Chemically decoupled nuclei in the spiral galaxies NGC 4216 and NGC 4501

Citation
Ok. Sil'Chenko et al., Chemically decoupled nuclei in the spiral galaxies NGC 4216 and NGC 4501, ASTRONOM J, 117(2), 1999, pp. 826-838
Citations number
33
Categorie Soggetti
Space Sciences
Journal title
ASTRONOMICAL JOURNAL
ISSN journal
00046256 → ACNP
Volume
117
Issue
2
Year of publication
1999
Pages
826 - 838
Database
ISI
SICI code
0004-6256(199902)117:2<826:CDNITS>2.0.ZU;2-0
Abstract
By using bidimensional spectral data obtained at the 6 m telescope for the Virgo spirals NGC 4216 and NGC 4501, we have found chemically distinct meta l-rich nuclei in these galaxies. Under the assumption of equal ages for the nuclear and bulge stellar populations, the metallicity difference between the nuclei and their environments in the galaxies is estimated as a factor of 2. But we have also found an age difference between the nucleus and the bulge in NGC 4216: age-metallicity disentangling on the diagrams (HP, Mg b) , (H beta, [MgFe]), and (H beta, (Fe)) results in an age estimate for the n ucleus of 8-12 Gyr, the bulge being older by a factor of 1.5-2; the self-co nsistent metallicity difference estimate is then a factor of 3. The solar m agnesium-to-iron ratios in the galactic nuclei show evidence for long durat ion of the secondary nuclear star formation bursts that produced the chemic ally distinct stellar subsystems. Detailed morphological and kinematic anal yses made for the stellar and gaseous structures in the centers of NGC 4216 and 4501 have revealed the presence of circumnuclear stellar-gaseous disks with radii of some hundreds of parsecs that demonstrate fast axisymmetric rotation and lie exactly in the planes of the main galactic disks.