Bibcode
de Lorenzo-Cáceres, A.; Falcón-Barroso, J.; Vazdekis, A.
Bibliographical reference
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 431, Issue 3, p.2397-2418
Advertised on:
5
2013
Citations
34
Refereed citations
33
Description
Numerical simulations of double-barred galaxies predict the build-up of
different structural components (e.g. bulges, inner discs) in the
central regions of disc galaxies. In those simulations, inner bars have
a prominent role in the internal secular evolution of their host
galaxies. The development of bulges and inner discs is, however, poorly
understood observationally due to the small number of studies focusing
on the stellar populations of these systems. In order to provide
constraints on the relevant processes inducing the creation of these
components in the presence of inner bars, we have carried out a detailed
kinematical and stellar population analysis in a sample of four
double-barred galaxies, ranging from SB0 to SBb, observed with
integral-field spectroscopy. We find that the inner bars present
distinct stellar population properties, being younger and more
metal-rich than the surrounding bulges and outer bars. While we detect
signatures of gas inflow through the inner bars, we find no evidence of
associated star-forming regions or newly formed structures around them.
This result suggests that, regardless of their formation scenario, at
present these inner bars are playing a moderate or even a minor role in
the morphological evolution of this sample of double-barred galaxies.
Related projects
Traces of Galaxy Formation: Stellar populations, Dynamics and Morphology
We are a large, diverse, and very active research group aiming to provide a comprehensive picture for the formation of galaxies in the Universe. Rooted in detailed stellar population analysis, we are constantly exploring and developing new tools and ideas to understand how galaxies came to be what we now observe.
Ignacio
Martín Navarro