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The mass profile and shape of bars in the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S4G) : search for an age indicator for bars.
Faculty Scholarship
  • Taehyun Kim, Seoul National University
  • Kartik Sheth, National Radio Astronomy Observatory
  • Dimitri A. Gadotti, European Southern Observatory
  • Myung Gyoon Lee, Seoul National University
  • Dennis Zaritsky, University of Arizona
  • Bruce G. Elmegreen, T. J. Watson Research Center
  • E. Athanassoula, Aix Marseille Universite
  • Albert Bosma, Aix Marseille Universite
  • Benne W. Holwerda, University of Louisville
  • Luis C. Ho, Peking University
  • Sebastien Comeron, University of Turku
  • Johan H. Knapen, Universidad de La Laguna
  • Joannah Hinz, University of Arizona
  • Juan Carlos Munoz-Mateos, National Radio Astronomy Observatory
  • Santiago Erroz-Ferrer, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
  • Ronald J. Buta, University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa
  • Minjin Kim, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
  • Eija Laurikainen, University of Oulu
  • Heikki Salo, University of Oulu
  • Barry F. Madore, Observatories of the Carnegie Institute for Science
  • Jarkko Laine, University of Oulu
  • Karin Menendez-Delmestre, Observatório do Valongo
  • Michael Regan, Space Telescope Science Institute
  • Bonita de Swardt, South African Astronomical Observatory
  • Armando Gil de Paz, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
  • Mark Seibert, Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington
  • Trisha Mizusawa, Florida Institute of Technology
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2015
Department
Physics and Astronomy
Abstract

We have measured the radial light profiles and global shapes of bars using two-dimensional 3.6μm image decompositions for 144 face-on barred galaxies from the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies. The bar surface brightness profile is correlated with the stellar mass and bulge-to-total (B/T) ratio of their host galaxies. Bars in massive and bulge-dominated galaxies (B/T > 0.2) show a flat profile, while bars in less massive, disk-dominated galaxies (B/T ∼ 0) show an exponential, disk-like profile with a wider spread in the radial profile than in the bulge-dominated galaxies. The global two-dimensional shapes of bars, however, are rectangular/boxy, independent of the bulge or disk properties. We speculate that because bars are formed out of disks, bars initially have an exponential (disk-like) profile that evolves over time, trapping more disk stars to boxy bar orbits. This leads bars to become stronger and have flatter profiles. The narrow spread of bar radial profiles in more massive disks suggests that these bars formed earlier (z > 1), while the disk-like profiles and a larger spread in the radial profile in less massive systems imply a later and more gradual evolution, consistent with the cosmological evolution of bars inferred from observational studies. Therefore, we expect that the flatness of the bar profile can be used as a dynamical age indicator of the bar to measure the time elapsed since the bar formation. We argue that cosmic gas accretion is required to explain our results on bar profile and the presence of gas within the bar region.

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Copyright 2015. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/799/1/99

DOI
10.1088/0004-637X/799/1/99
Citation Information

Kim, Taehyun, et al. "The Mass Profile and Shape of Bars in the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S4G): Search for an Age Indicator for Bars." 2015. The Astrophysical Journal 799(1): 10 pp.