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At least 19 records

Deep Galex Observations of the Coma Cluster: Source Catalog and Galaxy Counts

We present a source catalog from deep 26 ks GALEX observations of the Coma cluster in the far-UV (FUV; 1530 Angstroms) and near-UV (NUV; 2310 Angstroms) wavebands. The observed field is centered 0.9 deg. (1.6 Mpc) south-west of the Coma core, and has full optical photometric coverage by SDSS and spectroscopic coverage to r-21. The catalog consists of 9700 galaxies with GALEX and SDSS photometry, including 242 spectroscopically-confirmed Coma member galaxies that range from giant spirals and elliptical galaxies to dwarf irregular and early-type galaxies. The full multi-wavelength catalog (cluster plus background galaxies) is 80% complete to NUV=23 and FUV=23.5, and has a limiting depth at NUV=24.5 and FUV=25.0 which corresponds to a star formation rate of 10(exp -3) solar mass yr(sup -1) at the distance of Coma. The GALEX images presented here are very deep and include detections of many resolved cluster members superposed on a dense field of unresolved background galaxies. This required a two-fold approach to generating a source catalog: we used a Bayesian deblending algorithm to measure faint and compact sources (using SDSS coordinates as a position prior), and used the GALEX pipeline catalog for bright and/or extended objects. We performed simulations to assess the importance of systematic effects (e.g. object blends, source confusion, Eddington Bias) that influence source detection and photometry when using both methods. The Bayesian deblending method roughly doubles the number of source detections and provides reliable photometry to a few magnitudes deeper than the GALEX pipeline catalog. This method is also free from source confusion over the UV magnitude range studied here: conversely, we estimate that the GALEX pipeline catalogs are confusion limited at NUV approximately 23 and FUV approximately 24. We have measured the total UV galaxy counts using our catalog and report a 50% excess of counts across FUV=22-23.5 and NUV=21.5-23 relative to previous GALEX measurements, which is not attributed to cluster member galaxies. Our galaxy counts are a better match to deeper UV counts measured with HST.

Hammer, D.↗

A Correction for GALEX Spectroscopic UV Flux Distributions from Comparisons with CALSPEC and IUE

The CALSPEC database of absolute spectral energy distributions (SEDs) from the Hubble Space Telescope is based on pure hydrogen model atmosphere calculations for three unreddened white dwarf stars and represents the current UV flux calibration standard with a precision approaching 1% for well observed stars. Following our previous work to correct International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) fluxes, this paper provides an average correction for the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) spectral database that places GALEX fluxes on the current CALSPEC scale. Our correction is derived by comparing GALEX spectroscopic flux distributions with CALSPEC and corrected IUE SEDs. This recalibration is relevant for any project based on GALEX archival spectroscopic data, e.g., UV or multi-wavelength analyses, correlating GALEX spectra with other existing or future databases, and planning of new observations. The recalibration will be applied to our planned catalog of corrected GALEX SEDs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Late-onset Circumstellar Medium Interactions are Rare: An Unbiased GALEX View of Type Ia Supernovae

Abstract Using ultraviolet (UV) light curves, we constrain the circumstellar environments of 1080 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) within z < 0.5 from archival Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) observations. All SNe Ia are required to have pre- and post-explosion GALEX observations to ensure adequate subtraction of the host-galaxy flux. Using the late-time GALEX observations, we look for the UV excess expected from any interaction between the SN ejecta and circumstellar material (CSM). Four SNe Ia are detected near maximum light, and we compare the GALEX photometry to archival data. However, we find that none of our targets show convincing evidence of CSM interaction. A recent Hubble Space Telescope (HST) survey estimates that ∼6% of SNe Ia may interact with distant CSM, but statistical inferences are complicated by the small sample size and selection effects. By injecting model light curves into our data and then recovering them, we constrain a broad range of CSM interactions based on the CSM interaction start time and the maximum luminosity. Combining our GALEX nondetections with the HST results, we constrain occurrence of late-onset CSM interaction among SNe Ia with moderate CSM interaction, similar to that observed in PTF11kx, to f CSM ≲ 5.1% between 0 and 500 days after discovery and ≲2.7% between 500 and 1000 days after discovery at 90% confidence. For weaker CSM interactions similar to SN 2015cp, we obtain limits of ≲16% and ≲4.8%, respectively, for the same time ranges.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The Galex Time Domain Survey. I. Selection And Classification of Over a Thousand Ultraviolet Variable Sources

We present the selection and classification of over a thousand ultraviolet (UV) variable sources discovered in approximately 40 deg(exp 2) of GALEX Time Domain Survey (TDS) NUV images observed with a cadence of 2 days and a baseline of observations of approximately 3 years. The GALEX TDS fields were designed to be in spatial and temporal coordination with the Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey, which provides deep optical imaging and simultaneous optical transient detections via image differencing. We characterize the GALEX photometric errors empirically as a function of mean magnitude, and select sources that vary at the 5 sigma level in at least one epoch. We measure the statistical properties of the UV variability, including the structure function on timescales of days and years. We report classifications for the GALEX TDS sample using a combination of optical host colors and morphology, UV light curve characteristics, and matches to archival X-ray, and spectroscopy catalogs. We classify 62% of the sources as active galaxies (358 quasars and 305 active galactic nuclei), and 10% as variable stars (including 37 RR Lyrae, 53 M dwarf flare stars, and 2 cataclysmic variables). We detect a large-amplitude tail in the UV variability distribution for M-dwarf flare stars and RR Lyrae, reaching up to absolute value(Δm) = 4.6 mag and 2.9 mag, respectively. The mean amplitude of the structure function for quasars on year timescales is five times larger than observed at optical wavelengths. The remaining unclassified sources include UV-bright extragalactic transients, two of which have been spectroscopically confirmed to be a young core-collapse supernova and a flare from the tidal disruption of a star by dormant supermassive black hole. We calculate a surface density for variable sources in the UV with NUV less than 23 mag and absolute value(Δm) greater than 0.2 mag of approximately 8.0, 7.7, and 1.8 deg(exp −2) for quasars, active galactic nuclei, and RR Lyrae stars, respectively. We also calculate a surface density rate in the UV for transient sources, using the effective survey time at the cadence appropriate to each class, of approximately 15 and 52 deg(exp −2 yr−1 for M dwarfs and extragalactic transients, respectively.

Gezari, S.↗

Catalog of Planetary Nebulae Detected by GALEX and Corollary Optical Surveys

Planetary nebulae (PNs) consist of an ionized envelope surrounding a hot central star (CSPN) that emits mostly at ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths. UV observations, therefore, provide important information on both the CSPN and the nebula. We have matched the PNs in the Hong Kong/Australian Astronomical Observatory/Strasbourg Hα catalog with the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) UV sky surveys, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data release 16, and the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) PS1 second release. A total of 671 PNs were observed by GALEX with the far-UV (FUV; 1344 Å–1786 Å) and/or the near-UV (NUV; 1771 Å–2831 Å) detectors on (GUVPNcat); 83 were observed by SDSS (PNcatxSDSSDR16) and 1819 by Pan-STARRS (PNcatxPS1MDS). We merged a distilled version of these matched catalogs into GUVPNcatxSDSSDR16xPS1MDS, which contains a total of 375 PNs with both UV and optical photometry over a total spectral coverage of ~1540 Å–9610 Å. We analyzed separately 170 PNs resolved in GALEX images and determined their UV radius by applying a flux profile analysis. The CSPN flux could be extracted separately from the PN emission for 8 and 50 objects with SDSS and Pan-STARRS counterparts, respectively. The multiband photometry was used to distinguish between compact and extended PNs and CSPNs (binary CSPNs) by color–color diagram analysis. We found that compact PN candidates could be identified by using the r - i < - 0.4 and -1 < FUV-NUV < 1 colors, whereas binary CSPN candidates in given T eff ranges (all with color r-i > -0.4) can be identified in the color region (FUV-NUV) ≤ 6(r-i)+1.3, -0.8 < FUV-NUV < 0.4, and r-i < 0.75.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

GALEX Wide-field Ultraviolet Imaging of NGC 5128 (Centaurus-A)

We present new wide-field ultraviolet (UV) observations of the nearby active galaxy NGC 5128 (Centaurus A). The GALEX images provide 3.5 sec - 5.5 sec resolution over a 1.2 degree field, in two broad bands (1350- 1800A and 1800-3000A, centered at 1550A and 2200A). We detect ultraviolet emission associated with the radio and X-ray jets in both bands, extending out to a distance of approx. 40kpc from the galaxy nucleus. We compare the radio, X-ray, and UV jets, and discuss the feasibility of jet-induced star formation. We show how the UV emission relates to the optical filaments: HI and CO clouds, stellar shells, X-ray arcs, and young star chains previously reported by other authors. In the central region of NGC 5128, we detect UV emission from young super-star-clusters and associated ionized gas located along the near edge and on the upper surface of the dusty warped disk. All of the UV emission in the galaxy appears to result from intense star formation in the disk; none appears to be associated with the old stellar population of the main galaxy body, and no UV emission from the AGN is detected. We estimate the numbers and ages of the massive young stars present, and the associated ionized gas masses. Finally, we compare Cen-A to high redshift radio galaxies which were much more numerous in the earlier universe. The GALEX satellite is a NASA Small Explorer, launched in April 2003. We gratefully acknowledge NASA's support for construction, operation, and science analysis for the GALEX mission.

Neff, S. G.↗

Deep X-ray and UV Surveys of Galaxies with Chandra, XMM-Newton, and GALEX

Only with the deepest Chandra surveys has X-ray emission from normal and star forming galaxies (as opposed to AGN, which dominate the X-ray sky) been accessible at cosmologically interesting distances. The X-ray emission from accreting binaries provide a critical glimpse into the binary phase of stellar evolution and studies of the hot gas reservoir constrain past star formation. UV studies provide important, sensitive diagnostics of the young star forming populations and provide the most mature means for studying galaxies at 2 < zeta < 4. This talk will review current progress on studying X-ray emission in concert with UV emission from normal/star-forming galaxies at higher redshift. We will also report on our new, deep surveys with GALEX and XMM-Newton in the nearby Coma cluster. These studies are relevant to DEEP06 as Coma is the nearest rich cluster of galaxies and provides an important benchmark for high-redshift studies in the X-ray and UV wavebands. The 30 ks GALEX (note: similar depth to the GALEX Deep Imaging Survey) and the 110 ks XMM observations provide extremely deep coverage of a Coma outskirts field, allowing the construction of the UV and X-ray luminosity function of galaxies and important constraints on star formation scaling relations such as the X-ray-Star Formation Rate correlation and the X-ray/Stellar Mass correlation. We will discuss what we learn from these deep observations of Coma, including the recently established suppression of the X-ray emission from galaxies in the Coma outskirts that is likely associated with lower levels of past star formation and/or the results of tidal gas stripping.

Hornschemeier, Ann↗

Hot Subdwarf Stars Among the Objects Rejected from the PG Catalog: a First Assessment Using GALEX Photometry

The hot subdwarf (sd) stars in the Palomar Green (PG) catalog of ultraviolet excess (UVX) objects play a key role in investigations of the frequency and types of binary companions and the distribution of orbital periods. These are important for establishing whether and by which channels the sd stars arise from interactions in close binary systems. It has been suggested that the list of PG sd stars is biased by the exclusion of many stars in binaries, whose spectra show the Ca I1 K line in absorption. A total of 1125 objects that were photometrically selected as candidates were ultimately rejected from the final PG catalog using this K-line criterion. We study 88 of these 'PG-Rejects' (PGRs), to assess whether there are significant numbers of unrecognized sd stars in binaries among the PGR objects. The presence of a sd should cause a large UVX, compared with the cool K-line star. We assemble GALEX, Johnson V, and 2MASS photometry and compare the colors of these PGR objects with those of known sd stars, cool single stars, and hot+cool binaries. Sixteen PGRs were detected in both the far- and near-ultraviolet GALEX passbands. Eleven of these, plus the 72 cases with only an upper limit in the far-ultraviolet band, are interpreted as single cool stars, appropriately rejected by the PG spectroscopy. Of the remaining five stars, three are consistent with being sd stars paired with a cool main sequence companion, while two may be single stars or composite systems of another type. We discuss the implications of these findings for the 1125 PGR objects as a whole. An enlarged study is desirable to increase confidence in these first results and to identify individual sd+cool binaries or other composites for follow-up study. The GALEX AIS data have sufficient sensitivity to carry out this larger study.

Wade, Richard A.↗

GALEX telescope vibration response reduction

GALEX, Galaxy Evolution Explorer, is a space UV imaging and spectroscopic earth orbiting mission, which will map the history of star formation. In addition, GALEX will perform the first ultraviolet all-sky imaging survey and will launch in July 2002.

GALEX telescope vibration↗

GALEX telescope vibration response reduction

GALEX, Galaxy Evolution Explorer, is a space UV imaging and spectroscopic earth orbiting mission, which will map the history of star formation. In addition, GALEX will perform the first ultraviolet all-sky imaging survey and will launch in early 2003 on a Pegasus.

telescopes↗

GALEX Study of the UV Variability of Nearby Galaxies and a Deep Probe of the UV Luminosity Function

The proposal has two aims - a deep exposure of NGC 300, about a factor of 10 deeper than the GALEX all-sky survey; and an examination of the UV variability. The data were received just prior to a series of proposal deadlines in early spring. A subsequent analysis delay includes a move from SAO to the University of Texas - San Antonio. Nevertheless, we have merged the data into a single deep exposure as well as undertaking a preliminary examination of the variability. No UV halo is present as detected in the GALEX observation of M83. No UV bursts are visible; however a more stringent limit will only be obtained through a differencing of the sub-images. Papers: we expect 2 papers at about 12 pages/paper to flow from this project. The first paper will report on the time variability while the second will focus on the deep UV image obtained from stacking the individual observations.

Schlegel, Eric↗

Uv-bright Nearby Early-type Galaxies Observed in the Mid-infrared: Eidence for a Multi-stage Formation History by Way of WISE and GALEX Imaging

In the local universe, 10% of massive elliptical galaxies are observed to exhibit a peculiar property: a substantial excess of ultraviolet emission than what is expected from their old, red stellar populations. Several origins for this ultraviolet excess (UVX) have been proposed including a population of hot young stars and a population of old, blue horizontal branch or extended horizontal branch (BHB or EHB) stars that have undergone substantial mass loss from their outer atmospheres. We explore the radial distribution of UVX in a selection of 49 nearby E/S0-type galaxies by measuring their extended photometry in the UV through mid-infrared (mid-IR) with the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX), the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). We compare UV/optical and UV/mid-IR colors with the Flexible Stellar Population Synthesis models, which allow for the inclusion of EHB stars. We find that combined WISE mid-IR and GALEX UV colors are more effective in distinguishing models than optical colors, and that the UV/mid-IR combination is sensitive to the EHB fraction. There are strong color gradients, with the outer radii bluer than the inner half-light radii by approx.1 mag. This color difference is easily accounted for with an increase in the BHB fraction of 0.25 with radius. We estimated that the average ages for the inner and outer radii are 7.0 +/- 0.3 Gyr, and 6.2 +/- 0.2 Gyr, respectively, with the implication that the outer regions are likely to have formed approx. 1 Gyr after the inner regions. Additionally, we find that metallicity gradients are likely not a significant factor in the color difference. The separation of color between the inner and outer regions, which agrees with a specific stellar population difference (e.g., higher EHB populations), and the approx. 0.5-2 Gyr age difference suggests multi-stage formation. Our results are best explained by inside-out formation: rapid star formation within the core at early epochs (>4 Gyr ago) and at least one later stage starburst event coinciding with z approx. 1.

galaxies: elliptical and lenticular↗

Photometric cross-calibration of the SDSS Stripe 82 Standard Stars catalogue with Gaia EDR3, and comparison with Pan-STARRS1, DES, CFIS, and GALEX catalogues

ABSTRACT We extend the SDSS Stripe 82 Standard Stars catalogue with post-2007 SDSS imaging data. This improved version lists averaged SDSS ugriz photometry for nearly a million stars brighter than r ∼ 22 mag. With 2–3 times more measurements per star, random errors are 1.4–1.7 times smaller than in the original catalogue, and about three times smaller than for individual SDSS runs. Random errors in the new catalogue are $\lesssim$0.01 mag for stars brighter than 20.0, 21.0, 21.0, 20.5, and 19.0 mag in u, g, r, i, and z-bands, respectively. We achieve this error threshold by using the Gaia Early Data Release 3 (EDR3) Gmag photometry to derive grey photometric zeropoint corrections, as functions of RA and Declination, for the SDSS catalogue, and use the Gaia BP–RP colour to derive corrections in the ugiz bands, relative to the r-band. The quality of the recalibrated photometry, tested against Pan-STARRS1, DES, CFIS, and GALEX surveys, indicates spatial variations of photometric zeropoints ≦ 0.01 mag (rms), with typical values of 3–7 millimag in the RA, and 1–2 millimag in the Declination directions, except for $\lesssim$6 millimag scatter in the u-band. We also report a few minor photometric problems with other surveys considered here, including a magnitude-dependent ∼0.01 mag bias between 16 ≤ GGaia ≤ 20 in the Gaia EDR3. Our new, publicly available catalogue offers robust calibration of ugriz photometry below 1 per cent level, and will be helpful during the commissioning of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

A Statistical Search for Star–Planet Interaction in the Ultraviolet Using GALEX

Most (∼82%) of the over 4000 confirmed exoplanets known today orbit very close to their host stars, within 0.5 au. Planets at such small orbital distances can result in significant interactions with their host stars, which can induce increased activity levels in them. In this work, we have searched for statistical evidence for star–planet interactions in the ultraviolet (UV) using the largest sample of 1355 Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) detected host stars with confirmed exoplanets and making use of the improved host-star parameters from Gaia DR2. From our analysis, we do not find any significant correlation between the UV activity of the host stars and their planetary properties. We further compared the UV properties of planet host stars to that of chromospherically active stars from the RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) survey. Our results indicate that the enhancement in chromospheric activity of host stars due to star–planet interactions may not be significant enough to reflect in their near- and far-UV broadband flux.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Estimating the Ages of FGK Dwarf Stars through the Use of GALEX FUV Magnitudes

Stellar age cannot be directly measured, yet age determinations are fundamental to understanding the evolution of stars, planets, and galaxies. The work presented here builds upon the idea of a stellar-activity age. We utilized far-ultraviolet (FUV) photometry acquired by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) space telescope as an indicator of chromospheric activity to infer ages of late-F, G, and K type dwarf stars. We derived a purely empirical correlation between FUV magnitudes and stellar age in conjunction with (B − V) color. Our attention is restricted to Sun-like stars with color range 0.55⩽(B−V)⩽0.71 and absolute magnitude range 4.3 ≤ M {sub V} ≤ 5.3. The correlation is defined in terms of a FUV-excess parameter Q(FUV−B,B−V). We related stellar age, τ, to Q through the relation log{sub e}(τ)=log{sub e}(a)+bQ, where a and b are fit parameters and functions of (B − V). This correlation is functional up to 6 Gyr for FGK dwarfs. With such a correlation, one only needs Johnson (B − V) and FUV measurements to estimate the stellar age for Population i dwarf stars of solar-like temperature and metallicity. Such a calibration has utility in population studies of FGK dwarfs for further understanding of the chemical evolution of the Milky Way. As an illustration of one such application, we have constructed activity and FUV–age distributions for a sample of thin and thick disk stars, as distinguished by their chemical abundances. Considerable overlap is found between the activity distribution and age range of the two populations. We discuss the possibility that some high-[α/Fe] thick disk stars were formed as a result of the accretion of dwarf galaxies as recently as 4 Gyr ago.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗