Arm and interarm abundance gradients in CALIFA spiral galaxies

• Autores: Sánchez-Menguiano, L.; Sánchez, S. F.; Pérez, I.; Debattista, V. P.; Ruiz-Lara, T.; Florido, E.; Cavichia, O.; Galbany, L.; Marino, R. A.; Mast, Damian; Sánchez-Blázquez, P.; Méndez-Abreu, J.; De Lorenzo-Cáceres, A.; Catalán-Torrecilla, C.; Cano-Díaz, M.; Márquez, I.; McIntosh, D.H.; Ascasibar, Y.; García-Benito, R.; Gónzalez Delgado, R. M.; Kehrig, C.; López-Sánchez, Á.R.; Mollá, M.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Walcher, C. J.; Costantin, L.
• Año de publicación: 2017
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: Galaxies: Abundances; Galaxies: Evolution; Galaxies: Ism; Galaxies: Spiral; Techniques: Imaging Spectroscopy; Techniques: Spectroscopic
• Institución: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

Spiral arms are the most singular features in disc galaxies. These structures can exhibit different patterns, namely grand design and flocculent arms, with easily distinguishable characteristics. However, their origin and the mechanisms shaping them are unclear. The overall role of spirals in the chemical evolution of disc galaxies is another unsolved question. In particular, it has not been fully explored if the H ii regions of spiral arms present different properties from those located in the interarm regions. Here we analyse the radial oxygen abundance gradient of the arm and interarm star forming regions of 63 face-on spiral galaxies using CALIFA Integral Field Spectroscopy data. We focus the analysis on three characteristic parameters of the profile: slope, zero-point, and scatter. The sample is morphologically separated into flocculent versus grand design spirals and barred versus unbarred galaxies. We find subtle but statistically significant differences betweenthe arm and interarm distributions for flocculent galaxies, suggesting that the mechanisms generating the spiral structure in these galaxies may be different to those producing grand design systems, for which no significant differences are found. We also find small differences in barred galaxies, not observed in unbarred systems, hinting that bars may affect the chemical distribution of these galaxies but not strongly enough as to be reflected in the overall abundance distribution. In light of these results, we propose bars and flocculent structure as two distinct mechanisms inducing differences in the abundance distribution between arm and interarm star forming regions.
Fil: Sánchez-Menguiano, L.. Universidad de Granada; España
Fil: Sánchez, S. F.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; México
Fil: Pérez, I.. Universidad de Granada; España
Fil: Debattista, V. P.. University Of Central Lancashire; Reino Unido
Fil: Ruiz-Lara, T.. Universidad de Granada; España. Universidad de La Laguna; España
Fil: Florido, E.. Universidad de Granada; España
Fil: Cavichia, O.. Universidade Federal de Itajuba; Brasil
Fil: Galbany, L.. University of Pittsburgh; Estados Unidos. University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown; Estados Unidos
Fil: Marino, R. A.. ETH Zurich. Institute for Astronomy. Department of Physics; Suiza
Fil: Mast, Damian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; Argentina
Fil: Sánchez-Blázquez, P.. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Chile. Universidad Católica de Chile; Chile
Fil: Méndez-Abreu, J.. University of St. Andrews; Reino Unido. Universidad de La Laguna; España
Fil: De Lorenzo-Cáceres, A.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; México
Fil: Catalán-Torrecilla, C.. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; España
Fil: Cano-Díaz, M.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; México
Fil: Márquez, I.. Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía; España
Fil: McIntosh, D.H.. University Of Missouri-Kansas City; Estados Unidos
Fil: Ascasibar, Y.. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; España
Fil: García-Benito, R.. Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía; España
Fil: Gónzalez Delgado, R. M.. Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía; España
Fil: Kehrig, C.. Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía; España
Fil: López-Sánchez, Á.R.. Australian Astronomical Observatory; Australia. Macquarie University; Australia
Fil: Mollá, M.. Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas; España
Fil: Bland-Hawthorn, J.. The University Of Sydney; Australia
Fil: Walcher, C. J.. Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam ; Alemania
Fil: Costantin, L.. Università di Padova; Italia