Bulge Of M31 Research Articles

The heating of dust by old stellar populations in the bulge of M31

We use new Herschel multi-band imaging of the Andromeda galaxy to analyze how dust heating occurs in the central regions of galaxy spheroids that are essentially devoid of young stars. We construct a dust temperature map of M31 through fitting modified blackbody SEDs to the Herschel data, and find that the temperature within 2 kpc rises strongly from the mean value in the disk of 17 pm 1K to \sim35K at the centre. UV to near-IR imaging of the central few kpc shows directly the absence of young stellar populations, delineates the radial profile of the stellar density, and demonstrates that even the near-UV dust extinction is optically thin in M31's bulge. This allows the direct calculation of the stellar radiation heating in the bulge, U\ast(r), as a function of radius. The increasing temperature profile in the centre matches that expected from the stellar heating, i.e. that the dust heating and cooling rates track each other over nearly two orders of magnitude in U\ast. The modelled dust heating is in excess of the observed dust temperatures, suggesting that it is more than sufficient to explain the observed IR emission. Together with the wavelength dependent absorption cross section of the dust, this demonstrates directly that it is the optical, not UV, radiation that sets the heating rate. This analysis shows that neither young stellar populations nor stellar near-UV radiation are necessary to heat dust to warm temperatures in galaxy spheroids. Rather, it is the high densities of Gyr-old stellar populations that provide a sufficiently strong diffuse radiation field to heat the dust. To the extent which these results pertain to the tenuous dust found in the centres of early-type galaxies remains yet to be explored.

THE PANCHROMATIC HUBBLE ANDROMEDA TREASURY. I. BRIGHT UV STARS IN THE BULGE OF M31

As part of the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) multi-cycle program, we observed a 12' \times 6.5' area of the bulge of M31 with the WFC3/UVIS filters F275W and F336W. From these data we have assembled a sample of \sim4000 UV-bright, old stars, vastly larger than previously available. We use updated Padova stellar evolutionary tracks to classify these hot stars into three classes: Post-AGB stars (P-AGB), Post-Early AGB (PE-AGB) stars and AGB-manqu\'e stars. P-AGB stars are the end result of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase and are expected in a wide range of stellar populations, whereas PE-AGB and AGB-manqu\'e (together referred to as the hot post-horizontal branch; HP-HB) stars are the result of insufficient envelope masses to allow a full AGB phase, and are expected to be particularly prominent at high helium or {\alpha} abundances when the mass loss on the RGB is high. Our data support previous claims that most UV-bright sources in the bulge are likely hot (extreme) horizontal branch stars (EHB) and their progeny. We construct the first radial profiles of these stellar populations, and show that they are highly centrally concentrated, even more so than the integrated UV or optical light. However, we find that this UV-bright population does not dominate the total UV luminosity at any radius, as we are detecting only the progeny of the EHB stars that are the likely source of the UVX. We calculate that only a few percent of MS stars in the central bulge can have gone through the HP-HB phase and that this percentage decreases strongly with distance from the center. We also find that the surface density of hot UV-bright stars has the same radial variation as that of low-mass X-ray binaries. We discuss age, metallicity, and abundance variations as possible explanations for the observed radial variation in the UV-bright population.

Chandra,Swift, and HST studies of the CXOM31 J004253.1+411422

Context. A very bright transient X-ray source, CXOM31 J004253.1+411422, was found by Chandra/HRC in the M31 bulge. We present Chandra, Swift ,a ndHubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of this source. Aims. Since this source is the brightest known X-ray transient in M31, we want to study its nature with Chandra and Swift. Comparing the results of Galactic transients and M31 transients can give a better understanding of the nature of extragalactic binaries. Methods. We fitted disk black body and power law models to X-ray data from Chandra and Swift. Follow-up HST/ACS imaging during and after the outburst revealed a transient optical counterpart. Results. Our HST observations show an optical counterpart with optical magnitude B = 23.91 ± 0.08. Using the empirical relations between X-ray luminosity and absolute visual magnitude, we estimate the orbital period of the system is about ∼15 h. Conclusions. Our optical identification of the brightest X-ray transient so far discovered in M31 suggests an orbital period of about 15 h. The decay light curve is consistent with previous models of X-ray novae outbursts.

Spectroscopic evidence of charge exchange X‐ray emission from galaxies

AbstractWhat are the origins of the soft X‐ray line emission from non‐AGN galaxies? XMM‐Newton RGS spectra of nearby non‐AGN galaxies (including starforming ones: M82, NGC 253, M51, M83, M61, NGC 4631, M94, NGC 2903, and the Antennae galaxies, as well as the inner bulge of M31) have been analyzed. In particular, the Kα triplet of O VII shows that the resonance line is typically weaker than the forbidden and/or inter‐combination lines. This suggests that a substantial fraction of the emission may not arise directly from optically thin thermal plasma, as commonly assumed, and may instead originate at its interface with neutral gas via charge exchange. This latter origin naturally explains the observed spatial correlation of the emission with various tracers of cool gas in some of the galaxies. However, alternative scenarios, such as the resonance scattering by the plasma and the relic photo‐ionization by AGNs in the recent past, cannot be ruled out, at least in some cases, and are being examined. Such X‐ray spectroscopic studies are important to the understanding of the relationship of the emission to various high‐energy feedback processes in galaxies (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

THE LUMINOSITY PROFILE AND STRUCTURAL PARAMETERS OF THE ANDROMEDA GALAXY

We have constructed an extended composite luminosity profile for the Andromeda galaxy, M31, and have decomposed it into three basic luminous structural components: a bulge, a disk and a halo. The dust-free Spitzer/IRAC imaging and extended spatial coverage of ground-based optical imaging and deep star counts allow us to map M31's structure from its center to 22 kpc along the major axis. We apply different decomposition methods for the 1D luminosity profiles and 2D images. These include non-linear least-squares and Bayesian Monte-Carlo Markov-chain analyses. The basic photometric model for M31 has a Sersic bulge with shape index n = 2.2 +/- 0.3 and effective radius R_e = 1.0 +/- 0.2 kpc, a dust-free exponential disk of scale length R_d = 5.3 +/- 0.5 kpc; the parameter errors reflect the range between various decomposition methods. The bulge parameter, n, is rather insensitive to bandpass effects and its value suggests a first rapid formation via mergers followed by secular growth from the disk. The M31 halo has a 2D power-law index ~ -2.5 +/- 0.2. We find that the M31 bulge light is mostly dominant over the range R_minor < 1.2 kpc. The disk takes over in the range 1.2 kpc < R_minor < 9 kpc, whereas the halo dominates at R_minor > 9 kpc. The stellar nucleus, bulge, disk, and halo components each contribute roughly 0.05%, 23%, 73% and 4% of the total light of M31 out to 200 kpc along the minor axis. Nominal errors for the structural parameters of the M31 bulge, disk and halo amount to 20%. If M31 and the Milky Way are at all typical, faint stellar halos should be routinely detected in galaxy surveys reaching below mu_i ~ 27 mag/arcsec^2. We stress that our results rely on this photometric analysis alone. Structural parameters may change when other fundamental constraints, such as those provided by abundance gradients and stellar kinematics, are considered simultaneously (Abridged).

AN EMERGING CLASS OF BRIGHT, FAST-EVOLVING SUPERNOVAE WITH LOW-MASS EJECTA

A recent analysis of supernova (SN) 2002bj revealed that it was an apparently unique type Ib SN. It showed a high peak luminosity, with absolute magnitude M_R -18.5, but an extremely fast-evolving light curve. It had a rise time of <7 days followed by a decline of 0.25 mag per day in B-band, and showed evidence for very low mass of ejecta (<0.15 M_Sun). Here we discuss two additional historical events, SN 1885A and SN 1939B, showing similarly fast light curves and low ejected masses. We discuss the low mass of ejecta inferred from our analysis of the SN 1885A remnant in M31, and present for the first time the spectrum of SN 1939B. The old environments of both SN 1885A (in the bulge of M31) and SN 1939B (in an elliptical galaxy with no traces of star formation activity), strongly support old white dwarf progenitors for these SNe. We find no clear evidence for helium in the spectrum of SN 1939B, as might be expected from a helium-shell detonation on a white dwarf, suggested to be the origin of SN 2002bj. Finally, the discovery of all the observed fast-evolving SNe in nearby galaxies suggests that the rate of these peculiar SNe is at least 1-2 % of all SNe.

THE DEEPESTHUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPECOLOR-MAGNITUDE DIAGRAM OF M32. EVIDENCE FOR INTERMEDIATE-AGE POPULATIONS

We present the deepest optical color-magnitude diagram (CMD) to date of the local elliptical galaxy M32. We have obtained F435W and F555W photometry based on HST ACS/HRC images for a region 110" from the center of M32 and a background field about 320" away from M32 center. Due to the high resolution of our Nyquist-sampled images, the small photometric errors, and the depth of our data we obtain the most detailed resolved photometric study of M32 yet. Deconvolution of HST images proves to be superior than other standard methods to derive stellar photometry on extremely crowded HST images. The location of the strong red clump in the CMD suggests a mean age between 8 and 10 Gyr for [Fe/H] = -0.2 in M32. We detect for the first time a red giant branch bump and an asymptotic giant branch bump in M32 which indicate that the mean age of M32's dominant population at ~2' from its center is between 5 and 10 Gyr. We see evidence of an intermediate-age population in M32 mainly due to the presence of bright asymptotic giant branch stars. Our detection of a blue component of stars (blue plume) may indicate for the first time the presence of a young stellar population, with ages of the order of 0.5 Gyr, in our M32 field. However, it is likely that the brighter stars of this blue plume belong to the disk of M31 rather than to M32. The fainter stars populating the blue plume indicate the presence of stars not younger than 1 Gyr and/or blue straggler stars in M32. M32's dominant population of 8--10 Gyr implies a formation redshift of 1 < z_f < 2, precisely when observations of the specific star formation rates and models of "downsizing" imply galaxies of M32's mass ought to be forming their stars. Our CMD therefore provides a "ground-truth" of downsizing scenarios at z=0. Our background field data represent the deepest optical observations yet of the inner disk and bulge of M31. [Abridged]

Difference image photometry with bright variable backgrounds

Over the last two decades the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) has been something of a test-bed for methods aimed at obtaining accurate time-domain relative photometry within highly crowded fields. Difference imaging methods, originally pioneered towards M31, have evolved into sophisticated methods, such as the Optimal Image Subtraction (OIS) method of Alard & Lupton (1998), that today are most widely used to survey variable stars, transients and microlensing events in our own Galaxy. We show that modern difference image (DIA) algorithms such as OIS, whilst spectacularly successful towards the Milky Way bulge, may perform badly towards high surface brightness targets such as the M31 bulge. Poor results can occur in the presence of common systematics which add spurious flux contributions to images, such as internal reflections, scattered light or fringing. Using data from the Angstrom Project microlensing survey of the M31 bulge, we show that very good results are usually obtainable by first performing careful photometric alignment prior to using OIS to perform point-spread function (PSF) matching. This separation of background matching and PSF matching, a common feature of earlier M31 photometry techniques, allows us to take full advantage of the powerful PSF matching flexibility offered by OIS towards high surface brightness targets. We find that difference images produced this way have noise distributions close to Gaussian, showing significant improvement upon results achieved using OIS alone. We show that with this correction light-curves of variable stars and transients can be recovered to within ~10 arcseconds of the M31 nucleus. Our method is simple to implement and is quick enough to be incorporated within real-time DIA pipelines. (Abridged)

X-RAY EMISSION FROM THE SOMBRERO GALAXY: DISCRETE SOURCES

We present a study of discrete X-ray sources in and around the bulge-dominated, massive Sa galaxy, Sombrero (M104), based on new and archival Chandra observations with a total exposure of ~200 ks. With a detection limit of L_X = 1E37 erg/s and a field of view covering a galactocentric radius of ~30 kpc (11.5 arcminute), 383 sources are detected. Cross-correlation with Spitler et al.'s catalogue of Sombrero globular clusters (GCs) identified from HST/ACS observations reveals 41 X-rays sources in GCs, presumably low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs). We quantify the differential luminosity functions (LFs) for both the detected GC and field LMXBs, whose power-low indices (~1.1 for the GC-LF and ~1.6 for field-LF) are consistent with previous studies for elliptical galaxies. With precise sky positions of the GCs without a detected X-ray source, we further quantify, through a fluctuation analysis, the GC LF at fainter luminosities down to 1E35 erg/s. The derived index rules out a faint-end slope flatter than 1.1 at a 2 sigma significance, contrary to recent findings in several elliptical galaxies and the bulge of M31. On the other hand, the 2-6 keV unresolved emission places a tight constraint on the field LF, implying a flattened index of ~1.0 below 1E37 erg/s. We also detect 101 sources in the halo of Sombrero. The presence of these sources cannot be interpreted as galactic LMXBs whose spatial distribution empirically follows the starlight. Their number is also higher than the expected number of cosmic AGNs (52+/-11 [1 sigma]) whose surface density is constrained by deep X-ray surveys. We suggest that either the cosmic X-ray background is unusually high in the direction of Sombrero, or a distinct population of X-ray sources is present in the halo of Sombrero.

X-ray spectroscopy of the hot gas in the M31 bulge

We present an X-ray spectroscopic study of the nuclear region of the M31 bulge, based on observations of the Xmm-Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometers. The obtained high-resolution grating spectra clearly show individual emission lines of highly-ionized iron and oxygen, which unambiguously confirm the presence of diffuse hot gas in the bulge, as indicated from previous X-ray CCD imaging studies. We model the spectra with detailed Monte-Carlo simulations, which provide a robust spectroscopic estimate of the hot gas temperature $\sim0.29$ keV and the O/Fe ratio $\sim0.3$ solar. The results indicate that iron ejecta of type Ia supernovae are partly-mixed with the hot gas. The observed spectra show an intensity excess at the OVII triplet, which most likely represents emission from charge exchanges at the interface between the hot gas and a known cool gas spiral in the same nuclear region.

Unresolved X-ray emission in M31 and constraints on progenitors of classical novae

We investigate unresolved X-ray emission from M31 based on an extensive set of archival XMM-Newton and Chandra data. We show that extended emission, found previously in the bulge and thought to be associated with a large number of faint compact sources, extends to the disk of the galaxy with similar X-ray to K-band luminosity ratio. We also detect excess X-ray emission associated with the 10-kpc star-forming ring. The L_X/SFR ratio in the 0.5-2 keV band ranges from zero to ~1.8 x 10^38 (erg/s)/(M_sun/yr), excluding the regions near the minor axis of the galaxy where it is ~1.5-2 times higher. The latter is likely associated with warm ionized gas of the galactic wind rather than with the star-forming ring itself. Based on this data, we constrain the nature of Classical Nova (CN) progenitors. We use the fact that hydrogen-rich material, required to trigger the explosion, accumulates on the white dwarf surface via accretion. Depending on the type of the system, the energy of accretion may be radiated at X-ray energies, thus contributing to the unresolved X-ray emission. Based on the CN rate in the bulge of M31 and its X-ray surface brightness, we show that no more than ~10 per cent of CNe can be produced in magnetic cataclysmic variables, the upper limit being ~3 per cent for parameters typical for CN progenitors. In dwarf novae, >~90-95 per cent of the material must be accreted during outbursts, when the emission spectrum is soft, and only a small fraction in quiescent periods, characterized by rather hard spectra.

Warm ionized ISM in the bulge of Andromeda galaxy

AbstractWe demonstrate that unresolved X-ray emission from the bulge of M31 is composed of at least three different components: (i) Broad-band emission from a large number of faint sources – mainly accreting white dwarfs and active binaries, associated with the old stellar population, similar to the Galactic Ridge X-ray emission of the Milky Way. (ii) Soft emission from ionized gas with temperature of about ~ 300 eV and mass of ~ 4 × 106 M⊙. The gas distribution is significantly elongated along the minor axis of the galaxy suggesting that it may be outflowing in the direction perpendicular to the galactic disk. The shadows cast on the gas by spiral arms and the 10-kpc star-forming ring confirm large off-plane extent of the gas. (iii) Hard unresolved emission from spiral arms, most likely associated with protostars and young stellar objects located in the star-forming regions.

RR LYRAE VARIABLES IN TWO FIELDS IN THE SPHEROID OF M31

We present Hubble Space Telescope observations taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys Wide Field Channel of two fields near M32 - between four and six kpc from the center of M31. The data cover a time baseline sufficient for the identification and characterization of 681 RR Lyrae variables of which 555 are ab-type and 126 are c-type. The mean magnitude of these stars is <V>=25.29 +/- 0.05 where the uncertainty combines both the random and systematic errors. The location of the stars in the Bailey Diagram and the ratio of c-type RR Lyraes to all types are both closer to RR Lyraes in Oosterhoff type I globular clusters in the Milky Way as compared with Oosterhoff II clusters. The mean periods of the ab-type and c-type RR Lyraes are <P(ab)>=0.557 +/- 0.003 and <P(c)>=0.327 +/- 0.003, respectively, where the uncertainties in each case represent the standard error of the mean. When the periods and amplitudes of the ab-type RR Lyraes in our sample are interpreted in terms of metallicity, we find the metallicity distribution function to be indistinguishable from a Gaussian with a peak at <[Fe/H]>=-1.50 +/- 0.02, where the quoted uncertainty is the standard error of the mean. Using a relation between RR Lyrae luminosity and metallicity along with a reddening of E(B-V) = 0.08 +/- 0.03, we find a distance modulus of (m-M)o=24.46 +/- 0.11 for M31. We examine the radial metallicity gradient in the environs of M31 using published values for the bulge and halo of M31 as well as the abundances of its dwarf spheroidal companions and globular clusters. In this context, we conclude that the RR Lyraes in our two fields are more likely to be halo objects rather than associated with the bulge or disk of M31, in spite of the fact that they are located at 4-6 kpc in projected distance from the center.

Unresolved emission and ionized gas in the bulge of M31

We study the origin of unresolved X-ray emission from the bulge of M31 based on archival Chandra and XMM-Newton observations. We demonstrate that three different components are present. (i) Broad-band emission from a large number of faint sources - mainly accreting white dwarfs and active binaries, associated with the old stellar population, similar to the Galactic ridge X-ray emission of the Milky Way. The X-ray to K-band luminosity ratios are compatible with those for the Milky Way and for M32; in the 2-10 keV band, the ratio is (3.6 ± 0.2) x 10 27 erg s -1 L -1 ⊙ . (ii) Soft emission from ionized gas with a temperature of about ∼300 eV and a mass of ∼2 x 10 6 M ⊙ . The gas distribution is significantly extended along the minor axis of the galaxy, suggesting that it may be outflowing in the direction perpendicular to the galactic disc. The mass and energy supply from evolved stars and Type Ia supemovae is sufficient to sustain the outflow. We also detect a shadow cast on the gas emission by spiral arms and the 10-kpc star-forming ring, confirming significant extent of the gas in the 'vertical' direction. (iii) Hard extended emission from spiral arms, most likely associated with young stellar objects and young stars located in the star-forming regions. The L x /SFR (star formation rate) ratio equals ∼9 x 10 38 (erg s -1 )(Mz yr -1 ) -1 , which is about ∼1/3 of the high-mass X-ray binary contribution, determined earlier from Chandra observations of other nearby galaxies.

An analysis of the M31 microlensing events

We discuss the results obtained so far by microlensing towards the Andromeda galaxy. In particular, we focus on the events detected by the POINT-AGAPE and MEGA collaborations. The POINT-AGAPE collaboration concluded that at least 20% of the halo mass in the direction of M31 should be in the form of MACHOs, whereas the MEGA collaboration, although finding more events, claimed that their result is compatible with all events being due to self-lensing. We consider the spatial and time-duration distributions of the microlensing events for several mass distribution models of the M31 bulge. We find that only for extreme models of theM31 luminous components it is possible to reconcile the total observed MEGA events with the expected selflensing contribution. Moreover, the expected spatial distribution of self-lensing events is more concentrated and hardly agrees with the distribution observed by the MEGA collaboration. Nevertheless, the small number of events at disposal so far does not allow to draw firm conclusions on the halo dark matter fraction in the form of MACHOs.

SPECTROSCOPY OF BRIGHT EXTRAGALACTIC PLANETARY NEBULAE

The spectroscopic properties of bright extragalactic planetary nebulae are reviewed, considering primarily their chemical abundances and their internal kinematics. Low-resolution spectroscopy is used to investigate how the precursor stars of bright planetary nebulae modify their original composition through nucleosynthesis and dredge up. At present, the evidence indicates that oxygen and neon abundances usually remain unchanged, helium abundances are typically enhanced by less than 50%, while nitrogen enhancements span a very wide range. Interpreting these changes in terms of the masses of their progenitor stars implies that the progenitor stars typically have masses or order <TEX>$1.5M_{\bigodot}$</TEX> or less, though no models satisfactorily explain the nitrogen enrichment. High-resolution spectroscopy is used to study the internal kinematics of bright planetary nebulae in Local Group galaxies. At first sight, the expansion velocities are remarkably uniform, with a typical expansion velocity of 18 km/s and a range of 8-28 km/s, independent of the progenitor stellar population. Upon closer examination, bright planetary nebulae in the bulge of M31 expand slightly faster than their counterparts in M31's disk, a result that may extend generally to the planetary nebulae arising from old and young stellar populations. There are no very strong correlations between expansion velocity and global nebular properties, except that there are no large expansion velocities at the highest <TEX>$H{\beta}$</TEX> luminosities (i.e., the youngest objects never expand rapidly). These results independently suggest that bright planetary nebulae arise from a similar mass range in all galaxies. Nonetheless, there are good reasons to believe that bright planetary nebulae do not arise from identical progenitor stars in all galaxies.

Chandra Detection of Diffuse Hot Gas in and around the M31 Bulge

We report the detection of diffuse hot gas in M31, using archival Chandra observations that allow us to map out a 30' × 30' field (covering a galactocentric radius up to 4.5 kpc) and to detect sources in the galaxy down to a 0.5-8 keV luminosity limit of ~1035 ergs s-1. We estimate the remaining stellar contribution from fainter X-ray sources (primarily cataclysmic variables and coronally active binaries), assuming that they spatially follow the stellar distribution. Indeed, the near-IR K-band light of the galaxy closely traces the 2-8 keV unresolved X-rays, indicating a collective stellar X-ray emissivity consistent with those determined for the Galactic ridge and M32, whereas the amount of the 0.5-2 keV unresolved emission is significantly greater than the expected stellar contribution, especially within a galactocentric radius of ~2 kpc. Morphologically, this soft X-ray excess appears substantially rounder than the bulge as seen in K band and is elongated approximately along the minor-axis at large radii. The excess thus most likely represents the emission of diffuse hot gas in and around the galactic bulge. Furthermore, the near side of the M31 disk casts an apparent shadow against the soft X-ray excess, indicating that the hot gas extends to at least 2.5 kpc from the galactic plane. We briefly discuss the implications of these results on the energy balance in the M31 bulge and on understanding the large-scale soft X-ray enhancement observed toward the inner region of our own Galaxy.

The dynamical formation of LMXBs in dense stellar environments: globular clusters and the inner bulge of M31

The radial distribution of luminous (L x > 10 36 ergs -1 ) X-ray point sources in the bulge of M31 is investigated using archival Chandra observations. We find a significant increase in the specific frequency of X-ray sources, per unit stellar mass, within 1 arcmin from the centre of the galaxy. The radial distribution of surplus sources in this region follows the p2 law, suggesting that they are low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) formed dynamically in the dense inner bulge. We investigate dynamical formation of LMXBs, paying particular attention to the high-velocity regime characteristic for galactic bulges, which has not been explored previously. Our calculations suggest that the majority of the surplus sources are formed in tidal captures of black holes by main-sequence stars of low mass, M*≤ 0.3-0.4 M ⊙ , with some contribution of neutron star (NS) systems of same type. Due to the small size of the accretion discs, a fraction of such systems may be persistent X-ray sources. Some of the sources may be ultracompact X-ray binaries with helium star/white dwarf companions. We also predict a large number of faint transients, both NS and BH systems, within ∼1 arcmin from the M31 galactic centre. Finally, we consider the population of dynamically formed binaries in Galactic globular clusters, emphasizing the differences between these two types of stellar environments.

Galactic bulges: overview

AbstractThis overview of galactic bulges begins with a discussion of the various kinds of bulges (classical, boxy/peanut-shaped, pseudo) and their likely formation mechanisms. Other specific topics include the Galactic bar/bulge and its chemical evolution, the bulge of M31, the relation between bulges and metal-poor halos (often lumped together as spheroids), the morphology-density relation and the formation of S0 galaxies, the color-structure bimodality, and scaling laws for bulges. Finally I will briefly discuss the current difficulty of forming bulgeless disk galaxies in ΛCDM.

The Chemical Distribution in a Subluminous Type Ia Supernova:Hubble Space TelescopeImages of the SN 1885 Remnant

SN 1885 was a probable subluminous SN Ia that occurred in the bulge of the Andromeda galaxy, M31, at a projected location 16'' from the nucleus. Here we present and analyze Hubble Space Telescope images of the SN 1885 remnant seen in absorption against the M31 bulge via the resonance lines of Ca I, Ca II, Fe I, and Fe II. Viewed in Ca II H and K line absorption, the remnant appears as a nearly black circular spot with an outermost angular radius of 0.40'' ± 0.025'', implying a maximum linear radius of 1.52 ± 0.15 pc at M31's estimated distance of 785 ± 30 kpc and hence a 120 yr average expansion velocity of 12,400 ± 1400 km s-1. The strongest Ca II absorption is organized in a broken ring structure with a radius of 0.2'' (=6000 km s-1) with several apparent absorption "clumps" of an angular size around that of the image pixel scale of 0.05'' (=1500 km s-1). Ca I and Fe I absorption structures appear similar except for a small Fe I absorption peak displaced 0.1'' off-center of the Ca II structure by a projected velocity of about 3000 km s-1. Analyses of these images using off-center, delayed-detonation models suggest a low 56Ni production similar to the subluminous SN Ia explosion of SN 1986G. The strongly lopsided images of Ca I and Fe I can be understood as resulting from an aspherical chemical distribution, with the best agreement found using an off-center model viewed from an inclination of ~60°. The images require a central region of no or little Ca but with iron group elements indicative for burning under sufficiently high densities for electron capture to take place, i.e., burning prior to a significant preexpansion of the WD.