaxies. We revisited known scaling relations (SRs) involving structural parameters, as well as those involving supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and ultramassive black holes (UMBHs). Refining the SRs, we also revisited the bulge classification and considered the Fundamental Plane (FP) and its projections, as well as other SRs, such as the colour-magnitude relation (CMR), Tully-Fisher relation (TFR) and luminosity concentration relation (LCR). Classical bulges follow the same relations as elliptical galaxies, while pseudobulges are usually outliers. The NIR colours of classical bulges and pseudobulges indicate that their ages are not radically different despite their spread in luminosity, but we noticed that classical bulges are more luminous than pseudobulges, therefore, this property provides a complementary bulge classification criterion. We included pseudobulges from other studies to strengthen the tendencies seen for pseudobulges in our sample. From the SRs for BHs, we found that pseudobulges do not follow SRs for early-type galaxies and classical bulges. Additionally, the lack of correlation between BHs and discs may indicate these structures have not coevolved. From the revision of SRs, we present a sample of galaxies likely to host SMBHs or UMBHs, which are suitable for dynamical BH mass determination from the ground.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

2D Surface Brightness Modelling of Large 2MASS Galaxies I: Photometry and Structural Parameters

We have studied a sample of 101 bright 2MASS galaxies from the Large Galaxy Atlas (LGA), whose morphologies span from early to late-types. We have generated estimates for structural parameters through a two-dimensional (2D) surface brightness photometric decomposition in the three 2MASS bands (J, H, Ks). This work represents a detailed multi-component photometric study of nearby galaxies. We report total magnitudes, effective radii, concentration indices, among other parameters, in the three 2MASS bands. We found that the integrated total magnitudes of early-type galaxies (ETGs) measured on 2MASS LGA mosaics are ~0.35 mag dimmer, when compared with images generated from IRSA image tiles service; nevertheless, when comparing late-type galaxies (LTGs) we did not find any difference. Therefore, for ETGs we present the results derived on IRSA image tiles, while for LTGs we used data from the LGA mosaics. Additionally, by combining these structural parameters with scaling relations and kinematic data, we separated classical bulges from pseudobulges. We found that ~40 % of the objects in our sample are classified as pseudobulges, which are found preferentially in LTGs. Also, our findings confirm trends reported earlier in the distributions for some physical parameters, such as Sérsic index, B/T and q ratios. In general, our results are in agreement with previous one-dimensional studies. In a companion paper, we revise some of the scaling relations among global galaxy properties, as well as their interrelation with Supermassive Black Holes.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

Secondary Infall in the Seyfert's Sextet: A Plausible Way Out of the Short Crossing Time Paradox

We used integral field spectroscopy from CALIFA DR3 and multiwavelength publicly-available data to investigate the star-formation histories of galaxies in the Seyfert's Sextet (SS, HCG 79). The galaxies H79a, H79b, H79c, and H79f have low star-formation rates despite showing strong signs of interaction. By exploring their individual specific star formation histories (sSFH), we identified three earlier episodes of strong star formation common to these four galaxies. We use the last two episodes as markers of the epochs when the galaxies were crossing. We suggest that after the first turn-around, initially gas-rich galaxies crossed for the first time, consuming most of their gas. Hence after the second turn-around most mergers from second crossings would be mixed or dry. The exception would be gas-rich galaxies intruding for the first time. Therefore, we suggest that SS galaxies have survived one crossing during a Hubble time. Strong Balmer absorption lines and the presence of counter-rotating disks provide independent bounds to the second and first crossing, respectively. This scenario provides a plausible way out of the short crossing time paradox.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2010

Cluster Galaxy Morphologies: The Relationship among Structural Parameters, Activity and the Environment

We use an approach to estimate galaxy morphologies based on an ellipticity (e) vs. Bulge-to-Total ratio (B/T) plane. We have calibrated this plane by comparing with Dressler's classifications. With the aid of our calibration, we have classified 635 galaxies in 18 Abell clusters (0.02 < z < 0.08). Our approach allowed us to recover the Kormendy's relation. We found that ellipticals and Spirals are slightly brighter than S0 in R band. As S0 bulges are brighter than spirals bulges, we believe that ram pressure is not the main mechanism to generate S0s. In our sample, cluster radio galaxies morphologies cover the range S0-E-cD and their bulges have absolutes magnitudes distributed within -21 mag < M < -24.5 mag. If we believe Ferrarese & Merrit's relation, these radio sources have 10^8-10^9 M black hole mass.

astro-ph.CO↗