Photometric Center Research Articles

J-PLUS: Detecting and studying extragalactic globular clusters

Context. Extragalactic globular clusters (GCs) are key objects in studies of galactic histories. The advent of wide-field surveys, such as the Javalambre Photometric Local Universe Survey (J-PLUS), offers new possibilities for the study of these systems. Aims. We performed the first study of GCs in J-PLUS to recover information on the history of NGC 1023, taking advantage of wide-field images and 12 filters. Methods. We developed the semiautomatic pipeline GCFinder for detecting GC candidates in J-PLUS images, which can also be adapted to similar surveys. We studied the stellar population properties of a sub-sample of GC candidates using spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting. Results. We found 523 GC candidates in NGC 1023, about 300 of which are new. We identified subpopulations of GC candidates, where age and metallicity distributions have multiple peaks. By comparing our results with the simulations, we report a possible broad age-metallicity relation, supporting the notion that NGC 1023 has experienced accretion events in the past. With a dominating age peak at 1010 yr, we report a correlation between masses and ages that suggests that massive GC candidates are more likely to survive the turbulent history of the host galaxy. Modeling the light of NGC 1023, we find two spiral-like arms and detect a displacement of the galaxy’s photometric center with respect to the outer isophotes and center of GC distribution (~700pc and ~1600pc, respectively), which could be the result of ongoing interactions between NGC 1023 and NGC 1023A. Conclusions. By studying the GC system of NGC 1023 with J-PLUS, we showcase the power of multi-band surveys for these kinds of studies and we find evidence to support the complex accretion history of the host galaxy.

Astrometric gravitational-wave detection via stellar interferometry

We evaluate the potential for gravitational-wave (GW) detection in the frequency band from 10 nHz to $1\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{Hz}$ using extremely high-precision astrometry of a small number of stars. In particular, we argue that nonmagnetic, photometrically stable, hot white dwarfs (WD) located at $\ensuremath{\sim}\mathrm{kpc}$ distances may be optimal targets for this approach. Previous studies of astrometric GW detection have focused on the potential for less precise surveys of large numbers of stars; our work provides an alternative optimization approach to this problem. Interesting GW sources in this band are expected at characteristic strains around ${h}_{c}\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}17}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}(\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{Hz}/{f}_{\mathrm{GW}})$. The astrometric angular precision required to see these sources is $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}\ensuremath{\theta}\ensuremath{\sim}{h}_{c}$ after integrating for a time $T\ensuremath{\sim}1/{f}_{\mathrm{GW}}$. We show that jitter in the photometric center of WD of this type due to starspots is bounded to be small enough to permit this high-precision, small-$N$ approach. We discuss possible noise arising from stellar reflex motion induced by orbiting objects and show how it can be mitigated. The only plausible technology able to achieve the requisite astrometric precision is a space-based stellar interferometer. Such a future mission with few-meter-scale collecting dishes and baselines of $\mathcal{O}(100\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{km})$ is sufficient to achieve the target precision. This collector size is broadly in line with the collectors proposed for some formation-flown, space-based astrometer or optical synthetic-aperture imaging-array concepts proposed for other science reasons. The proposed baseline is however somewhat larger than the km-scale baselines discussed for those concepts, but we see no fundamental technical obstacle to utilizing such baselines. A mission of this type thus also holds the promise of being one of the few ways to access interesting GW sources in this band.

First direct dynamical detection of a dual supermassive black hole system at sub-kiloparsec separation

We investigated whether the two recently discovered nuclei in NGC 7727 both host a super-massive black hole (SMBH). We used the high spatial resolution mode of the integral-field spectrograph MUSE on the VLT in adaptive optics mode to resolve the stellar kinematics within the sphere of influence of both putative black holes. We combined the kinematic data with an HST-based mass model and used Jeans models to measure their SMBH mass. We report the discovery of a dual SMBH system in NGC 7727. We detect a SMBH in the photometric center of the galaxy in Nucleus 1, with a mass of MSMBH = 1.54−0.15+0.18 × 108 M⊙. In the second nucleus, which is 500 pc offset from the main nucleus, we also find a clear signal for a SMBH with a mass of MBH = 6.33−1.40+3.32 × 106 M⊙. Both SMBHs are detected at high significance. The off-axis nature of Nucleus 2 makes modeling the system challenging; however, a number of robustness tests suggest that a black hole is required to explain the observed kinematics. The SMBH in the offset Nucleus 2 makes up 3.0% of its total mass, which means its SMBH is over-massive compared to the MBH − MBulge scaling relation. This confirms it as the surviving nuclear star cluster of a galaxy that has merged with NGC 7727. This discovery is the first dynamically confirmed dual SMBH system with a projected separation of less than a kiloparsec and the nearest dynamically confirmed dual SMBH at a distance of 27.4 Mpc. The second Nucleus is in an advanced state of inspiral, and it will eventually result in a 1:24 mass ratio SMBH merger. Optical emission lines suggest Nucleus 2 is a Seyfert galaxy, making it a low-luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei. There are likely many more quiescent SMBHs as well as dual SMBH pairs in the local Universe that have been missed by surveys that focus on bright accretion signatures.

A deep view into the nucleus of the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy: M54

AbstractNuclear star clusters hosted by dwarf galaxies exhibit similar characteristics to high-mass, metal complex globular clusters. This type of globular clusters could, therefore, be former nuclei from accreted galaxies. M54 resides in the photometric center of the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy, at a distance where resolving stars is possible. M54 offers the opportunity to study a nucleus before the stripping of their host by the tidal field effects of the Milky Way. We use a MUSE data set to perform a detailed analysis of over 6600 stars. We characterize the stars by metallicity, age, and kinematics, identifying the presence of three stellar populations: a young metal-rich (YMR), an intermediate-age metal-rich (IMR), and an old metal-poor (OMP). The evidence suggests that the OMP population is the result of accretion of globular clusters in the center of the host, while the YMR population was born in-situ in the center of the OMP population.

An Expanded Chemo-dynamical Sample of Red Giants in the Bar of the Large Magellanic Cloud

Abstract We report new spectroscopic observations obtained with the Michigan/Magellan Fiber System of 308 red giants (RGs) located in two fields near the photometric center of the bar of the Large Magellanic Cloud. This sample consists of 131 stars observed in previous studies (in one field) and 177 newly observed stars (in the second field) selected specifically to more reliably establish the metallicity and age distributions of the bar. For each star, we measure its heliocentric line-of-sight velocity, surface gravity, and metallicity from its high-resolution spectrum (effective temperatures come from photometric colors). The spectroscopic Hertzsprung–Russell diagrams—modulo small offsets in surface gravities—reveal good agreement with model isochrones. The mean metallicity of the 177-RG sample is [Fe/H] = −0.76 ± 0.02 with a metallicity dispersion σ = 0.28 ± 0.03. The corresponding metallicity distribution—corrected for selection effects—is well fitted by two Gaussian components: one metal-rich with a mean −0.66 ± 0.02 and a standard deviation 0.17 ± 0.01, and the other metal-poor with −1.20 ± 0.24 and 0.41 ± 0.06. The metal-rich and metal-poor populations contain approximately 85% and 15% of stars, respectively. We also confirm that the velocity dispersion in the bar center decreases significantly from 31.2 ± 4.3 to 18.7 ± 1.9 km s−1 with increasing metallicity over the range −2.09 to −0.38. Individual stellar masses are estimated using the spectroscopic surface gravities and the known luminosities. We find that lower mass, hence older, RGs have larger metallicity dispersion and lower mean metallicity than the higher-mass, younger RGs. The estimated masses, however, extend to implausibly low values ( ), making it impossible to obtain an absolute age–metallicity or age distribution of the bar.

Spectrophotometric monitoring of nitrite in seawater after liquid microextraction of its derivative with 2,3-diaminonaphthalene

A simple dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic droplets coupled with spectrophotometric detection was developed for the determination of nitrite in Chabahar Bay seawater. In the preparation procedure, 2,3-diaminonaphthalene as derivatization reagent reacts with nitrite in acidic medium to form a photometric center of 1-[H]-naphthotriazole (NAT). Product material (NAT) was extracted by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction with 1-dodecanol as extraction solvent and after centrifugation, the floated droplet was solidified in an ice bath and was easily removed for analysis at λmax = 358 nm. Several important factors affecting the microextraction efficiency were optimized in artificial seawater as a best simulation media. Under the optimum conditions, the absorbance of NAT was linear with nitrite concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 11 μg/mL in seawater. Figures of merit of method such as enrichment factor (52), limit of detection (0.094 μg/mL), and repeatability (N = 6, %RSD = % 5) were evaluated as appropriate. Determination of nitrite in Chabahar coastal zone showed that nitrite concentration varied in the range of 0.77–1.76 μg/mL with an increase of concentration from South to the North of Bay.

TIDALLY INDUCED OFFSET DISKS IN MAGELLANIC SPIRAL GALAXIES

ABSTRACT Magellanic spiral galaxies are a class of one-armed systems that often exhibit an offset stellar bar and are rarely found around massive spiral galaxies. Using a set of N-body and hydrodynamic simulations, we consider a dwarf–dwarf galaxy interaction as the driving mechanism for the formation of this peculiar class of systems. We investigate here the relation between the dynamical, stellar, and gaseous disk center and the bar. In all our simulations the bar center always coincides with the dynamical center, while the stellar disk becomes highly asymmetric during the encounter, causing the photometric center of the Magellanic galaxy disk to become mismatched with both the bar and the dynamical center. The disk asymmetries persist for almost 2 Gyr, the time that it takes for the disk to be recentered with the bar, and well after the companion has passed. This explains the nature of the offset bar found in many Magellanic-type galaxies, including the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and NGC 3906. In particular, these results, once applied to the LMC, suggest that the dynamical center should reside in the bar center instead of the H i center as previously assumed, pointing to a variation in the current estimate of the north component of the LMC proper motion.

THE ODD OFFSET BETWEEN THE GALACTIC DISK AND ITS BAR IN NGC 3906

We use mid-infrared 3.6 and 4.5microns imaging of NGC 3906 from the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S4G) to understand the nature of an unusual offset between its stellar bar and the photometric center of an otherwise regular, circular outer stellar disk. We measure an offset of ~720 pc between the center of the stellar bar and photometric center of the stellar disk; the bar center coincides with the kinematic center of the disk determined from previous HI observations. Although the undisturbed shape of the disk suggests that NGC 3906 has not undergone a significant merger event in its recent history, the most plausible explanation for the observed offset is an interaction. Given the relatively isolated nature of NGC 3906 this interaction could be with dark matter sub structure in the galaxy's halo or from a recent interaction with a fast moving neighbor which remains to be identified. Simulations aimed at reproducing the observed offset between the stellar bar / kinematic center of the system and the photometric center of the disk are necessary to confirm this hypothesis and constrain the interaction history of the galaxy.

Kinematics and mass modelling of M33: Hα observations

As part of a long-term project to revisit the kinematics and dynamics of the large disc galaxies of the Local Group, we present the first deep, wide-field (42' x 56') 3D-spectroscopic survey of the ionized gas disc of Messier 33. Fabry-Perot interferometry has been used to map its Ha distribution and kinematics at unprecedented angular resolution (<3'') and resolving power (12600), with the 1.6m telescope at the Observatoire du Mont Megantic. The ionized gas distribution follows a complex, large-scale spiral structure, unsurprisingly coincident with the already-known spiral structures of the neutral and molecular gas discs. The kinematical analysis of the velocity field shows that the rotation center of the Ha disc is distant from the photometric center by 170 pc (sky projected distance) and that the kinematical major-axis position angle and disc inclination are in excellent agreement with photometric values. The Ha rotation curve agrees very well with the HI rotation curves for 0 < R < 6.5 kpc, but the Ha velocities are 10-20 km/s higher for R > 6.5 kpc. The reason for this discrepancy is not well understood. The velocity dispersion profile is relatively flat around 16 km/s, which is at the low end of velocity dispersions of nearby star-forming galactic discs. A strong relation is also found between the Ha velocity dispersion and the Ha intensity. Mass models were obtained using the Ha rotation curve but, as expected, the dark matter halo's parameters are not very well constrained since the optical rotation curve only extends out to 8 kpc.

Ionized gas kinematics of galaxies in the CALIFA survey

This work provides an overall characterization of the kinematic behavior of the ionized gas of the galaxies included in the Calar Alto Legacy Integral field Area (CALIFA), offering kinematic clues to potential users of this survey for including kinematical criteria for specific studies. From the first 200 galaxies observed by CALIFA, we present the 2D kinematic view of the 177 galaxies satisfying a gas detection threshold. After removing the stellar contribution, we used the cross-correlation technique to obtain the radial velocity of the dominant gaseous component. The main kinematic parameters were directly derived from the radial velocities with no assumptions on the internal motions. Evidence of the presence of several gaseous components with different kinematics were detected by using [OIII] profiles. Most objects in the sample show regular velocity fields, although the ionized-gas kinematics are rarely consistent with simple coplanar circular motions. 35% of the objects present evidence of a displacement between the photometric and kinematic centers larger than the original spaxel radii. Only 17% of the objects in the sample exhibit kinematic lopsidedness when comparing receding and approaching sides of the velocity fields, but most of them are interacting galaxies exhibiting nuclear activity. Early-type galaxies in the sample present clear photometric-kinematic misaligments. There is evidence of asymmetries in the emission line profiles suggesting the presence of kinematically distinct gaseous components at different distances from the nucleus. This work constitutes the first determination of the ionized gas kinematics of the galaxies observed in the CALIFA survey. The derived velocity fields, the reported kinematic peculiarities and the identification of the presence of several gaseous components might be used as additional criteria for selecting galaxies for specific studies.

AN OFF-CENTERED ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS IN NGC 3115

NGC 3115 is an S0 galaxy that has always been considered to have a pure absorption-line spectrum. Some recent studies have detected a compact radio-emitting nucleus in this object, coinciding with the photometric center and with a candidate for the X-ray nucleus. This is evidence of the existence of a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (AGN) in the galaxy, although no emission line has ever been observed. We report the detection of an emission-line spectrum of a type 1 AGN in NGC 3115, with an H$\alpha$ luminosity of $L_{H\alpha} = (4.2 \pm 0.4) \times 10^{37}$ erg s$^{-1}$. Our analysis revealed that this AGN is located at a projected distance of $\sim 0.29" \pm 0.05"$ (corresponding to $\sim 14.3 \pm 2.5$ pc) from the stellar bulge center, which is coincident with the kinematic center of this object's stellar velocity map. The black hole corresponding to the observed off-centered AGN may form a binary system with a black hole located at the stellar bulge center. However, it is also possible that the displaced black hole is the merged remnant of the binary system coalescence, after the "kick" caused by the asymmetric emission of gravitational waves. We propose that certain features in the stellar velocity dispersion map are the result of perturbations caused by the off-centered AGN.

Limits on intermediate-mass black holes in six Galactic globular clusters with integral-field spectroscopy

The formation of supermassive black holes at high redshift still remains a puzzle to astronomers. Their growth becomes reasonable only when starting from a massive seed black hole with mass of the order of 10^2 - 10^5 M_SUN. Intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) are therefore an important field of research. Especially the possibility of finding them in the centers of globular clusters has recently drawn attention. The search for IMBHs in the centers of globular clusters could therefore shed light on the process of black-hole formation and cluster evolution. We are investigating six galactic globular clusters for the presence of an IMBH at their centers. Based on their kinematic and photometric properties, we selected the globular clusters NGC 1851, NGC 1904 (M79), NGC 5694, NGC 5824, NGC 6093 (M80) and NGC 6266 (M62). We use integral field spectroscopy in order to obtain the central velocity-dispersion profile of each cluster. We compute the cluster photometric center and the surface brightness profile using HST data. After combining these datasets we compare them to analytic Jeans models. We use varying M/L_V profiles for clusters with enough data points in order to reproduce their kinematic profiles in an optimal way. Finally, we vary the mass of the central black hole and test whether the cluster is better fitted with or without an IMBH. We present the statistical significance, including upper limits, of the black-hole mass for each cluster. NGC 1904 and NGC 6266 provide the highest significance for a black hole. Jeans models in combination with a M/L_V profile obtained from N-body simulations (in the case of NGC 6266) predict a central black hole of M_BH = (3 +- 1) x 10^3 M_SUN for NGC 1904 and M_BH = (2 +- 1) x 10^3 M_SUN for NGC 6266. Furthermore, we discuss the possible influence of dark remnants and mass segregation at the center of the cluster on the detection of an IMBH.

THE STELLAR KINEMATIC CENTER AND THE TRUE GALACTIC NUCLEUS OF NGC 253

We present the first sub-arcsecond resolution two-dimensional stellar kinematics and X-ray observations of the prototypical starburst galaxy NGC253 which define the position and nature of the galactic nucleus. We get an estimate of the stellar kinematic center location corresponding to an area of r~1.2" centered 0.7" southwest from the radio core (TH2). Newly processed Chandra data reveal a central hard X-ray source (X-1) lying 0.4" southwest from the kinematic center. Very accurate alignment between radio, infrared and X-ray sources shows that TH2, the IR photometric center and X-1 are not associated with each other. As the kinematic center is consistent with TH2 and X-1, we consider the two as possible galactic nucleus candidates. Although TH2 is the strongest radio source in the nuclear region, it does not have any infrared, optical or X-ray counterparts. If the kinematic center is associated with this source, by analogy we suggest that the nucleus of NGC253 resembles our Galactic Center SgrA*. On the other hand, X-1 is a heavily absorbed object only detected at energies >2 keV. If X-1 is instead associated with the kinematic center, the nucleus of NGC253 is compatible with an obscured low luminosity active galactic nucleus (AGN) or a spatially resolved super star cluster (SSC) brightening up in X-rays most probably due to young supernovae or supernova remnants. If no SSC is associated with the kinematic center, we conclude that NGC253 is a galaxy in which a strong starburst and a weak AGN (either TH2 or X-1) coexist. Results from few other high resolution studies of nearby starburst galaxies indicate that the AGN in these systems, if present, is always in the low luminosity regime. This may indicate that the onset of nuclear activity in galaxies is closely related with the occurrence of star formation, and that we are witnessing the emergence or disappearance of an AGN.

THE JET-DRIVEN OUTFLOW IN THE RADIO GALAXY SDSS J1517+3353: IMPLICATIONS FOR DOUBLE-PEAKED NARROW-LINE ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS

We report on the study of an intriguing active galaxy that was selected as a potential multiple supermassive black hole merger in the early-type host SDSS J151709.20+335324.7 (z=0.135). Ground-based SDSS imaging reveals two blue structures on either side of the photometric center of the host galaxy, separated from each other by about 5.7 kpc. The analysis of spatially resolved emission line profiles from a Keck/HIRES spectrum reveal three distinct kinematic subcomponents, one at rest and the other two moving at -350 km/s and 500 km/s with respect to the systemic velocity of the host galaxy. A comparison of imaging and spectral data confirm a strong association between the kinematic components and the spatial knots, which implies a highly disturbed and complex active region in this object. Subsequent VLA radio imaging reveals a clear jet aligned with the emission line gas, confirming that a jet-gas interaction is the best explanation for emission line region. We use the broadband radio measurements to examine the impact of the jet on the ISM of the host galaxy, and find that the energy in the radio lobes can heat a significant fraction of the gas to the virial temperature. Finally, we discuss tests that may help future surveys distinguish between jet-driven kinematics and true black-hole binaries. SDSS J151709.20+335324.7 is a remarkable laboratory for AGN feedback and warrants deeper follow-up study. In the Appendix, we present high-resolution radio imaging of a second AGN with double-peaked [O III] lines, SDSS J112939.78+605742.6, which shows a sub-arcsecond radio jet. If the double-peaked nature of the narrow lines in radio-loud AGN are generally due to radio jet interactions, we suggest that extended radio structure should be expected in most of such systems.

Photometric investigations of distant comets C/2002 VQ94 (LINEAR) and 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann-1

We present an analysis of the results of photometric investigations of two distant comets, C/2002 VQ94 (LINEAR) and 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1, obtained with the 6m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The comets under study demonstrate sufficient activity out of the zone of water ice sublimation (at heliocentric distances longer than 5 AU). In the spectra of the investigated comets, we found the CO+ and N2+ emission. The presence of this emission may say that the comets were formed in the outer parts of the Solar System, in a protoplanetary cloud at a temperature <=25 K. We found that the photometric maximum of the ionosphere (in the CO+ filter) of the comet C/2002 VQ94 (LINEAR) is shifted relative to the photometric center of the dust coma by 1.4 arcsec (7.44*10^3 km) in the direction deflected by 63 deg from the direction to the Sun. Using special filters to process the images, we picked out active structures (jets) in the dust coma of the 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 comet.

The nuclear star cluster of the Milky Way: proper motions and mass

Nuclear star clusters (NSCs) are located at the photometric and dynamical centers of the majority of galaxies. They are among the densest star clusters in the Universe. The NSC in the Milky Way is the only object of this class that can be resolved into individual stars. We measured the proper motions of more than 6000 stars within ~1.0 pc of the supermassive black hole Sgr A*. The full data set is provided in this work. We largely exclude the known early-type stars with their peculiar dynamical properties from the dynamical analysis. The cluster is found to rotate parallel to Galactic rotation, while the velocity dispersion appears isotropic (or anisotropy may be masked by the cluster rotation). The Keplerian fall-off of the velocity dispersion due to the point mass of Sgr A* is clearly detectable only at R <~ 0.3 pc. Nonparametric isotropic and anisotropic Jeans models are applied to the data. They imply a best-fit black hole mass of 3.6 (+0.2/-0.4) x 10^6 solar masses. Although this value is slightly lower than the current canonical value of 4.0x10^6 solar masses, this is the first time that a proper motion analysis provides a mass for Sagittarius A* that is consistent with the mass inferred from orbits of individual stars. The point mass of Sagittarius A* is not sufficient to explain the velocity data. In addition to the black hole, the models require the presence of an extended mass of 0.5-1.5x10^6 solar masses in the central parsec. This is the first time that the extended mass of the nuclear star cluster is unambiguously detected. The influence of the extended mass on the gravitational potential becomes notable at distances >~0.4 pc from Sgr A*. Constraints on the distribution of this extended mass are weak. The extended mass can be explained well by the mass of the stars that make up the cluster.

DYNAMICAL CENTERS AND NONCIRCULAR MOTIONS IN THINGS GALAXIES: IMPLICATIONS FOR DARK MATTER HALOS

We present harmonic decompositions of the velocity fields of 19 galaxies from The H i Nearby Galaxy Survey (THINGS) which quantify the magnitude of the noncircular motions in these galaxies and yield observational estimates of the elongations of the dark matter halo potentials. Additionally, we present accurate dynamical center positions for these galaxies. We show that the positions of the kinematic and photometric centers of the large majority of the galaxies in our sample are in good agreement. The median absolute amplitude of the noncircular motions, averaged over our sample, is 6.7 km s−1, with ∼90% of the galaxies having median noncircular motions of less than ∼9 km s−1. As a fraction of the total rotation velocity, this translates into 4.5% on average. The mean elongation of the gravitational potential, after a statistical correction for an unknown viewing angle, is 0.017 ± 0.020, which is consistent with a round potential. Our derived noncircular motions and elongations are smaller than what is needed to bring cold dark matter (CDM) simulations in agreement with the observations. In particular, the amplitudes of the noncircular motions are not high enough to hide the steep central mass–density profiles predicted by CDM simulations. We show that the amplitudes of the noncircular motions decrease toward lower luminosities and later Hubble types.

Caught in Formation: The Nuclear‐Cluster‐to‐Be in NGC 2139

Close to its center, the bulgeless galaxy NGC 2139 hosts a star cluster that is younger and less massive than any nuclear star cluster (NC) studied so far. We have measured the Hα velocity field around the photometric center of this galaxy using the VLT ARGUS integral field unit and the GIRAFFE spectrograph in order to constrain different proposed theories of NC formation. We observe that the best-fit kinematic center and the candidate NC appear to be separated by 2.8'' (320 pc). Indeed, the kinematic center is also offset from the galaxy's photometric center and a possible bar or extended region of star formation in which the young cluster resides, implying that this galaxy is not in dynamic equilibrium. The Hα flux map also reveals other regions of strong star formation in the possible bar. These observations suggest that a nascent NC is forming away from the kinematic center of NGC 2139, which may come to rest there on a timescale of a few 100 Myr.

OpticalBVIimaging and H I synthesis observations of the dwarf irregular Galaxy ESO 364-G029

As part of an effort to enlarge the number of well-studied Magellanic-type galaxies, we obtained broadband optical imaging and neutral hydrogen radio synthesis observations of the dwarf irregular galaxy ESO 364-G 029. The optical morphology characteristically shows a bar-like main body with a one-sided spiral arm, an approximately exponential light distribution, and offset photometric and kinematic centers. The HI distribution is mildly asymmetric and, although slightly offset from the photometric center, roughly follows the optical brightness distribution, extending to over 1.2 Holmberg radii (where mu_B = 26.5 mag/arcsec^2). In particular, the highest HI column densities closely follow the bar, one-arm spiral, and a third optical extension. The rotation is solid-body in the inner parts but flattens outside of the optical extent. The total HI flux F_HI = 23.1 pm 1.2 Jy km/s, yielding a total HI mass M_HI= (6.4 pm 1.7) x 10^8 Msun (for a distance D = 10.8 pm 1.4 Mpc) and a total HI mass-to-blue-luminosity ratio M_HI/L_B = (0.96 pm 0.14) Msun / Lsun,B (distance independent). The HI data suggest a very complex small-scale HI structure, with evidence of large shells and/or holes, but deeper observations are required for a detailed study. Follow-up observations are also desirable for a proper comparison with the Large Magellanic Cloud, where despite an optical morphology very similar to ESO 364-G 029 the HI bears little resemblance to the optical.

A lopsided chemically distinct nucleus in NGC 5055

Kinematics and stellar population properties in the center of nearby Sbc galaxy NGC 5055 are studied with the Multi-Pupil Spectrograph of the 6 m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of Russian Academy of Sciences (SAO RAS). We conrm the rotation and stellar velocity dispersion asymmetries along the major axis reported earlier by other authors. We have found a resolved chemically distinct core in NGC 5055, with the magnesium-enhanced region shifted by 2: 00 5 (100 pc) to the south-west from a photometric center, toward a kinematically identied circumnuclear stellar disk. Mean ages of stellar populations in the true nucleus, dened as the photometric center, and in the magnesium-enhanced substructure are coincident and equal to 3{4 Gyr being younger by several Gyr with respect to the bulge stellar population. A possible origin of the asymmetries in the center of NGC 5055 is discussed.