A GLOBAL STAR-FORMING EPISODE in M31 2-4 GYR AGO

Benjamin F. Williams; Julianne J. Dalcanton; Andrew E. Dolphin; Daniel R. Weisz; Alexia R. Lewis; Dustin Lang; Eric F. Bell; Martha Boyer; Morgan Fouesneau; Karoline M. Gilbert; Antonela Monachesi; Evan Skillman

doi:10.1088/0004-637X/806/1/48

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Abstract

We have identified a major global enhancement of star formation in the inner M31 disk that occurred between 2-4 Gyr ago, producing ∼60% of the stellar mass formed in the past 5 Gyr. The presence of this episode in the inner disk was discovered by modeling the optical resolved star color-magnitude diagrams of low extinction regions in the main disk of M31 (3 < R < 20 kpc) as part of the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury. This measurement confirms and extends recent measurements of a widespread star formation enhancement of similar age in the outer disk, suggesting that this burst was both massive and global. Following the galaxy-wide burst, the star formation rate of M31 has significantly declined. We briefly discuss possible causes for these features of the M31 evolutionary history, including interactions with M32, M33, and/or a merger.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	48
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	806
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/806/1/48
State	Published - Jun 10 2015

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Keywords

galaxies: evolution
galaxies: individual (M31)
galaxies: interactions

Publisher link

10.1088/0004-637X/806/1/48

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@article{bf9c0a957e2949a6bfc6230460a9f3e2,

title = "A GLOBAL STAR-FORMING EPISODE in M31 2-4 GYR AGO",

abstract = "We have identified a major global enhancement of star formation in the inner M31 disk that occurred between 2-4 Gyr ago, producing ∼60\% of the stellar mass formed in the past 5 Gyr. The presence of this episode in the inner disk was discovered by modeling the optical resolved star color-magnitude diagrams of low extinction regions in the main disk of M31 (3 < R < 20 kpc) as part of the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury. This measurement confirms and extends recent measurements of a widespread star formation enhancement of similar age in the outer disk, suggesting that this burst was both massive and global. Following the galaxy-wide burst, the star formation rate of M31 has significantly declined. We briefly discuss possible causes for these features of the M31 evolutionary history, including interactions with M32, M33, and/or a merger.",

keywords = "galaxies: evolution, galaxies: individual (M31), galaxies: interactions",

author = "Williams, \{Benjamin F.\} and Dalcanton, \{Julianne J.\} and Dolphin, \{Andrew E.\} and Weisz, \{Daniel R.\} and Lewis, \{Alexia R.\} and Dustin Lang and Bell, \{Eric F.\} and Martha Boyer and Morgan Fouesneau and Gilbert, \{Karoline M.\} and Antonela Monachesi and Evan Skillman",

year = "2015",

month = jun,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1088/0004-637X/806/1/48",

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volume = "806",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

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T1 - A GLOBAL STAR-FORMING EPISODE in M31 2-4 GYR AGO

AU - Williams, Benjamin F.

AU - Dalcanton, Julianne J.

AU - Dolphin, Andrew E.

AU - Weisz, Daniel R.

AU - Lewis, Alexia R.

AU - Lang, Dustin

AU - Bell, Eric F.

AU - Boyer, Martha

AU - Fouesneau, Morgan

AU - Gilbert, Karoline M.

AU - Monachesi, Antonela

AU - Skillman, Evan

PY - 2015/6/10

Y1 - 2015/6/10

N2 - We have identified a major global enhancement of star formation in the inner M31 disk that occurred between 2-4 Gyr ago, producing ∼60% of the stellar mass formed in the past 5 Gyr. The presence of this episode in the inner disk was discovered by modeling the optical resolved star color-magnitude diagrams of low extinction regions in the main disk of M31 (3 < R < 20 kpc) as part of the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury. This measurement confirms and extends recent measurements of a widespread star formation enhancement of similar age in the outer disk, suggesting that this burst was both massive and global. Following the galaxy-wide burst, the star formation rate of M31 has significantly declined. We briefly discuss possible causes for these features of the M31 evolutionary history, including interactions with M32, M33, and/or a merger.

AB - We have identified a major global enhancement of star formation in the inner M31 disk that occurred between 2-4 Gyr ago, producing ∼60% of the stellar mass formed in the past 5 Gyr. The presence of this episode in the inner disk was discovered by modeling the optical resolved star color-magnitude diagrams of low extinction regions in the main disk of M31 (3 < R < 20 kpc) as part of the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury. This measurement confirms and extends recent measurements of a widespread star formation enhancement of similar age in the outer disk, suggesting that this burst was both massive and global. Following the galaxy-wide burst, the star formation rate of M31 has significantly declined. We briefly discuss possible causes for these features of the M31 evolutionary history, including interactions with M32, M33, and/or a merger.

KW - galaxies: evolution

KW - galaxies: individual (M31)

KW - galaxies: interactions

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