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Ultraluminous X-Ray Sources in Nearby Galaxies from ROSAT High Resolution Imager Observations I. Data Analysis
X-ray observations have revealed in other galaxies a class ofextranuclear X-ray point sources with X-ray luminosities of1039-1041 ergs s-1, exceeding theEddington luminosity for stellar mass X-ray binaries. Theseultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) may be powered by intermediate-massblack holes of a few thousand Msolar or stellar mass blackholes with special radiation processes. In this paper, we present asurvey of ULXs in 313 nearby galaxies withD25>1' within 40 Mpc with 467 ROSAT HighResolution Imager (HRI) archival observations. The HRI observations arereduced with uniform procedures, refined by simulations that help definethe point source detection algorithm employed in this survey. A sampleof 562 extragalactic X-ray point sources withLX=1038-1043 ergs s-1 isextracted from 173 survey galaxies, including 106 ULX candidates withinthe D25 isophotes of 63 galaxies and 110 ULX candidatesbetween 1D25 and 2D25 of 64 galaxies, from which aclean sample of 109 ULXs is constructed to minimize the contaminationfrom foreground or background objects. The strong connection betweenULXs and star formation is confirmed based on the striking preference ofULXs to occur in late-type galaxies, especially in star-forming regionssuch as spiral arms. ULXs are variable on timescales over days to yearsand exhibit a variety of long term variability patterns. Theidentifications of ULXs in the clean sample show some ULXs identified assupernovae (remnants), H II regions/nebulae, or young massive stars instar-forming regions, and a few other ULXs identified as old globularclusters. In a subsequent paper, the statistic properties of the surveywill be studied to calculate the occurrence frequencies and luminosityfunctions for ULXs in different types of galaxies to shed light on thenature of these enigmatic sources.
| A sample of X-ray emitting normal galaxies from the BMW-HRI Catalogue
We obtained a sample of 143 normal galaxies with X-ray luminosity in therange 1038{-}1043 erg s-1 from thecross-correlation of the ROSAT HRI Brera Multi-scale Wavelet (BMW-HRI)Catalogue with the Lyon-Meudon Extragalactic Database (LEDA). We findthat the average X-ray properties of this sample are in good agreementwith those of other samples of galaxies in the literature. We selected acomplete flux limited serendipitous sample of 32 galaxies from which wederived the log N-log S distribution of normal galaxies in the fluxrange 1.1{-} 110 × 10-14 erg cm-2s-1. The resulting distribution is consistent with theEuclidean -1.5 slope. Comparisons with other samples, such as theExtended Medium Sensitivity Survey, the ROSAT All Sky Survey, theXMM-Newton/2dF survey, and the Chandra Deep Field Survey indicate thatthe log N -log S distribution of normal galaxies is consistent with aEuclidean slope over a flux range of about 6 decades.
| The IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy Sample
IRAS flux densities, redshifts, and infrared luminosities are reportedfor all sources identified in the IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy Sample(RBGS), a complete flux-limited survey of all extragalactic objects withtotal 60 μm flux density greater than 5.24 Jy, covering the entiresky surveyed by IRAS at Galactic latitudes |b|>5°. The RBGS includes629 objects, with median and mean sample redshifts of 0.0082 and 0.0126,respectively, and a maximum redshift of 0.0876. The RBGS supersedes theprevious two-part IRAS Bright Galaxy Samples(BGS1+BGS2), which were compiled before the final(Pass 3) calibration of the IRAS Level 1 Archive in 1990 May. The RBGSalso makes use of more accurate and consistent automated methods tomeasure the flux of objects with extended emission. The RBGS contains 39objects that were not present in the BGS1+BGS2,and 28 objects from the BGS1+BGS2 have beendropped from RBGS because their revised 60 μm flux densities are notgreater than 5.24 Jy. Comparison of revised flux measurements forsources in both surveys shows that most flux differences are in therange ~5%-25%, although some faint sources at 12 and 25 μm differ byas much as a factor of 2. Basic properties of the RBGS sources aresummarized, including estimated total infrared luminosities, as well asupdates to cross identifications with sources from optical galaxycatalogs established using the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database. Inaddition, an atlas of images from the Digitized Sky Survey with overlaysof the IRAS position uncertainty ellipse and annotated scale bars isprovided for ease in visualizing the optical morphology in context withthe angular and metric size of each object. The revised bolometricinfrared luminosity function, φ(Lir), forinfrared-bright galaxies in the local universe remains best fit by adouble power law, φ(L)~Lα, withα=-0.6(+/-0.1) and α=-2.2(+/-0.1) below and above the``characteristic'' infrared luminosityL*ir~1010.5Lsolar,respectively. A companion paper provides IRAS High Resolution (HIRES)processing of over 100 RBGS sources where improved spatial resolutionoften provides better IRAS source positions or allows for deconvolutionof close galaxy pairs.
| The 2MASS Large Galaxy Atlas
We present the largest galaxies as seen in the near-infrared (1-2μm), imaged with the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), ranging inangular size from 1' to 1.5d. We highlight the 100 largest in thesample. The galaxies span all Hubble morphological types, includingelliptical galaxies, normal and barred spirals, and dwarf and peculiarclasses. The 2MASS Large Galaxy Atlas provides the necessary sensitivityand angular resolution to examine in detail morphologies in thenear-infrared, which may be radically different from those in theoptical. Internal structures such as spirals, bulges, warps, rings,bars, and star formation regions are resolved by 2MASS. In addition tolarge mosaic images, the atlas includes astrometric, photometric, andshape global measurements for each galaxy. A comparison of fundamentalmeasures (e.g., surface brightness, Hubble type) is carried out for thesample and compared with the Third Reference Catalogue. We furthershowcase NGC 253 and M51 (NGC 5194/5195) to demonstrate the quality anddepth of the data. The atlas represents the first uniform, all-sky,dust-penetrated view of galaxies of every type, as seen in thenear-infrared wavelength window that is most sensitive to the dominantmass component of galaxies. The images and catalogs are availablethrough the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database and Infrared ScienceArchive and are part of the 2MASS Extended Source Catalog.
| Supernovae in isolated galaxies, in pairs and in groups of galaxies
In order to investigate the influence of environment on supernova (SN)production, we have performed a statistical investigation of the SNediscovered in isolated galaxies, in pairs and in groups of galaxies. 22SNe in 18 isolated galaxies, 48 SNe in 40 galaxy members of 37 pairs and211 SNe in 170 galaxy members of 116 groups have been selected andstudied. We found that the radial distributions of core-collapse SNe ingalaxies located in different environments are similar, and consistentwith those reported by Bartunov, Makarova & Tsvetkov. SNe discoveredin pairs do not favour a particular direction with respect to thecompanion galaxy. Also, the azimuthal distributions inside the hostmembers of galaxy groups are consistent with being isotropics. The factthat SNe are more frequent in the brighter components of the pairs andgroups is expected from the dependence of the SN rates on the galaxyluminosity. There is an indication that the SN rate is higher in galaxypairs compared with that in groups. This can be related to the enhancedstar formation rate in strongly interacting systems. It is concludedthat, with the possible exception of strongly interacting systems, theparent galaxy environment has no direct influence on SN production.
| Properties of tidally-triggered vertical disk perturbations
We present a detailed analysis of the properties of warps andtidally-triggered perturbations perpendicular to the plane of 47interacting/merging edge-on spiral galaxies. The derived parameters arecompared with those obtained for a sample of 61 non-interacting edge-onspirals. The entire optical (R-band) sample used for this study waspresented in two previous papers. We find that the scale height of disksin the interacting/merging sample is characterized by perturbations onboth large ( =~ disk cut-off radius) and short ( =~ z0)scales, with amplitudes of the order of 280 pc and 130 pc on average,respectively. The size of these large (short) -scale instabilitiescorresponds to 14% (6%) of the mean disk scale height. This is a factorof 2 (1.5) larger than the value found for non-interacting galaxies. Ahallmark of nearly all tidally distorted disks is a scale height thatincreases systematically with radial distance. The frequent occurrenceand the significantly larger size of these gradients indicate that diskasymmetries on large scales are a common and persistent phenomenon,while local disturbances and bending instabilities decline on shortertimescales. Nearly all (93%) of the interacting/merging and 45% of thenon-interacting galaxies studied are noticeably warped. Warps ofinteracting/merging galaxies are ~ 2.5 times larger on average thanthose observed in the non-interacting sample, with sizes of the order of340 pc and 140 pc, respectively. This indicates that tidal distortionsdo considerably contribute to the formation and size of warps. However,they cannot entirely explain the frequent occurrence of warped disks.Based on observations obtained at the European Southern Observatory(ESO, La Silla, Chile), Calar Alto Observatory operated by the MPIA(DSAZ, Spain), Lowell Observatory (Flagstaff,AZ, USA), and Hoher ListObservatory (Germany).
| Vorontsov-Velyaminov Rows: Straight Segments in the Spiral Arms of Galaxies
The phenomenon of rows-straight features in the spiral patterns ofgalaxies, which was discovered by Vorontsov-Velyaminov, is investigated.The rows are not artifacts; in several cases, they outline regularspiral arms almost over their entire lengths. The galaxies M101, M51,and a number of more distant spirals are used as examples to demonstratemajor geometrical and physical properties of these structures. It isshown that the row lengths increase nearly linearly with distance fromthe disk center, and that the angle between adjacent rows is almostalways close to 2pi/3. The galaxies with rows generally belong tomoderate-luminosity Sbc-Sc systems with low rotational velocities,regular spiral patterns (Grand Design), and an HI content normal forthese types of galaxies. Two types of rows are shown to exist, whichdiffer in thickness and appear to be evolutionarily related. Theformation mechanism of the rows should probably be sought in thepeculiar behavior of the gas-compression wave in spiral density waves.
| Nearby Optical Galaxies: Selection of the Sample and Identification of Groups
In this paper we describe the Nearby Optical Galaxy (NOG) sample, whichis a complete, distance-limited (cz<=6000 km s-1) andmagnitude-limited (B<=14) sample of ~7000 optical galaxies. Thesample covers 2/3 (8.27 sr) of the sky (|b|>20deg) andappears to have a good completeness in redshift (97%). We select thesample on the basis of homogenized corrected total blue magnitudes inorder to minimize systematic effects in galaxy sampling. We identify thegroups in this sample by means of both the hierarchical and thepercolation ``friends-of-friends'' methods. The resulting catalogs ofloose groups appear to be similar and are among the largest catalogs ofgroups currently available. Most of the NOG galaxies (~60%) are found tobe members of galaxy pairs (~580 pairs for a total of ~15% of objects)or groups with at least three members (~500 groups for a total of ~45%of objects). About 40% of galaxies are left ungrouped (field galaxies).We illustrate the main features of the NOG galaxy distribution. Comparedto previous optical and IRAS galaxy samples, the NOG provides a densersampling of the galaxy distribution in the nearby universe. Given itslarge sky coverage, the identification of groups, and its high-densitysampling, the NOG is suited to the analysis of the galaxy density fieldof the nearby universe, especially on small scales.
| Box- and peanut-shaped bulges. I. Statistics
We present a classification for bulges of a complete sample of ~ 1350edge-on disk galaxies derived from the RC3 (Third Reference Catalogue ofBright Galaxies, de Vaucouleurs et al. \cite{rc3}). A visualclassification of the bulges using the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) inthree types of b/p bulges or as an elliptical type is presented andsupported by CCD images. NIR observations reveal that dust extinctiondoes almost not influence the shape of bulges. There is no substantialdifference between the shape of bulges in the optical and in the NIR.Our analysis reveals that 45% of all bulges are box- and peanut-shaped(b/p). The frequency of b/p bulges for all morphological types from S0to Sd is > 40%. In particular, this is for the first time that such alarge frequency of b/p bulges is reported for galaxies as late as Sd.The fraction of the observed b/p bulges is large enough to explain theb/p bulges by bars. Partly based on observations collected at ESO/LaSilla (Chile), DSAZ/Calar Alto (Spain), and Lowell Observatory/Flagstaff(AZ/U.S.A.). Tables 6 and 7 are only available in electronic form at CDSvia anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| The influence of interactions and minor mergers on the structure of galactic disks I. Observations and disk models
This paper is the first part in our series on the influence of tidalinteractions and minor mergers on the radial and vertical disk structureof spiral galaxies. We report on the sample selection, our observations,and data reduction. Surface photometry of the optical and near infrareddata of a sample of 110 highly-inclined/edge-on disk galaxies arepresented. This sample consists of two subsamples of 61 non-interactinggalaxies (control sample) and of 49 interacting galaxies/minor mergingcandidates. Additionally, 41 of these galaxies were observed in the nearinfrared. We show that the distribution of morphological types of bothsubsamples is almost indistinguishable, covering the range between 0<= T <= 9. An improved, 3-dimensional disk modelling- and fittingprocedure is described in order to analyze and to compare the diskstructure of our sample galaxies by using characteristic parameters. Wefind that the vertical brightness profiles of galactic disks respondvery sensitive even to small deviations from the perfect edge-onorientation. Hence, projection effects of slightly inclined disks maycause substantial changes in the value of the disk scale height and musttherefore be considered in the subsequent study. Based on observationsobtained at the European Southern Observatory (ESO, La Silla, Chile),Calar Alto Observatory operated by the MPIA (DSAZ, Spain), LowellObservatory (Flagstaff/AZ, USA), and Hoher List Observatory (Germany).
| The influence of interactions and minor mergers on the structure of galactic disks. II. Results and interpretations
We present the second part of a detailed statistical study focussed onthe effects of tidal interactions and minor mergers on the radial andvertical disk structure of spiral galaxies. In the first part wereported on the sample selection, observations, and applied disk models.In this paper the results are presented, based on disk parametersderived from a sample of 110 highly-inclined/edge-on galaxies. Thissample consists of two subsamples of 49 interacting/merging and 61non-interacting galaxies. Additionally, 41 of these galaxies wereobserved in the NIR. We find significant changes of the disk structurein vertical direction, resulting in ~ 1.5 times larger scale heights andthus vertical velocity dispersions. The radial disk structure,characterized by the cut-off radius and the scale length, shows nostatistically significant changes. Thus, the ratio of radial to verticalscale parameters, h/z0, is ~ 1.7 times smaller for the sampleof interacting/merging galaxies. The total lack of typical flat diskratios h/z0 > 7 in the latter sample implies that verticaldisk heating is most efficient for (extremely) thin disks. Statisticallynearly all galactic disks in the sample (93%) possess non-isothermalvertical luminosity profiles like the sech (60%) and exp (33%)distribution, independent of the sample and passband investigated. Thisindicates that, in spite of tidal perturbations and disk thickening, theinitial vertical distribution of disk stars is not destroyed byinteractions or minor mergers. Based on observations obtained at theEuropean Southern Observatory (ESO, La Silla, Chile), Calar AltoObservatory operated by the MPIA (DSAZ, Spain), Lowell Observatory(Flagstaff/AZ, USA), and Hoher List Observatory (Germany).
| Bias Properties of Extragalactic Distance Indicators. VII. Correlation of Absolute Luminosity and Rotational Velocity for SC Galaxies over the Range of Luminosity Class from I to III-IV
A distance-limited subset of the complete flux-limited sample of Scgalaxies in the Revised Shapley-Ames Catalog of Bright Galaxies isisolated by means of separate Spaenhauer diagrams for six individual vanden Bergh luminosity class intervals from Sc I+I.2,.3 to Sc III-IV. Thedistribution functions of kinematic absolute B^0,i_T(220,50) magnitudesand 21 cm line widths, W_20, corrected to edge-on orientation, have beendetermined for the same six bins of luminosity class. The individualluminosity functions for each luminosity class are bounded on both thebright and faint ends, showing that the present sample includes no dwarfSc spirals fainter than M(B_T)(220,50)=-18 belonging to luminosityclasses I to III-IV, as defined by the regularity of the spiral pattern.Star-forming galaxies with spiral structures as regular as the onesfound in these luminosity classes have absolute magnitudes brighter thanM_B(H=50)=-18 and 21 cm line widths larger thanW_20/sini=2v_rot(max)=165 km s^-1. Furthermore, the 21 cm line-widthdistributions move toward smaller rotational velocities as theluminosity classes change from I to III, showing that rotation is aprincipal parameter determining the regularity of the spiral pattern.Whether it is the only parameter awaits a similar investigation forspirals of all luminosity classes along the complete Hubble sequence. Inparticular, it has not yet been proved that all Im and Sm galaxies,where, by definition, the spiral arms are either lacking or aresemichaotic, have absolute magnitudes that are fainter than M_B=-18 andwhose 21 cm LWs are smaller than ~165 km s^-1, presumably because ofsmaller mass than the high-luminosity, regular spirals. The Teerikorpi``cluster population incompleteness bias'' is demonstrated again. Here,however, as in Papers II-IV of this series, we use field galaxies toshow that the slope and zero point of the Tully-Fisher (T-F) relationare systematically incorrect for flux-limited samples, the errorincreasing with redshift. The data also support the possibility that thezero point of the T-F relation for Sc galaxies, even in thedistance-limited sample, is a function of luminosity class, varying by0.42 mag between Sc I+I.2,.3 and Sc III galaxies if the slope of the T-Frelation for each class is taken to be that of the fundamentalcalibrating galaxies with Cepheid distances. If true, this is presumablydue to differences in the mass distribution and, therefore, in theresulting rotational velocity field as a function of luminosity classeven within a fixed Hubble type.
| The Southern Sky Redshift Survey
We report redshifts, magnitudes, and morphological classifications for5369 galaxies with m_B <= 15.5 and for 57 galaxies fainter than thislimit, in two regions covering a total of 1.70 sr in the southerncelestial hemisphere. The galaxy catalog is drawn primarily from thelist of nonstellar objects identified in the Hubble Space TelescopeGuide Star Catalog (GSC). The galaxies have positions accurate to ~1"and magnitudes with an rms scatter of ~0.3 mag. We compute magnitudes(m_SSRS2) from the relation between instrumental GSC magnitudes and thephotometry by Lauberts & Valentijn. From a comparison with CCDphotometry, we find that our system is homogeneous across the sky andcorresponds to magnitudes measured at the isophotal level ~26 magarcsec^-2. The precision of the radial velocities is ~40 km s^-1, andthe redshift survey is more than 99% complete to the m_SSRS2 = 15.5 maglimit. This sample is in the direction opposite that of the CfA2; incombination the two surveys provide an important database for studies ofthe properties of galaxies and their large-scale distribution in thenearby universe. Based on observations obtained at Cerro TololoInter-American Observatory, National Optical Astronomy Observatories,operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy,Inc., under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation;Complejo Astronomico El Leoncito, operated under agreement between theConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas de laRepública Argentina and the National Universities of La Plata,Córdoba, and San Juan; the European Southern Observatory, LaSilla, Chile, partially under the bilateral ESO-ObservatórioNacional agreement; Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory;Laboratório Nacional de Astrofísica, Brazil; and the SouthAfrican Astronomical Observatory.
| The amorphous galaxy NGC 2777 - H I evidence for tidal interaction with a faint companion
NGC 2777 is an amorphous galaxy possessing the classic signature of anA-type spectrum with superposed emission lines. There is no opticalevidence for an interaction, but observations of the neutral hydrogen inthis system reveal an H I bridge between NGC 2777 and U3, a companionthat is 3 mag fainter. FIR observations indicate that the current rateof massive star formation in NGC 2777 is low, but the optical spectraindicate that it must have been significantly higher in the recent past.We were unable to detect CO in either galaxy. We also consider a sampleof 10 amorphous galaxies, all showing A-type absorption spectra: ninefrom the Revised Shapley-Ames Catalog, plus NGC 2777. All show optical/HI interaction and/or peculiar velocity fields, supporting the view thatamorphous characteristics are the result of interaction. For some of thegalaxies, the interacting companion is much fainter than the amorphoussystem, which indicates that previous concerns raised by the existenceof isolated amorphous galaxies may have been premature.
| Catalogue of HI maps of galaxies. I.
A catalogue is presented of galaxies having large-scale observations inthe HI line. This catalogue collects from the literature the informationthat characterizes the observations in the 21-cm line and the way thatthese data were presented by means of maps, graphics and tables, forshowing the distribution and kinematics of the gas. It containsfurthermore a measure of the HI extension that is detected at the levelof the maximum sensitivity reached in the observations. This catalogueis intended as a guide for references on the HI maps published in theliterature from 1953 to 1995 and is the basis for the analysis of thedata presented in Paper II. The catalogue is only available inelectronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp 130.79.128.5 orhttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| Total magnitude, radius, colour indices, colour gradients and photometric type of galaxies
We present a catalogue of aperture photometry of galaxies, in UBVRI,assembled from three different origins: (i) an update of the catalogueof Buta et al. (1995) (ii) published photometric profiles and (iii)aperture photometry performed on CCD images. We explored different setsof growth curves to fit these data: (i) The Sersic law, (ii) The net ofgrowth curves used for the preparation of the RC3 and (iii) A linearinterpolation between the de Vaucouleurs (r(1/4) ) and exponential laws.Finally we adopted the latter solution. Fitting these growth curves, wederive (1) the total magnitude, (2) the effective radius, (3) the colourindices and (4) gradients and (5) the photometric type of 5169 galaxies.The photometric type is defined to statistically match the revisedmorphologic type and parametrizes the shape of the growth curve. It iscoded from -9, for very concentrated galaxies, to +10, for diffusegalaxies. Based in part on observations collected at the Haute-ProvenceObservatory.
| A catalogue of spatially resolved kinematics of galaxies: Bibliography
We present a catalogue of galaxies for which spatially resolved data ontheir internal kinematics have been published; there is no a priorirestriction regarding their morphological type. The catalogue lists thereferences to the articles where the data are published, as well as acoded description of these data: observed emission or absorption lines,velocity or velocity dispersion, radial profile or 2D field, positionangle. Tables 1, 2, and 3 are proposed in electronic form only, and areavailable from the CDS, via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (to130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| Hubble constant from sosie galaxies and HIPPARCOS geometrical calibration
New distances, larger than previous ones, have been obtained for M 31and M 81 based on the geometrical zero-point of the CepheidPeriod-luminosity relation provided by the HIPPARCOS satellite. Bycombining them with independent determinations we define reasonableranges for the distances of these important calibrating galaxies. Onthis basis, we determine the Hubble constant from the method of sosies(look-alike) galaxies, galaxies having the same characteristics than thecalibrators. The method is quite secure because it is purelydifferential and it does not depend on any assumption (apart from thenatural one that two sosies galaxies have similar absoluteluminosities). Nevertheless, the Malmquist bias has to be taken intoaccount. The observations behave exactly as predicted from theanalytical formulation of the bias. Thus, rejecting galaxies which areaffected by the Malmquist bias we derive the Hubble constant: H_o = 60+/- 10 (external) km.s^{-1}.Mpc^{-1} If we strictly use the calibrationobtained with HIPPARCOS and if the bias found in the Period-LuminosityRelation is considered, the Hubble constant is smaller than this (~ 55km.s(-1}.Mpc({-1)) ). This gives arguments in favour of thelong-distance scale. We briefly discuss possible improvements aiming atstill reducing the uncertainty.
| A search for radio-loud supernovae
Some extragalactic supernovae, such as SN 1986J in NGC 891 (Rupen et al.1987), are unusually strong radio sources. Their radio emissiontypically peaks a few years after the supernova explodes, and appears toarise from the interaction of the supernova shock with a dense stellarwind shed by the progenitor star. Since two radio-loud and possiblyoptically faint supernovae have recently been found serendipitously innearby spiral galaxies, it is possible that such objects are common. Ifso, this would have important consequences for our understanding of boththe chemical enrichment history of galaxies and the radio emission fromstarburst galaxies. Preliminary results from a survey of nearby spiralgalaxies with the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope (MOST) allowus to make a first estimate of the radio supernova rate. A larger studynow in progress will provide a much more sensitive measurement.
| Molecular Gas, Morphology, and Seyfert Galaxy Activity
We probe the cause of the elevated star formation in host galaxies ofSeyfert 2 nuclei compared with Seyfert 1 hosts and with field galaxies.12CO (1--0) observations of a large sample of Seyfert galaxies indicateno significant difference in the total amount of molecular gas as afunction of the Seyfert nuclear type, nor are Seyfert galaxiessignificantly different in this regard from a sample of field galaxiesonce selection effects are accounted for. Therefore, the total amount ofmolecular gas is not responsible for the enhanced star-forming activityin Seyfert 2 hosts. To probe how this gas is being converted moreefficiently into stars in Seyfert 2 hosts than in the other galaxies, weinvestigate the occurrence of bars, interactions, and distortedmorphologies among Seyfert galaxies. We find a significantly higher rateof asymmetric morphologies for Seyfert 2 galaxies with respect toSeyfert 1 galaxies and field galaxies. Relative to field galaxies, theeffect is at a greater than 99.9% confidence level. The presence ofasymmetric morphologies in individual Seyfert galaxies is correlatedwith their tendency to exhibit enhanced star-forming activity. Theseresults suggest that asymmetric morphologies are an important cause forthe link between Seyfert type and star-forming activity: bars anddistortions in Seyfert 2 hosts are likely both to enhance star-formingactivity and to funnel gas into the nuclear region, thus obscuring andpossibly contributing to the feeding of the active nucleus.
| The Montreal Blue Galaxy Survey.III.Third List of UV-Bright Candidates
We present and discuss the latest addition of the Montreal Blue Galaxy(MBG) survey. Inspection of 59 Curtis Schmidt plates resulted in theidentification of 135 new UV-bright galaxies with B < 15.5. Thisbrings the total number of MBGs to 469. New results of the V/V_m testshow that our survey is complete to B = 14.7. From our most recentspectroscopic follow-up, we confirm the discovery of one new Seyfert 1galaxy and possibly one new Seyfert 2 galaxy. We confirm also the biasof the MBG survey towards the low-excitation and metal rich StarburstNucleus Galaxies (SBNGs). The spectral characteristics of the MBGs aresimilar to those of the infrared luminous IRAS galaxies. As a commoncharacteristic, they show a mean ratio Log([NII]/Hα ) in excess of0.2 dex as compared to normal disk HII regions. In general, the MBGshave lower far-infrared luminosities (LIR < 10(11)Lsun) and are nearer (z < 0.05) than the luminous IRASgalaxies. The distribution of the morphologies of the MBGs indicates ahigh number of early-type spirals (Sb and earlier). Nearly half of thesegalaxies also possess a bar. In our sample, the fraction of galaxieswith bars depends on the morphology and increases towards the late-typespirals. However, if we consider only isolated galaxies, the late-typespirals show a clear tendency to be barred. Signs of a recentinteraction with neighbor galaxies are obvious only in 24% of ourcandidates. Although this number is only a lower limit, it isnevertheless sufficiently low to suggest that in a majority of massivegalaxies the burst of star formation do not depends solely on dynamicalprocesses.
| The I band Tully-Fisher relation for cluster galaxies: data presentation.
Observational parameters which can be used for redshift-independentdistance determination using the Tully-Fisher (TF) technique are givenfor \ntot spiral galaxies in the fields of 24 clusters or groups. I bandphotometry for the full sample was either obtained by us or compiledfrom published literature. Rotational velocities are derived either from21 cm spectra or optical emission line long-slit spectra, and convertedto a homogeneous scale. In addition to presenting the data, a discussionof the various sources of error on TF parameters is introduced, and thecriteria for the assignment of membership to each cluster are given.
| The APM Bright Galaxy Catalogue
The APM Bright Galaxy Catalogue lists positions, magnitudes, shapes andmorphological types for 14681 galaxies brighter than b_J magnitude16.44, over a 4180 deg^2 area of the southern sky. Galaxy and stellarimages have been located from glass copy plates of the United KingdomSchmidt Telescope (UKST) IIIaJ sky survey using the automatedphotographic measuring (APM) facility in Cambridge, England. Themajority of stellar images are rejected by the regularity of their imagesurface brightness profiles. Remaining images are inspected by eye onfilm copies of the survey material and classed as stellar, multiplestellar, galaxy, merger or noise. Galaxies are further classified aselliptical, lenticular, spiral, irregular or uncertain. The 180 surveyfields are put on to a uniform photometric system by comparing themagnitudes of galaxies in the overlap regions between neighbouringplates. The magnitude zero-point, photometric uniformity andphotographic saturation are checked with CCD photometry. Finally, thecompleteness and reliability of the catalogue are assessed by usingvarious internal tests and by comparison with several independentlyconstructed galaxy catalogues.
| Parameters of 2447 Southern Spiral Galaxies for Use in the Tully-Fisher Relation
I-band luminosities, rotational velocities, and redshifts of 1092 spiralgalaxies have been measured by CCD photometry and Hα spectroscopyusing the 1 m and 2.3 m telescopes at Siding Spring Observatory,respectively. The results are tabulated. Luminosity profiles andHα rotation curves are given for the galaxies. When these resultsare combined with similar data for 1355 spiral galaxies publishedpreviously (Mathewson, Ford, & Buchhorn, hereafter Paper I), itprovides a large, uniform, and unique data set with which to measure,via the Tully-Fisher relation, the peculiar velocities of galaxies inthe local universe to a distance of 11,000 km s^-1^ (Mathewson &Ford). Taking advantage of the opportunity for publishing this data inmachine-readable form, in the CD-ROM, we have also included similar datafor the 1355 galaxies in Paper I.
| Parsec-scale radio cores in spiral galaxies
We have used the Parkes-Tidbinbilla Interferometer to search for compact(<0.03 arcsec) radio continuum cores in 54 nearby spiral galaxies, 22of which have Seyfert nuclei. In contrast to the radio cores ofelliptical galaxies, the few parsec-scale cores seen in spirals usuallyhave steep radio spectra, with an apparent median spectral index of-1.0. At present, it is not clear whether this is because the radiocores of spiral galaxies are larger than those in ellipticals (and soare partly resolved by the interferometer), or whether the core spectraof ellipticals and spirals are intrinsically different.
| A Preliminary Report on a Large Apparent Size Galaxy Photometry Programme
Not Available
| Candidates for a southern extension of the Karachentsev catalogue of isolated pairs of galaxies.
Not Available
| Optical studies of galaxies in clusters. Observations of spirals in Virgo. III.
We present the analysis of the rotation curves of a sample of 32 spiralgalaxies derived from the spectroscopic observations of a sample of 47galaxies. For 15 galaxies we were either unable to detect emission linesor measure a reasonably good rotation curve. Of the 32 rotation curves23 are of galaxies member of the Virgo Cluster and 9 selected from the"field". Analysis of mass and density distribution have been obtained.The mass distribution of cluster galaxies belongs to the Type IIIproposed by Burstein & Rubin (1985) with few exceptions (NGC 4519Type I, NGC 2280, NGC 4189, NGC 5861, NGC 6070 Type II) and, isunrelated to the morphological type. Density distribution curves fromequidensity surface spheroids model, computed for the Virgo sample,result to be primarily composed of three classes. Rotation curves, noneof which shows a peculiar trend, have been parametrized using thecriteria introduced by Whitmore et al. (1984). The clustercentricdistance of Virgo spirals does not correlate neither with OG nor withOGML in agreement with the findings of Distefano et al. (1990) and Amramet al. (1993, 1994) for other clusters.
| The CO and HI emission of spiral and lenticular galaxies in the Fornax cluster.
We present a ^12^CO(1-0) and HI survey of the spirals and lenticulars inthe nearby southern cluster of galaxies Fornax. We have not found anyevidence for a strong HI deficiency in this cluster, which shows weakX-ray emission. However, three lenticular galaxies located near thecluster centre, NGC 1380, NGC 1386 and NGC 1387, present some HIdeficiency with an HI content respectively 50, 25 and 16 times timeslower than expected. On the other hand, the CO emission of Fornaxgalaxies is weak in general and we have clear detections of only 11galaxies out of 21 observed. We have found that on the average, lessthan 10 percent of the gas in these galaxies is in the molecular phase,if the CO to H_2_ conversion factor has the same value as in our galaxy.We have compared these results with those of other extragalactic surveysand found that such low H_2_ contents are characteristic of samples thatare not selected on a far-infrared criterion. In particular the nearbygalaxies surveyed by Sage (1993a, b) also have a low CO emission,although to a lesser level. The low molecular gas content of Fornaxgalaxies is consistent with their low star formation activity suggestedby their low far-infrared and nonthermal radiocontinuum emissions. Wehave made optical spectroscopical observations of the two CO-poorHI-rich spirals NGC 1350 and 1425 and have found that those galaxieshave weak Hα emission. We have also mapped the CO(1-0) and (2-1)emission of the interacting spiral NGC 1532. The CO distribution showstwo maxima at 7kpc radius, compatible with the presence of a molecularring. As most of Fornax spirals NGC 1532 is very poor in molecular gassince it contains about 30 times less H_2_ than HI.
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