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I. D. Karachentsev

Publications and source records attributed to I. D. Karachentsev.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

New dwarfs around the curly spiral galaxy M63

We present a deep (50 hours exposed) image of the nearby spiral galaxy M 63 (NGC 5055), taken with a 0.14-m aperture telescope. The galaxy halo exhibits the known very faint system of stellar streams extending across 110 kpc. We found 5 very low-surface-brightness dwarf galaxies around M 63. Assuming they are satellites of M 63, their median parameters are: absolute $B$-magnitude -8.8 mag, linear diameter 1.3 kpc, surface brightness $\sim$ 27.8 mag/sq. arcsec and linear projected separation 93 kpc. Based on four brighter satellites with measured radial velocities, we derived a low orbital mass estimate of M 63 to be (5.1$\pm$1.8) 10$^{11} M_{\odot}$ on a scale of $\sim$216 kpc. The specific property of M 63 is its declining rotation curve. Taking into account the declining rotation curves of the M 63 and three nearby massive galaxies NGC 2683, NGC 2903, NGC 3521, we recognize their low mean orbital mass-to-K-band luminosity ratio, (4.8$\pm$1.1) $M_{\odot}/L_{\odot}$, that is only $\sim$1/6 of the corresponding ratio for the Milky Way and M 31.

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Local dark energy in the Sculptor Filament of galaxies

Two dozens of different mass galaxies observed at distances less than 10 Mpc from the Local Group are organized in the elongated structure known as the Sculptor Filament. We use recent Hubble Space Telescope data on local galaxies to study the dynamical structure and evolutionary trends of the filament. An N-body computer model, which reproduces its observed kinematics, is constructed under the assumption that the filament is embedded in the universal dark energy background. In the model, the motions of the filament members are controlled by their mutual gravity attraction force and the anti-gravity repulsion force produced by the local dark energy. It is found that the dark energy repulsion dominates the force field of the outer parts of the filament. Because of this, the filament expands and its expansion proceeds with acceleration. The dark energy domination increases with cosmic time and introduces to the filament the linear velocity--distance relation with the universal time-rate ("the Hubble constant") that depends asymptotically on the dark energy density only.

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Star formation in thin disks of spiral galaxies seen face-on

Estimates of the integrated (SFR) and specific (sSFR) rates of star formation are given for 181 galaxies of later Sc, Scd, and Sd types seen almost face-on. Their SFRs were determined from FUV fluxes in the GALEX survey. The median values of the sSFR are: -10.66 dex for Sc, -10.44 dex for Scd, and -10.40 dex for Sd types in units of yr-1. The average value of the sSFR for these galaxies falls off smoothly from lowmass to giant disks. After accounting for photometric errors, the specific star formation rate has a small cosmic variation of 0.16 dex. In order to reproduce the observed stellar mass on a cosmic time of 13.8 Gyr, the galaxies without bulges viewed face-on must have had an SFR two-three times higher in the past than observed now.

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H-alpha Images of Ultra-Flat Edge-On Spiral Galaxies

We present the H$α$ images of ultra-flat (UF) spiral galaxies seen practically edge-on. The galaxies have the angular diameter in the $B$ band $a> 1.9^{\prime}$ and the apparent axial ratio $(a/b) >10$. We found that their H$α$ images look, on average, almost two times thinner than those in the red continuum. The star-formation rate in the studied objects, determined from the H$α$ flux, is in good agreement with that calculated from the $FUV$ flux from the GALEX survey if we use the modified Verheijen and Sancisi formula taking into account the internal extinction in the UF galaxies. The logarithm of the specific star-formation rate in the UF galaxies shows a small scatter, $0.19$, with a smooth decrease from $-10.4$ for dwarf spirals to $-10.7$ for massive ones. The relative amount of the hydrogen mass in UF disks varies from about 50\% in dwarf disks to about 8\% in massive ones. Structural distortions are less common in the UF galaxies (about 16\%) than those in thick (less isolated) disks of edge-on spiral galaxies. On the cosmic time scale, 13.7 Gyr, large spiral disks are more efficient "engines" for gas processing into stars than dwarf spirals.

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A dozen new dwarf galaxy candidates in the Local Volume

We carried out a survey of low-surface-brightness companions around nine luminous Local Volume galaxies using long exposures with small amateur telescopes. We found 12 low- and very low-surface-brightness objects around the galaxies: NGC 628, NGC 2337, NGC 3368, NGC 3521, NGC 4236, NGC 4258, NGC 4594, NGC 5055, and NGC 6744 situated within 12 Mpc from us. Assuming the dwarf candidates are satellites of the neighbouring massive galaxies, their absolute B magnitudes are in the range of [-8.9, -13.0], linear diameters are [0.6 - 2.7] kpc, and the mean surface brightnesses are [25.1 - 27.5] mag/sq.arecsec. The mean linear projected separation of satellite candidates from the host galaxies is 83 kpc.

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Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies in the M101 group and behind it

We use images from the Hubble Space Telescope to determine the distances to a dozen objects with low surface brightness recently observed around the bright nearby spiral M101. Only two dwarf galaxies, M101-DwA and M101-Dw9, turn out to be actual satellites of M101 at distances of about 7 Mpc. The other objects are probably members of a distant group around the S0-galaxies NGC 5485/5473. Based on the radial velocities and projected separations of the 9 satellites, we obtain an estimate of $(8.5\pm3.0)\times 10^{11} M_{\odot}$ for the total mass of M101, which is consistent with a ratio $16\pm6$ for the total mass to the stellar mass of the galaxy.

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Dwarf Galaxies in the Local Volume

We review observational data about a sample of Local Volume objects containing about 1000 galaxies within 11 Mpc of the Milky Way. Dwarf galaxies with stellar masses $M_*/M_{\odot} < 9$ dex make up 5/6 of the sample. Almost 40% of them have their distances measured with high precision using the Hubble Space Telescope. Currently, the LV is the most representative and least selection-affected sample of dwarf galaxies suitable for testing the standard $Λ$CDM paradigm at the shortest cosmological scales. We discuss the H II properties of dwarf galaxies in different environments and the star formation rates in these systems as determined from $FUV$ - and H$α$-survey data. We also pay certain attention to the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation for low-mass dwarf galaxies. We also point out that LV dwarfs are important `tracers' for determining the total masses of nearby groups and the nearest Virgo cluster.

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'Scraggy' dark halos around bulge-less spiral galaxies

We use a sample of 220 face-on bulge-less galaxies situated in the low density environment to estimate their total mass via orbital motions of supposed rare satellites. Our inspection reveals 43 dwarf companions having the mean projected separation of 130 kpc and the mean-square velocity difference of 96 km/s. For them, we obtain the mean orbital-mass-to-K-band luminosity ratio of $20\pm3$. Seven bulge-less spirals in the Local Volume are also characterized by the low mean ratio, $M_{orb}/L_K = 22\pm5$. We conclude that bulge-less Sc-Scd-Sd galaxies have poor dark halos, about two times lower than that of bulgy spiral galaxies of the same stellar mass.

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A reference sample of face-on bulgeless galaxies

We present a list of 220 face-on, almost bulgeless galaxies assumed to be counterparts to the objects from the Reference Flat Galaxy Catalog (RFGC). We selected the Sc, Scd and Sd-type galaxies according to their apparent axial ratio $log(r_{25}) < 0.05$ and major standard angular diameter $log(d_{25}) > 0.90$ as defined in HyperLEDA. The sample objects are restricted by the radial velocity $V_{LG} < 10000$ km/s and a declination of above $-30$ deg. The morphological composition of our sample is quite similar to that of RFGC. We notice the following common properties of face-on bulgeless galaxies. About half of them have bar-like structures occurring in the whole range of the absolute magnitudes of galaxies: from $-17$ to $-22$ mag. An essential part of our sample (27-50%) exhibit distorted spiral patterns. The galaxies do not show significant asymmetry in numbers of the "S"- and "Z"-like spin orientation. The mean (pseudo)bulge-to-total mass ratio for the sample is estimated as 0.11. Due to a negligible internal extinction, low-light background, and small projection effect, the face-on Sc-Sd discs are suitable objects to recognize their central nuclei as moderate-mass BH candidates. About 40-60% of the galaxies have distinct unresolved nuclei, and their presence steeply depend on the luminosity of the host galaxy.

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Stellar and dark matter density in the Local Universe

We calculate the mean density profiles for luminous and dark matter on distance scales $D \sim(1 - 100)$ Mpc around us using recent all-sky catalogs of galaxy groups. Within the Local Volume $( D < 11 ~\rm Mpc)$ we derived the mean stellar density $Ω_*= 0.44\%$ in the critical density units and the mean total matter density $Ω_m = 0.17$. In the sphere with a radius of 40 Mpc these quantities drop to $Ω_* = 0.24 - 0.32\%$ and $Ω_m = 0.09 - 0.14$. In a larger volume within $D\sim135$ Mpc the discussed densities become more uncertain: $Ω_* = 0.20 - 0.24\%$ and $Ω_m = 0.05 - 0.16$. We summarize that the major part of the cosmic dark matter locates outside the virial and collapsing zones of groups and clusters.

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Morphological properties of galaxies in different Local Volume environments

We consider an all-sky sample of 1029 Local Volume (LV) galaxies situated within a distance of 11 Mpc. Their majority have precise distances, estimates of hydrogen mass fraction and star-formation rate derived from far-ultraviolet or Halpha fluxes. To describe an environment, we attribute two dimensionless values: the density contrast created by the most significant neighbour and the local density contrast produced by all neighbours within a separation of 1 Mpc. The hydrogen mass fraction exhibits a weak effect of HI deficiency being the most pronounced for dwarf irregular galaxies. The specific star-formation rate (sSFR) is more sensitive to the environment than the hydrogen mass fraction. Almost all (99 per cent) LV galaxies have their sSFR below -9.4 dex (1/yr). We notice that irregular dwarfs as well as late-type bulgeless galaxies are capable to reproduce their stellar mass with the observed sSFR over the cosmic time. Thus, the transformation of gas into stars in dIrs and spiral disks is rather sluggish unlike that in E, S0, dSph galaxies, whose star-formation history has been stormy and short. Scatter of SFR(Halpha)-to-SFR(FUV) ratio increases from Sc, Sd, Sm galaxies towards BCD, Im, Ir types that favours the idea of bursty star formations in low-mass galaxies. However, this bursty activity is caused rather by internal processes than by an external tidal action. A fraction of quenched E, S0, dSph galaxies increases from ~5 per cent in the field up to ~50 per cent in the densest regions.

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KDG 218, a Nearby Ultra-Diffuse Galaxy

We present properties of the low-surface-brightness galaxy KDG 218 observed with the HST/ACS. The galaxy has a half-light (effective) diameter of $a_e =47^{\prime\prime}$ and a central surface brightness of $SB_V(0) = 24.4^m/sq^{\prime\prime}$. The galaxy remains unresolved with the HST/ACS, which implies its distance of {$D > 13.1$ Mpc} and linear effective diameter of $A_e >3.0$ kpc. We notice that KDG 218 is most likely associated with a galaxy group around the massive lenticular NGC 4958 galaxy at approximately $22$ Mpc, or with the Virgo Southern Extension filament at approximately $16.5$ Mpc. At these distances, the galaxy is classified as an ultra-diffuse galaxy (UDG) similar to those found in the Virgo, Fornax, and Coma clusters. We also present a sample of 15 UDG candidates in the Local Volume. These sample galaxies have the following mean parameters: $\langle D\rangle = 5.1$ Mpc, $\langle A_e\rangle = 4.8$ kpc, and $\langle SB_B (e) \rangle = 27.4^m/sq^{\prime\prime}$. All the local UDG candidates reside near massive galaxies located in the regions with the mean stellar mass density (within 1 Mpc) about 50 times greater than the average cosmic density. The local fraction of UDGs does not exceed 1.5% of the Local Volume population. We notice that the presented sample of local UDGs is a heterogeneous one containing irregular, transition, and tidal types, as well as objects consisting of an old stellar population.

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Serendipitous discovery of a faint dwarf galaxy near a Local Volume dwarf

A faint dwarf irregular galaxy has been discovered in the HST/ACS field of LV J1157+5638. The galaxy is resolved into individual stars, including the brightest magnitude of the red giant branch. The dwarf is very likely a physical satellite of LV J1157+5638.The distance modulus of LV J1157+5638 using the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) distance indicator is 29.82+-0.09 mag (D = 9.22+-0.38 Mpc). The TRGB distance modulus of LV J1157+5638 sat is 29.76+-0.11 mag (D = 8.95+-0.42 Mpc). The distances to the two galaxies are consistent within the uncertainties. The projected separation between them is only 3.9 kpc. LVJ1157+5638 has a total absolute V-magnitude of -13.26+-0.10 and linear Holmberg diameter of 1.36 kpc, whereas its faint satellite LV J1157+5638 sat has M_V = -9.38+-0.13 mag and Holmberg diameter of 0.37 kpc. Such a faint dwarf was discovered for the first time beyond the nearest 4 Mpc from us. The presence of main sequence stars in both galaxies unambiguously indicates the classification of the objects as dwarf irregulars (dIrrs) with recent or ongoing star formation events in both galaxies.

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DDO 161 and UGCA 319: an isolated pair of nearby dwarf galaxies

We report HST/ACS observations of two nearby gas-rich dwarf galaxies: DDO 161 and UGCA 319. Their distances determined via the Tip of the Red Giant Branch are 6.03 (-0.21/+0.29) Mpc and 5.75+-0.18 Mpc, respectively. The galaxies form an isolated pair dynamically well separated from the nearest neighbors: KK 176 (7.28+-0.29 Mpc) and NGC 5068 (5.16+-0.21 Mpc). All four galaxies have a bulk spatial peculiar velocity towards the Virgo cluster of ~158+-17 km/s in the Local Group rest frame and ~330 km/s with respect to the cluster center.

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The Dragonfly Nearby Galaxies Survey. III. The Luminosity Function of the M101 Group

We obtained follow-up HST observations of the seven low surface brightness galaxies discovered with the Dragonfly Telephoto Array in the field of the massive spiral galaxy M101. Out of the seven galaxies, only three were resolved into stars and are potentially associated with the M101 group at $D=7\text{ Mpc}$. Based on HST ACS photometry in the broad F606W and F814W filters, we use a maximum likelihood algorithm to locate the Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) in galaxy color-magnitude diagrams. Distances are $6.38^{+0.35}_{-0.35}, 6.87^{+0.21}_{-0.30}$ and $6.52^{+0.25}_{-0.27} \text{ Mpc}$ and we confirm that they are members of the M101 group. Combining the three confirmed low luminosity satellites with previous results for brighter group members, we find the M101 galaxy group to be a sparsely populated galaxy group consisting of seven group members, down to $M_V = -9.2 \text{ mag}$. We compare the M101 cumulative luminosity function to that of the Milky Way and M31. We find that they are remarkably similar; In fact, the cumulative luminosity function of the M101 group gets even flatter for fainter magnitudes, and we show that the M101 group might exhibit the two known small-scale flaws in the $Λ\textrm{CDM}$ model, namely `the missing satellite' problem and the `too big to fail' problem. Kinematic measurements of M101$'$s satellite galaxies are required to determine whether the `too big to fail' problem does in fact exist in the M101 group.

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Ultra-Flat Galaxies Selected from RFGC Catalog. III. Star Formation Rate

We examine the star formation properties of galaxies with very thin disks selected from the Revised Flat Galaxy Catalog (RFGC). The sample contains 333 ultra-flat galaxies (UFG) at high Galactic latitudes, $|b|>10^{\circ}$, with a blue major angular diameter of $a\geq 1.2^{\prime}$, blue and red apparent axial ratios of $(a/b)_b > 10$, $(a/b)_r > 8.5$ and radial velocities within 10000~km s$^{-1}$. As a control sample for them we use a population of 722 more thick RFGC galaxies with $(a/b)_b > 7$, situated in the same volume. The UFG distribution over the sky indicates them as a population of quite isolated galaxies. We found that the specific star formation rate, sSFR FUV, determined via the FUV GALEX flux, increases steadily from the early type to late type disks for both the UFG and RFGC-UFG samples, showing no significant mutual difference within each morphological type T. The population of UFG disks has the average H,I-mass-to-stellar-mass ratio by $(0.25\pm0.03)$ dex higher than that of RFGC--UFG galaxies. Being compared with arbitrary orientated disks of the same type, the ultra-flat edge-on galaxies reveal that their total H,I mass is hidden by self-absorption on the average by approximately 0.20 dex. We demonstrate that using the robust stellar mass estimate via $\langle B-K \rangle$-color and galaxy type T for the thin disks, together with a nowaday accounting for internal extinction, yields their sSFR quantities definitely lying below the limit of $-9.4$ dex,(yr$^{-1}$). The collected observational data on UFG disks imply that their average star formation rate in the past has been approximately three times the current SFR. The UFG galaxies have also sufficient amount of gas to support their observed SFR over the following nearly 9 Gyrs.

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The Dragonfly Nearby Galaxies Survey. II. Ultra diffuse galaxies near the elliptical galaxy NGC 5485

We present the unexpected discovery of four ultra diffuse galaxies (UDGs) in a group environment. We recently identified seven extremely low surface brightness galaxies in the vicinity of the spiral galaxy M101, using data from the Dragonfly Telephoto Array. The galaxies have effective radii of $10"-38"$ and central surface brightnesses of $25.6-27.7$ mag arcsec$^{-2}$ in g-band. We subsequently obtained follow-up observations with $HST$ to constrain the distances to these galaxies. Four remain persistently unresolved even with the spatial resolution of $HST$/ACS, which implies distances of $D > 17.5$ Mpc. We show that the galaxies are most likely associated with a background group at $\sim 27$ Mpc containing the massive ellipticals NGC 5485 and NGC 5473. At this distance, the galaxies have sizes of $2.6-4.9$ kpc, and are classified as UDGs, similar to the populations that have been revealed in clusters such as Coma, Virgo and Fornax, yet even more diffuse. The discovery of four UDGs in a galaxy group demonstrates that the UDG phenomenon is not exclusive to cluster environments. Furthermore, their morphologies seem less regular than those of the cluster populations, which may suggest a different formation mechanism or be indicative of a threshold in surface density below which UDGs are unable to maintain stability.

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