No Arabic abstract
We analyse newly obtained Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging for two nearby strong lensing elliptical galaxies, SNL-1 (z = 0.03) and SNL-2 (z = 0.05), in order to improve the lensing mass constraints. The imaging reveals previously unseen structure in both the lens galaxies and lensed images. For SNL-1 which has a well resolved source, we break the mass-vs-shear degeneracy using the relative magnification information, and measure a lensing mass of 9.49 $pm$ 0.15 $times$ 10$^{10}$ M$_{odot}$, a 7 per cent increase on the previous estimate. For SNL-2 the imaging reveals a bright unresolved component to the source and this presents additional complexity due to possible AGN microlensing or variability. We tentatively use the relative magnification information to constrain the contribution from SNL-2s nearby companion galaxy, measuring a lensing mass of 12.59 $pm$ 0.30 $times$ 10$^{10}$ M$_{odot}$, a 9 per cent increase in mass. Our improved lens modelling reduces the mass uncertainty from 5 and 10 per cent to 2 and 3 per cent respectively. Our results support the conclusions of the previous analysis, with newly measured mass excess parameters of 1.17 $pm$ 0.09 and 0.96 $pm$ 0.10 for SNL-1 and SNL-2, relative to a Milky-Way like (Kroupa) initial mass function.
We discuss constraints on the mass density distribution (parameterized as $rhopropto r^{-gamma}$) in early-type galaxies provided by strong lensing and stellar kinematics data. The constraints come from mass measurements at two `pinch radii. One `pinch radius $r_1=2.2 R_{Einst}$ is defined such that the Einstein (i.e. aperture) mass can be converted to the spherical mass almost independently of the mass-model. Another `pinch radius $r_2=R_{opt}$ is chosen so that the dynamical mass, derived from the line-of-sight velocity dispersion, is least sensitive to the anisotropy of stellar orbits. We verified the performance of this approach on a sample of simulated elliptical galaxies and on a sample of 15 SLACS lens galaxies at $0.01 leq z leq 0.35$, which have already been analysed in Barnabe et al. (2011) by the self-consistent joint lensing and kinematic code. For massive simulated galaxies the density slope $gamma$ is recovered with an accuracy of $sim 13%$, unless $r_1$ and $r_2$ happen to be close to each other. For SLACS galaxies, we found good overall agreement with the results of Barnabe et al. (2011) with a sample-averaged slope $gamma=2.1pm0.05$. While the two-pinch-radii approach has larger statistical uncertainties, it is much simpler and uses only few arithmetic operations with directly observable quantities.
We present a deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging study of two dwarf galaxies in the halos of Local Volume Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) analogs. These dwarfs were discovered as part of our Subaru+Hyper Suprime-Cam MADCASH survey: MADCASH-1, which is a satellite of NGC 2403 (D~3.2 Mpc), and MADCASH-2, a previously unknown dwarf galaxy near NGC 4214 (D~3.0 Mpc). Our HST data reach >3.5 mag below the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) of each dwarf, allowing us to derive their structural parameters and assess their stellar populations. We measure TRGB distances ($D=3.41^{+0.24}_{-0.23}$ Mpc for MADCASH-1, and $D=3.00^{+0.13}_{-0.15}$ Mpc for MADCASH-2), and confirm their associations with their host galaxies. MADCASH-1 is a predominantly old, metal-poor stellar system (age ~13.5 Gyr, [M/H] ~ -2.0), similar to many Local Group dwarfs. Modelling of MADCASH-2s CMD suggests that it contains mostly ancient, metal-poor stars (age ~13.5 Gyr, [M/H] ~ -2.0), but that ~10% of its stellar mass was formed 1.1--1.5 Gyr ago, and ~1% was formed 400--500 Myr ago. Given its recent star formation, we search MADCASH-2 for neutral hydrogen using the Green Bank Telescope, but find no emission and estimate an upper limit on the HI mass of $<4.8times10^4 M_{odot}$. These are the faintest dwarf satellites known around host galaxies of LMC mass outside the Local Group ($M_{V,text{MADCASH-1}}=-7.81pm0.18$, $M_{V,text{MADCASH-2}}=-9.15pm0.12$), and one of them shows signs of recent environmental quenching by its host. Once the MADCASH survey for faint dwarf satellites is complete, our census will enable us to test CDM predictions for hierarchical structure formation, and discover the physical mechanisms by which low-mass hosts influence the evolution of their satellites.
We present new observations of two z=0.12 strong-lensing elliptical galaxies, originally discovered from the SDSS-IV MaNGA survey, using the new FOCAS IFU spectrograph on the Subaru Telescope. For J1436+4943, our observations confirm the identification of this system as a multiple-image lens, in a cusp configuration, with Einstein radius $theta_{Ein}$=2.0 arcsec. For J1701+3722, the improved data confirm earlier hints of a complex source plane, with different configurations evident in different emission lines. The new observations reveal a previously unseen inner counter-image to the [OIII] arc found from MaNGA, leading to a smaller revised Einstein radius of $theta_{Ein}$=1.6 arcsec. The inferred projected masses within the Einstein apertures (3.7-4.7kpc) are consistent with being dominated by stars with an initial mass function (IMF) similar to that of the Milky Way, and a dark matter contribution of ~35 per cent as supported from cosmological simulations. These results are consistent with `pure lensing analyses of lower-redshift lenses, but contrast with claims for heavier IMFs from combined lensing-and-dynamical studies of more distant early-type galaxies.
We obtained Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 imaging of a sample of ten of the nearest and brightest nuclear clusters residing in late-type spiral galaxies, in seven bands that span the near-ultraviolet to the near-infrared. Structural properties of the clusters were measured by fitting two-dimensional surface brightness profiles to the images using GALFIT. The clusters exhibit a wide range of structural properties. For six of the ten clusters in our sample, we find changes in the effective radius with wavelength, suggesting radially varying stellar populations. In four of the objects, the effective radius increases with wavelength, indicating the presence of a younger population which is more concentrated than the bulk of the stars in the cluster. However, we find a general decrease in effective radius with wavelength in two of the objects in our sample, which may indicate extended, circumnuclear star formation. We also find a general trend of increasing roundness of the clusters at longer wavelengths, as well as a correlation between the axis ratios of the NCs and their host galaxies. These observations indicate that blue disks aligned with the host galaxy plane are a common feature of nuclear clusters in late-type galaxies, but are difficult to detect in galaxies that are close to face-on. In color-color diagrams spanning the near-UV through the near-IR, most of the clusters lie far from single-burst evolutionary tracks, showing evidence for multi-age populations. Most of the clusters have integrated colors consistent with a mix of an old population (> 1 Gyr) and a young population (~100-300 Myr). The wide wavelength coverage of our data provides a sensitivity to populations with a mix of ages that would not be possible to achieve with imaging in optical bands only.
We present images of 29 post-starburst quasars (PSQs) from a Hubble Space Telescope (emph{HST}) Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) Wide Field Channel Snapshot program. These broad-lined active galactic nuclei (AGN) possess the spectral signatures of massive ($M_{burst} sim 10^{10} M_{odot}$), moderate-aged stellar populations (hundreds of Myrs). Thus, their composite nature provides insight into the AGN-starburst connection. We measure quasar-to-host galaxy light contributions via semi-automated two-dimensional light profile fits of PSF-subtracted images. We examine the host morphologies, as well as, model the separate bulge and disk components. The emph{HST}/ACS-F606W images reveal an equal number of spiral (13/29) and early-type (13/29) hosts, with the remaining three hosts having indeterminate classifications. AGNs hosted by early-type galaxies have on average greater luminosity than those hosted by spiral galaxies. Disturbances, such as tidal tails, shells, star-forming knots, and asymmetries are seen as signposts of interaction/merger activity. Disturbances such as these were found in 17 of the 29 objects and are evenly distributed among early-type and spiral galaxies. Two of these systems are clearly merging with their companions. Compared to other AGN of similar luminosity and redshift these PSQs have a higher fraction of early-type hosts and disturbances. Our most luminous objects with disturbed early-type host galaxies appear to be consistent with merger products. Thus, these luminous disturbed galaxies may represent a phase in an evolutionary scenario for merger driven activity and of hierarchical galaxy evolution. Our less luminous objects appear to be consistent with Seyfert galaxies not requiring triggering by major mergers. Many of these Seyferts are barred spiral galaxies.