We present a catalog of true edge-on disk galaxies automatically selected from the Seventh Data Release (DR7) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. A visual inspection of the $g$, $r$ and $i$ images of about 15000 galaxies allowed us to split the initial
sample of edge-on galaxy candidates into 4768 (31.8% of the initial sample) genuine edge-on galaxies, 8350 (55.7%) non-edge-ons, and 1865 (12.5%) edge-on galaxies not suitable for simple automatic analysis because these objects show signs of interaction, warps, or nearby bright stars project on it. We added more candidate galaxies from RFGC, EFIGI, RC3, and Galaxy Zoo catalogs found in the SDSS footprints. Our final sample consists of 5747 genuine edge-on galaxies. We estimate the structural parameters of the stellar disks (the stellar disk thickness, radial scale length, and central surface brightness) in the galaxies by analyzing photometric profiles in each of the g, r, and i images. We also perform simplified 3-D modeling of the light distribution in the stellar disks of edge-on galaxies from our sample. Our large sample is intended to be used for studying scaling relations in the stellar disks and bulges and for estimating parameters of the thick disks in different types of galaxies via the image stacking. In this paper we present the sample selection procedure and general description of the sample.
We present results of high resolution (~ 55000) spectral observations of 830 photometrically pre-selected candidate red giants in the magnitude range of V = 9-12. We develop a pipeline for automated determination of the stellar atmospheric parameters
from these spectra and estimate T_eff, logg, [Fe/H], microturbulence velocity, and projected rotational velocities, vsini, for the stars. The analysis confirms that the candidate selection procedure yielded red giants with very high success rate. We show that most of these stars are G and K giants with slightly subsolar metallicity ([Fe/H] ~ -0.3 dex) An analysis of Mg abundances in the sample results in consistency of the [Mg/Fe] vs [Fe/H] trend with published results.
The non-linear dynamics of bending instability and vertical structure of a galactic stellar disc embedded into a spherical halo are studied with N-body numerical modelling. Development of the bending instability in stellar galactic disc is considered
as the main factor that increases the disc thickness. Correlation between the disc vertical scale height and the halo-to-disc mass ratio is predicted from the simulations. The method of assessment of the spherical-to-disc mass ratio for edge-on spiral galaxies with small bulges is considered. Modelling of eight edge-on galaxies: NGC 891, NGC 4738, NGC 5170, UGC 6080, UGC 7321, UGC 8286, UGC 9422 and UGC 9556 is performed. Parameters of stellar discs, dark haloes and bulges are estimated. The lower limit of the dark-to-luminous mass ratio in our galaxies is of the order of 1 within the limits of their stellar discs. The dark haloes dominate by mass in the galaxies with very thin stellar discs (NGC 5170, UGC 7321 and UGC 8286).
Spectroscopic long-slit observations of the dwarf Irr galaxy IC 10 were conducted at the 6-m Special Astrophysical Observatory telescope with the SCORPIO focal reducer. The ionized-gas emission spectra in the regions of intense current star formation
were obtained for a large number of regions in IC 10. The relative abundances of oxygen, N+, and S+ in about twenty HII regions and in the synchrotron superbubble were estimated. We found that the galaxy-averaged oxygen abundance is 12 + log(O/H) = 8.17 +- 0.35 and the metallicity is Z = 0.18 +- 0.14 Z_sun. Our abundances estimated from the strong emission lines are found to be more reliable than those obtained by comparing diagnostic diagrams with photoionization models.
