Clustering of Local Group Distances: Publication Bias Or Correlated Measurements? Vii

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Clustering of Local Group Distances: Publication Bias Or Correlated Measurements? Vii Draft version April 2, 2020 Preprint typeset using LATEX style AASTeX6 v. 1.0 CLUSTERING OF LOCAL GROUP DISTANCES: PUBLICATION BIAS OR CORRELATED MEASUREMENTS? VII. A DISTANCE FRAMEWORK OUT TO 100 MPC Richard de Grijs1,2,3 and Giuseppe Bono4,5 1Department of Physics & Astronomy, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia 2Research Centre for Astronomy, Astrophysics & Astrophotonics, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia 3International Space Science Institute{Beijing, 1 Nanertiao, Zhongguancun, Hai Dian District, Beijing 100190, China 4Dipartimento di Fisica, Universit`adi Roma Tor Vergata, via Della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Roma, Italy 5INAF, Rome Astronomical Observatory, via Frascati 33, 00078 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy ABSTRACT We consider the body of published distance moduli to the Fornax and Coma galaxy clusters, with specific emphasis on the period since 1990. We have carefully homogenized our final catalogs of dis- tance moduli onto the distance scale established in the previous papers in this series. We assessed systematic differences associated with the use of specific tracers, and consequently discarded results based on application of the Tully{Fisher relation and of globular cluster and planetary nebula lumi- nosity functions. We recommend `best' weighted relative distance moduli for the Fornax and Coma Fornax−Virgo clusters with respect to the Virgo cluster benchmark of ∆(m − M)0 = 0:18 ± 0:28 mag and Coma−Virgo ∆(m − M)0 = 3:75 ± 0:23 mag. The set of weighted mean distance moduli (distances) we derived as most representative of the clusters' distances is, Fornax +1:4 (m − M)0 = 31:41 ± 0:15 mag (D = 19:1−1:2 Mpc) and +2:4 = 31:21 ± 0:28 mag (D = 17:5−2:2 Mpc); Coma +19:0 (m − M)0 = 34:99 ± 0:38 mag (D = 99:5−15:9 Mpc) and +11:9 = 34:78 ± 0:27 mag (D = 90:4−10:6 Mpc); where the first distance modulus for each cluster is the result of our analysis of the direct, absolute distance moduli, while the second modulus is based on distance moduli relative to the Virgo cluster. While the absolute and relative distance moduli for both clusters are mutually consistent within the uncertainties, the relative distance moduli yield shorter absolute distances by ∼1σ. It is unclear what may have caused this small difference for both clusters; lingering uncertainties in the underlying absolute distance scale appear to have given rise to a systematic uncertainty on the order of 0.20 mag. Keywords: Astronomical reference materials | Astronomy databases | Distance measure | Galaxy distances | Coma Cluster 1. A ROBUST FRAMEWORK OF on a well-established statistical footing, recommending LMC EXTRAGALACTIC DISTANCES (m − M)0 = 18:49 ± 0:09 mag (see also Crandall & arXiv:2004.00114v1 [astro-ph.GA] 31 Mar 2020 Over the course of the past decade, we have estab- Ratra 2015). lished a robust distance framework to galaxies in the This was followed by a series of papers aimed at both Local Group and beyond, based on a set of mutually and exploring the reality and/or the presence of publication internally consistent distance moduli that were validated bias among published distance measurements and es- on a robust statistical basis. In de Grijs et al.(2014, tablishing a robust local distance framework. In or- henceforth Paper I), we explored the presence of `publi- der of increasing distance, we applied the same anal- cation bias' in the body of published distance determi- ysis as developed in Paper I to the Galactic Center (de nations for the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), as sug- Grijs & Bono 2016, Paper IV) and the Galactic rota- gested by Schaefer(2008). While we did not find any ev- tion constants (de Grijs & Bono 2017, Paper V), the idence of authors have jumped on this proverbial band- Small Magellanic Cloud (de Grijs & Bono 2015, Paper wagon, we put Freedman et al.(2001)'s canonical LMC III; see also Crandall & Ratra 2015), the M31 group (de LMC Grijs & Bono 2014, Paper II), and the Virgo cluster (de distance modulus of (m − M)0 = 18:50 ± 0:10 mag 2 Richard de Grijs and Giuseppe Bono Grijs & Bono 2020, Paper VI). In addition, we strongly As of 2019 December 19, when we completed our data recommend the independent, geometric distannce mea- mining, the numbers of hits in the NASA/ADS for the surement to the maser host galaxy NGC 4258 published Fornax and Coma clusters were 1849 and 5357, respec- by Herrnstein et al.(1999) as additional, intermediate- tively. The resulting numbers of absolute/relative dis- distance stepping stone. Our full, internally consistent tance measures included in our final catalogs are 140/62 distance framework thus far established is summarized and 95/56 for the Fornax and Coma clusters, respec- in Table 3 of Paper VI. tively. For the Fornax cluster, we retrieved distance In this paper, we expand our previous analyses by moduli relative to that of the Virgo cluster; for the Coma focusing on two additional, rich benchmark galaxy clus- cluster, we retrieved relative distance measures with re- ters. These include the Fornax cluster as southern- spect to the Virgo (53), Leo I (2 direct, 10 indirect; see hemisphere benchmark counterpart to the Virgo clus- Section 4.4), and Fornax (1) clusters. ter in the northern hemisphere, as well as the Coma Our final database, sorted by year and by tracer cluster. This takes our internally consistent `local' dis- for both galaxy clusters separately, is available online tance framework out to distances of order 100 Mpc. At through http://astro-expat.info/Data/pubbias.html,1 those distances, a significant fraction (although still a For graphical depictions of the clusters' distance moduli large minority) of articles citing distance estimates refer as a function of year of publication, see Figures1 and to redshifts rather than linear scales. This will there- 2. We will discuss the trends and any evidence of fore conclude our efforts to establish a benchmark set publication bias versus correlated measures in Section of statistically validated distance estimates in the local 3. Universe. We have organized this paper as follows. In Sec- 3. TRENDS IN FORNAX AND COMA CLUSTER tion2 we briefly summarize our data-mining approach DISTANCE DETERMINATIONS and describe the resulting catalogs containing Fornax Figures1 and2 show both the overall distribution of and Coma distances. We examine trends in distance distance moduli and the distance measures for selected determinations for both clusters in Section4. Then, individual tracers for the Fornax and Coma clusters, re- in Section3, we analyze the systematic differences, if spectively. The bottom panels in both figures show the any, among tracer populations for both clusters. This sets of published relative distance moduli of our target eventually results in a set of recommended benchmark clusters with respect to the Virgo cluster. distances, which we summarize in Section5. These Since we have focused our detailed data mining on the should be combined with the distance moduli summa- `modern' period from 1990 onward, we will concentrate rized in Paper VI (see that paper's Table 3) to gain a on those measures in our analysis of the distances im- full overview of our extragalactic distance framework. plied by the individual tracers. However, careful assess- ment of both figures shows that hidden trends in the dis- 2. OUR DATABASE tance moduli may be present for Fornax distance mea- Similarly to the previous papers in this series, we sures based on application of the Tully{Fisher relation mined the NASA/Astrophysics Data System (ADS) for (TFR), surface brightness fluctuations (SBF), and the newly derived or recalibrated/updated distance mea- planetary nebula luminosity function (PNLF). Hence, sures to the Fornax and Coma clusters. We used as for the Fornax distances based on the TFR and SBF, we search terms `Fornax Cluster' and `Coma Cluster.' We analyzed the period from 2000 onward, while for PNLF- adopted the same criteria as in our previous papers for based measures we used the timeframe since 1995. For inclusion of any new values in our final database (for the Coma cluster, we restricted our analysis of its TFR- a detailed description, see, e.g., Paper I). We included based distances to the period from 2000 given the large both measurements to the galaxy clusters as a whole, as scatter of the individual data points prior to 2000, which well as to individual galaxies in the cluster cores (indi- may imply the presence of unaccounted-for biases and cated separately in our final catalogs). For the Fornax measurement errors. Note that all data points included cluster, we hence included distance measures to NGC in Figures1 and2 reflect the assumptions made by their 1316, NGC 1326A, NGC 1365, and NGC 1399 (as well original authors. In Section4 we will first homogenize as NGC 1404). The relevant galaxies in the Coma clus- the data points used for further analysis before drawing ter for which distance moduli are included in our final our conclusions. database are NGC 4874, NGC 4881, NGC 4889, NGC 4921, NGC 4923, and IC 4051. For the `modern' period, from 1990 onward, we care- 1 A permanent link to this page can be found at http://web.archive.org/web/20200331174040/http://astro- fully perused all articles resulting from our NASA/ADS expat.info/Data/pubbias.html; members of the community are queries; prior to 1990, we followed the reference trail. encouraged to send us updates or missing information. Local Group distances and publication bias. VII. 3 Figure 1. Published distance moduli (original values and original error bars, where available) to the Fornax cluster and its central galaxies, NGC 1316, NGC 1326A, NGC 1365, and NGC 1399 (as well as NGC 1404).
Recommended publications
  • Stellar Populations of Bulges of Disc Galaxies in Clusters
    Astronomical Science Stellar Populations of Bulges of Disc Galaxies in Clusters Lorenzo Morelli1, 5 brightness radial profile of large bulges is assembly. We present a photometric and Emanuela Pompei 2 well described by the de Vaucouleurs spectroscopic study of the bulge-domi- Alessandro Pizzella1 law, although this law can be drastically nated region of a sample of spiral galax- Jairo Méndez-Abreu1, 3 changed taking into account the small- ies in clusters. Our aim is to estimate the Enrico Maria Corsini1 scale inner structures, smoothed by the age and metallicity of the stellar popula- Lodovico Coccato 4 seeing in ground-based observations. tion and the efficiency and timescale of Roberto Saglia 4 Some bulges are rotationally-flattened the last episode of star formation in order Marc Sarzi 6 oblate spheroids with little or no anisot- to disentangle early rapid assembly from Francesco Bertola1 ropy. But, the intrinsic shape of a large late slow growth of bulges. fraction of early-type bulges is triaxial, as shown by the isophotal misalignment 1 Dipartimento di Astronomia, Università with respect to their host discs and non- Sample, photometry, and spectroscopy di Padova, Italy circular gas motions. The bulk of their 2 ESO stellar population formed between red- In order to simplify the interpretation of 3 INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di shifts 3 and 5 (~ 12 Gyr ago) over a short the results, we selected a sample of disc Padova, Italy timescale. The enrichment of the inter- galaxies, which do not show any mor- 4 Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterres- stellar medium is strongly related to the phological signature of having undergone trische Physik, Garching, Germany time delay between type II and type Ia a recent interaction event.
    [Show full text]
  • Large-Scale Study of the NGC 1399 Globular Cluster System in Fornax
    A&A 451, 789–796 (2006) Astronomy DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20054563 & c ESO 2006 Astrophysics Large-scale study of the NGC 1399 globular cluster system in Fornax L. P. Bassino1,2, F. R. Faifer1,2,J.C.Forte1,B.Dirsch3, T. Richtler3, D. Geisler3, and Y. Schuberth4 1 CONICET and Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque S/N, 1900 La Plata, Argentina e-mail: [lbassino;favio;forte]@fcaglp.unlp.edu.ar 2 IALP - CONICET, Argentina 3 Universidad de Concepción, Departamento de Física, Casilla 160, Concepción, Chile e-mail: [email protected];[email protected];[email protected] 4 Sternwarte der Universität Bonn, Auf dem Hügel 71, 53121 Bonn, Germany e-mail: [email protected] Received 21 November 2005 / Accepted 6 January 2006 ABSTRACT We present a Washington C and Kron-Cousins R photometric study of the globular cluster system of NGC 1399, the central galaxy of the Fornax cluster. A large areal coverage of 1 square degree around NGC 1399 is achieved with three adjoining fields of the MOSAIC II Imager at the CTIO 4-m telescope. Working on such a large field, we can perform the first indicative determination of the total size of the NGC 1399 globular cluster system. The estimated angular extent, measured from the NGC 1399 centre and up to a limiting radius where the areal density of blue globular clusters falls to 30 per cent of the background level, is 45 ± 5arcmin,which corresponds to 220−275 kpc at the Fornax distance.
    [Show full text]
  • The Globular Cluster System of NGC 1399
    Astronomy & Astrophysics manuscript no. sch1399 c ESO 2018 August 28, 2018 The globular cluster system of NGC 1399 ⋆,⋆⋆ V. dynamics of the cluster system out to 80 kpc Y. Schuberth1,2, T. Richtler2, M. Hilker3, B. Dirsch2, L. P. Bassino4, A. J. Romanowsky5,2, and L. Infante6 1 Argelander-Institut f¨ur Astronomie, Universit¨at Bonn, Auf dem H¨ugel 71, D-53121 Bonn, Germany 2 Universidad de Concepci´on, Departamento de Astronomia, Casilla 160-C, Concepci´on, Chile 3 European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, D-85748 Garching, Germany 4 Facultad de Ciencias Astron´omicas y Geof´ısicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque S/N, 1900–La Plata, Argentina; and Instituto de Astrof´ısica de La Plata (CCT La Plata – CONICET – UNLP) 5 UCO/Lick Observatory, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA 6 Departamento de Astronom´ıa y Astrof´ısica, Pontificia Universidad Cat´olica de Chile, Casilla 306, Santiago 22, Chile Received 14 May, 2009; accepted 16 October, 2009 ABSTRACT Globular clusters (GCs) are tracers of the gravitational potential of their host galaxies. Moreover, their kinematic properties may provide clues for understanding the formation of GC systems and their host galaxies. We use the largest set of GC velocities obtained so far of any elliptical galaxy to revise and extend the previous investigations (Richtler et al. 2004) of the dynamics of NGC 1399, the central dominant galaxy of the nearby Fornax cluster of galaxies. The GC velocities are used to study the kinematics, their relation with population properties, and the dark matter halo of NGC 1399.
    [Show full text]
  • Tidal Origin of NGC 1427A in the Fornax Cluster
    MNRAS 000,1{9 (2017) Preprint 30 October 2017 Compiled using MNRAS LATEX style file v3.0 Tidal origin of NGC 1427A in the Fornax cluster K. Lee-Waddell1?, P. Serra2;1, B. Koribalski1, A. Venhola3;4, E. Iodice5, B. Catinella6, L. Cortese6, R. Peletier3, A. Popping6;7, O. Keenan8, M. Capaccioli9 1CSIRO Astronomy and Space Sciences, Australia Telescope National Facility, PO Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia 2INAF { Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, Via della Scienza 5, I-09047 Selargius (CA), Italy 3Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, PO Box 800, NL-9700 AV Groningen, the Netherlands 4Astronomy Research Unit, University of Oulu, FI-90014, Finland 5INAF { Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte, via Moiariello 16, Naples, I-80131, Italy 6International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia 7CAASTRO: ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics, Australia 8School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Queens Buildings, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA, United Kingsdom 9Dip.di Fisica Ettore Pancini, University of Naples \Federico II," C.U. Monte SantAngelo, Via Cinthia, I-80126, Naples, Italy Accepted 2017 October 26. Received 2017 October 15; in original form 2017 March 31 ABSTRACT We present new Hi observations from the Australia Telescope Compact Array and deep optical imaging from OmegaCam on the VLT Survey Telescope of NGC 1427A, an arrow-shaped dwarf irregular galaxy located in the Fornax cluster. The data reveal a star-less Hi tail that contains ∼10% of the atomic gas of NGC 1427A as well as extended stellar emission that shed new light on the recent history of this galaxy.
    [Show full text]
  • The Extragalactic Distance Scale
    The Extragalactic Distance Scale Published in "Stellar astrophysics for the local group" : VIII Canary Islands Winter School of Astrophysics. Edited by A. Aparicio, A. Herrero, and F. Sanchez. Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1998 Calibration of the Extragalactic Distance Scale By BARRY F. MADORE1, WENDY L. FREEDMAN2 1NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database, Infrared Processing & Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA 2Observatories, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 813 Santa Barbara St., Pasadena CA 91101, USA The calibration and use of Cepheids as primary distance indicators is reviewed in the context of the extragalactic distance scale. Comparison is made with the independently calibrated Population II distance scale and found to be consistent at the 10% level. The combined use of ground-based facilities and the Hubble Space Telescope now allow for the application of the Cepheid Period-Luminosity relation out to distances in excess of 20 Mpc. Calibration of secondary distance indicators and the direct determination of distances to galaxies in the field as well as in the Virgo and Fornax clusters allows for multiple paths to the determination of the absolute rate of the expansion of the Universe parameterized by the Hubble constant. At this point in the reduction and analysis of Key Project galaxies H0 = 72km/ sec/Mpc ± 2 (random) ± 12 [systematic]. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION TO THE LECTURES CEPHEIDS BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE OBSERVED PROPERTIES OF CEPHEID
    [Show full text]
  • The Dynamical State of the Coma Cluster with XMM-Newton?
    A&A 400, 811–821 (2003) Astronomy DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20021911 & c ESO 2003 Astrophysics The dynamical state of the Coma cluster with XMM-Newton? D. M. Neumann1,D.H.Lumb2,G.W.Pratt1, and U. G. Briel3 1 CEA/DSM/DAPNIA Saclay, Service d’Astrophysique, L’Orme des Merisiers, Bˆat. 709, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France 2 Science Payloads Technology Division, Research and Science Support Dept., ESTEC, Postbus 299 Keplerlaan 1, 2200AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands 3 Max-Planck Institut f¨ur extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstr., 85740 Garching, Germany Received 19 June 2002 / Accepted 13 December 2002 Abstract. We present in this paper a substructure and spectroimaging study of the Coma cluster of galaxies based on XMM- Newton data. XMM-Newton performed a mosaic of observations of Coma to ensure a large coverage of the cluster. We add the different pointings together and fit elliptical beta-models to the data. We subtract the cluster models from the data and look for residuals, which can be interpreted as substructure. We find several significant structures: the well-known subgroup connected to NGC 4839 in the South-West of the cluster, and another substructure located between NGC 4839 and the centre of the Coma cluster. Constructing a hardness ratio image, which can be used as a temperature map, we see that in front of this new structure the temperature is significantly increased (higher or equal 10 keV). We interpret this temperature enhancement as the result of heating as this structure falls onto the Coma cluster. We furthermore reconfirm the filament-like structure South-East of the cluster centre.
    [Show full text]
  • 115 Abell Galaxy Cluster # 373
    WINTER Medium-scope challenges 271 # # 115 Abell Galaxy Cluster # 373 Target Type RA Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size Chart AGCS 373 Galaxy cluster 03 38.5 –35 27.0 Fornax – 180 ′ 5.22 Chart 5.22 Abell Galaxy Cluster (South) 373 272 Cosmic Challenge WINTER Nestled in the southeast corner of the dim early winter western suburbs. Deep photographs reveal that NGC constellation Fornax, adjacent to the distinctive triangle 1316 contains many dust clouds and is surrounded by a formed by 6th-magnitude Chi-1 ( ␹ 1), Chi-2 ( ␹ 2), and complex envelope of faint material, several loops of Chi-3 ( ␹ 3) Fornacis, is an attractive cluster of galaxies which appear to engulf a smaller galaxy, NGC 1317, 6 ′ known as Abell Galaxy Cluster – Southern Supplement to the north. Astronomers consider this to be a case of (AGCS) 373. In addition to his research that led to the galactic cannibalism, with the larger NGC 1316 discovery of more than 80 new planetary nebulae in the devouring its smaller companion. The merger is further 1950s, George Abell also examined the overall structure signaled by strong radio emissions being telegraphed of the universe. He did so by studying and cataloging from the scene. 2,712 galaxy clusters that had been captured on the In my 8-inch reflector, NGC 1316 appears as a then-new National Geographic Society–Palomar bright, slightly oval disk with a distinctly brighter Observatory Sky Survey taken with the 48-inch Samuel nucleus. NGC 1317, about 12th magnitude and 2 ′ Oschin Schmidt camera at Palomar Observatory. In across, is visible in a 6-inch scope, although averted 1958, he published the results of his study as a paper vision may be needed to pick it out.
    [Show full text]
  • The Herschel Sprint PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PATRICIA GILLIS-COPPOLA, HERSCHEL IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA S&T
    The Herschel Sprint PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PATRICIA GILLIS-COPPOLA, HERSCHEL IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA S&T 34 April 2015 sky & telescope William Herschel’s Extraordinary Night of DiscoveryMark Bratton Recreating the legendary sweep of April 11, 1785 There’s little doubt that William Herschel was the most clearly with his instruments. As we will see, he did make signifi cant astronomer of the 18th century. His accom- occasional errors in interpretation, despite the superior plishments included the discovery of Uranus, infrared optics; for instance, he thought that the planetary nebula radiation, and four planetary satellites, as well as the M57 was a ring of stars. compilation of two extensive catalogues of double and The other factor contributing to Herschel’s interest multiple stars. His most lasting achievement, however, was the success of his sister, Caroline, in her study of the was his exhaustive search for undiscovered star clusters sky. He had built her a small telescope, encouraging her and nebulae, a key component in his quest to understand to search for double stars and comets. She located Messier what he called “the construction of the heavens.” In Her- objects and more, occasionally fi nding star clusters and schel’s time, astronomers were concerned principally with nebulae that had escaped the French astronomer’s eye. the study of solar system objects. The search for clusters Over the course of a year of observing, she discovered and nebulae was, up to that point, a haphazard aff air, with about a dozen star clusters and galaxies, occasionally not- a total of only 138 recorded by all the observers in history.
    [Show full text]
  • Monster Image of the Fornax Galaxy Cluster 25 October 2017
    Monster image of the Fornax Galaxy Cluster 25 October 2017 telescope technology to observe the finer details of NGC 1316's unusual structure through a combination of imaging and modelling. The mergers that formed NGC 1316 led to an influx of gas, which fuels an exotic astrophysical object at its centre: a supermassive black hole with a mass roughly 150 million times that of the Sun. As it accretes mass from its surroundings, this cosmic monster produces immensely powerful jets of high- energy particles , that in turn give rise to the Credit: ESO characteristic lobes of emission seen at radio wavelengths, making NGC 1316 the fourth- brightest radio source in the sky. Countless galaxies vie for attention in this monster NGC 1316 has also been host to four recorded type image of the Fornax Galaxy Cluster, some Ia supernovae, which are vitally important appearing only as pinpricks of light while others astrophysical events for astronomers. Since type Ia dominate the foreground. One of these is the supernovae have a very clearly defined brightness, lenticular galaxy NGC 1316. The turbulent past of they can be used to measure the distance to the this much-studied galaxy has left it with a delicate host galaxy; in this case, 60 million light-years. structure of loops, arcs and rings that astronomers These "standard candles" are much sought-after by have now imaged in greater detail than ever before astronomers, as they are an excellent tool to with the VLT Survey Telescope. This astonishingly reliably measure the distance to remote objects. In deep image also reveals a myriad of dim objects fact, they played a key role in the groundbreaking along with faint intracluster light.
    [Show full text]
  • THE BLACK HOLE MASS and EXTREME ORBITAL STRUCTURE in NGC 1399 Karl Gebhardt,1 Tod R
    The Astrophysical Journal, 671:1321Y1328, 2007 December 20 A # 2007. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. THE BLACK HOLE MASS AND EXTREME ORBITAL STRUCTURE IN NGC 1399 Karl Gebhardt,1 Tod R. Lauer,2 Jason Pinkney,3 Ralf Bender,4 Douglas Richstone,5 Monique Aller,5 Gary Bower,6 Alan Dressler,7 S. M. Faber,8 Alexei V. Filippenko,9 Richard Green,2 Luis C. Ho,7 John Kormendy,1 Christos Siopis,5 and Scott Tremaine10 Received 2007 April 11; accepted 2007 August 16 ABSTRACT The largest galaxies, and in particular central galaxies in clusters, offer unique insight into understanding the mech- anism for the growth of nuclear black holes. We present Hubble Space Telescope kinematics for NGC 1399, the 8 central galaxy in Fornax. We find the best-fit model contains a black hole of (5:1 Æ 0:7) ; 10 M (at a distance of 21.1 Mpc), a factor of over 2 below the correlation of black hole mass and velocity dispersion. We also find a dramatic signature for central tangential anisotropy. The velocity profiles on adjacent sides 0.500 away from the nucleus show strong bimodality, and the central spectrum shows a large drop in the dispersion. Both of these observations point to an orbital distribution that is tangentially biased. The best-fit orbital model suggests a ratio of the tangential to radial internal velocity dispersions of 3. This ratio is the largest seen in any galaxy to date and will provide an important measure for the mode by which the central black hole has grown.
    [Show full text]
  • High Resolution Imaging of the Early-Type Galaxy NGC 1380: an Insight Into the Nature of Extended Extragalactic Star Clusters
    A&A 467, 1003–1009 (2007) Astronomy DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20066546 & c ESO 2007 Astrophysics High resolution imaging of the early-type galaxy NGC 1380: an insight into the nature of extended extragalactic star clusters A. L. Chies-Santos, B. X. Santiago, and M. G. Pastoriza Departamento de Astronomia, Instituto de Física, UFRGS. Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil e-mail: [email protected] Received 11 October 2006 / Accepted 27 February 2007 ABSTRACT Context. NGC 1380 is a lenticular galaxy located near the centre of the Fornax Cluster, northeast of NGC 1399. The globular cluster system of this galaxy has hitherto only been studied from the ground. Recent studies of similar early-type galaxies, specially lenticular ones, reveal the existence of star clusters that apparently break up the traditional open/globular cluster dichotomy. Aims. With higher quality photometry from HST/WFPC2 we study the star clusters in NGC 1380, measuring their magnitudes, colours, sizes and projected distances from the centre of the galaxy. Methods. We used deep archival HST/WFPC2 in the B and V bands. We built colour magnitude diagrams from which we selected a sample of cluster candidates. We also analysed their colour distribution and measured their sizes. Based on their location in the luminosity-size diagram we estimated probabilities of them being typical globular clusters as those found in the Galaxy. Results. A total of about 570 cluster candidates were found down to V = 26.5. We measured sizes for approximately 200 of them. The observed colour distribution has three apparent peaks.
    [Show full text]
  • 7.5 X 11.5.Threelines.P65
    Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-19267-5 - Observing and Cataloguing Nebulae and Star Clusters: From Herschel to Dreyer’s New General Catalogue Wolfgang Steinicke Index More information Name index The dates of birth and death, if available, for all 545 people (astronomers, telescope makers etc.) listed here are given. The data are mainly taken from the standard work Biographischer Index der Astronomie (Dick, Brüggenthies 2005). Some information has been added by the author (this especially concerns living twentieth-century astronomers). Members of the families of Dreyer, Lord Rosse and other astronomers (as mentioned in the text) are not listed. For obituaries see the references; compare also the compilations presented by Newcomb–Engelmann (Kempf 1911), Mädler (1873), Bode (1813) and Rudolf Wolf (1890). Markings: bold = portrait; underline = short biography. Abbe, Cleveland (1838–1916), 222–23, As-Sufi, Abd-al-Rahman (903–986), 164, 183, 229, 256, 271, 295, 338–42, 466 15–16, 167, 441–42, 446, 449–50, 455, 344, 346, 348, 360, 364, 367, 369, 393, Abell, George Ogden (1927–1983), 47, 475, 516 395, 395, 396–404, 406, 410, 415, 248 Austin, Edward P. (1843–1906), 6, 82, 423–24, 436, 441, 446, 448, 450, 455, Abbott, Francis Preserved (1799–1883), 335, 337, 446, 450 458–59, 461–63, 470, 477, 481, 483, 517–19 Auwers, Georg Friedrich Julius Arthur v. 505–11, 513–14, 517, 520, 526, 533, Abney, William (1843–1920), 360 (1838–1915), 7, 10, 12, 14–15, 26–27, 540–42, 548–61 Adams, John Couch (1819–1892), 122, 47, 50–51, 61, 65, 68–69, 88, 92–93,
    [Show full text]