A Sinfoni View of Galaxy Centers: Morphology and Kinematics of Five Nuclear Star-Formation Rings

Böker, Torsten; Falcón-Barroso, J.; Schinnerer, E.; Knapen, Johan H.; Ryder, S. D.

doi:10.1088/0004-6256/135/2/479

Cited by 111 publications

(188 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…The "pearls on a string" model predicts a gradient in the ages of young stellar clusters as one moves away from the contact points. This has been observed in a number of starburst rings (e.g., Mazzuca et al 2008;Böker et al 2008). Conversely, many well-studied rings show no evidence for an age gradient (Maoz et al 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…main models: the "popcorn" model (Elmegreen 1994), where star-formation is driven by stochastic gravitational fragmentation along the ring, and the "pearls on a string" model, where gas flowing into the ring is compressed near the contact points (i.e. locations where the dust lanes intersect the ring) and then forms stars a short distance downstream (e.g., Böker et al 2008). The "pearls on a string" model predicts a gradient in the ages of young stellar clusters as one moves away from the contact points.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mapping far-IR emission from the central kiloparsec of NGC 1097

Sandström¹,

Krause²,

Linz³

et al. 2010

A&A

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Using photometry of NGC 1097 from the Herschel PACS (Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer) instrument, we study the resolved properties of thermal dust continuum emission from a circumnuclear starburst ring with a radius ∼900 pc. These observations are the first to resolve the structure of a circumnuclear ring at wavelengths that probe the peak (i.e. λ ∼ 100 μm) of the dust spectral energy distribution. The ring dominates the far-infrared (far-IR) emission from the galaxy -the high angular resolution of PACS allows us to isolate the ring's contribution and we find it is responsible for 75, 60 and 55% of the total flux of NGC 1097 at 70, 100 and 160 μm, respectively. We compare the far-IR structure of the ring to what is seen at other wavelengths and identify a sequence of far-IR bright knots that correspond to those seen in radio and mid-IR images. The mid-and far-IR band ratios in the ring vary by less than ±20% azimuthally, indicating modest variation in the radiation field heating the dust on ∼600 pc scales. We explore various explanations for the azimuthal uniformity in the far-IR colors of the ring including a lack of well-defined age gradients in the young stellar cluster population, a dominant contribution to the far-IR emission from dust heated by older (>10 Myr) stars and/or a quick smoothing of local enhancements in dust temperature due to the short orbital period of the ring. Finally, we improve previous limits on the far-IR flux from the inner ∼600 pc of NGC 1097 by an order of magnitude, providing a better estimate of the total bolometric emission arising from the active galactic nucleus and its associated central starburst.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping far-IR emission from the central kiloparsec of NGC 1097

Sandström¹,

Krause²,

Linz³

et al. 2010

A&A

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…What does this say about the manner in which star formation proceeds in this circumnuclear ring? Is there an azimuthal age gradient, as in the "pearls-on-a-string" scenario proposed by Böker et al (2008), or has star formation resulted in a homogeneous ("popcorn") stellar age distribution (Elmegreen 1994)?…”

Section: Star Formation Signatures In the Ringmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two points can often be seen in the gaseous ring, offset by 180 • , where the lanes connect to the ring. They are called "contact points", following Böker et al (2008). After being shocked and having lost most angular momentum, infalling gas then enters the circumnuclear ring at the contact points and will stay on the x 2 orbits.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How does star formation proceed in the circumnuclear starburst ring of NGC 6951?

Laan¹,

Schinnerer²,

Emsellem³

et al. 2013

A&A

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Gas inflowing along stellar bars is often stalled at the location of circumnuclear rings, which form an effective reservoir for massive star formation and thus shape the central regions of galaxies. However, how exactly star formation proceeds within these circumnuclear starburst rings is the subject of debate. Two main scenarios for this process have been put forward. In the first, the onset of star formation is regulated by the total amount of gas present in the ring with star forming starting, once a mass threshold has been reached, in "random" positions within the ring like "popcorn". In the second, star formation primarily takes place near the locations where the gas enters the ring. This scenario has been dubbed "pearls-on-a-string". Here we combine new optical IFU data covering the full stellar bar with existing multiwavelength data to study the 580 pc radius circumnuclear starburst ring in detail in the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 6951. Using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) archival data together with SAURON and OASIS IFU data, we derive the ages and stellar masses of star clusters, as well as the total stellar content of the central region. Adding information on the molecular gas distribution, stellar and gaseous dynamics, and extinction, we find that the circumnuclear ring in NGC 6951 is ∼1-1.5 Gyr old and has been forming stars for most of that time. We see evidence for preferred sites of star formation within the ring, consistent with the "pearls-on-a-string" scenario, when focusing on the youngest stellar populations. The ring's longevity means that this signature is washed out when older stellar populations are included in the analysis.

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“…Therefore, star formation appears predominantly to occur at one location. No [FeII] emission was detected from the inner ring (Böker et al 2008). [FeII] emission is believed to trace supernova activity, which starts ≥10 Myr after star formation.…”

Section: Ages Of the Stellar Clusters In The Ringsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Explaining two circumnuclear star forming rings in NGC 5248

Laan

Schinnerer

Emsellem

et al. 2013

A&A

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The distribution of gas in the central kiloparsec of a galaxy has a dynamically rapid evolution. Nonaxisymmetries in the gravitational potential of the galactic disk, such as a large scale stellar bar or spiral, can lead to significant radial motion of gaseous material from larger radii to the central region. The large influx of gas and the subsequent star formation keep the central region constantly changing. However, the ability of gas to reach the nucleus proper to fuel an AGN phase is not guaranteed. Gas inflow can be halted at a circumnuclear star forming ring several hundred parsec away. The nearby galaxy NGC 5248 is especially interesting in this sense since it is said to host 2 circumnuclear star forming rings at 100 pc and 370 pc from its quiescent nucleus. Here we present new subarcsecond PdBI+30 m CO(2−1) emission line observations of the central region. For the first time the molecular gas distribution at the smallest stellar ring is resolved into a gas ring, consistent with the presence of a quiescent nucleus. However, the molecular gas shows no ring structure at the larger ring. We combine analyses of the gaseous and stellar content in the central kiloparsec of this galaxy to understand the gas distribution and dynamics of this star forming central region. We discuss the probability of two scenarios leading to the current observations, given our full understanding of this system, and discuss whether there are really two circumnuclear star forming rings in this galaxy.

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A Sinfoni View of Galaxy Centers: Morphology and Kinematics of Five Nuclear Star-Formation Rings

Cited by 111 publications

References 71 publications

Mapping far-IR emission from the central kiloparsec of NGC 1097

Mapping far-IR emission from the central kiloparsec of NGC 1097

How does star formation proceed in the circumnuclear starburst ring of NGC 6951?

Explaining two circumnuclear star forming rings in NGC 5248

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