J/MNRAS/440/405 Brightest galaxies in Local Volume (McCall, 2014)
A Council of Giants.
McCall M.L.
<Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc., 440, 405-426 (2014)>
=2014MNRAS.440..405M 2014MNRAS.440..405M
ADC_Keywords: Galaxies, nearby ; Radial velocities ; Morphology
Keywords: galaxies: distances and redshifts - galaxies: evolution -
galaxies: formation - galaxies: kinematics and dynamics; Local Group -
large-scale structure of Universe
Abstract:
Distances and near-infrared luminosities of the brightest galaxies in
the Local Volume have been re-evaluated in order to gain a fully
homogeneous collection of data for elucidating the framework of the
Local Sheet and its relevance to Local Group evolution. It is
demonstrated that the Local Sheet is both geometrically and
dynamically distinct from the Local Supercluster and that the
evolution of the Sheet and Local Group were probably interconnected.
The Sheet is inclined by 8° with respect to the Local
Supercluster, and the dispersion of giant members about the mid-plane
is only 230kpc. A 'Council of Giants' with a radius of 3.75Mpc
encompasses the Local Group, demarcating a clear upper limit to the
realm of influence of the Local Group. The only two giant elliptical
galaxies in the Sheet sit on opposite sides of the Council, raising
the possibility that they have somehow shepherded the evolution of the
Local Group. The position vector of the Andromeda galaxy with respect
to the Milky Way deviates only 11° from the Sheet plane and only
11° from the projected axis of the ellipticals. The Local Group
appears to be moving away from a ridge in the potential surface of the
Council on a path parallel to the elliptical axis. Spin directions of
the giants in the Council are distributed over the sky in a pattern
which is very different from that of giants beyond, possibly in
reaction to the central mass asymmetry that developed into the Local
Group. By matching matter densities of Group and Council giants, the
edge of the volume of space most likely to have contributed to the
development of the Local Group is shown to be very close to where
gravitational forces from the Local Group and the Council balance. The
boundary specification reveals that the Local Sheet formed out of a
density perturbation of very low amplitude (∼10%), but that normal
matter was incorporated into galaxies with relatively high efficiency
(∼40%). It appears that the development of the giants of the Local
Sheet was guided by a pre-existing flattened framework of matter.
Description:
A sample of luminous galaxies in the Local Volume was constructed
primarily from the LVC. For a galaxy to be included in the sample, it
was required that the tabulated absolute magnitude in B be equal to or
brighter than -18.0.
A total of 56 galaxies in the LVC satisfied the brightness criterion.
Added to the sample were the M33-like spiral NGC 300, which was listed
in the LVC as being slightly fainter than the absolute magnitude
cut-off, and NGC 1023, NGC 4631, and NGC 5023, which modern distance
determinations seemed to place within 10Mpc. Thus, the final sample
comprised 60 galaxies. After re-evaluating all distances and
brightnesses, seven galaxies proved to be fainter than the absolute
magnitude cut-off, and six lay beyond the nominal distance limit.
File Summary:
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FileName Lrecl Records Explanations
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ReadMe 80 . This file
table1.dat 234 60 Galaxies in the sample
table2.dat 183 60 Sources of observations
table3.dat 83 60 Orientational data
refs.dat 110 185 References
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Byte-by-byte Description of file: table1.dat
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Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
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1- 11 A11 --- Name Name of galaxy
13- 18 F6.2 deg Lsh Longitude in rotated Sheet coordinates (8)
20- 25 F6.2 deg Bsh Latitude in rotated Sheet coordinates (8)
27- 30 F4.1 --- TT [-5/9.8] Numerical index of the morphological
stage in the Revised Hubble System
32- 37 F6.1 km/s HRV [-301/1100] Heliocentric radial velocity
39- 42 F4.1 km/s e_HRV rms uncertainty on HRV
44- 49 F6.1 km/s VLG [-451/309] Local group radial velocity (2)
51- 54 F4.1 km/s e_VLG rms uncertainty on VLG
56- 60 F5.3 --- tau1 [0/2.1] Optical depth τ1 of interstellar
dust in the Milky Way at 1µm
62- 66 F5.3 deg e_tau1 rms uncertainty on tau1
68- 73 F6.3 mag DM [14.5/31] Heliocentric distance modulus (3)
75- 79 F5.3 mag e_DM rms uncertainty on DM
81- 87 A7 --- n_DM Method used to derive the distance (4)
89- 95 F7.3 Mpc Xsh Rotated Cartesian Sheet coordinates (1)
97-101 F5.3 Mpc e_Xsh rms uncertainty on Xsh
103-108 F6.3 Mpc Ysh Rotated Cartesian Sheet Y coordinate (1)
110-114 F5.3 Mpc e_Ysh rms uncertainty on Ysh
116-121 F6.3 Mpc Zsh Rotated Cartesian Sheet Z coordinate (1)
123-127 F5.3 Mpc e_Zsh rms uncertainty on Zsh
129-134 F6.2 mag KsMAG Absolute Ks magnitude
136-139 F4.2 mag e_KsMAG rms uncertainty on Ksmag
141-146 F6.2 mag VMAG Absolute V magnitude
148-151 F4.2 mag e_VMAG rms uncertainty on Vmag
153-157 F5.3 mag B-V Fully corrected integrated B-V colour index
159-163 F5.3 mag e_B-V rms uncertainty on B-V
165-170 F6.3 [Msun] logM* Logarithm of the stellar mass (5)
172-176 F5.3 [Msun] e_logM* rms uncertainty on logM*
178-181 F4.1 deg i [0/90]?=- Inclination to the plane of the sky
183-186 F4.1 deg e_i ? rms uncertainty on i
188 A1 --- --- [(]
189 A1 --- n_i [+0-] Inclination spin vector orientation (7)
190 A1 --- --- [)]
192-196 F5.1 deg PA [0/180] Position angle of the line of nodes (6)
198-201 F4.1 deg e_PA rms uncertainty on PA
203 A1 --- --- [(]
204 A1 --- n_PA [+0-] Position angle spin vector orientation (7)
205 A1 --- --- [)]
207-209 I3 km/s Vflat ?=- Tilt-corrected rotational velocity in the
plateau of the rotation curve
211-212 I2 km/s e_Vflat ? rms uncertainty on Vflat
214-218 F5.1 --- Lsh(AM) ?=- Longitude of the angular momentum vector
in rotated Sheet coordinates
220-223 F4.1 --- e_Lsh(AM) ? rms uncertainty on Lsh(AM)
225-229 F5.1 --- Bsh(AM) ?=- Latitude of the angular momentum vector
in rotated Sheet coordinates
231-234 F4.1 --- e_Bsh(AM) ? rms uncertainty on Bsh(AM)
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Note (1): The origin is the projection of the Sun on to the plane of the Local
Sheet. In this system, the luminosity-weighted centroid of the Local Group
is at (X, Y, Z) = (0.124, -0.297, 0.200)Mpc, and the centre of the Council
of Giants is at (X, Y, Z) = (0.362, 0.718, 0.000).
Note (2): Radial velocity, corrected for the Hubble flow if the heliocentric
distance is beyond 1Mpc, in the frame of reference of the luminosity-weighted
centroid of the Local Group. The value adopted for the Hubble constant
was 71.6km/s/Mpc.
Note (3): on the maser scale (Humphreys et al., 2013ApJ...775...13H 2013ApJ...775...13H)
Note (4): Method used to determine the distance modulus is:
C = Cepheid variables in V and I
FP = Fundamental Plane
P = planetary nebulae
S = surface brightness fluctuations in I
T = tip of the red giant branch in I
TF = Tully-Fisher relation
The distance to the centre of the Milky Way is from van der Marel et al.
(2012ApJ...753....8V 2012ApJ...753....8V). For any distance determined using more than one
method, the tabulated error is the standard deviation of the estimates.
Otherwise, the error comes from propagating uncertainties in observational
parameters. The uncertainty in the zero-point of the distance scale is not
included. Even though M106 (NGC 4258) sets the zero-point via its masers, the
uncertainty recorded for its distance is based upon the dispersion of its
stellar indicators.
Note (5): based upon an absolute magnitude for the Sun of 3.315mag in Ks
(the uncertainty accounts only for the error in the luminosity)
Note (6): Position angle of the line of nodes, measured in degrees eastward from
north to the first limb (epoch 1950 assumed).
Note (7): Symbols next to the inclination and position angle resolve the
ambiguity in the orientation of the spin vector.
* In the case of the inclination, the symbol + (-) signifies arms open
counter-clockwise (clockwise) or that the near side is at the position angle
of the receding limb plus (minus) 90°.
* In the case of the position angle, the symbol signifies whether the specified
limb is receding (+) or approaching (-).
* The symbol 0 signifies indeterminate.
Note (8): The natural Sheet coordinate system has its north pole (the
direction of positive z) at supergalactic coordinates
(L, B) = (241.74±0.74, 82.05±0.12) with the x-y plane perpendicularly
offset from the Sun southward of the supergalactic plane by 129±4kpc.
The positive x-axis points parallel to the line of nodes towards
L=151.74° and the positive y-axis points towards the supergalactic
longitude of the north pole. In the rotated system, the x-axis has been
rotated by 106.74° clockwise, so longitudes of galaxies are concomitantly
greater.
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Byte-by-byte Description of file: table2.dat
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Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
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1- 11 A11 --- Name Name of galaxy
13- 24 A12 --- Vel Origin of heliocentric velocity, in refs.dat
26- 58 A33 --- Orient Origin of axis ratio, tilt, and
position angle, in refs.dat
60- 99 A40 --- Rot Origin of velocity field, in refs.dat
101-135 A35 --- Phot Origin of integrated photometry
(B-V, V, and Ks), in refs.dat
137-183 A47 --- Dist Origin of observations required to determine
distance, in refs.dat
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Byte-by-byte Description of file: table3.dat
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Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
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1- 11 A11 --- Name Name of galaxy
14- 17 F4.1 deg i(ph) [0/90]?=- Tilt from photometry
19- 22 F4.1 deg e_i(ph) ? rms uncertainty on i(ph)
24- 27 F4.1 deg i(kin) [0/90]?=- Tilt from kinematics
29- 32 F4.1 deg e_i(kin) ? rms uncertainty on i(kin)
34- 37 F4.1 deg ia [0/90]?=- Adopted tilt, as in table1
39- 42 F4.1 deg e_ia ? rms uncertainty on ia
44- 48 F5.1 deg PA(ph) [0/180] Position angle of line of nodes from
photometry (9)
50- 53 F4.1 deg e_PA(ph) rms uncertainty on PA(ph)
55- 59 F5.1 deg PA(kin) [0/180]?=- Position angle of line of nodes
from kinematics (9)
61- 64 F4.1 deg e_PA(kin) ? rms uncertainty on PA(kin)
66- 70 F5.1 deg PAa [0/180] Adopted position angle of line
of nodes, as in table1 (9)
72- 75 F4.1 deg e_PAa rms uncertainty on PAa
77- 83 A7 --- Notes Notes on galaxy (10)
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Note (9): measured eastward from north (epoch 1950 assumed).
Note (10): Notes as follows:
1 = highly inclined
2 = tilt from relative scale heights of different populations
3 = near face-on
4 = tilt derived from Tully-Fisher relation in Ks
5 = intrinsic axis ratio uncertain
6 = heavy extinction
7 = complex velocity field
8 = disturbed or warped
9 = gas captured
10 = non-circular motions and isophotes
11 = properties are for PNe in spheroidal component
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Byte-by-byte Description of file: refs.dat
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Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
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1- 6 A6 --- Ref Reference code
8- 26 A19 --- BibCode BibCode
28- 66 A39 --- Aut Authors' name
67-110 A44 --- Com Comments
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History:
From electronic version of the journal
(End) Patricia Vannier [CDS] 16-Jan-2015