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| Paper: |
Clues to the Formation of Lenticular Galaxies Using Spectroscopic Bulge–Disk Decomposition |
| Volume: |
480, Structure and Dynamics of Disk Galaxies |
| Page: |
161 |
| Authors: |
Johnston, E. J.; Aragón-Salamanca, A.; Merrifield, M. R.; Bedregal, A. G. |
| Abstract: |
Lenticular galaxies have long been thought of as evolved spirals, but the
processes involved to quench the star formation are still unclear. By
studying the individual star formation histories of the bulges and disks of
lenticulars, it is possible to look for clues to the processes that
triggered their transformation from spirals. To accomplish this feat,
we present a new method for spectroscopic
bulge–disk decomposition, in which a long-slit spectrum is decomposed
into two one-dimensional spectra representing purely the bulge and
disk light. We present preliminary results from applying this method
to lenticular galaxies in the Virgo and Fornax Clusters, in which we
show that the most recent star formation activity in these galaxies
occurred within the bulges. We also find that the star formation
timescales of the bulges are longer than the disks, and that more
massive galaxies take longer to lose their gas during the transformation.
These results point towards slow processes, such as ram-pressure stripping
or harassment, being the mechanism responsible for the quenching of star
formation in spirals, followed by a burst of star formation in the central regions
from the gas that has been funnelled inwards through the disk. |
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