Internal Extinction Research Articles

Red star-forming and blue passive galaxies in clusters

We explore the relation between colour and specific star formation rate (derived from optical spectra obtained by SDSS DR4) of over 6,000 galaxies (M_r<=-20.5) in and around low redshift (z<0.12) clusters. Even though most red galaxies have little or no ongoing star formation, and most blue galaxies are currently forming stars, there are significant populations of red star-forming (SF) and blue passive galaxies. This paper examines various properties of galaxies belonging to the latter two categories. These properties include morphological parameters, internal extinction, spectral features such as EW(H_delta) and the 4000 ang break, and metallicity. Our analysis shows that the blue passive galaxies have properties very similar to their SF counterparts, except that their large range in EW(H_delta) indicates recent truncation of star formation. The red SF galaxies fall into two broad categories, one of them being massive galaxies in cluster cores dominated by an old stellar population, but with evidence of current star formation in the core. For the remaining red SF galaxies it is evident from various metallicity measures and mean stellar ages, that their colours result from the predominance of a metal-rich stellar population. The implication of the properties of these SF galaxies on environmental studies, like that of the Butcher-Oemler effect, is discussed.

STRUCTURAL PARAMETERS OF STELLAR DISKS FROM TWO MICRON ALL SKY SURVEY IMAGES OF EDGE-ON GALAXIES

We present results of an analysis of the J, H, and K$_s$ 2MASS images of 139 spiral edge-on galaxies selected from the Revised Flat Galaxies Catalog. The basic structural parameters scalelength (h), scaleheight (z_0), and central surface brightness of the stellar disks (mu_0) are determined for all selected galaxies in the NIR bands. The mean relative ratios of the scaleheights of the thin stellar disks in the J:H:K$_s$ bands are 1.16:1.08:1.00, respectively. Comparing the scaleheights obtained from the NIR bands for the same objects, we estimate the scaleheights of the thin stellar disks corrected for the internal extinction. We find that the extinction-corrected scaleheight is, on average, 11% smaller than that in the K-band. Using the extinction-corrected structural parameters, we find that the dark-to-luminous mass ratio is, on average, 1.3 for the galaxies in our sample within the framework of a simplified galactic model. The relative thicknesses of the stellar disks z_0/h correlates with their face-on central surface brightnesses obtained from the 2MASS images. We also find that the scaleheight of the stellar disks shows no systematic growth with radius in most of our galaxies.

THE LYMAN ALPHA MORPHOLOGY OF LOCAL STARBURST GALAXIES: RELEASE OF CALIBRATED IMAGES

We present reduced and calibrated high resolution Lyman-alpha (Lya) images for a sample of 6 local star forming galaxies. Targets were selected to represent a range in luminosity and metallicity and to include both known Lya emitters and non-emitters. Far ultraviolet imaging was carried out with the Solar Blind Channel of the ACS on HST in the F122M (Lya on-line) and F140LP (continuum) filters. The resulting Lya images are the product of careful modeling of both the stellar and nebular continua, facilitated by supporting HST imaging in Ha and 5 continuum bands, combined with Starburst99 evolutionary synthesis models, and prescriptions for dust extinction on the continuum. In all, the resulting morphologies in Lya, Ha, and UV-continuum are qualitatively very different and we show that the bulk of Lya emerges in a diffuse component resulting from resonant scattering events. Lya escape fractions, computed from integrated Ha luminosities and recombination theory, are found never to exceed 14%. Internal dust extinction is estimated in each pixel and used to correct Lya fluxes. However, the extinction corrections are far too small (factors from 2.6 to infinity) to reconcile the global Lya luminosities with recombination theory. Surprisingly, when comparing the global equivalent widths of Lya and Ha, the two quantities appear anti-correlated, which may be due to the evolution of mechanical feedback. This calls for caution in the interpretation of Lya observations. The images presented have a physical resolution 3 orders of magnitude better than attainable at high-z from the ground with current instrumentation and our images may therefore serve as useful templates for comparing with observations and modeling of primeval galaxy formation. We therefore provide the reduced Lya, Ha, and continuum images to the community.

RADIAL DISTRIBUTION OF STARS, GAS, AND DUST IN SINGS GALAXIES. II. DERIVED DUST PROPERTIES

We present a detailed analysis of the radial distribution of dust properties in the SINGS sample, performed on a set of UV, IR and HI surface brightness profiles, combined with published molecular gas profiles and metallicity gradients. The internal extinction, derived from the TIR-to-FUV luminosity ratio, decreases with radius, and is larger in Sb-Sbc galaxies. The TIR-to-FUV ratio correlates with the UV spectral slope beta, following a sequence shifted to redder UV colors with respect to that of starbursts. The star formation history (SFH) is identified as the main driver of this departure. We have also derived radial profiles of the total dust mass surface density, the fraction of the dust mass contributed by PAHs, the fraction of the dust mass heated by very intense starlight and the intensity of the radiation field heating the grains. The dust profiles are exponential, their radial scale-length being constant from Sb to Sd galaxies (only ~10% larger than the stellar scale-length). Many S0/a-Sab galaxies have central depressions in their dust radial distributions. The PAH abundance increases with metallicity for 12+\log(O/H)<9, and at larger metallicities the trend flattens and even reverses, with the SFH being a plausible underlying driver for this behavior. The dust-to-gas ratio is also well correlated with metallicity and therefore decreases with galactocentric radius.

LUMINOUS THERMAL FLARES FROM QUIESCENT SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES

A dormant supermassive black hole lurking in the center of a galaxy will be revealed when a star passes close enough to be torn apart by tidal forces, and a flare of electromagnetic radiation is emitted when the bound fraction of the stellar debris falls back onto the black hole and is accreted. Here we present the third candidate tidal disruption event discovered in the GALEX Deep Imaging Survey: a 1.6x10^{43} erg s^{-1} UV/optical flare from a star-forming galaxy at z=0.1855. The UV/optical SED during the peak of the flare measured by GALEX and Palomar LFC imaging can be modeled as a single temperature blackbody with T_{bb}=1.7x10^{5} K and a bolometric luminosity of 3x10^{45} erg s^{-1}, assuming an internal extinction with E(B-V)_{gas}=0.3. The Chandra upper limit on the X-ray luminosity during the peak of the flare, L_{X}(2-10 keV)< 10^{41} erg s^{-1}, is 2 orders of magnitude fainter than expected from the ratios of UV to X-ray flux density observed in active galaxies. We compare the light curves and broadband properties of all three tidal disruption candidates discovered by GALEX, and find that (1) the light curves are well fitted by the power-law decline expected for the fallback of debris from a tidally disrupted solar-type star, and (2) the UV/optical SEDs can be attributed to thermal emission from an envelope of debris located at roughly 10 times the tidal disruption radius of a ~10^{7} M_sun central black hole. We use the observed peak absolute optical magnitudes of the flares (-17.5 > M_{g} > -18.9) to predict the detection capabilities of upcoming optical synoptic surveys. (Abridged)

DISCOVERY, PHOTOMETRY, AND KINEMATICS OF PLANETARY NEBULAE IN M 82,

Using an [OIII]5007 on-band/off-band filter technique, we identify 109 planetary nebulae (PNe) candidates in M 82, using the FOCAS instrument at the 8.2m Subaru Telescope. The use of ancillary high-resolution HST ACS H-alpha imaging aided in discriminating PNe from contaminants such as supernova remnants and compact HII regions. Once identified, these PNe reveal a great deal about the host galaxy; our analysis covers kinematics, stellar distribution, and distance determination. Radial velocities were determined for 94 of these PNe using a method of slitless spectroscopy, from which we obtain a clear picture of the galaxy's rotation. Overall, our results agree with those derived by CO(2-1) and HI measurements that show a falling, near-Keplerian rotation curve. However, we find a subset of our PNe that appear to lie far above the plane (~1 kpc), yet these objects appear to be rotating as fast as objects close to the plane. These objects will require further study to determine if they are members of a halo population, or if they can be interpreted as a manifestation of a thickened disk as a consequence of a past interaction with M 81. In addition, [OIII]5007 emission line photometry of the PNe allows the construction of a planetary nebula luminosity function (PNLF). Our PNLF distance determination for M 82 yields a larger distance than those derived using the TRGB, using Cepheid variable stars in nearby group member M 81, or using the PNLF of M 81. We show that this inconsistency most likely stems from our inability to completely correct for internal extinction imparted by this dusty, starburst galaxy. (Abridged)

AnHST/ACS investigation of the spatial and chemical structure and sub-structure of NGC 891, a Milky Way analogue

We present a structural analysis of NGC891, an edge-on galaxy that has long been considered to be an analogue of the Milky Way. Using starcounts derived from deep HST/ACS images, we detect the presence of a thick disk component in this galaxy with vertical scale height 1.44+/-0.03 kpc and radial scale length 4.8+/-0.1 kpc, only slightly longer than that of the thin disk. A stellar spheroid with a de Vaucouleurs-like profile is detected from a radial distance of 0.5 kpc to the edge of the survey at 25 kpc; the structure appears to become more flattened with distance, reaching q = 0.50 in the outermost halo region probed. The halo inside of 15 kpc is moderately metal-rich (median [Fe/H] ~ -1.1) and approximately uniform in median metallicity. Beyond that distance a modest chemical gradient is detected, with the median reaching [Fe/H] ~ -1.3 at 20 kpc. We find evidence for subtle, but very significant, small-scale variations in the median colour and density over the halo survey area. We argue that the colour variations are unlikely to be due to internal extinction or foreground extinction, and reflect instead variations in the stellar metallicity. Their presence suggests a startling conclusion: that the halo of this galaxy is composed of a large number of incompletely-mixed sub-populations, testifying to its origin in a deluge of small accretions.

THE STAR FORMATION LAW AT LOW SURFACE DENSITY

We investigate the nature of the star formation law at low gas surface densities using a sample of 19 low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies with existing HI maps in the literature, UV imaging from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer satellite, and optical images from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. All of the LSB galaxies have (NUV-r) colors similar to those for higher surface brightness star-forming galaxies of similar luminosity indicating that their average star formation histories are not very different. Based upon four LSB galaxies with both UV and FIR data, we find FIR/UV ratios significantly less than one, implying low amounts of internal UV extinction in LSB galaxies. We use the UV images and HI maps to measure the star formation rate and hydrogen gas surface densities within the same region for all of the galaxies. The LSB galaxy star formation rate surface densities lie below the extrapolation of the power law fit to the star formation rate surface density as a function of the total gas density for higher surface brightness galaxies. Although there is more scatter, the LSB galaxies also lie below a second version of the star formation law in which the star formation rate surface density is correlated with the gas density divided by the orbital time in the disk. The downturn seen in both star formation laws is consistent with theoretical models that predict lower star formation efficiencies in LSB galaxies due to the declining molecular fraction with decreasing density.

INTERNAL EXTINCTION IN THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY LATE-TYPE GALAXIES

We study internal extinction of late-type galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We find that the degree of internal extinction depends on both the concentration index c and K_s-band absolute magnitude M_K. We give simple fitting functions for internal extinction. In particular, we present analytic formulae giving the extinction-corrected magnitudes from the observed optical parameters. For example, the extinction-corrected r-band absolute magnitude can be obtained by M_{r,0}=-20.77 +(-1+\sqrt{1+4\Delta (M_{r,obs}+20.77+4.93\Delta)})/2\Delta, where \Delta = 0.236\{1.35(c-2.48)^2-1.14\}\log(a/b), c=R_{90}/R_{50} is the the concentration index, and a/b is the isophotal axis ratio of the 25 mag/arcsec^2 isophote in the i-band. The 1\sigma error in M_{r,0} is 0.21{\rm log}(a/b). The late-type galaxies with very different inclinations are found to trace almost the same sequence in the (u-r)-$M_r$ diagram when our prescriptions for extinction correction are applied. We also find that (u-r) color can be a third independent parameter that determines the degree of internal extinction.

THE DISC-HALO STRUCTURE OF NGC 3109

We present the results of V and I photometries for ~56,500 stars of NGC 3109 obtained from a 467.26(')2 wide-field observations. The internal extinction does not affect the determination of the magnitude of the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) from which a distance modulus of (m – M)0 = 25.61 ± 0.10 (1.32 ± 0.06 Mpc) have been derived. A mean metallicity of the RGB stars have been found to be [Fe/H] = –1.84 ± 0.2 (Z = 0.0003 ± 0.0001). The profile of the star density distribution shows two exponentials with a break radius located at ~16' and ~4' in the direction of the semimajor and semiminor axes, respectively. An extended low surface brightness structure perpendicular to the disk of the galaxy has been found. The radial distribution of the stellar populations implies that the disk is formed by stars of all ages while the extended extraplanar structure lacks young stars. From the main characteristics of NGC 3109 we deduce that the extended structure could be (1) a true halo formed only by old, low-metallicity stars being a low-mass spiral galaxy, or (2) a posthalo epoch formed either by a merging with smaller galaxies or by a past encounter with a neighbor galaxy like Antlia. If the latter, the extended structure could be composed of an intermediate-age population.

A MORPHOLOGICAL RE-EVALUATION OF GALAXIES IN COMMON FROM THE CATALOG OF ISOLATED GALAXIES AND THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY (DR6)

We present a re-evaluation of the optical morphology for 549 galaxies from the Catalog of Isolated Galaxies in the Northern Hemisphere (CIG) that are available in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS; DR6). Both the high resolution and high dynamic range of the SDSS images and our semiautomatic image processing scheme allow for a major quality and uniform morphological analysis. The processing scheme includes (1) sky-subtracted, cleaned, and logarithmic scaled g-band images, (2) filtered-enhanced versions of the images in (1), and (3) the corresponding red-green-blue (RGB) composed images available in the SDSS database. We propose an empirical method to distinguishing between E, S0, and Sa candidates through an additional analysis of (4) the surface brightness, position angle, ellipticity and A 4 B 4 coefficients of the Fourier series expansion profiles. An atlas of mosaics containing (1), (2), and (3) images for Sab-Sm/Irr types and (1), (2), (3), (4) images for E/S0/Sa types was produced and is available on the Web. The median type in the sample corresponds to Sbc, with 65% of the sample being of this type or later. A scarce population of early-type E (3.5%) and S0 (5%) galaxies amounting to 8.5% and a non-negligible 14% fraction of early-type (SaSab) spirals are identified. We compare our results with a previous reclassification of the CIG based on the digitized Palomar Observatory Sky Survey II images. We calculate also the gri absolute magnitudes corrected by Galactic and internal extinctions and present the g – i color distribution and the color-magnitude diagram. Among the spirals, we find tentative fractions of strong and suspected bars of 65.8% and of 33.3% of rings. A detailed image analysis of the E galaxies (18) allows us to find a richness of distinct substructure in their isophotal shape and also of morphological distortions. At least 78% of the E galaxies show some kind of morphological distortion (shells, dust lanes, diffuse halos, etc.), suggesting that these galaxies suffered late dry mergers. The isophotes of 42% (37%) of the E galaxies are boxy (disky). Among four blue Es, three are disky. Finally, we calculate the CAS (concentration, asymmetry and clumpiness) structural parameters in the ugriz bands for the entire sample. We analyze the loci of these galaxies in different projections of the CAS volume diagram and discuss some trends of the CAS parameters with the color band, as well as with the morphological type and the galaxy color.

Planetary Nebulae in Face‐On Spiral Galaxies. I. Planetary Nebula Photometry and Distances

As the first step to determine disk mass-to-light ratios for normal spiral galaxies, we present the results of an imaging survey for planetary nebulae (PNe) in six nearby, face-on systems: IC 342, M74 (NGC 628), M83 (NGC 5236), M94 (NGC 4736), NGC 5068, and NGC 6946. Using Blanco/Mosaic II and WIYN/OPTIC, we identify 165, 153, 241, 150, 19, and 71 PN candidates, respectively, and use the planetary nebula luminosity function (PNLF) to obtain distances. For M74 and NGC 5068, our distances of -->8.6 ± 0.3 and -->5.4+0.2−0.4 Mpc are the first reliable estimates to these objects; for IC 342 ( -->3.5 ± 0.3 Mpc), M83 ( -->4.8 ± 0.1 Mpc), M94 ( -->4.4+0.1−0.2 Mpc), and NGC 6946 ( -->6.1 ± 0.6 Mpc) our values agree well with those in the literature. In the larger systems, we find no evidence for any systematic change in the PNLF with galactic position, although we do see minor field-to-field variations in the luminosity function. In most cases, these changes do not affect the measurement of distance, but in one case the fluctuations result in a ~0.2 mag shift in the location of the PNLF cutoff. We discuss the possible causes of these small-scale changes, including internal extinction in the host galaxies and age/metallicity changes in the underlying stellar population.

Spectroscopy of bright quasars: emission lines and internal extinction

Aims. The main purpose of this work is to improve the existing knowledge about the most powerful engines in the Universe – quasars. Although a lot is already known, we still have only a vague idea how these engines work exactly, why they behave as they do, and what the relation is between their evolution and the evolution of their harboring galaxy.

An X‐Ray Survey of Wolf‐Rayet Stars in the Magellanic Clouds. I. TheChandraACIS Data Set

Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars are evolved massive stars with strong fast stellar winds. WR stars in our Galaxy have shown three possible sources of X-ray emission associated with their winds: shocks in the winds, colliding stellar winds, and wind-blown bubbles; however, quantitative analyses of observations are often hampered by uncertainties in distances and heavy foreground absorption. These problems are mitigated in the Magellanic Clouds (MCs), which are at known distances and have small foreground and internal extinction. We have therefore started a survey of X-ray emission associated with WR stars in the MCs using archival Chandra, ROSAT, and XMM-Newton observations. In the first paper of this series, we report the results for 70 WR stars in the MCs using 192 archival Chandra ACIS observations. X-ray emission is detected from 29 WR stars. We have investigated their X-ray spectral properties, luminosities, and temporal variability. These X-ray sources all have luminosities greater than a few times 1032 ergs s−1, with spectra indicative of highly absorbed emission from a thin plasma at high temperatures typical of colliding winds in WR+OB binary systems. Significant X-ray variability with periods ranging from a few hours up to ~20 days is seen associated with several WR stars. In most of these cases, the X-ray variability can be linked to the orbital motion of the WR star in a binary system, further supporting the colliding wind scenario for the origin of the X-ray emission from these stars.

GALEXObservations of Low Surface Brightness Galaxies: UV Color and Star Formation Efficiency

We present GALEX UV observations of a sample of Low Surface Brightness (LSB) galaxies for which HI data are available, allowing us to estimate their star formation efficiency. We find that the UV light extends to larger radii than the optical light (some galaxies, but not all, look similar to the recently discovered XUV-disk galaxies). Using a standard calibration to convert the UV light into star formation rates, we obtain lower star formation efficiencies in LSB galaxies than in high surface brightness galaxies by about one order of magnitude. We show however that standard calibrations may not apply to these galaxies, as the FUV-NUV color obtained from the two GALEX bands (FUV and NUV; lambda_eff= 1516 and 2267 A, respectively) is redder than expected for star forming galaxies. This color can be interpreted as a result of internal extinction, modified Initial Mass Function or by star formation histories characterized by bursts followed by quiescent phases. Our analysis favors this latter hypothesis.

Monte‐Carlo simulation of a possible correlation between the estimated luminosity distances and internal extinctions of type Ia supernovae

AbstractThis paper describes a Monte Carlo simulation of type Ia supernova data. It was shown earlier that the data of SNe Ia might contain a possible correlation between the estimated luminosity distances and internal extinctions. This correlation was shown by different statistical investigations of the data. In order to remove observational biases (for example the effect of the detection limit of the observing instrument) and to test the reality of the effect found earlier we developed a simple routine which simulates extinction values, redshifts and absolute magnitudes for Ia supernovae. We pointed out that the correlation found earlier in the real data between the internal extinction and luminosity distance does not occur in the simulated sample. Furthermore, it became obvious that the detection limit of the observing devices used in supernova projects does not affect the far end of the redshift‐luminosity distance relationship of Ia supernovae. This result strengthens the earlier conclusions of the authors that SN Ia supernovae alone do not support the existence of dark energy. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Physical properties of young stellar populations in 24 starburst galaxies observed with FUSE*

We present the main physical properties of very young stellar populations seen with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer in 24 individual starbursts. These characteristics have been obtained using the evolutionary spectral synthesis technique in the far-ultraviolet range with the LavalSB code. For each starburst, quantitative values for age, metallicity, initial mass function slope, stellar mass and internal extinction have been obtained and discussed in details. Limits of the code have been tested. One main conclusion is that most starbursts (and probably all of them) cannot be represented by any continuous star formation burst in the far ultraviolet. Also, quantitative values of various optical diagnostics related to these stellar populations have been predicted. Underlying stellar populations, dominated by B-type stars, have been detected in NGC 1140, NGC 4449 and possibly NGC 3991. We characterized the young stellar populations of less than 5 Myr in Seyfert 2 nuclei.

Photometric Redshifts of Galaxies in COSMOS

We present photometric redshifts for the COSMOS survey derived from a new code, optimized to yield accurate and reliable redshifts and spectral types of galaxies down to faint magnitudes and redshifts out to z ~ 1.2. The technique uses χ^2 template fitting, combined with luminosity function priors and with the option to estimate the internal extinction [or E(B - V)]. The median most probable redshift, best-fit spectral type and reddening, absolute magnitude, and stellar mass are derived in addition to the full redshift probability distributions. Using simulations with sampling and noise similar to those in COSMOS, the accuracy and reliability is estimated for the photometric redshifts as a function of the magnitude limits of the sample, S/N ratios, and the number of bands used. We find from the simulations that the ratio of derived 95% confidence interval in the χ^2 probability distribution to the estimated photometric redshift (D_(95)) can be used to identify and exclude the catastrophic failures in the photometric redshift estimates. To evaluate the reliability of the photometric redshifts, we compare the derived redshifts with high-reliability spectroscopic redshifts for a sample of 868 normal galaxies with z 3σ(Δ(z)), where σ(Δ(z)) is the rms scatter in Δ(z)]. We also find good agreement [σ(Δ(z)) = 0.10] between photometric and spectroscopic redshifts for type II AGNs. We compare results from our photometric redshift procedure with three other independent codes and find them in excellent agreement. We show preliminary results, based on photometric redshifts for the entire COSMOS sample (to i < 25 mag).

The Millennium Galaxy Catalogue: the B-band attenuation of bulge and disc light and the implied cosmic dust and stellar mass densities

Based on our sample of 10 095 galaxies with bulge‐disc decompositions we derive the empirical BMGC-band internal attenuation‐inclination relation for galaxy discs and their associated central bulges. Our results agree well with the independently derived dust models of Tuffs et al., leading to a direct constraint on the mean opacity of spiral discs of τ f = 3.8 ± 0.7 (central face-on BMGC-band opacity). Depending on inclination, the BMGC-band attenuation correction varies from 0.2 to 1.1 mag for discs and from 0.8 to 2.6 mag for bulges. We find that, overall, 37 per cent of all BMGC-band photons produced in discs in the nearby Universe are absorbed by dust, a figure that rises to 71 per cent for bulge photons. The severity of internal dust extinction is such that one must incorporate internal dust corrections in all optical studies of large galaxy samples. This is particularly pertinent for optical Hubble Space Telescope comparative evolutionary studies as the dust properties will also be evolving. We use the new results to revise our recent estimates of the spheroid and disc luminosity functions. The implied stellar mass densities at redshift zero are somewhat higher than our earlier estimates: ρdiscs =

Specific Star Formation Rate Profiles in Nearby Spiral Galaxies: Quantifying the Inside‐Out Formation of Disks

We present specific star formation rate (sSFR) radial profiles for a sample of 161 relatively face-on spiral galaxies from the GALEX Atlas of Nearby Galaxies. The sSFR profiles are derived from GALEX and 2MASS (FUV - K) color profiles after a proper SFR calibration of the UV luminosity and K-band mass-to-light ratio are adopted. The (FUV - K) profiles were first corrected for foreground Galactic extinction and later for internal extinction using the ratio of the total-infrared (TIR) to FUV emission. For those objects where TIR-to-FUV ratio radial profiles were not available, the (FUV - NUV) color profiles were used as a measure of the UV slope. The sSFR radial gradients derived from these profiles allow us to quantify the inside-out scenario for the growth of spiral disks for the first time in the local universe. We find a large dispersion in the slope of the sSFR profiles with a slightly positive mean value, which implies a moderate inside-out disk formation. There is also a strong dependency of the value of this slope on the luminosity and size of the disks, with large systems showing a uniform, slightly positive slope in almost all cases and low-luminosity small disks showing a large dispersion with both positive and negative large values. While a majority of the galaxies can be interpreted as forming stars gradually either from inside out or from outside in, a few disks require episodes of enhanced recent growth with scale lengths of the SFR (or gas infall) being significantly larger at present than in the past. We do not find any clear dependence of the sSFR gradient on the environment (local galaxy density or presence of close neighbors).