The stellar content of active galaxies
We present the results of a long-slit spectroscopic study of 38 active and four normal galaxies. Stellar absorption features, continuum colours and their radial variations are analysed in an effort to characterize the stellar population in these galaxies and detect the presence of a featureless cont...
| Autores: | , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 1998 |
| País: | Brasil |
| Institución: | Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) |
| Repositorio: | Repositório Institucional da UFRGS |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:www.lume.ufrgs.br:10183/88373 |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/10183/88373 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Galáxias Nucleo galatico Galaxias seyfert Galaxies: active Galaxies: general Galaxies: nuclei Galaxies: seyfert Galaxies: stellar content |
| Sumario: | We present the results of a long-slit spectroscopic study of 38 active and four normal galaxies. Stellar absorption features, continuum colours and their radial variations are analysed in an effort to characterize the stellar population in these galaxies and detect the presence of a featureless continuum underlying the starlight spectral component. Spatial variations of the equivalent widths of conspicuous absorption lines and continuum colours are detected in most galaxies. Star-forming rings, in particular, leave clear fingerprints in the equivalent widths and colour profiles. We find that the stellar populations in the inner regions of active galaxies present a variety of characteristics, and cannot be represented by a single starlight template. Dilution of the stellar lines by an underlying featureless continuum is detected in most broadlined objects, but little or no dilution is found for most of the 20 type 2 Seyferts in the sample. Colour gradients are also ubiquitous. In particular, all but one of the observed Seyfert 2s are redder at the nucleus than in its immediate vicinity. Possible consequences of these findings are briefly outlined. |
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