Thick disks of edge-on galaxies seen through the spitzer survey of stellar structure in galaxies (s 4 g): lair of missing baryons?

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dc.contributor.authorComerón, Sébastien
dc.contributor.authorElmegreen, Bruce G
dc.contributor.authorKnapen, Johan H
dc.contributor.authorSalo, Heikki
dc.contributor.authorLaurikainen, Eija
dc.contributor.authorLaine, Jarkko
dc.contributor.authorAthanassoula, E
dc.contributor.authorBosma, Albert
dc.contributor.authorSheth, Kartik
dc.contributor.authorRegan, Michael W
dc.contributor.authorHinz, Joannah L
dc.contributor.authorde Paz, Armando Gil
dc.contributor.authorMenéndez-Delmestre, Karín
dc.contributor.authorMizusawa, Trisha
dc.contributor.authorMuñoz-Mateos, Juan-Carlos
dc.contributor.authorSeibert, Mark
dc.contributor.authorKim, Taehyun
dc.contributor.authorElmegreen, Debra M
dc.contributor.authorGadotti, Dimitri A
dc.contributor.authorHo, Luis C
dc.contributor.authorHolwerda, Benne W
dc.contributor.authorLappalainen, Jani
dc.contributor.authorSchinnerer, Eva
dc.contributor.authorSkibba, Ramin
dc.date.accessioned2021-10-08T07:20:37Z
dc.date.available2021-10-08T07:20:37Z
dc.date.issued2011
dc.description.abstractMost, if not all, disk galaxies have a thin (classical) disk and a thick disk. In most models thick disks are thought to be a necessary consequence of the disk formation and/or evolution of the galaxy. We present the results of a study of the thick disk properties in a sample of carefully selected edge-on galaxies with types ranging from T = 3 to T = 8. We fitted one-dimensional luminosity profiles with physically motivated functions-the solutions of two stellar and one gaseous isothermal coupled disks in equilibrium-which are likely to yield more accurate results than other functions used in previous studies. The images used for the fits come from the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S(4)G). We found that thick disks are on average more massive than previously reported, mostly due to the selected fitting function. Typically, the thin and thick disks have similar masses. We also found that thick disks do not flare significantly within the observed range in galactocentric radii and that the ratio of thick-to-thin disk scale heights is higher for galaxies of earlier types. Our results tend to favor an in situ origin for most of the stars in the thick disk. In addition, the thick disk may contain a significant amount of stars coming from satellites accreted after the initial buildup of the galaxy and an extra fraction of stars coming from the secular heating of the thin disk by its own overdensities. Assigning thick disk light to the thin disk component may lead to an underestimate of the overall stellar mass in galaxies because of different mass-to-light ratios in the two disk components. On the basis of our new results, we estimate that disk stellar masses are between 10% and 50% higher than previously thought and we suggest that thick disks are a reservoir of “local missing baryons.”
dc.identifier.apacitationComerón, S., Elmegreen, B. G., Knapen, J. H., Salo, H., Laurikainen, E., Laine, J., ... Skibba, R. (2011). Thick disks of edge-on galaxies seen through the spitzer survey of stellar structure in galaxies (s 4 g): lair of missing baryons?. <i>The Astrophysical Journal</i>, 741(1), 28 - 177. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34969en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationComerón, Sébastien, Bruce G Elmegreen, Johan H Knapen, Heikki Salo, Eija Laurikainen, Jarkko Laine, E Athanassoula, et al "Thick disks of edge-on galaxies seen through the spitzer survey of stellar structure in galaxies (s 4 g): lair of missing baryons?." <i>The Astrophysical Journal</i> 741, 1. (2011): 28 - 177. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34969en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationComerón, S., Elmegreen, B.G., Knapen, J.H., Salo, H., Laurikainen, E., Laine, J., Athanassoula, E. & Bosma, A. et al. 2011. Thick disks of edge-on galaxies seen through the spitzer survey of stellar structure in galaxies (s 4 g): lair of missing baryons?. <i>The Astrophysical Journal.</i> 741(1):28 - 177. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34969en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0004-637X
dc.identifier.issn1538-4357
dc.identifier.ris TY - Journal Article AU - Comerón, Sébastien AU - Elmegreen, Bruce G AU - Knapen, Johan H AU - Salo, Heikki AU - Laurikainen, Eija AU - Laine, Jarkko AU - Athanassoula, E AU - Bosma, Albert AU - Sheth, Kartik AU - Regan, Michael W AU - Hinz, Joannah L AU - de Paz, Armando Gil AU - Menéndez-Delmestre, Karín AU - Mizusawa, Trisha AU - Muñoz-Mateos, Juan-Carlos AU - Seibert, Mark AU - Kim, Taehyun AU - Elmegreen, Debra M AU - Gadotti, Dimitri A AU - Ho, Luis C AU - Holwerda, Benne W AU - Lappalainen, Jani AU - Schinnerer, Eva AU - Skibba, Ramin AB - Most, if not all, disk galaxies have a thin (classical) disk and a thick disk. In most models thick disks are thought to be a necessary consequence of the disk formation and/or evolution of the galaxy. We present the results of a study of the thick disk properties in a sample of carefully selected edge-on galaxies with types ranging from T = 3 to T = 8. We fitted one-dimensional luminosity profiles with physically motivated functions-the solutions of two stellar and one gaseous isothermal coupled disks in equilibrium-which are likely to yield more accurate results than other functions used in previous studies. The images used for the fits come from the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S(4)G). We found that thick disks are on average more massive than previously reported, mostly due to the selected fitting function. Typically, the thin and thick disks have similar masses. We also found that thick disks do not flare significantly within the observed range in galactocentric radii and that the ratio of thick-to-thin disk scale heights is higher for galaxies of earlier types. Our results tend to favor an in situ origin for most of the stars in the thick disk. In addition, the thick disk may contain a significant amount of stars coming from satellites accreted after the initial buildup of the galaxy and an extra fraction of stars coming from the secular heating of the thin disk by its own overdensities. Assigning thick disk light to the thin disk component may lead to an underestimate of the overall stellar mass in galaxies because of different mass-to-light ratios in the two disk components. On the basis of our new results, we estimate that disk stellar masses are between 10% and 50% higher than previously thought and we suggest that thick disks are a reservoir of “local missing baryons.” DA - 2011 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town IS - 1 J1 - The Astrophysical Journal LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PY - 2011 SM - 0004-637X SM - 1538-4357 T1 - Thick disks of edge-on galaxies seen through the spitzer survey of stellar structure in galaxies (s 4 g): lair of missing baryons? TI - Thick disks of edge-on galaxies seen through the spitzer survey of stellar structure in galaxies (s 4 g): lair of missing baryons? UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34969 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/34969
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationComerón S, Elmegreen BG, Knapen JH, Salo H, Laurikainen E, Laine J, et al. Thick disks of edge-on galaxies seen through the spitzer survey of stellar structure in galaxies (s 4 g): lair of missing baryons?. The Astrophysical Journal. 2011;741(1):28 - 177. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34969.en_ZA
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Astronomy
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Science
dc.sourceThe Astrophysical Journal
dc.source.journalissue1
dc.source.journalvolume741
dc.source.pagination28 - 177
dc.source.urihttps://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/741/1/28
dc.subject.otherastrophysics
dc.subject.othercosmology and astronomy
dc.subject.othergalaxies
dc.subject.otherluminosity
dc.subject.otherone-dimensional calculations
dc.subject.otherstars optical properties
dc.subject.otherphysical properties
dc.titleThick disks of edge-on galaxies seen through the spitzer survey of stellar structure in galaxies (s 4 g): lair of missing baryons?
dc.typeJournal Article
uct.type.publicationResearch
uct.type.resourceJournal Article
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