arXiv subjects

Matias Blana

Publications and source records attributed to Matias Blana.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Rubin J122659.4+090236: An Extremely Low Surface Brightness Galaxy Candidate Discovered in the Rubin LSST Early Data Preview 2

We report the serendipitous discovery of an exceptionally low surface brightness galaxy (LSBG) candidate, Rubin J122659.4+090236, in Rubin Observatory imaging of the interacting NGC 4410 system, identified in the Cosmic Treasure Chest public release. 2D Sérsic modelling of the Rubin g, r, and i images reveals a nearly round system with a shallow profile (n ~ 0.4), an effective radius of R_e ~ 6'', and central surface brightnesses of $μ_{0,g}=27.52\pm0.04$, $μ_{0,r}=27.62\pm0.07$, and $μ_{0,i}=27.04\pm0.08$ mag arcsec$^{-2}$. EAZY photo-z fitting favours an intermediate-z solution at z~0.3, while a low-redshift solution at z~0.028, consistent with the NGC 4410 system, is also permitted by a restricted EAZY fit over 0<z<0.1 without imposing a redshift prior. These alternatives imply substantially different physical interpretations, ranging from a diffuse dwarf-like system to an exceptionally extended background LSBG. This discovery demonstrates Rubin's sensitivity to extremely diffuse galaxies and highlights the potential of the LSST survey to uncover large samples of such elusive systems across wide areas, enabling systematic studies of the LSBG population and its role in galaxy evolution.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

Bar-driven Gas Dynamics of M31

The large-scale gaseous shocks in the bulge of M31 can be naturally explained by a rotating stellar bar. We use gas dynamical models to provide an independent measurement of the bar pattern speed in M31. The gravitational potentials of our simulations are from a set of made-to-measure models constrained by stellar photometry and kinematics. If the inclination of the gas disk is fixed at $i = 77^{\circ}$, we find that a low pattern speed of $16-20\;\rm km\;s^{-1}\;kpc^{-1}$ is needed to match the observed position and amplitude of the shock features, as shock positions are too close to the bar major axis in high $Ω_{b}$ models. The pattern speed can increase to $20-30\;\rm km\;s^{-1}\;kpc^{-1}$ if the inner gas disk has a slightly smaller inclination angle compared with the outer one. Including sub-grid physics such as star formation and stellar feedback has minor effects on the shock amplitude, and does not change the shock position significantly. If the inner gas disk is allowed to follow a varying inclination similar to the HI and ionized gas observations, the gas models with a pattern speed of $38\;\rm km\;s^{-1}\;kpc^{-1}$, which is consistent with stellar-dynamical models, can match both the shock features and the central gas features.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Large-scale Hydrodynamical Shocks as the Smoking Gun Evidence for a Bar in M31

The formation and evolutionary history of M31 are closely related to its dynamical structures, which remain unclear due to its high inclination. Gas kinematics could provide crucial evidence for the existence of a rotating bar in M31. Using the position-velocity diagram of [OIII] and HI, we are able to identify clear sharp velocity jump (shock) features with a typical amplitude over 100 km/s in the central region of M31 (4.6 kpc X 2.3 kpc, or 20 arcmin X 10 arcmin). We also simulate gas morphology and kinematics in barred M31 potentials and find that the bar-induced shocks can produce velocity jumps similar to those in [OIII]. The identified shock features in both [OIII] and HI are broadly consistent, and they are found mainly on the leading sides of the bar/bulge, following a hallmark pattern expected from the bar-driven gas inflow. Shock features on the far side of the disk are clearer than those on the near side, possibly due to limited data coverage on the near side, as well as obscuration by the warped gas and dust layers. Further hydrodynamical simulations with more sophisticated physics are desired to fully understand the observed gas features and to better constrain the parameters of the bar in M31.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2016

Andromeda chained to the Box -- Dynamical Models for M31: Bulge & Bar

Andromeda is our nearest neighbouring disk galaxy and a prime target for detailed modelling of the evolutionary processes that shape galaxies. We analyse the nature of M31's triaxial bulge with an extensive set of N-body models, which include Box/Peanut (B/P) bulges as well as initial classical bulges (ICBs). Comparing with IRAC 3.6$μm$ data, only one model matches simultaneously all the morphological properties of M31's bulge, and requires an ICB and a B/P bulge with 1/3 and 2/3 of the total bulge mass respectively. We find that our pure B/P bulge models do not show concentrations high enough to match the Sérsic index ($n$) and the effective radius of M31's bulge. Instead, the best model requires an ICB component with mass $M^{\rm ICB}=1.1\times10^{10}{\rm M_{\odot}}$ and three-dimensional half-mass radius $r_{\rm half}^{\rm ICB}$=0.53 kpc (140 arcsec). The B/P bulge component has a mass of $M^{\rm B/P}=2.2\times10^{10}{\rm M_{\odot}}$ and a half-mass radius of $r_{\rm half}^{\rm B/P}$=1.3 kpc (340 arcsec). The model's B/P bulge extends to $r^{\rm B/P}$=3.2 kpc (840 arcsec) in the plane of the disk, as does M31's bulge. In this composite bulge model, the ICB component explains the velocity dispersion drop observed in the centre within $R<$190 pc (50 arcsec), while the B/P bulge component reproduces the observed rapid rotation and the kinematic twist of the observed zero velocity line. This model's pattern speed is $Ω_p$=38 km/s/kpc, placing corotation at $r_{\rm cor}$=5.8 kpc (1500 arcsec). The outer Lindblad resonance (OLR) is then at $r_{\rm OLR}$=10.4kpc, near the 10kpc-ring of M31, suggesting that this structure may be related to the bar's OLR. By comparison with an earlier snapshot, we estimate that M31's thin bar extends to $r_{\rm bar}^{\rm thin}\sim$4.0 kpc (1000 arcsec) in the disk plane, and in projection extends to $R_{\rm bar}^{\rm thin}\sim$2.3 kpc (600 arcsec).

astro-ph.GA↗