Aperture corrections for disk galaxy properties derived from the CALIFA survey: balmer emission lines in spiral galaxies

J. Iglesias-Páramo; J. M. Vílchez; L. Galbany; S. F. Sánchez; F. F. Rosales-Ortega; D. Mast; R. García-Benito; B. Husemann; J. A L Aguerri; J. Alves; S. Bekeraité; J. Bland-Hawthorn; C. Catalán-Torrecilla; A. L. De Amorim; A. De Lorenzo-Cáceres; S. Ellis; J. Falcón-Barroso; H. Flores; E. Florido; A. Gallazzi; J. M. Gomes; R. M. González Delgado; T. Haines; J. D. Hernández-Fernández; C. Kehrig; A. R. López-Sánchez; M. Lyubenova; R. A. Marino; M. Mollá; A. Monreal-Ibero; A. Mourão; P. Papaderos; M. Rodrigues; P. Sánchez-Blázquez; K. Spekkens; V. Stanishev; G. Van De Ven; C. J. Walcher; L. Wisotzki; S. Zibetti; B. Ziegler

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201321460

Aperture corrections for disk galaxy properties derived from the CALIFA survey: balmer emission lines in spiral galaxies

J. Iglesias-Páramo, J. M. Vílchez, L. Galbany, S. F. Sánchez, F. F. Rosales-Ortega, D. Mast, R. García-Benito, B. Husemann, J. A L Aguerri, J. Alves, S. Bekeraité, J. Bland-Hawthorn, C. Catalán-Torrecilla, A. L. De Amorim, A. De Lorenzo-Cáceres, S. Ellis, J. Falcón-Barroso, H. Flores, E. Florido, A. GallazziJ. M. Gomes, R. M. González Delgado, T. Haines, J. D. Hernández-Fernández, C. Kehrig, A. R. López-Sánchez, M. Lyubenova, R. A. Marino, M. Mollá, A. Monreal-Ibero, A. Mourão, P. Papaderos, M. Rodrigues, P. Sánchez-Blázquez, K. Spekkens, V. Stanishev, G. Van De Ven, C. J. Walcher, L. Wisotzki, S. Zibetti, B. Ziegler

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Abstract

This work investigates the effect of the aperture size on derived galaxy properties for which we have spatially-resolved optical spectra. We focus on some indicators of star formation activity and dust attenuation for spiral galaxies that have been widely used in previous work on galaxy evolution. We investigated 104 spiral galaxies from the CALIFA survey for which 2D spectroscopy with complete spatial coverage is available. From the 3D cubes we derived growth curves of the most conspicuous Balmer emission lines (Hα, Hβ) for circular apertures of different radii centered at the galaxy's nucleus after removing the underlying stellar continuum. We find that the Hα flux (f(Hα)) growth curve follows a well-defined sequence with aperture radius that shows a low dispersion around the median value. From this analysis, we derived aperture corrections for galaxies in different magnitude and redshift intervals. Once stellar absorption is properly accounted for, the f(Hα)/f(Hβ) ratio growth curve shows a smooth decline, pointing toward the absence of differential dust attenuation as a function of radius. Aperture corrections as a function of the radius are provided in the interval [0.3, 2.5]R₅₀. Finally, the Hα equivalent-width (EW(Hα)) growth curve increases with the size of the aperture and shows a very high dispersion for small apertures. This prevents us from using reliable aperture corrections for this quantity. In addition, this result suggests that separating star-forming and quiescent galaxies based on observed EW(Hα) through small apertures will probably result in low EW(Hα) star-forming galaxies begin classified as quiescent.

Original language	English
Article number	L7
Pages (from-to)	1-5
Number of pages	5
Journal	Astronomy and Astrophysics
Volume	553
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201321460
Publication status	Published - 2013

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Iglesias-Páramo, J., Vílchez, J. M., Galbany, L., Sánchez, S. F., Rosales-Ortega, F. F., Mast, D., García-Benito, R., Husemann, B., Aguerri, J. A. L., Alves, J., Bekeraité, S., Bland-Hawthorn, J., Catalán-Torrecilla, C., De Amorim, A. L., De Lorenzo-Cáceres, A., Ellis, S., Falcón-Barroso, J., Flores, H., Florido, E., ... Ziegler, B. (2013). Aperture corrections for disk galaxy properties derived from the CALIFA survey: balmer emission lines in spiral galaxies. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 553, 1-5. Article L7. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201321460

@article{f4c9a9d2aee44dc2bc89b91f57c81e70,

title = "Aperture corrections for disk galaxy properties derived from the CALIFA survey: balmer emission lines in spiral galaxies",

abstract = "This work investigates the effect of the aperture size on derived galaxy properties for which we have spatially-resolved optical spectra. We focus on some indicators of star formation activity and dust attenuation for spiral galaxies that have been widely used in previous work on galaxy evolution. We investigated 104 spiral galaxies from the CALIFA survey for which 2D spectroscopy with complete spatial coverage is available. From the 3D cubes we derived growth curves of the most conspicuous Balmer emission lines (Hα, Hβ) for circular apertures of different radii centered at the galaxy's nucleus after removing the underlying stellar continuum. We find that the Hα flux (f(Hα)) growth curve follows a well-defined sequence with aperture radius that shows a low dispersion around the median value. From this analysis, we derived aperture corrections for galaxies in different magnitude and redshift intervals. Once stellar absorption is properly accounted for, the f(Hα)/f(Hβ) ratio growth curve shows a smooth decline, pointing toward the absence of differential dust attenuation as a function of radius. Aperture corrections as a function of the radius are provided in the interval [0.3, 2.5]R50. Finally, the Hα equivalent-width (EW(Hα)) growth curve increases with the size of the aperture and shows a very high dispersion for small apertures. This prevents us from using reliable aperture corrections for this quantity. In addition, this result suggests that separating star-forming and quiescent galaxies based on observed EW(Hα) through small apertures will probably result in low EW(Hα) star-forming galaxies begin classified as quiescent.",

author = "J. Iglesias-P{\'a}ramo and V{\'i}lchez, \{J. M.\} and L. Galbany and S{\'a}nchez, \{S. F.\} and Rosales-Ortega, \{F. F.\} and D. Mast and R. Garc{\'i}a-Benito and B. Husemann and Aguerri, \{J. A L\} and J. Alves and S. Bekerait{\'e} and J. Bland-Hawthorn and C. Catal{\'a}n-Torrecilla and \{De Amorim\}, \{A. L.\} and \{De Lorenzo-C{\'a}ceres\}, A. and S. Ellis and J. Falc{\'o}n-Barroso and H. Flores and E. Florido and A. Gallazzi and Gomes, \{J. M.\} and \{Gonz{\'a}lez Delgado\}, \{R. M.\} and T. Haines and Hern{\'a}ndez-Fern{\'a}ndez, \{J. D.\} and C. Kehrig and L{\'o}pez-S{\'a}nchez, \{A. R.\} and M. Lyubenova and Marino, \{R. A.\} and M. Moll{\'a} and A. Monreal-Ibero and A. Mour{\~a}o and P. Papaderos and M. Rodrigues and P. S{\'a}nchez-Bl{\'a}zquez and K. Spekkens and V. Stanishev and \{Van De Ven\}, G. and Walcher, \{C. J.\} and L. Wisotzki and S. Zibetti and B. Ziegler",

year = "2013",

doi = "10.1051/0004-6361/201321460",

language = "English",

volume = "553",

pages = "1--5",

journal = "Astronomy and Astrophysics",

issn = "0004-6361",

publisher = "EDP Sciences",

}

Iglesias-Páramo, J, Vílchez, JM, Galbany, L, Sánchez, SF, Rosales-Ortega, FF, Mast, D, García-Benito, R, Husemann, B, Aguerri, JAL, Alves, J, Bekeraité, S, Bland-Hawthorn, J, Catalán-Torrecilla, C, De Amorim, AL, De Lorenzo-Cáceres, A, Ellis, S, Falcón-Barroso, J, Flores, H, Florido, E, Gallazzi, A, Gomes, JM, González Delgado, RM, Haines, T, Hernández-Fernández, JD, Kehrig, C, López-Sánchez, AR, Lyubenova, M, Marino, RA, Mollá, M, Monreal-Ibero, A, Mourão, A, Papaderos, P, Rodrigues, M, Sánchez-Blázquez, P, Spekkens, K, Stanishev, V, Van De Ven, G, Walcher, CJ, Wisotzki, L, Zibetti, S & Ziegler, B 2013, 'Aperture corrections for disk galaxy properties derived from the CALIFA survey: balmer emission lines in spiral galaxies', Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 553, L7, pp. 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201321460

TY - JOUR

T1 - Aperture corrections for disk galaxy properties derived from the CALIFA survey

T2 - balmer emission lines in spiral galaxies

AU - Iglesias-Páramo, J.

AU - Vílchez, J. M.

AU - Galbany, L.

AU - Sánchez, S. F.

AU - Rosales-Ortega, F. F.

AU - Mast, D.

AU - García-Benito, R.

AU - Husemann, B.

AU - Aguerri, J. A L

AU - Alves, J.

AU - Bekeraité, S.

AU - Bland-Hawthorn, J.

AU - Catalán-Torrecilla, C.

AU - De Amorim, A. L.

AU - De Lorenzo-Cáceres, A.

AU - Ellis, S.

AU - Falcón-Barroso, J.

AU - Flores, H.

AU - Florido, E.

AU - Gallazzi, A.

AU - Gomes, J. M.

AU - González Delgado, R. M.

AU - Haines, T.

AU - Hernández-Fernández, J. D.

AU - Kehrig, C.

AU - López-Sánchez, A. R.

AU - Lyubenova, M.

AU - Marino, R. A.

AU - Mollá, M.

AU - Monreal-Ibero, A.

AU - Mourão, A.

AU - Papaderos, P.

AU - Rodrigues, M.

AU - Sánchez-Blázquez, P.

AU - Spekkens, K.

AU - Stanishev, V.

AU - Van De Ven, G.

AU - Walcher, C. J.

AU - Wisotzki, L.

AU - Zibetti, S.

AU - Ziegler, B.

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - This work investigates the effect of the aperture size on derived galaxy properties for which we have spatially-resolved optical spectra. We focus on some indicators of star formation activity and dust attenuation for spiral galaxies that have been widely used in previous work on galaxy evolution. We investigated 104 spiral galaxies from the CALIFA survey for which 2D spectroscopy with complete spatial coverage is available. From the 3D cubes we derived growth curves of the most conspicuous Balmer emission lines (Hα, Hβ) for circular apertures of different radii centered at the galaxy's nucleus after removing the underlying stellar continuum. We find that the Hα flux (f(Hα)) growth curve follows a well-defined sequence with aperture radius that shows a low dispersion around the median value. From this analysis, we derived aperture corrections for galaxies in different magnitude and redshift intervals. Once stellar absorption is properly accounted for, the f(Hα)/f(Hβ) ratio growth curve shows a smooth decline, pointing toward the absence of differential dust attenuation as a function of radius. Aperture corrections as a function of the radius are provided in the interval [0.3, 2.5]R50. Finally, the Hα equivalent-width (EW(Hα)) growth curve increases with the size of the aperture and shows a very high dispersion for small apertures. This prevents us from using reliable aperture corrections for this quantity. In addition, this result suggests that separating star-forming and quiescent galaxies based on observed EW(Hα) through small apertures will probably result in low EW(Hα) star-forming galaxies begin classified as quiescent.

AB - This work investigates the effect of the aperture size on derived galaxy properties for which we have spatially-resolved optical spectra. We focus on some indicators of star formation activity and dust attenuation for spiral galaxies that have been widely used in previous work on galaxy evolution. We investigated 104 spiral galaxies from the CALIFA survey for which 2D spectroscopy with complete spatial coverage is available. From the 3D cubes we derived growth curves of the most conspicuous Balmer emission lines (Hα, Hβ) for circular apertures of different radii centered at the galaxy's nucleus after removing the underlying stellar continuum. We find that the Hα flux (f(Hα)) growth curve follows a well-defined sequence with aperture radius that shows a low dispersion around the median value. From this analysis, we derived aperture corrections for galaxies in different magnitude and redshift intervals. Once stellar absorption is properly accounted for, the f(Hα)/f(Hβ) ratio growth curve shows a smooth decline, pointing toward the absence of differential dust attenuation as a function of radius. Aperture corrections as a function of the radius are provided in the interval [0.3, 2.5]R50. Finally, the Hα equivalent-width (EW(Hα)) growth curve increases with the size of the aperture and shows a very high dispersion for small apertures. This prevents us from using reliable aperture corrections for this quantity. In addition, this result suggests that separating star-forming and quiescent galaxies based on observed EW(Hα) through small apertures will probably result in low EW(Hα) star-forming galaxies begin classified as quiescent.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84877772575

U2 - 10.1051/0004-6361/201321460

DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/201321460

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84877772575

SN - 0004-6361

VL - 553

SP - 1

EP - 5

JO - Astronomy and Astrophysics

JF - Astronomy and Astrophysics

M1 - L7

ER -

Aperture corrections for disk galaxy properties derived from the CALIFA survey: balmer emission lines in spiral galaxies

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