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Reconstructing Merger Timelines Using Star Cluster Age Distributions: The Case of MCG+08-11-002

Davies, Rebecca; Medling, Anne; U, Vivian; Max, Claire; Sanders, David; Kewley, Lisa

Description

We present near infrared imaging and integral field spectroscopy of the centre of the dusty luminous infrared galaxy merger MCG+08-11-002, taken using the Near InfraRed Camera 2 (NIRC2) and the OH-Suppressing InfraRed Imaging Spectrograph (OSIRIS) on Keck II. We achieve a spatial resolution of ∼25 pc in the K band, allowing us to resolve 41 star clusters in the NIRC2 images. We calculate the ages of 22/25 star clusters within the OSIRIS field using the equivalent widths of the CO 2.3μm...[Show more]

dc.contributor.authorDavies, Rebecca
dc.contributor.authorMedling, Anne
dc.contributor.authorU, Vivian
dc.contributor.authorMax, Claire
dc.contributor.authorSanders, David
dc.contributor.authorKewley, Lisa
dc.date.accessioned2018-11-29T22:53:46Z
dc.date.available2018-11-29T22:53:46Z
dc.identifier.issn0035-8711
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1885/152568
dc.description.abstractWe present near infrared imaging and integral field spectroscopy of the centre of the dusty luminous infrared galaxy merger MCG+08-11-002, taken using the Near InfraRed Camera 2 (NIRC2) and the OH-Suppressing InfraRed Imaging Spectrograph (OSIRIS) on Keck II. We achieve a spatial resolution of ∼25 pc in the K band, allowing us to resolve 41 star clusters in the NIRC2 images. We calculate the ages of 22/25 star clusters within the OSIRIS field using the equivalent widths of the CO 2.3μm absorption feature and the Brγ nebular emission line. The star cluster age distribution has a clear peak at ages ≲ 20 Myr, indicative of current starburst activity associated with the final coalescence of the progenitor galaxies. There is a possible second peak at ∼65 Myr which may be a product of the previous close passage of the galaxy nuclei. We fit single and double starburst models to the star cluster age distribution and use Monte Carlo sampling combined with two-sided K-S tests to calculate the probability that the observed data are drawn from each of the best fit distributions. There is a >90 per cent chance that the data are drawn from either a single or double starburst star formation history, but stochastic sampling prevents us from distinguishing between the two scenarios. Our analysis of MCG+08-11-002 indicates that star cluster age distributions provide valuable insights into the timelines of galaxy interactions and may therefore play an important role in the future development of precise merger stage classification systems.
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.publisherBlackwell Publishing Ltd
dc.sourceMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
dc.titleReconstructing Merger Timelines Using Star Cluster Age Distributions: The Case of MCG+08-11-002
dc.typeJournal article
local.description.notesImported from ARIES
local.identifier.citationvolume458
dc.date.issued2016
local.identifier.absfor020100 - ASTRONOMICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES
local.identifier.ariespublicationu4571891xPUB14
local.type.statusPublished Version
local.contributor.affiliationDavies, Rebecca, College of Science, ANU
local.contributor.affiliationMedling, Anne, College of Science, ANU
local.contributor.affiliationU, Vivian, University of California
local.contributor.affiliationMax, Claire, University of California
local.contributor.affiliationSanders, David, University of Hawaii
local.contributor.affiliationKewley, Lisa, College of Science, ANU
local.bibliographicCitation.issue1
local.bibliographicCitation.startpage158
local.bibliographicCitation.lastpage173
local.identifier.doi10.1093/mnras/stw287
local.identifier.absseo970102 - Expanding Knowledge in the Physical Sciences
dc.date.updated2018-11-29T07:55:10Z
local.identifier.scopusID2-s2.0-84963781880
local.identifier.thomsonID000374568900008
dcterms.accessRightsOpen Access
CollectionsANU Research Publications

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