arXiv subjects

Curtis Struck

Publications and source records attributed to Curtis Struck.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2012

ChAInGeS: The Chandra Arp Interacting Galaxies Survey

We have conducted a statistical analysis of the ultra-luminous X-ray point sources (ULXs; L(X) >= 10^39 erg/s) in a sample of galaxies selected from the Arp Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. We find a possible enhancement of a factor of ~2-4 in the number of ULXs per blue luminosity for the strongly interacting subset. Such an enhancement would be expected if ULX production is related to star formation, as interacting galaxies tend to have enhanced star formation rates on average. For most of the Arp galaxies in our sample, the total number of ULXs compared to the far-infrared luminosity is consistent with values found earlier for spiral galaxies. This suggests that for these galaxies, ULXs trace recent star formation. However, for the most infrared-luminous galaxies, we find a deficiency of ULXs compared to the infrared luminosity. For these very infrared-luminous galaxies, AGNs may contribute to powering the far-infrared; alternatively, ULXs may be highly obscured in the X-ray in these galaxies and therefore not detected by these Chandra observations. We determined local UV/optical colors within the galaxies in the vicinity of the candidate ULXs using GALEX UV and SDSS optical images. In most cases, the distributions of colors are similar to the global colors of interacting galaxies. However, the u - g and r - i colors at the ULX locations tend to be bluer on average than these global colors, suggesting that ULXs are preferentially found in regions with young stellar populations. In the Arp sample there is a possible enhancement of a factor of ~2 - 5 in the fraction of galactic nuclei that are X-ray bright compared to more normal spirals.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2012

The symmetries and scaling of tidal tails in galaxies

(Abriged) We present analytic models for the formation and evolution of tidal tails and related structures following impulsive disturbances in galaxy collisions. Since the epicyclic approximation is not valid for large radial excursions, we use orbital equations of the form we call p-ellipses. These have been shown to provide accurate representations of orbits in power-law halo potentials. In the case of a purely tidal disturbance the resulting tidal tails have simple structure. Scalings for their maximum lengths and other characteristics as functions of the tidal amplitude and the exponent of the power-law potentials are described. The analytic model shows that azimuthal caustics (orbit crossing zones) are produced generically in these tails at a fixed azimuth relative to the point of closest approach. Long tails, with high order caustics at their base are also produced at larger amplitudes. The analysis is extended to nonlinear disturbances and multiple encounters, which break the symmetries of tidal perturbations. As the strength of the nonlinear terms is varied the structure of the resulting forms varies from symmetric tails to one-armed plumes. Cases with two or more impulse disturbances are also considered as the simplest analytic models distinguishing between prograde and retrograde encounters. A specific mechanism for the formation of tidal dwarf galaxies at the end of tails is suggested as a consequence of resonance effects in prolonged encounters. Qualitative comparisons to Arp Atlas systems suggest that the limiting analytic cases are realized in real systems. We identify a few Arp systems which may have swallowtail caustics, where dissipative gas streams converge and trigger star formation. UV and optical images reveal luminous knots of young stars at these 'hinge clump' locations.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2011

Models of Stephan's Quintet: Hydrodynamic Constraints on the Group's Evolution

We present smoothed particle hydrodynamic models of the interactions in the compact galaxy group, Stephan's Quintet. This work is extension of the earlier collisionless N-body simulations of Renaud et al. in which the large-scale stellar morphology of the group was modeled with a series of galaxy-galaxy interactions in the simulations. Including thermohydrodynamic effects in this work, we further investigate the dynamical interaction history and evolution of the intergalactic gas of Stephan's Quintet. The major features of the group, such as the extended tidal features and the group-wide shock, enabled us to constrain the models reasonably well, while trying to reproduce multiple features of the system. We found that reconstructing the two long tails extending from NGC 7319 toward NGC 7320c one after the other in two separate encounters is very difficult and unlikely, because the second encounter usually destroys or distorts the already-generated tidal structure. Our models suggest the two long tails may be formed simultaneously from a single encounter between NGC 7319 and 7320c, resulting in a thinner and denser inner tail than the outer one. The tails then also run parallel to each other as observed. The model results support the ideas that the group-wide shock detected in multi-wavelength observations between NGC 7319 and 7318b and the starburst region north of NGC 7318b are triggered by the high-speed collision between NGC 7318b and the intergalactic gas. Our models show that a gas bridge is formed by the high-speed collision and clouds in the bridge continue to interact for some tens of millions of years after the impact. This produces many small shocks in that region, resulting a much longer cooling time than that of a single impact shock.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2011

Slowly Breaking Waves: The Longevity of Tidally Induced Spiral Structure

We have discovered long-lived waves in two sets of numerical models of fast (marginally bound or unbound) flyby galaxy collisions, carried out independently with two different codes. In neither simulation set are the spirals the result of a collision-induced bar formation. Although there is variation in the appearance of the waves with time, they do not disappear and reform recurrently, as seen in other cases described in the literature. We also present an analytic theory that can account for the wave structure, not as propagating transients, nor as a fixed pattern propagating through the disc. While these waves propagate through the disc, they are maintained by the coherent oscillations initiated by the impulsive disturbance. Specifically, the analytic theory suggests that they are caustic waves in ensembles of stars pursuing correlated epicyclic orbits after the disturbance. This theory is an extension of that developed by Struck and collaborators for colliding ring galaxies. The models suggest that this type of wave may persist for a couple of Gyr., and galaxy interactions occur on comparable timescales, so waves produced by the mechanism may be well represented in observed spirals. In particular, this mechanism can account for the tightly wound, and presumably long-lived spirals, seen in some nearby early-type galaxies. These spirals are also likely to be common in groups and clusters, where fast encounters between galaxies occur relatively frequently. However, as the spirals become tightly wound, and evolve to modest amplitudes, they may be difficult to resolve unless they are nearby. Nonetheless, the effect may be one of several processes that result from galaxy harassment, and via wave-enhanced star formation contribute to the Butcher-Oemler effect.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2011

NGC 2207/IC 2163: A Grazing Encounter with Large Scale Shocks

Radio continuum, Spitzer infrared, optical and XMM-Newton X-ray and UVM2 observations are used to study large-scale shock fronts, young star complexes, and the galactic nuclei in the interacting galaxies NGC 2207/IC 2163. There are two types of large-scale shock fronts in this galaxy pair. The shock front along the rim of the ocular oval in IC 2163 has produced vigorous star formation in a dusty environment. In the outer part of the companion side of NGC 2207, a large-scale front attributed to disk or halo scraping is particularly bright in the radio continuum but not in any tracers of recent star formation or in X-rays. This radio continuum front may be mainly in the halo on the back side of NGC 2207 between the two galaxies. Values of the flux density ratio S(8 um)/S(6 cm) of kpc-sized, Spitzer IRAC star-forming clumps in NGC 2207/IC 2163 are compared with those of giant H II regions in M81. We find evidence that in 2001 a radio supernova was present in the core of feature i, a mini-starburst on an outer arm of NGC 2207. X-ray emission is detected from the NGC 2207 nucleus and from nine discrete sources, one of which corresponds to SN 1999ec, and another may be a radio supernova or a background quasar. The X-ray luminosity and X-ray spectrum of the NGC 2207 nucleus suggests it is a highly absorbed, low luminosity AGN.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

The Larson-Tinsley Effect in the UV: Interacting vs. `Normal' Spiral Galaxies

We compare the UV-optical colors of a well-defined set of optically-selected pre-merger interacting galaxy pairs with those of normal spirals. The shorter wavelength colors show a larger dispersion for the interacting galaxies than for the spirals. This result can best be explained by higher star formation rates on average in the interacting galaxies, combined with higher extinctions on average. This is consistent with earlier studies, that found that the star formation in interacting galaxies tends to be more centrally concentrated than in normal spirals, perhaps due to gas being driven into the center by the interaction. As noted in earlier studies, there is a large variation from galaxy to galaxy in the implied star formation rates of the interacting galaxies, with some galaxies having enhanced rates but others being fairly quiescent.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

Spirals, Bridges, and Tails: A GALEX UV Atlas of Interacting Galaxies

We have used the GALEX ultraviolet telescope to study stellar populations and star formation morphology in a well-defined sample of 42 nearby optically-selected pre-merger interacting galaxy pairs. Galaxy interactions were likely far more common in the early Universe than in the present, thus our study provides a nearby well-resolved comparison sample for high redshift studies. We have combined the GALEX NUV and FUV images with broadband optical maps from the Sloan Digitized Sky Survey to investigate the ages and extinctions of the tidal features and the disks. The distributions of the UV/optical colors of the tidal features and the main disks of the galaxies are similar, however, the tidal features are bluer on average in NUV - g when compared with their own parent disks, thus tails and bridges are often more prominent relative to the disks in UV images compared to optical maps. This effect is likely due to enhanced star formation in the tidal features compared to the disks rather than reduced extinction, however, lower metallicities may also play a role. We have identified a few new candidate tidal dwarf galaxies in this sample. Other interesting morphologies such as accretion tails and `beads on a string' are also seen in these images. We also identify a possible `Taffy' galaxy in our sample, which may have been produced by a head-on collision between two galaxies. In only a few cases are strong tidal features seen in HI maps but not in GALEX.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Applying the Analytic Theory of Colliding Ring Galaxies

An analytic theory of the waves in colliding ring galaxies was presented some years ago, but the observations where not of sufficient quality then to make quantitative comparisons. Well-resolved observations of a few systems are now available to make such comparisons, and structure imaged in several dozen systems, derived from the recent compilation of Madore, Nelson and Petrillo and the Galaxy Zoo project, can further constrain the theory. Systems with two rings are especially useful for deriving such constraints. After examining the implications of recent observations of ring sizes and structure, I extend the analytic theory, investigate limiting cases, and present several levels of approximation. The theory is especially simple in the case of nearly flat rotation curves. I present observational comparisons for a few systems, including: Arp 10, the Cartwheel and AM2136-492. The fit is quite good over a large range of cases. For the Cartwheel there are discrepancies, but the areas of disagreement are suggestive of additional factors, such as multiple collisions. A specific prediction of the theory in the case of nearly flat rotation curves is that the ratio of the outward velocity of successive rings approximately equals the ratio of ring sizes. Ring velocities are also shown to scale simply with local circular velocities in this limit.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

An Atlas of GALEX UV Images of Interacting Galaxies

We present GALEX ultraviolet images from a survey of strongly interacting galaxy pairs, and compare with images at other wavelengths. The tidal features are particularly striking in the UV images. Numerous knots of star formation are visible throughout the disks and the tails and bridges. We also identify a possible `Taffy' galaxy in our sample, which may have been produced by a head-on collision between two disk galaxies.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Tidal Dwarf Galaxies, Accretion Tails, and `Beads on a String' in the `Spirals, Bridges, and Tails' Interacting Galaxy Survey

We have used the GALEX ultraviolet telescope to study stellar populations and star formation morphology in a well-defined sample of more than three dozen nearby optically-selected pre-merger interacting galaxy pairs. We have combined the GALEX NUV and FUV images with broadband optical maps from the Sloan Digitized Sky Survey to investigate the ages and extinctions of the tidal features and the disks. We have identified a few new candidate tidal dwarf galaxies in this sample, as well as other interesting morphologies such as accretion tails, `beads on a string', and `hinge clumps'. In only a few cases are strong tidal features seen in HI maps but not in GALEX.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Star Cluster Dissolution in Arp 284

We present results from a study of proto-globular cluster candidates in the interacting galaxy system Arp 284 (NGC 7714/5). Studies of the Antennae and M51 have suggested that the majority of these star clusters dissolve within 20 Myr due to mass loss. We obtain cluster colors using archival \emph{HST} data, and estimate ages and extinctions for over 150 clusters using evolutionary synthesis models. We find that clusters in NGC 7714 are generally less than 20 Myr old, while the data in the bridge is too limited to allow good estimates for individual clusters. We also examine {H {\sc ii}} region complexes with lower-resolution \emph{GALEX} and ground-based H$α$ images. Several of these regions appear to be much older than the detected clusters within them, which may indicate the presence of an older, unresolved population of low mass or dispersed clusters.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Models of the Intergalactic Gas in Stephan's Quintet

We use smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) models to study the large-scale morphology and dynamical evolution of the intergalactic gas in Stephan's Quintet, and compare to multiwavelength observations. Specifically, we model the formation of the hot X-ray gas, the large-scale shock, and emission line gas as the result of NGC 7318b colliding with the group. We also reproduce the N-body model of Renaud and Appleton for the tidal structures in the group.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

The Automatic Galaxy Collision Software

The key to understanding the physical processes that occur during galaxy interactions is dynamical modeling, and especially the detailed matching of numerical models to specific systems. To make modeling interacting galaxies more efficient, we have constructed the `Automatic Galaxy Collision' (AGC) code, which requires less human intervention in finding good matches to data. We present some preliminary results from this code for the well-studied system Arp 284 (NGC 7714/5), and address questions of uniqueness of solutions.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Star Clusters in the Interacting Galaxy System Arp 284

We present results from a study of proto-globular cluster candidates in the interacting galaxy system Arp 284 (NGC 7714/5) using data from the Hubble Space Telescope. Previous studies of the Antennae and M51 have suggested that the majority of young massive star clusters dissolve within 20 Myr due to mass loss. We use the evolutionary synthesis code Starburst99 to estimate ages and extinctions for approximately 175 clusters visible with HST. We also use lower-resolution GALEX and ground-based H-alpha data to estimate the ages of the giant HII regions in which these clusters are found, and compare the Spitzer colours of these HII regions to those of star forming regions in other interacting systems. The ages are also used to aid in the interpretation of Chandra X-ray data. Clusters in the tidal tails of NGC 7714 are generally found to have ages less than 20 Myr, though observational limits make the significance of this result uncertain. Older clusters, though not numerous, have nearly the same spatial distribution within the imaged portion of NGC 7714 as young clusters. The cluster population in the bridge connecting the two galaxies appears to be older, but the data in this part of the system is too limited to draw firm conclusions. The ages of the giant HII regions in NGC 7714 are generally older than those of their constituent clusters, possibly indicating that the young clusters we detect are surrounded by their dispersed predecessors.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Storm fronts over galaxy discs: Models of how waves generate extraplanar gas and its anomalous kinematics

The existence of partially ionized, diffuse gas and dust clouds at kiloparsec scale distances above the central planes of edge-on, galaxy discs was an unexpected discovery about 20 yrs ago. Subsequent observations showed that this EDIG (extended or extraplanar diffuse interstellar gas) has rotation velocities approximately 10-20% lower than those in the central plane, and have been hard to account for. Here we present results of hydrodynamic models, with radiative cooling and heating from star formation. We find that in models with star formation generated stochastically across the disc an extraplanar gas layer is generated as long as the star formation is sufficiently strong. However, this gas rotates at nearly the same speed as the mid-plane gas. We then studied a range of models with imposed spiral or bar waves in the disc. EDIG layers were also generated in these models, but primarily over the wave regions, not over the entire disc. Because of this partial coverage, the EDIG clouds move radially, as well as vertically, with the result that observed kinematic anomalies are reproduced. The implication is that the kinematic anomalies are the result of three-dimensional motions when the cylindrical symmetry of the disc is broken. Thus, the kinematic anomalies are the result of bars or strong waves, and more face-on galaxies with such waves should have an asymmetric EDIG component. The models also indicate that the EDIG can contain a significant fraction of cool gas, and that some star formation can be triggered at considerable heights above the disc midplane. We expect all of these effects to be more prominent in young, forming discs, to play a role in rapidly smoothing disc asymmetries, and in working to self-regulate disc structure.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2009

Candidate Tidal Dwarf Galaxies in Arp 305: Lessons on Dwarf Detachment and Globular Cluster Formation

To search for Tidal Dwarf Galaxies (TDGs) and to study star formation in tidal features, we are conducting a large UV imaging survey of interacting galaxies selected from the Arp (1996) Atlas using the GALEX telescope. As part of that study, we present a GALEX UV and SDSS and SARA optical study of the gas-rich interacting galaxy pair Arp 305 (NGC 4016/7). The GALEX UV data reveal much extended diffuse UV emission and star formation outside the disks. This includes a luminous star forming region between the two galaxies, and a number of such regions in tidal tails. We have identified 45 young star forming clumps in Arp 305, including several TDG candidates. By comparing the UV and optical colors to population synthesis models, we determined that the clumps are very young, with several having ages of about 6 Myr. We do not find many intermediate age clumps in spite of the fact that the last closest encounter was about 300 Myr ago. We have used a smooth particle hydrodynamics code to model the interaction and determine the fate of the star clusters and candidate TDGs.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2007

The Feasibility of Shading the Greenhouse with Dust Clouds at the Stable Lunar Lagrange Points

There are many indications that anthropogenic global warming poses a serious threat to our civilization and its ecological support systems. Ideally this problem will be overcome by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Various space-based methods, including large-scale solar shades, diffusers or atmospheric pollutants, have been considered to reduce the solar constant (input flux) and the warming in case emissions reductions are not achieved in a timely way. Here it is pointed out that proposed technologies for near-Earth orbiting comet deflection, suggest a different kind of space-based solar shade. This shade would be made up of micron-sized dust particles derived from comet fragments or lunar mining, and positioned in orbits near the triangular Lagrange points of the Earth-Moon system. Solar radiation pressure can render such orbits unstable, but a class of nearly resonant, and long-lived orbits is shown to exist, though the phase space volume of such orbits depends on dust grain size. Advantages and disadvantages of this scheme relative to others are considered.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

Large-scale Star Formation Triggering in the Low-mass Arp 82 System: A Nearby Example of Galaxy Downsizing Based on UV/Optical/Mid-IR Imaging

As part of our Spitzer Spirals, Bridges, and Tails project to help understand the effects of galaxy interactions on star formation, we analyze GALEX ultraviolet, SARA optical, and Spitzer infrared images of the interacting galaxy pair Arp 82 (NGC 2535/6) and compare to a numerical simulation of the interaction. We investigate the multiwavelength properties of several individual star forming complexes (clumps). Using optical and UV colors, EW(Halpha), and population synthesis models we constrain the ages of the clumps and find that the median clump age is about 12 Myr. The clumps have masses ranging from a few times 10^6 to 10^9 solar masses. In general, the clumps in the tidal features have similar ages to those in the spiral region, but are less massive. The 8 micron and 24 micron luminosities are used to estimate the far-infrared luminosities and the star formation rates of the clumps. The total clump star formation rate is 2.0+/-0.8 solar masses per year, while the entire Arp 82 system is forming stars at a rate of 4.9+/-2.0 solar masses per year. We find, for the first time, stars in the HI arc to the southeast of the NGC 2535 disk. Population synthesis models indicate that all of the observed populations have young to intermediate ages. We conclude that although the gas disks and some old stars may have formed early-on, the progenitors are late-type or low surface brightness and the evolution of these galaxies was halted until the recent encounter.

astro-ph↗