Time-slicing spiral galaxies with SDSS-IV MaNGA

Peterken, Thomas; Fraser-McKelvie, Amelia; Aragón-Salamanca, Alfonso; Merrifield, Michael; Kraljic, Katarina; Knapen, Johan H.; Riffel, Rogério; Brownstein, Joel; Drory, Niv
Bibliographical reference

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Advertised on:
10
2019
Number of authors
9
IAC number of authors
1
Citations
14
Refereed citations
13
Description
Spectra of galaxies contain a wealth of information about the stellar populations from which they are made. With integral field unit (IFU) surveys, such data can be used to map out stellar population properties across the face of a galaxy, allowing one to go beyond simple radial profiles and study details of non-axisymmetric structure. To-date, however, such studies have been limited by the quality of available data and the power of spectral analysis tools. We now take the next step and study the barred spiral galaxy MCG + 07-28-064 from observations obtained as part of the SDSS-IV MaNGA project. We find that we can decompose this galaxy into 'time slices,' which reveal the varying contributions that stars of differing ages make to its bar and spiral structure, offering new insight into the evolution of these features. We find evidence for the ongoing growth of the bar, including the most recent star formation on its leading edge, and for the underlying density wave responsible for spiral structure. This pilot study indicates that there is a wealth of untapped information on the spatial distribution of star formation histories available in the current generation of IFU galaxy surveys.
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Spiral Galaxies: Evolution and Consequences

Our small group is well known and respected internationally for our innovative and important work on various aspects of the structure and evolution of nearby spiral galaxies. We primarily use observations at various wavelengths, exploiting synergies that allow us to answer the most pertinent questions relating to what the main properties of

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