arXiv subjects

E. Laurikainen

Publications and source records attributed to E. Laurikainen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

Stellar Kinematics and Structural Properties of Virgo Cluster Dwarf Early-Type Galaxies from the SMAKCED Project III. Rotation versus Pressure Support

We analyze the stellar kinematics of 39 dwarf early-type galaxies (dEs) in the Virgo cluster. Based on the specific stellar angular momentum lambda_e and the ellipticity, we find 11 slow rotators and 28 fast rotators. The fast rotators in the outer parts of the Virgo cluster rotate significantly faster than fast rotators in the inner parts of the cluster. Moreover, 10 out of the 11 slow rotators are located in the inner 3 degrees (D < 1 Mpc) of the cluster. The fast rotators contain subtle disky structures that are visible in high-pass filtered optical images, while the slow rotators do not exhibit these structures. In addition, two of the dEs have kinematically decoupled cores and four more have emission partially filling in the Balmer absorption lines. These properties suggest that Virgo cluster dEs may have originated from late-type star-forming galaxies that were transformed by the environment after their infall into the cluster. The correlation between lambda_e and the clustercentric distance can be explained by a scenario where low luminosity star-forming galaxies fall into the cluster, their gas is rapidly removed by ram pressure stripping, although some of it can be retained in their core, their star-formation is quenched but their stellar kinematics are preserved. After a long time in the cluster and several passes through its center, the galaxies are heated up and transformed into slow rotating dEs.

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arXiv2014

Stellar Kinematics and Structural Properties of Virgo Cluster Dwarf Early-Type Galaxies from the SMAKCED Project II. The Survey and a Systematic Analysis of Kinematic Anomalies and Asymmetries

We present spatially resolved kinematics and global stellar populations and mass-to-light ratios for a sample of 39 dwarf early-type (dE) galaxies in the Virgo cluster studied as part of the SMAKCED stellar absorption-line spectroscopy and imaging survey. This sample is representative of the early-type population in the absolute magnitude range -19.0 < M_r < -16.0. For each dE, we measure the rotation curve and velocity dispersion profile and fit an analytic function to the rotation curve. We study the significance of the departure of the rotation curve from the best fit analytic function (poorly fit) and of the difference between the approaching and receding sides of the rotation curve (asymmetry). We find that 62 +/- 8 % (23 out of the 39) of the dEs have a significant anomaly in their rotation curve. Analysis of the images reveals photometric anomalies for most galaxies. However, there is no clear correlation between the significance of the photometric and kinematic anomalies. We measure age-sensitive and metallicity-sensitive Lick spectral indices and find a wide range of ages and metallicities. We also find that 4 dEs have emission partially filling in the Balmer absorption lines. Finally, we estimate the total masses and dark matter fractions of the dEs. They have a median total mass and dark matter fraction within the Re of log Me = 9.1 +/- 0.2 and f_DM = 46 +/- 18 %. We plot several scaling relations and show that dEs seem to be the bridge between massive early-type and dwarf spheroidal galaxies.

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arXiv2014

Milky Way mass galaxies with X-shaped bulges are not rare in the local Universe

Boxy/Peanut/X-shaped (B/P/X) bulges are studied using the 3.6 mum images from the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies, and the K_s-band images from the Near-IR S0 galaxy Survey. They are compared with the properties of barlenses, defined as lens-like structures embedded in bars, with sizes of about 50% of bars and axial ratios of 0.6-0.9. Based on observations and recent simulation models we show evidence that barlenses are the more face-on counterparts of B/P/X-shaped bulges. Using unsharp masks 18 new X-shaped structures are identified, covering a large range of galaxy inclinations. The similar masses and red B-3.6 mum colors of the host galaxies, and the fact that the combined axial ratio distribution of the host galaxy disks is flat, support the interpretation that barlenses and X-shapes are physically the same phenomenon. In Hubble types -3<T<2 even half of the bars contain either a barlens or an X-shaped structure. Our detailed 2D multi-component decompositions for 29 galaxies, fitting the barlens/X-shape with a separate component, indicate very small or non-existent classical bulges. Taking into account that the structures we study have similar host galaxy masses as the Milky Way (MW), our results imply that MW mass galaxies with no significant classical bulges are common in the nearby Universe.

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arXiv2014

The Baryonic Tully-Fisher Relationship for S$^4$G Galaxies and the "Condensed" Baryon Fraction of Galaxies

We combine data from the Spitzer Survey for Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S$^4$G), a recently calibrated empirical stellar mass estimator from Eskew et al., and an extensive database of HI spectral line profiles to examine the baryonic Tully-Fisher (BTF) relation. We find 1) that the BTF has lower scatter than the classic Tully-Fisher (TF) relation and is better described as a linear relationship, confirming similar previous results, 2) that the inclusion of a radial scale in the BTF decreases the scatter but only modestly, as seen previously for the TF relation, and 3) that the slope of the BTF, which we find to be $3.5\pm 0.2$ ($Δ$ log $M_{baryon}/Δ$ log $v_c$), implies that on average a nearly constant fraction ($\sim 0.4$) of all baryons expected to be in a halo are "condensed" onto the central region of rotationally supported galaxies. The condensed baryon fraction, $M_{baryon}/M_{total}$, is, to our measurement precision, nearly independent of galaxy circular velocity (our sample spans circular velocities, $v_c$, between 60 and 250 km s$^{-1}$, but is extended to $v_c\sim 10$ km s$^{-1}$ using data from the literature). The observed galaxy-to-galaxy scatter in this fraction is generally $\le$ a factor of 2 despite fairly liberal selection criteria. These results imply that cooling and heating processes, such as cold vs. hot accretion, mass loss due to stellar winds, and AGN driven feedback, to the degree that they affect the global galactic properties involved in the BTF, are independent of halo mass for galaxies with $10 < v_c < 250$ km/s and typically introduce no more than a factor of two range in the resulting $M_{baryon}/M_{total}$. Recent simulations by Aumer et al. of a small sample of disk galaxies are in excellent agreement with our data, suggesting that current simulations are capable of reproducing the global properties of individual disk galaxies.

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arXiv2014

Reconstructing the stellar mass distributions of galaxies using S4G IRAC 3.6 and 4.5 micron images: II. The conversion from light to mass

We present a new approach for estimating the 3.6 micron stellar mass-to-light ratio in terms of the [3.6]-[4.5] colors of old stellar populations. Our approach avoids several of the largest sources of uncertainty in existing techniques. By focusing on mid-IR wavelengths, we gain a virtually dust extinction-free tracer of the old stars, avoiding the need to adopt a dust model to correctly interpret optical or optical/NIR colors normally leveraged to assign M/L. By calibrating a new relation between NIR and mid-IR colors of GLIMPSE giant stars we also avoid discrepancies in model predictions for the [3.6]-[4.5] colors of old stellar populations due to uncertainties in molecular line opacities. We find that the [3.6]-[4.5] color, which is driven primarily by metallicity, provides a tight constraint on M/L_3.6, which varies intrinsically less than at optical wavelengths. The uncertainty on M/L_3.6 of ~0.07 dex due to unconstrained age variations marks a significant improvement on existing techniques for estimating the stellar M/L with shorter wavelength data. A single M/L_3.6=0.6 (assuming a Chabrier IMF), independent of [3.6]-[4.5] color, is also feasible as it can be applied simultaneously to old, metal-rich and young, metal-poor populations, and still with comparable (or better) accuracy (~0.1 dex) as alternatives. We expect our M/L_3.6 to be optimal for mapping the stellar mass distributions in S4G galaxies, for which we have developed an Independent Component Analysis technique to first isolate the old stellar light at 3.6 micron from non-stellar emission (e.g. hot dust and the 3.3 PAH feature). Our estimate can also be used to determine the fractional contribution of non-stellar emission to global (rest-frame) 3.6 micron fluxes, e.g. in WISE imaging, and establishes a reliable basis for exploring variations in the stellar IMF.

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arXiv2014

Stellar Kinematics and Structural Properties of Virgo Cluster Dwarf Early-Type Galaxies from the SMAKCED Project. I. Kinematically Decoupled Cores and Implications for Infallen Groups in Clusters

We present evidence for kinematically decoupled cores (KDCs) in two dwarf early-type (dE) galaxies in the Virgo cluster, VCC 1183 and VCC 1453, studied as part of the SMAKCED stellar absorption-line spectroscopy and imaging survey. These KDCs have radii of 1.8'' (0.14 kpc) and 4.2'' (0.33 kpc), respectively. Each of these KDCs is distinct from the main body of its host galaxy in two ways: (1) inverted sense of rotation; and (2) younger (and possibly more metal-rich) stellar population. The observed stellar population differences are probably associated with the KDC, although we cannot rule out the possibility of intrinsic radial gradients in the host galaxy. We describe a statistical analysis method to detect, quantify the significance of, and characterize KDCs in long-slit rotation curve data. We apply this method to the two dE galaxies presented in this paper and to five other dEs for which KDCs have been reported in the literature. Among these seven dEs, there are four significant KDC detections, two marginal KDC detections, and one dE with an unusual central kinematic anomaly that may be an asymmetric KDC.The frequency of occurence of KDCs and their properties provide important constraints on the formation history of their host galaxies. We discuss different formation scenarios for these KDCs in cluster environments and find that dwarf-dwarf wet mergers or gas accretion can explain the properties of these KDCs. Both of these mechanisms require that the progenitor had a close companion with a low relative velocity. This suggests that KDCs were formed in galaxy pairs residing in a poor group environment or in isolation whose subsequent infall into the cluster quenched star formation.

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arXiv2013

Morphological Parameters of Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S4G)

The morphology of galaxies can be quantified to some degree using a set of scale-invariant parameters. Concentration (C), Asymmetry (A), Smoothness (S), the Gini index (G), relative contribution of the brightest pixels to the second order moment of the flux (M20), ellipticity (E), and the Gini index of the second order moment (GM) have all been applied to morphologically classify galaxies at various wavelengths. Here we present a catalog of these parameters for the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S4G), a volume-limited near-infrared imaging survey of nearby galaxies using the 3.6 and 4.5 micron channels of the IRAC camera. Our goal is to provide a reference catalog of near-infrared quantified morphology for high-redshift studies and galaxy evolution models with enough detail to resolve stellar mass morphology. We explore where normal, non-interacting galaxies -those typically found on the Hubble tuning fork- lie in this parameter space and show that there is a tight relation between Concentration and M20 for normal galaxies. M20 can be used to classify galaxies into earlier and later types (e.g., to separate spirals from irregulars). Several criteria using these parameters exist to select systems with a disturbed morphology, i.e., those that appear to be undergoing a tidal interaction. We examine the applicability of these criteria to Spitzer near-infrared imaging. We find that four relations, based on the parameters A&S, G&M20, GM, and C&M20, respectively, select outliers in the morphological parameter space, but each selects different subsets of galaxies. Two criteria (GM > 0.6, G > -0.115 x M20 + 0.384) seem most appropriate to identify possible mergers and the merger fraction in near-infrared surveys. We find no strong relation between lopsidedness and most of these morphological parameters, except for a weak dependence of lopsidedness on Concentration and M20.

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arXiv2013

A near-infrared census of the multi-component stellar structure of early-type dwarf galaxies in the Virgo cluster

The fraction of star-forming to quiescent dwarf galaxies varies from almost infinity in the field to zero in the centers of rich galaxy clusters. What is causing this pronounced morphology-density relation? What do quiescent dwarf galaxies look like when studied in detail, and what conclusions can be drawn about their formation mechanism? Here we study a nearly magnitude-complete sample (-19 < M_r < -16 mag) of 121 Virgo cluster early types with deep near-infrared images from the SMAKCED project. We fit two-dimensional models with optional inner and outer components, as well as bar and lens components (in ~15% of the galaxies), to the galaxy images. While a single Sérsic function may approximate the overall galaxy structure, it does not entirely capture the light distribution of two-thirds of our galaxies, for which multi-component models provide a better fit. This fraction of complex galaxies shows a strong dependence on luminosity, being larger for brighter objects. We analyze the global and component-specific photometric scaling relations of early-type dwarf galaxies and discuss similarities with bright early and late types. The dwarfs' global galaxy parameters show scaling relations that are similar to those of bright disk galaxies. The inner components are mostly fitted with Sérsic n values close to 1. At a given magnitude they are systematically larger than the bulges of spirals, suggesting that they are not ordinary bulges. We argue that the multi-component structures in early-type dwarfs are mostly a phenomenon inherent to the disks, and may indeed stem from environmental processing.

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arXiv2013

The impact of bars on disk breaks as probed by S4G imaging

We have analyzed the radial distribution of old stars in a sample of 218 nearby face-on disks, using deep 3.6um images from the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S4G). In particular, we have studied the structural properties of those disks with a broken or down-bending profile. We find that, on average, disks with a genuine single exponential profile have a scale-length and a central surface brightness which are intermediate to those of the inner and outer components of a down-bending disk with the same total stellar mass. In the case of barred galaxies, the ratio between the break and the bar radii (Rbr/Rbar) depends strongly on the total stellar mass of the galaxy. For galaxies more massive than 10^10 Msun, the distribution is bimodal, peaking at Rbr/Rbar~2 and ~3.5. The first peak, which is the most populated one, is linked to the Outer Lindblad Resonance of the bar, whereas the second one is consistent with a dynamical coupling between the bar and the spiral pattern. For galaxies below 10^10 Msun, breaks are found up to ~10 Rbar, but we show that they could still be caused by resonances given the rising nature of rotation curves in these low-mass disks. While not ruling out star formation thresholds, our results imply that radial stellar migration induced by non-axysymmetric features can be responsible not only for those breaks at 2 Rbar, but also for many of those found at larger radii.

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arXiv2013

Statistics of the structure components in S0s: implications for bar induced secular evolution

The fractions and dimension of bars, rings and lenses are studied in the Near-IR S0 galaxy Survey (NIRS0S). We find evidence that multiple lenses in some barred S0s are related to bar resonances in a similar manner as the inner and outer rings, for which the outer/inner length ratio 2. Inner lenses in the non-barred galaxies normalized to galaxy diameter are clearly smaller than those in the barred systems. Interestingly, these small lenses in the non-barred galaxies have similar sizes as barlenses (lens-like structures embedded in a bar), and therefore might actually be barlenses in former barred galaxies, in which the outer, more elongated bar component, has been destroyed. We also find that fully developed inner lenses are on average a factor 1.3 larger than bars, whereas inner rings have similar sizes as bars. The fraction of inner lenses is found to be constant in all family classes (A, AB, B). Nuclear bars appear most frequently among the weakly barred (AB) galaxies, which is consistent with the theoretical models by Maciejewski & Athanassoula (2008). Similar sized bars as the nuclear bars were detected in seven 'non-barred' S0s. Galaxy luminosity does not uniquely define the sizes of bars or bar-related structures, neither is there any upper limit in galaxy luminosity for bar formation. Although all the family classes cover the same range of galaxy luminosity, the non-barred (A) galaxies are on average 0.6 mag brighter than the strongly barred (B) systems. Overall, our results are consistent with the idea that bars play an important role in the formation of the structure components of galaxies. The fact that multiple lenses are common in S0s, and that at least the inner lenses can have very old stellar populations, implies that the last destructive merger, or major gas accretion event, must have taken place at a fairly high redshift.

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arXiv2011

Dissecting early-type dwarf galaxies into their multiple components

Early-type dwarf galaxies, once believed to be simple systems, have recently been shown to exhibit an intriguing diversity in structure and stellar content. To analyze this further, we started the SMAKCED project, and obtained deep H-band images for 101 early-type dwarf galaxies in the Virgo cluster in a brightness range of -19 \leq M_r \leq -16 mag, typically reaching a signal-to-noise of 1 per pixel of \sim0.25" at surface brightnesses \sim22.5 mag/arcsec^2 in the H-band. Here we present the first results of decomposing their two-dimensional light distributions. This is the first study dedicated to early-type dwarf galaxies using the two-dimensional multi-component decomposition approach, which has been proven to be important for giant galaxies. Armed with this new technique, we find more structural components than previous studies: only a quarter of the galaxies fall into the simplest group, namely those represented by a single Sérsic function, optionally with a nucleus. Furthermore, we find a bar fraction of 18%. We detect also a similar fraction of lenses which appear as shallow structures with sharp outer edges. Galaxies with bars and lenses are found to be more concentrated towards the Virgo galaxy center than the other sample galaxies.

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arXiv2011

Overview of the Near-IR S0 galaxy Survey (NIRS0S)

A review of the results of the Near-IR S0 galaxy Survey (NIRS0S) is presented. NIRS0S is a magnitude (mB 12.5 mag) and inclination (< 65o) limited sample of 200 nearby galaxies, mainly S0s. It uses deep Ks -band images, typically reaching a surface brightness of 23.5 mag arcsec^(-2) . Detailed visual and photometric classifications were made, for the first time coding also the lenses in a systematic manner. As a comparison sample, a similar sized spiral galaxy sample with similar image quality was used. The main emphasis were to study whether the S0s are former spirals in which star formation has been ceased, and also, how robust are bars in galaxies. Based on our analysis the Hubble sequence was revisited: following the early idea by van den Bergh we suggested that the S0s are spread throughout the Hubble sequence in parallel tuning forks as spirals (S0a, S0b, S0c etc.). This is evidenced by our improved bulge-to-total (B/T) flux ratios, reaching as small values as typically found in late-type spirals. The properties of bulges and disks in S0s were found to be similar to those in spirals. Also, the masses and scale parameters of the bulges and disks were found to be coupled. Bars were found to be fairly robust both in S0s and spirals, but inspite of that bars might evolve significantly within the Hubble sequence.

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arXiv2011

Near-IR Atlas of S0-Sa galaxies (NIRS0S)

An atlas of Ks-band images of 206 early-type galaxies is presented, including 160 S0-S0/a galaxies, 12 ellipticals, and 33 Sa galaxies. A majority of the Atlas galaxies belong to a magnitude-limited (mB<12.5 mag) sample of 185 NIRS0S (Near-IR S0 galaxy Survey) galaxies. To assure that mis-classified S0s are not omitted, 25 ellipticals from RC3 classified as S0s in the Carnegie Atlas were included in the sample. The images are 2-3 mag deeper than 2MASS images. Both visual and photometric classifications are made. Special attention is paid to the classification of lenses, coded in a systematic manner. A new lens-type, called a 'barlens', is introduced. Also, boxy/peanut/x-shaped structures are identified in many barred galaxies, even-though the galaxies are not seen in edge-on view, indicating that vertical thickening is not enough to explain them. Multiple lenses appear in 25% of the Atlas galaxies, which is a challenge to the hierarchical evolutionary picture of galaxies. Such models need to explain how the lenses were formed and survived in multiple merger events that galaxies may have suffered during their lifetimes. Following the early suggestion by van den Bergh, candidates of S0c galaxies are shown, which galaxies are expected to be former Sc-type spirals stripped out of gas.

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arXiv2010

Mid-Infrared Galaxy Morphology from the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S^4G): The Imprint of the de Vaucouleurs Revised Hubble-Sandage Classification System at 3.6 microns

Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) imaging provides an opportunity to study all known morphological types of galaxies in the mid-IR at a depth significantly better than ground-based near-infrared and optical images. The goal of this study is to examine the imprint of the de Vaucouleurs classification volume in the 3.6 micron band, which is the best Spitzer waveband for galactic stellar mass morphology owing to its depth and its reddening-free sensitivity mainly to older stars. For this purpose, we have prepared classification images for 207 galaxies from the Spitzer archive, most of which are formally part of the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S^4G), a Spitzer post-cryogenic ("warm") mission Exploration Science Legacy Program survey of 2,331 galaxies closer than 40 Mpc. For the purposes of morphology, the galaxies are interpreted as if the images are {\it blue light}, the historical waveband for classical galaxy classification studies. We find that 3.6 micron classifications are well-correlated with blue-light classifications, to the point where the essential features of many galaxies look very similar in the two very different wavelength regimes. Drastic differences are found only for the most dusty galaxies. Consistent with a previous study by Eskridge et al. (2002), the main difference between blue light and mid-IR types is an approximately 1 stage interval difference for S0/a to Sbc or Sc galaxies, which tend to appear "earlier" in type at 3.6 microns due to the slightly increased prominence of the bulge, the reduced effects of extinction, and the reduced (but not completely eliminated) effect of the extreme population I stellar component. We present an atlas of all of the 207 galaxies analyzed here, and bring attention to special features or galaxy types that are particularly distinctive in the mid-IR.

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arXiv2010

Decreased Frequency of Strong Bars in S0 Galaxies: Evidence for Secular Evolution?

Using data from the Near-Infrared S0 Survey (NIRS0S) of nearby, early-type galaxies, we examine the distribution of bar strengths in S0 galaxies as compared to S0/a and Sa galaxies, and as compared to previously published bar strength data for Ohio State University Bright Spiral Galaxy Survey (OSUBSGS) spiral galaxies. Bar strengths based on the gravitational torque method are derived from 2.2 micron Ks-band images for a statistical sample of 138 (98 S0, 40 S0/a,Sa) galaxies having a mean total blue magnitude <= 12.5 and generally inclined less than 65 degrees. We find that S0 galaxies have weaker bars on average than spiral galaxies in general, even compared to their closest spiral counterparts, S0/a and Sa galaxies. The differences are significant and cannot be due entirely to uncertainties in the assumed vertical scale-heights or in the assumption of constant mass-to-light ratios. Part of the difference is likely due simply to the dilution of the bar torques by the higher mass bulges seen in S0s. If spiral galaxies accrete external gas, as advocated by Bournaud & Combes, then the fewer strong bars found among S0s imply a lack of gas accretion according to this theory. If S0s are stripped former spirals, or else are evolved from former spirals due to internal secular dynamical processes which deplete the gas as well as grow the bulges, then the weaker bars and the prevalence of lenses in S0 galaxies could further indicate that bar evolution continues to proceed during and even after gas depletion

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arXiv2010

Bars do drive spiral density waves

Recently, Buta etal. (2009) examined the question "Do Bars Drive Spiral Density Waves?", an idea supported by theoretical studies and also from a preliminary observational analysis Block etal (2004). They estimated maximum bar strengths Q_b, maximum spiral strengths Q_s, and maximum m=2 arm contrasts A_2s for 23 galaxies with deep AAT K_s-band images. These were combined with previously published Q_b and Q_s values for 147 galaxies from the OSUBSGS sample and with the 12 galaxies from Block etal(2004). Weak correlation between Q_b and Q_s was confirmed for the combined sample, whereas the AAT subset alone showed no significant correlations between Q_b and Q_s, nor between Q_b and A_2s. A similar negative result was obtained in Durbala etal. (2009) for 46 galaxies. Based on these studies, the answer to the above question remains uncertain. Here we use a novel approach, and show that although the correlation between the maximum bar and spiral parameters is weak, these parameters do correlate when compared locally. For the OSUBSGS sample a statistically significant correlation is found between the local spiral amplitude, and the forcing due to the bar's potential at the same distance, out to 1.6 bar radii (the typical bar perturbation is then of the order of a few percent). Also for the sample of 23 AAT galaxies we find a significant correlation between local parameters out to 1.4 bar radii. Our new results confirm that, at least in a statistical sense, bars do indeed drive spiral density waves.

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arXiv2010

Ring Star Formation Rates in Barred and Nonbarred Galaxies

Nonbarred ringed galaxies are relatively normal galaxies showing bright rings of star formation in spite of lacking a strong bar. This morphology is interesting because it is generally accepted that a typical ring forms when material collects near a resonance, set up by the pattern speed of a bar or bar-like perturbation. Our goal in this paper is to examine whether the ring star formation properties are related to the non-axisymmetric gravity potential in general. For this purpose, we obtained Hα emission line images and calculated the line fluxes and star formation rates (SFRs) for 16 nonbarred SA galaxies and four weakly barred SAB galaxies with rings. For comparison, we combine our observations with a re-analysis of previously published data on five SA, seven SAB, and 15 SB galaxies with rings, three of which are duplicates from our sample. With these data, we examine what role a bar may play in the star formation process in rings. Compared to barred ringed galaxies, we find that the inner ring SFRs and Hα+[N ii] equivalent widths in nonbarred ringed galaxies show a similar range and trend with absolute blue magnitude, revised Hubble type, and other parameters. On the whole, the star formation properties of inner rings, excluding the distribution of H ii regions, are independent of the ring shapes and the bar strength in our small samples. We confirm that the deprojected axis ratios of inner rings correlate with maximum relative gravitational force Q_g; however, if we consider all rings, a better correlation is found when local bar forcing at the radius of the ring, Q_r, is used. Individual cases are described and other correlations are discussed. By studying the physical properties of these galaxies, we hope to gain a better understanding of their placement in the scheme of the Hubble sequence and how they formed rings without the driving force of a bar.

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arXiv2010

Photometric scaling relations of lenticular and spiral galaxies

Photometric scaling relations are studied for S0 galaxies and compared with those for spirals. New 2D K_s-band multi-component decompositions are presented for 122 early-type disk galaxies. Combining with our previous decompositions, the final sample consists of 175 galaxies. As a comparison sample we use the Ohio State University Bright Spiral Galaxy Survey (OSUBSGS), for which similar decompositions have previously been made by us. Our main results are: (1) Important scaling relations are present, indicating that the formative processes of bulges and disks in S0s are coupled like has been previously found for spirals. (2) We obtain median r_{eff}/h_r = 0.20, 0.15 and 0.10 for S0, S0/a-Sa and Sab-Sc galaxies: these are smaller than predicted by simulation models in which bulges are formed by galaxy mergers. (3) The properties of bulges of S0s are different from the elliptical galaxies, which is manifested in the M_K(bulge) vs r_{eff} relation, in the photometric plane, and to some extent also in the Kormendy relation. The bulges of S0s are similar to bulges of spirals with M_K(bulge) < -20 mag. Some S0s have small bulges, but their properties are not compatible with the idea that they could evolve to dwarfs by galaxy harassment. (4) The relative bulge flux B/T for S0s covers the full range found in the Hubble sequence. (5) The values and relations of the parameters of the disks of the S0 galaxies in NIRS0S are similar to those obtained for spirals in the OSUBSGS. Overall, our results support the view that spiral galaxies with bulges brighter than -20 mag in the K-band can evolve directly into S0s, due to stripping of gas followed by truncated star formation.

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