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V. P. Reshetnikov

Publications and source records attributed to V. P. Reshetnikov.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

On the characteristics of tidal structures of interacting galaxies

We present the results of our analysis of the geometrical tidal tail characteristics for nearby and distant interacting galaxies. The sample includes more than two hundred nearby galaxies and about seven hundred distant ones. The distant galaxies have been selected in several deep fields of the Hubble Space Telescope (HDF-N, HDF-S, HUDF, GOODS, GEMS) and they are at mean redshift z=0.65. We analyze the distributions of lengths and thicknesses for the tidal structures and show that the tails in distant galaxies are shorter than those in nearby ones. This effect can be partly attributed to observational selection effects, but, on the other hand, it may result from the general evolution of the sizes of spiral galaxies wih z. The location of interacting galaxies on the galaxy luminosity ($L$) -- tidal tail length ($l$) plane are shown to be explained by a simple geometrical model, with the upper envelope of the observed distribution being $l \propto \sqrt{L}$. We have solved the problem on the relationship between the observed distribution of tail flattening and the tail length in angular measure by assuming the tidal tails to be arcs of circumferences visible at arbitrary angles to the line of sight. We conclude that the angular length of the tidal tails visually distinguished in nearby and distant galaxies, on average, exceeds 180 degrees.

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Bulges and discs of spiral galaxies: edge-on perspective

We present a sample of edge-on spiral galaxies both of early and late types.The sample consists of 175 galaxies in the Ks-filter, 169 galaxies in the H-filter and 165 galaxies in the J-filter. Bulge and disc decompositions of each galaxy image, taken from the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), were performed. We discuss several scaling relations for bulges and discs which indicate a tight link between their formation and evolution. We show that galaxies with bulges fitted by the Sersic index n<2 (pseudobulges) have quite different distributions of their structural parameters than galaxies with n>=2 bulges (classical bulges). First of all, the distribution of the apparent bulge axis ratio q_b for the subsample with n<2 can be attributed to triaxial, nearly prolate bulges, while n>=2 bulges seem to be oblate spheroids with moderate flattening. Secondly, the Photometric Plane of the sample bulges is not flat and has a prominent curvature towards small values of n. Thirdly, despite of the existence of a clear relation between the flattening of stellar discs h/z_0 and the relative mass of a spherical component, the distributions over both parameters are quite different for galaxies possesing bulges and pseudobulges.

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Malin 1: interacting galaxy pair?

Malin 1 is a unique, extraordinarily large low surface brightness galaxy. The structure and the origins of the galaxy are poorly understood. The reason for such a situation is an absence of detailed observational data, especially, of high-resolution kinematics. In this Letter we study the stellar kinematics of the inner part (r < 15 kpc) of Malin 1. We present spectroscopic arguments in favour of a small galaxy - Malin 1B - being a companion probably interacting with the main galaxy - Malin 1. This object is clearly seen in many published images of Malin 1 but is not mentioned in any astronomical databases. Malin 1B is located at the projected distance of 14 kpc from the Malin 1's nucleus and has small - 65$\pm$16 km/s - relative velocity, which we determined for the first time. We suggest that ongoing interaction with Malin 1B can explain main morphological features of the Malin 1's central region - two-armed spiral structure, a bar, and an external one-armed spiral pattern. We also investigated the large scale environment of Malin 1 and postulate that the galaxy SDSS J123708.91+142253.2 might be responsible for the formation of extended low-surface brightness envelope by means of head-on collision with Malin 1 (in the framework of collision scenario proposed by Mapelli et al. 2008). To test the collisional origins of Malin 1 global structure, more observational data and new numerical models are needed.

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2MASS photometry of edge-on spiral galaxies. I. Sample and general results

A sample of edge-on spiral galaxies aimed at a study of the main structural and photometric parameters of edge-on galaxies both of early and late types is presented. The data were taken from the 2MASS in the J, H and K_s filters. The sample consists of 175 galaxies in the K_s-filter, 169 galaxies in the H-filter and 165 galaxies in the J-filter. We present bulge and disc decompositions of each galaxy image. All galaxies have been modelled with a Sersic bulge and exponential disc with the BUDDA v2.1 package. The main conclusions of our general statistical analysis of the sample are: (1) The distribution of the apparent bulge axis ratio q_b for the subsample with n < 2 can be attributed to triaxial, nearly prolate bulges that are seen from different projections, while n > 2 bulges seem to be oblate spheroids with moderate flattening. (2) For the sample galaxies, the effective radius of the bulge r_{e,b}, the disc scalelength h and the disc scaleheight z_0 are well correlated. However, there is a clear trend for the ratio r_{e,b}/h to increase with n. (3) There is a hint that the fundamental planes of discs, which links only disc parameters and the maximum rotational velocity of gas, are different for galaxies with different bulges. (4) The investigation of the Photometric Plane of sample bulges shows that the plane is not flat and has a prominent curvature towards small values of n. For bulges this fact was not noticed earlier. (5) The clear relation between the flattening of stellar discs h/z_0 and the relative mass of a spherical component, including a dark halo, is confirmed not for bulgeless galaxies but for galaxies with massive bulges. (Abridged)

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UGC 7388: a galaxy with two tidal loops

We present the results of spectroscopic and morphological studies of the galaxy UGC7388 with the 8.1-m Gemini North telescope. Judging by its observed characteristics, UGC7388 is a giant late-type spiral galaxy seen almost edge-on. The main body of the galaxy is surrounded by two faint (μ(B) ~ 24 and μ(B) ~ 25.5) extended (~20-30 kpc) loop-like structures. A large-scale rotation of the brighter loop about the main galaxy has been detected. We discuss the assumption that the tidal disruption of a relatively massive companion is observed in the case of UGC7388. A detailed study and modeling of the observed structure of this unique galaxy can give important information about the influence of the absorption of massive companions on the galactic disks and about the structure of the dark halo around UGC7388.

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HUDF 1619 - a candidate polar-ring galaxy in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field

A good candidate for a polar-ring galaxy has been detected in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF). The galaxy HUDF 1619 (V~25 mag, z~1) is the most distant object of this type known to date. A large-scale structure crosses the highly warped disk of the main galaxy seen almost edge-on at an angle of about 70 grad. The luminosity of this structure (the possible polar ring) reaches \~1/3 of the luminosity of the central galaxy. A strong absorption lane is seen in the region where this structure is projected onto the disk of the central object. There are two galaxies of comparable luminosity adjacent to HUDF 1619 (in projection). One of them may be the donor galaxy in the interaction which gave rise to the ring structure.

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Sky surveys and deep fields of ground-based and space telescopes

Selected results obtained in major observational sky surveys (DSS, 2MASS, 2dF, SDSS) and deep field observations (HDF, GOODS, HUDF, etc.) are reviewed. Modern surveys provide information on the characteristics and space distribution of millions of galaxies. Deep fields allow one to study galaxies at the stage of formation and to trace their evolution over billions of years. The wealth of observational data is altering the face of modern astronomy: the formulation of problems and their solutions are changing and all the previous knowledge, from planetary studies in the solar system to the most distant galaxies and quasars, is being revised.

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A photometric study of faint galaxies in the field of GRB000926

We present our B, V, Rc, and Ic observations of a 3.6' x 3' field centered on the host galaxy of GRB000926 (RA(2000.0)=17h04m11s, DEC(2000.0)=+51d47'9.8''). The observations were carried out on the 6-m Special Astrophysical Observatory telescope using the SCORPIO instrument. The catalog of galaxies detected in this field includes 264 objects for which the signal-to-noise ratio is larger than 5 in each photometric band. The following limiting magnitudes in the catalog correspond to this limitation: 26.6(B), 25.7(V), 25.8(Rc), and 24.5(Ic). The differential galaxy counts are in good agreement with previously published CCD observations of deep fields. We estimated the photometric redshifts for all of the cataloged objects and studied the color variations of the galaxies with Z. For luminous spiral galaxies with M(B) < -18, we found no evidence for any noticeable evolution of their linear sizes to Z~1.

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Photometric structure of polar-ring galaxies

The results of B, V, R surface photometry of three polar-ring galaxies (PRGs) -- A0017+2212, UGC1198, UGC4385 -- are presented. The data were acquired at the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It was shown that all three galaxies are peculiar late-type spirals in the state of ongoing interaction or merging. We discuss available photometric properties of the PRGs with spiral hosts and consider the Tully-Fisher relation for different types of PRGs. In agreement with Iodice et al. (2003), we have shown that true PRGs demonstrate ~1/3 larger maximum rotation velocities than spiral galaxies of the same luminosity. Peculiar objects with forming polar structures satisfy, on average, the Tully-Fisher relation for disk galaxies but with large scatter.

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The structure and evolution of M51-type galaxies

We discuss the integrated kinematic parameters of 20 M51-type binary galaxies. A comparison of the orbital masses of the galaxies with the sum of the individual masses suggests that moderately massive dark halos surround bright spiral galaxies. The relative velocities of the galaxies in binary systems were found to decrease with increasing relative luminosity of the satellite. We obtained evidence that the Tully-Fisher relation for binary members could be flatter than that for local field galaxies. An enhanced star formation rate in the binary members may be responsible for this effect. In most binary systems, the direction of orbital motion of the satellite coincides with the direction of rotation of the main galaxy. Seven candidates for distant M51-type objects were found in the Northern and Southern Hubble Deep Fields. A comparison of this number with the statistics of nearby galaxies provides evidence for the rapid evolution of the space density of M51-type galaxies with redshift Z. We assume that M51-type binary systems could be formed through the capture of a satellite by a massive spiral galaxy. It is also possible that the main galaxy and its satellite in some of the systems have a common cosmological origin.

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On the global structure of distant galactic disks

Radial and vertical profiles are determined for a sample of 34 edge-on disk galaxies in the HDFs, selected for their apparent diameter larger than 1.3 arcsec and their unperturbed morphology. The thickness and flatness of their galactic disks are determined and discussed with regard to evolution with redshift. We find that sub-L* spiral galaxies with z \sim 1 have a relative thickness or flatness (characterized by h_z/h the scaleheight to scalelength ratio) globally similar to those in the local Universe. A slight trend is however apparent, with the h_z/h flatness ratio larger by a factor of \sim 1.5 in distant galaxies if compared to local samples. In absolute value, the disks are smaller than in present-day galaxies. About half of the z \sim 1 spiral disks show a non-exponential surface brightness distribution.

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ESO 603-G21: A strange polar-ring galaxy

We present the results of B, V, R surface photometry of ESO603-G21 - a galaxy with a possible polar ring. The morphological and photometric features of this galaxy are discussed. The central round object of the galaxy is rather red and presents a nearly exponential surface brightness distribution. This central structure is surrounded by a blue warped ring or disk. The totality of the observed characteristics (optical and NIR colors, strong color gradients, HI and H_2 content, FIR luminosity and star-formation rate, rotation-curve shape, global mass-to-luminosity ratio, the agreement with the Tully-Fisher relation, etc.) shows that ESO603-G21 is similar to late-type spiral galaxies. We suppose that morphological peculiarities and the possible existence of two large-scale kinematically-decoupled subsystems in ESO603-G21 can be explained as being a result of dissipative merging of two spiral galaxies or as a consequence of a companion accretion onto a pre-existing spiral host.

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Effect of the environment on the Fundamental Plane of elliptical galaxies

We present an analysis of the location of interacting E/S0 galaxies on the Fundamental Plane (FP). Using the NEMO package, we performed N-body simulations of close encounters and mergers of two self-gravitating spherical galaxies. Two models for encounting galaxies - Plummer's and Hernquist's - were used. The number of particles ranged from 20000 to 50000 per galaxy. The changes of central density, half-mass radius and central velocity dispersion were analysed. It was found that close encounters between galaxies alter noticeably the above parameters within a very short time interval (10^7 - 10^8 years) just before the final merger. The amplitudes of parameter changes strongly depend on the initial mass concentration of a model. In some experiments we considered an encounter of two spherical galaxies with dark matter components. The effect of parameter changes was less pronounced than for the experiments without a dark halo. The results of the simulations were used to discuss the FP for interacting early-type galaxies.

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Nuclear spectra of polar-ring galaxies

We report the results of spectroscopic observations of 8 southern polar-ring galaxies (PRGs), in the wavelength range 5900-7300 Å. We fing that 5 out of 8 galaxies contain LINERs or Sy nuclei. Taking into consideration all PRGs with available spectral data, we estimate that about half of all PRGs and PRG candidates have either LINER or Seyfert nuclei. The observed widths of the [NII]6583 line in the nuclei of early-type PRGs follow the linewidth - absolute luminosity relation for normal E/S0 galaxies. We found that one of the observed galaxies - ESO 576-G69 - is a new kinematically-confirmed polar-ring galaxy with a spiral host.

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Tidal Tails and Galaxy Evolution

We review recent results on the tidal structures of spiral galaxies. Topics included are general characteristics of tails; kinematics of tidal structures and dark haloes of host galaxies; frequency of tidal distortions at z~1.

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On the large-scale structure of galactic disks

The disk positions for galaxies of various morphological and nuclear-activity types (normal galaxies, QSO, Sy, E/S0, low-surface brightness galaxies, etc.) on the "central surface brightness - exponential scalelength" plane are considered. The stellar disks are shown to form a single sequence on this plane over a wide range of surface brightnesses (μ_0(I)=12-25) and sizes (h=10 pc - 100 kpc). The existence of this observed sequence can probably be explaned by a combination of three factors: a disk-stability requirement, a limited total disk luminosity, and observational selection. The model by Mo et al. (1998) for disk formation in the CDM hierarchical-clustering scenario is shown to satisfactorily reproduce the salient features of the galaxy disk distribution on the "μ_0 - h" plane.

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The Polar Stellar Ring and Dark Halo of NGC 5907

Numerical simulations of the disruption of a dwarf companion moving in the polar plane of a massive galaxy are presented. The constructed model is compared with observational data on the recently discovered low-surface-brightness stellar ring around galaxy NGC 5907. Constraints on the ring lifetime (<=1.5 gyr after the first approach of the galaxies), on the structure of companion -- the ring presecursor, and on mass of dark halo of the main galaxy in whose gravitational field the companion moves are provided. The dark halo mass within 50 kpc of NGC 5907 center cannot exceed 3 or 4 "visible" masses.

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Effect of the Environment on the Fundamental Plane of Elliptical Galaxies

We present an analysis of interacting E/S0 galaxies location on the Fundamental Plane. Using the NEMO package, we performed N-body simulations of close encounters and mergers between two spherical galaxies. We followed how structural and dynamical parameters (central density, half-mass radius and velocity dispersion)of galaxies are changed during the encounter. We analysed the dependence of these changes on initial mass concentration and presence of dark halo. The results of our simulations are used to discuss the Fundamental Plane for interacting early-type galaxies.

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