Dusty waves on a starry sea: The mid-infrared view of M31

P. Barmby; M. L.N. Ashby; L. Bianchi; C. W. Engelbracht; Robert D Gehrz; K. D. Gordon; J. L. Hinz; J. P. Huchra; Roberta M Humphreys; M. A. Pahre; P. G. Pérez-González; E. F. Polomski; G. H. Rieke; D. A. Thilker; S. P. Willner; Chick E Woodward

doi:10.1086/508626

Dusty waves on a starry sea: The mid-infrared view of M31

P. Barmby, M. L.N. Ashby, L. Bianchi, C. W. Engelbracht, Robert D Gehrz, K. D. Gordon, J. L. Hinz, J. P. Huchra, Roberta M Humphreys, M. A. Pahre, P. G. Pérez-González, E. F. Polomski, G. H. Rieke, D. A. Thilker, S. P. Willner, Chick E Woodward

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122 Scopus citations

Abstract

Mid-infrared observations of the Andromeda galaxy, M31, obtained with the Infrared Array Camera on board the Spitzer Space Telescope are presented. The image mosaics cover areas of approximately 3.°7 × 1.°6 and include the satellite galaxies M32 and NGC 205. The appearance of M31 varies dramatically in the different mid-infrared bands, from the smooth bulge and disk of the old stellar population seen at 3.6 μm to the well-known "10 kpc ring" dominating the 8 μm image. The similarity of the 3.6 μm and optical isophotes and the nearly constant optical-mid-infrared color over the inner 400'' confirm that there is no significant extinction at optical wavelengths in M31's bulge. The nuclear colors indicate the presence of dust but not an infrared-bright active galactic nucleus. The integrated 8 μm nonstellar luminosity implies a star formation rate of 0.4 M_odot; yr^-1, consistent with other indicators that show M31 to be a quiescent galaxy.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	L45-L49
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	650
Issue number	1 II
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/508626
State	Published - Oct 10 2006

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We thank the referee for helpful suggestions. This work is based on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under a contract with NASA. Support for this work was provided by NASA through an award issued by JPL/Caltech.

Keywords

Galaxies: ISM
Galaxies: individual (M31)
Galaxies: spiral
Galaxies: stellar content
Infrared: galaxies

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10.1086/508626

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Barmby, P., Ashby, M. L. N., Bianchi, L., Engelbracht, C. W., Gehrz, R. D., Gordon, K. D., Hinz, J. L., Huchra, J. P., Humphreys, R. M., Pahre, M. A., Pérez-González, P. G., Polomski, E. F., Rieke, G. H., Thilker, D. A., Willner, S. P., & Woodward, C. E. (2006). Dusty waves on a starry sea: The mid-infrared view of M31. Astrophysical Journal, 650(1 II), L45-L49. https://doi.org/10.1086/508626

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title = "Dusty waves on a starry sea: The mid-infrared view of M31",

abstract = "Mid-infrared observations of the Andromeda galaxy, M31, obtained with the Infrared Array Camera on board the Spitzer Space Telescope are presented. The image mosaics cover areas of approximately 3.°7 × 1.°6 and include the satellite galaxies M32 and NGC 205. The appearance of M31 varies dramatically in the different mid-infrared bands, from the smooth bulge and disk of the old stellar population seen at 3.6 μm to the well-known {"}10 kpc ring{"} dominating the 8 μm image. The similarity of the 3.6 μm and optical isophotes and the nearly constant optical-mid-infrared color over the inner 400'' confirm that there is no significant extinction at optical wavelengths in M31's bulge. The nuclear colors indicate the presence of dust but not an infrared-bright active galactic nucleus. The integrated 8 μm nonstellar luminosity implies a star formation rate of 0.4 Modot; yr-1, consistent with other indicators that show M31 to be a quiescent galaxy.",

keywords = "Galaxies: ISM, Galaxies: individual (M31), Galaxies: spiral, Galaxies: stellar content, Infrared: galaxies",

author = "P. Barmby and Ashby, {M. L.N.} and L. Bianchi and Engelbracht, {C. W.} and Gehrz, {Robert D} and Gordon, {K. D.} and Hinz, {J. L.} and Huchra, {J. P.} and Humphreys, {Roberta M} and Pahre, {M. A.} and P{\'e}rez-Gonz{\'a}lez, {P. G.} and Polomski, {E. F.} and Rieke, {G. H.} and Thilker, {D. A.} and Willner, {S. P.} and Woodward, {Chick E}",

note = "Funding Information: We thank the referee for helpful suggestions. This work is based on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under a contract with NASA. Support for this work was provided by NASA through an award issued by JPL/Caltech.",

year = "2006",

month = oct,

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doi = "10.1086/508626",

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T1 - Dusty waves on a starry sea

T2 - The mid-infrared view of M31

AU - Barmby, P.

AU - Ashby, M. L.N.

AU - Bianchi, L.

AU - Engelbracht, C. W.

AU - Gehrz, Robert D

AU - Gordon, K. D.

AU - Hinz, J. L.

AU - Huchra, J. P.

AU - Humphreys, Roberta M

AU - Pahre, M. A.

AU - Pérez-González, P. G.

AU - Polomski, E. F.

AU - Rieke, G. H.

AU - Thilker, D. A.

AU - Willner, S. P.

AU - Woodward, Chick E

N1 - Funding Information: We thank the referee for helpful suggestions. This work is based on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under a contract with NASA. Support for this work was provided by NASA through an award issued by JPL/Caltech.

PY - 2006/10/10

Y1 - 2006/10/10

N2 - Mid-infrared observations of the Andromeda galaxy, M31, obtained with the Infrared Array Camera on board the Spitzer Space Telescope are presented. The image mosaics cover areas of approximately 3.°7 × 1.°6 and include the satellite galaxies M32 and NGC 205. The appearance of M31 varies dramatically in the different mid-infrared bands, from the smooth bulge and disk of the old stellar population seen at 3.6 μm to the well-known "10 kpc ring" dominating the 8 μm image. The similarity of the 3.6 μm and optical isophotes and the nearly constant optical-mid-infrared color over the inner 400'' confirm that there is no significant extinction at optical wavelengths in M31's bulge. The nuclear colors indicate the presence of dust but not an infrared-bright active galactic nucleus. The integrated 8 μm nonstellar luminosity implies a star formation rate of 0.4 Modot; yr-1, consistent with other indicators that show M31 to be a quiescent galaxy.

AB - Mid-infrared observations of the Andromeda galaxy, M31, obtained with the Infrared Array Camera on board the Spitzer Space Telescope are presented. The image mosaics cover areas of approximately 3.°7 × 1.°6 and include the satellite galaxies M32 and NGC 205. The appearance of M31 varies dramatically in the different mid-infrared bands, from the smooth bulge and disk of the old stellar population seen at 3.6 μm to the well-known "10 kpc ring" dominating the 8 μm image. The similarity of the 3.6 μm and optical isophotes and the nearly constant optical-mid-infrared color over the inner 400'' confirm that there is no significant extinction at optical wavelengths in M31's bulge. The nuclear colors indicate the presence of dust but not an infrared-bright active galactic nucleus. The integrated 8 μm nonstellar luminosity implies a star formation rate of 0.4 Modot; yr-1, consistent with other indicators that show M31 to be a quiescent galaxy.

KW - Galaxies: ISM

KW - Galaxies: individual (M31)

KW - Galaxies: spiral

KW - Galaxies: stellar content

KW - Infrared: galaxies

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SP - L45-L49

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 1 II

ER -

Dusty waves on a starry sea: The mid-infrared view of M31

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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