The UV enigma of post-starburst galaxies

We have studied the panchromatic broad-band properties from the FUV to the MIR of a sample of 808 post-starburst galaxies. We find that in the optical and near-IR bands post-starburst galaxies (PSGs) form a remarkably uniform class of objects and that, on average, simple populations synthesis models...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Astrophysics and space science 2014-11, Vol.354 (1), p.65-68
Main Authors: Melnick, Jorge, De Propris, Roberto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astrobiology
Astronomy
Astrophysics
Astrophysics and Astroparticles
Cosmology
Dust
Errors
Galaxies
Modelling
Observations and Techniques
Optical properties
Original Article
Photometry
Physics
Physics and Astronomy
Populations
Space Exploration and Astronautics
Space Sciences (including Extraterrestrial Physics
Starbursts
Stars & galaxies
Ultraviolet astronomy
Variance
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Summary:We have studied the panchromatic broad-band properties from the FUV to the MIR of a sample of 808 post-starburst galaxies. We find that in the optical and near-IR bands post-starburst galaxies (PSGs) form a remarkably uniform class of objects and that, on average, simple populations synthesis models (SSP) reproduce very well the SEDs of PSGs over a broad wavelength range, but not in the UV. We also find that, while the photometric variance in the optical and near-IR properties of the sample is small and comparable to the observational errors, both in the UV and the mid-IR the observed variance is much larger than the errors. We find a strong correlation between the UV fluxes and those in the mid-IR, indicating that the large variance in UV properties of PSGs could be related to a non-uniform distribution of dust covering the intermediate age populations. The disagreement between models and observations in the UV could be due to inadequate modelling; to the contribution of AGB and post-AGB stars; or to a non-uniform distribution of dust; possibly all three. Further progress in understanding this important class of galaxies, therefore, requires at the same time better modelling and better observations in the UV and mid-IR.
ISSN:0004-640X
1572-946X
DOI:10.1007/s10509-014-1948-1