Skip to main content
Kent Academic Repository

HST/WFPC2 Imaging of the QDOT Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxy Sample

Farrah, Duncan, Rowan-Robinson, Michael, Oliver, Seb, Serjeant, Stephen, Borne, K., Lawrence, Andrew D., Lucas, R.A., Bushouse, H., Colina, L. (2001) HST/WFPC2 Imaging of the QDOT Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxy Sample. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 326 (4). pp. 1333-1352. ISSN 0035-8711. (doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2001.04721.x) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:11777)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2001.04721.x

Abstract

We present HST WFPC2 V-band imaging for 23 ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) taken from the QDOT redshift survey. The fraction of sources observed to be interacting is 87 per cent. Most of the merging systems show a number of compact 'knots', whose colour and brightness differ substantially from their immediate surroundings. Colour maps for nine of the objects show a non-uniform colour structure. Features include blue regions located towards the centres of merging systems which are Likely to be areas of enhanced star formation, and compact red regions which are likely to be dust shrouded starbursts or active Galactic nuclei. The host galaxies of the quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) in the sample were found to be either interacting systems or ellipticals. Our data show no evidence that ULIRGs are a simple transition stage between galaxy mergers and QSOs. We propose an alternative model for ULIRGs based on the morphologies in our sample and previous N-body simulations. Under this model ULIRGs as a class are much more diverse than a simple transition between galaxy merger and QSO. The evolution of IR power source and mer er morphology in ULIRGs is driven solely by the local environment and the morphologies of the merger progenitors.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2001.04721.x
Additional information: 87 BLACKWELL SCIENCE LTD 480DH
Uncontrolled keywords: galaxies : active; quasars : general; galaxies : Seyfert; galaxies : starburst; infrared : galaxies ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI; HUBBLE DEEP FIELD; IRAS GALAXIES; INTERACTING GALAXIES; STAR-FORMATION; OPTICAL POLARIZATION; LUMINOSITY FUNCTION; STARBURST GALAXIES; ELLIPTIC GALAXIES; REDSHIFT SURVEY
Subjects: Q Science
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Physics and Astronomy
Depositing User: Maggie Francis
Date Deposited: 25 Mar 2009 22:25 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 09:50 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/11777 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Serjeant, Stephen.

Creator's ORCID:
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Lawrence, Andrew D..

Creator's ORCID:
CReDIT Contributor Roles:
  • Depositors only (login required):

Total unique views for this document in KAR since July 2020. For more details click on the image.