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We present the third and final data release of the Large Early Galaxy Astrophysics Census (LEGA-C), an ESO/VLT public spectroscopic survey targeting $0.6 < z < 1.0$, Ks-selected galaxies. The data release contains 3528 spectra with measured stellar velocity dispersions and stellar population properties, a 25-fold increase in sample size compared to previous work. This $K_s$-selected sample probes the galaxy population down to $\sim0.3 L^*$, for all colors and morphological types. Along with the spectra we publish a value-added catalog with stellar and ionized gas velocity dispersions, stellar absorption line indices, emission line fluxes and equivalent widths, complemented with structural parameters measured from HST/ACS imaging. With its combination of high precision and large sample size, LEGA-C provides a new benchmark for galaxy evolution studies., Accepted for publication in ApJS. Data available at http://archive.eso.org/cms/eso-archive-news/Third-and-final-release-of-the-Large-Early-Galaxy-Census-LEGA-C-Spectroscopic-Public-Survey-published.html or https://users.ugent.be/\string~avdrwel/research.html\#legac

Using high resolution spectra from the VLT LEGA-C program, we reconstruct the star formation histories (SFHs) of 607 galaxies at redshifts $z = 0.6-1.0$ and stellar masses $\gtrsim10^{10}$M$_{\odot}$ using a custom full spectrum fitting algorithm that incorporates the emcee and FSPS packages. We show that the mass-weighted age of a galaxy correlates strongly with stellar velocity dispersion ($��_*$) and ongoing star-formation (SF) activity, with the stellar content in higher-$��_*$ galaxies having formed earlier and faster. The SFHs of quiescent galaxies are generally consistent with passive evolution since their main SF epoch, but a minority show clear evidence of a rejuvenation event in their recent past. The mean age of stars in galaxies that are star-forming is generally significantly younger, with SF peaking after $z100$Myrs. This indicates that $z>2$ progenitors of $z\sim1$ star-forming galaxies are generally far less massive. Finally, despite considerable variance in the individual SFHs, we show that the current SF activity of massive galaxies ($>$L$_*$) at $z\sim1$ correlates with SF levels at least $3$Gyrs prior: SFHs retain `memory' on a large fraction of the Hubble time. Our results illustrate a novel approach to resolve the formation phase of galaxies, and in identifying their individual evolutionary paths, connects progenitors and descendants across cosmic time. This is uniquely enabled by the high-quality continuum spectroscopy provided by the LEGA-C survey., 18 pages, 9 figures, accepted by ApJ

The Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies is a volume, magnitude, and size-limited survey of 2352 nearby galaxies with deep imaging at 3.6 and 4.5 μm. In this paper, we describe our surface photometry pipeline and showcase the associated data products that we have released to the community. We also identify the physical mechanisms leading to different levels of central stellar mass concentration for galaxies with the same total stellar mass. Finally, we derive the local stellar mass–size relation at 3.6 μm for galaxies of different morphologies. Our radial profiles reach stellar mass surface densities below ~1 M⊙ pc^(-2). Given the negligible impact of dust and the almost constant mass-to-light ratio at these wavelengths, these profiles constitute an accurate inventory of the radial distribution of stellar mass in nearby galaxies. From these profiles we have also derived global properties such as asymptotic magnitudes (and the corresponding stellar masses), isophotal sizes and shapes, and concentration indices. These and other data products from our various pipelines (science-ready mosaics, object masks, 2D image decompositions, and stellar mass maps) can be publicly accessed at IRSA (http://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/data/SPITZER/S4G/).

The Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S^4G) is a deep 3.6 and 4.5 μm imaging survey of 2352 nearby (

We present a kinematical study of 29 spiral galaxies included in the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies, using Ha Fabry Perot (FP) data obtained with the Galaxy Ha Fabry Perot System instrument at the William Herschel Telescope in La Palma, complemented with images in the R band and in Ha. The primary goal is to study the evolution and properties of the main structural components of galaxies through the kinematical analysis of the FP data, complemented with studies of morphology, star formation and mass distribution. In this paper we describe how the FP data have been obtained, processed and analysed. We present the resulting moment maps, rotation curves, velocity model maps and residual maps. Images are available in Errs format through the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database and the Centre de Donnees Stellaires. With these data products we study the non-circular motions, in particular those found along the bars and spiral arms. The data indicate that the amplitude of the non-circular motions created by the bar does not correlate with the bar strength indicators. The amplitude of those non-circular motions in the spiral arms does not correlate with either arm class or star formation rate along the spiral arms. This implies that the presence and the magnitude of the streaming motions in the arms is a local phenomenon.

The Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S(4)G) is a deep 3.6 and 4.5 mu m imaging survey of 2352 nearby (

We present a catalogue and images of visually detected features, such as asymmetries, extensions, warps, shells, tidal tails, polar rings, and obvious signs of mergers or interactions, in the faint outer regions (at and outside of R_25) of nearby galaxies. This catalogue can be used in future quantitative studies that examine galaxy evolution due to internal and external factors. We are able to reliably detect outer region features down to a brightness level of 0.03 MJy/sr per pixel at 3.6 microns in the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S4G). We also tabulate companion galaxies. We find asymmetries in the outer isophotes in 22+/-1 per cent of the sample. The asymmetry fraction does not correlate with galaxy classification as an interacting galaxy or merger remnant, or with the presence of companions. We also compare the detected features to similar features in galaxies taken from cosmological zoom re-simulations. The simulated images have a higher fraction (33 per cent) of outer disc asymmetries, which may be due to selection effects and an uncertain star formation threshold in the models. The asymmetries may have either an internal (e.g., lopsidedness due to dark halo asymmetry) or external origin., 26 pages, 16 embedded + 100 online-only figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

We study the m = 1 distortions (lopsidedness) in the stellar components of 167 nearby galaxies that span a wide range of morphologies and luminosities. We confirm the previous findings of (1) a high incidence of lopsidedness in the stellar distributions, (2) increasing lopsidedness as a function of radius out to at least 3.5 exponential scale lengths, and (3) greater lopsidedness, over these radii, for galaxies of later type and lower surface brightness. Additionally, the magnitude of the lopsidedness (1) correlates with the character of the spiral arms (stronger arm patterns occur in galaxies with less lopsidedness), (2) is not correlated with the presence or absence of a bar, or the strength of the bar when one is present, (3) is inversely correlated to the stellar mass fraction, f(*), within one radial scale length, and (4) correlates directly with f(*) measured within the radial range over which we measure lopsidedness. We interpret these findings to mean that lopsidedness is a generic feature of galaxies and does not, generally, depend on a rare event, such as a direct accretion of a satellite galaxy onto the disk of the parent galaxy. While lopsidedness may be caused by several phenomena, moderate lopsidedness (< A1 >(i) + < A(1)>(o))/2 < 0.3) is likely to reflect halo asymmetries to which the disk responds or a gravitationally self-generated mode. We hypothesize that the magnitude of the stellar response depends both on how centrally concentrated the stars are with respect to the dark matter and whether there are enough stars in the region of the lopsidedness that self-gravity is dynamically important.

Stellar bars can lead to gas inflow toward the center of a galaxy and stimulate nuclear star formation. However, there is no compelling evidence on whether they also feed a central supermassive black hole: by measuring the fractions of barred active and inactive galaxies, previous studies have yielded conflicting results. In this paper, we aim to understand the lack of observational evidence for bar-driven active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity by studying a sample of 41 nearby (d < 35 Mpc) barred galaxies from the Spitzer Survey for Stellar Structure in Galaxies. We use Chandra observations to measure nuclear 2-10 keV X-ray luminosities and estimate Eddington ratios, together with Spitzer 3.6 mu m imaging to quantify the strength of the stellar bar in two independent ways: (1) from its structure, as traced by its ellipticity and boxiness, and (2) from its gravitational torque Q(b), taken as the maximum ratio of the tangential force to the mean background radial force. In this way, rather than discretizing the presence of both stellar bars and nuclear activity, we are able to account for the continuum of bar strengths and degrees of AGN activity. We find nuclear X-ray sources in 31 out of 41 galaxies with median X-ray luminosity and Eddington ratio of L-X = 4.3 x 10(38) erg s(-1) and L-bol/L-Edd = 6.9 x 10(-6), respectively, consistent with low-luminosity AGN activity. Including upper limits for those galaxies without nuclear detections, we find no significant correlation between any of the bar strength indicators and the degree of nuclear activity, irrespective of galaxy luminosity, stellar mass, Hubble type, or bulge size. Strong bars do not favor brighter or more efficient nuclear activity, implying that at least for the low-luminosity regime, supermassive black hole fueling is not closely connected to large-scale features.

We have analyzed the radial distribution of old stars in a sample of 218 nearby face-on disks, using deep 3.6 mu m images from the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies. In particular, we have studied the structural properties of those disks with a broken or down-bending profile. We find that, on average, disks with a genuine single-exponential profile have a scale length and a central surface brightness which are intermediate to those of the inner and outer components of a down-bending disk with the same total stellar mass. In the particular case of barred galaxies, the ratio between the break and the bar radii (R-br/R-bar) depends strongly on the total stellar mass of the galaxy. For galaxies more massive than 10(10) M-circle dot, the distribution is bimodal, peaking at R-br/R-bar similar to 2 and similar to 3.5. The first peak, which is the most populated one, is linked to the outer Lindblad resonance of the bar, whereas the second one is consistent with a dynamical coupling between the bar and the spiral pattern. For galaxies below 10(10) M-circle dot, breaks are found up to similar to 10 R-bar, but we show that they could still be caused by resonances given the rising nature of rotation curves in these low-mass disks. While not ruling out star formation thresholds, our results imply that radial stellar migration induced by non-axisymmetric features can be responsible not only for those breaks at similar to 2 R-bar, but also for many of those found at larger radii.

We have performed two-dimensional multicomponent decomposition of 144 local barred spiral galaxies using 3.6 $��{\rm m}$ images from the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies. Our model fit includes up to four components (bulge, disk, bar, and a point source) and, most importantly, takes into account disk breaks. We find that ignoring the disk break and using a single disk scale length in the model fit for Type II (down-bending) disk galaxies can lead to differences of 40% in the disk scale length, 10% in bulge-to-total luminosity ratio (B/T), and 25% in bar-to-total luminosity ratios. We find that for galaxies with B/T $\geq$ 0.1, the break radius to bar radius, $r_{\rm br}/R_{\rm bar}$, varies between 1 and 3, but as a function of B/T the ratio remains roughly constant. This suggests that in bulge-dominated galaxies the disk break is likely related to the outer Lindblad Resonance (OLR) of the bar, and thus moves outwards as the bar grows. For galaxies with small bulges, B/T $, Accepted for publication in ApJ, 21 pages, 13 figures, 2 tables

The mechanism causing breaks in the radial surface brightness distribution of spiral galaxies is not yet well known. Despite theoretical efforts, there is not a unique explanation for these features and the observational results are not conclusive. In an attempt to address this problem, we have selected a sample of 34 highly inclined spiral galaxies present both in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and in the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies. We have measured the surface brightness profiles in the five Sloan optical bands and in the 3.6$\mu m$ Spitzer band. We have also calculated the color and stellar surface mass density profiles using the available photometric information, finding two differentiated features: an innermost break radius at distances of $\sim 8 \pm 1$ kpc [$0.77 \pm 0.06$ $R_{25}$] and a second characteristic radius, or truncation radius, close to the outermost optical extent ($\sim 14 \pm 2$ kpc [$1.09 \pm 0.05$ $R_{25}$]) of the galaxy. We propose in this work that the breaks might be a phenomena related to a threshold in the star formation, while truncations are more likely a real drop in the stellar mass density of the disk associated with the maximum angular momentum of the stars., Comment: 15 pages, 13 figures and 5 tables (+ appendix). Accepted for publication in MNRAS

We present a study of the kinematics of the isolated spiral galaxy NGC 864, using H{\alpha} Fabry-Perot data obtained with the GH{\alpha}FaS instrument at the William Herschel Telescope in La Palma, complemented with images at 3.6 {\mu}m, in the R band and in H{\alpha} filter, and integral field spectroscopic data. The resulting data cubes and velocity maps allow the study of the kinematics of the galaxy, including in-depth investigations of the rotation curve, velocity moment maps, velocity residual maps, gradient maps and position-velocity diagrams. We find asymmetries in the velocity field in the bar zone, caused by non-circular motions, probably in response to the potential of the bar. We also find a flat-profile bar, in agreement with the strong bar, with the grand design spiral pattern, and with the gap between the ends of the bar and the start of the spiral arms. We quantify the rate of massive star formation, which is concentrated in the two spiral arms., Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables

Tidal debris around galaxies can yield important clues on their evolution. We have identified tidal debris in 11 early-type galaxies (T ≤ 0) from a sample of 65 early types drawn from the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S4G). The tidal debris includes features such as shells, ripples, and tidal tails. A variety of techniques, including two-dimensional decomposition of galactic structures, were used to quantify the residual tidal features. The tidal debris contributes ~3%-10% to the total 3.6 μm luminosity of the host galaxy. Structural parameters of the galaxies were estimated using two-dimensional profile fitting. We investigate the locations of galaxies with tidal debris in the fundamental plane and Kormendy relation. We find that galaxies with tidal debris lie within the scatter of early-type galaxies without tidal features. Assuming that the tidal debris is indicative of recent gravitational interaction or merger, this suggests that these galaxies have either undergone minor merging events so that the overall structural properties of the galaxies are not significantly altered, or they have undergone a major merging events but already have experienced sufficient relaxation and phase mixing so that their structural properties become similar to those of the non-interacting early-type galaxies.

We examine the effect of circumstellar dust extinction on the near-IR contribution of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in intermediate-age clusters throughout the disk of M100. For our sample of 17 AGB-dominated clusters we extract optical-to-mid-IR SEDs and find that NIR brightness is coupled to the mid-IR dust emission in such a way that a significant reduction of AGB light, of up to 1 mag in K-band, follows from extinction by the dust shell formed during this stage. Since the dust optical depth varies with AGB chemistry (C-rich or O-rich), our results suggest that the contribution of AGB stars to the flux from their host clusters will be closely linked to the metallicity and the progenitor mass of the AGB star, to which dust chemistry and mass-loss rate are sensitive. Our sample of clusters--each the analogue of a ~1 Gyr old post-starburst galaxy--has implications within the context of mass and age estimation via SED modelling at high z: we find that the average ~0.5 mag extinction estimated here may be sufficient to reduce the AGB contribution in (rest-frame) K-band from ~70%, as predicted in the latest generation of synthesis models, to ~35%. Our technique for selecting AGB-dominated clusters in nearby galaxies promises to be effective for discriminating the uncertainties associated with AGB stars in intermediate-age populations that plague age and mass estimation in high-z galaxies., 6 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in ApJL

We examine the effect of circumstellar dust extinction on the near-IR (NIR) contribution of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in intermediate-age clusters throughout the disk of M100. For our sample of 17AGB-dominated clusters we extract optical-to-mid-IR spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and find that NIR brightness is coupled to the mid-IR dust emission in such a way that a significant reduction of AGB light, of up to 1 mag in the K band, follows from extinction by the dust shell formed during this stage. Since the dust optical depth varies with AGB chemistry (C-rich or O-rich), our results suggest that the contribution of AGB stars to the flux from their host clusters will be closely linked to the metallicity and the progenitor mass of the AGB star, to which dust chemistry and mass-loss rate are sensitive. Our sample of clusters-each the analogue of a similar to 1 Gyr old post-starburst galaxy-has implications within the context of mass and age estimation via SED modeling at high-z: we find that the average similar to 0.5 mag extinction estimated here may be sufficient to reduce the AGB contribution in the (rest-frame) K band from similar to 70%, as predicted in the latest generation of synthesis models, to similar to 35%. Our technique for selecting AGB-dominated clusters in nearby galaxies promises to be effective for discriminating the uncertainties associated with AGB stars in intermediate-age populations that plague age and mass estimation in high-z galaxies.

Spiral arm properties of 46 galaxies in the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S(4)G) were measured at 3.6 mu m, where extinction is small and the old stars dominate. The sample includes flocculent, multiple arm, and grand design types with a wide range of Hubble and bar types. We find that most optically flocculent galaxies are also flocculent in the mid-IR because of star formation uncorrelated with stellar density waves, whereas multiple arm and grand design galaxies have underlying stellar waves. Arm-interarm contrasts increase from flocculent to multiple arm to grand design galaxies and with later Hubble types. Structure can be traced further out in the disk than in previous surveys. Some spirals peak at mid-radius while others continuously rise or fall, depending on Hubble and bar type. We find evidence for regular and symmetric modulations of the arm strength in NGC 4321. Bars tend to be long, high amplitude, and flat-profiled in early-type spirals, with arm contrasts that decrease with radius beyond the end of the bar, and they tend to be short, low amplitude, and exponential-profiled in late Hubble types, with arm contrasts that are constant or increase with radius. Longer bars tend to have larger amplitudes and stronger arms.

Most, if not all, disk galaxies have a thin (classical) disk and a thick disk. In most models thick disks are thought to be a necessary consequence of the disk formation and/or evolution of the galaxy. We present the results of a study of the thick disk properties in a sample of carefully selected edge-on galaxies with types ranging from T = 3 to T = 8. We fitted one-dimensional luminosity profiles with physically motivated functions-the solutions of two stellar and one gaseous isothermal coupled disks in equilibrium-which are likely to yield more accurate results than other functions used in previous studies. The images used for the fits come from the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S(4)G). We found that thick disks are on average more massive than previously reported, mostly due to the selected fitting function. Typically, the thin and thick disks have similar masses. We also found that thick disks do not flare significantly within the observed range in galactocentric radii and that the ratio of thick-to-thin disk scale heights is higher for galaxies of earlier types. Our results tend to favor an in situ origin for most of the stars in the thick disk. In addition, the thick disk may contain a significant amount of stars coming from satellites accreted after the initial buildup of the galaxy and an extra fraction of stars coming from the secular heating of the thin disk by its own overdensities. Assigning thick disk light to the thin disk component may lead to an underestimate of the overall stellar mass in galaxies because of different mass-to-light ratios in the two disk components. On the basis of our new results, we estimate that disk stellar masses are between 10% and 50% higher than previously thought and we suggest that thick disks are a reservoir of “local missing baryons.”

The Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies S^4G is an Exploration Science Legacy Program approved for the Spitzer post-cryogenic mission. It is a volume-, magnitude-, and size-limited (d < 40 Mpc, |b| > 30 degrees, m_(Bcorr) < 15.5, D25>1') survey of 2,331 galaxies using IRAC at 3.6 and 4.5 microns. Each galaxy is observed for 240 s and mapped to > 1.5 x D25. The final mosaicked images have a typical 1 sigma rms noise level of 0.0072 and 0.0093 MJy / sr at 3.6 and 4.5 microns, respectively. Our azimuthally-averaged surface brightness profile typically traces isophotes at mu_3.6 (AB) (1 sigma) ~ 27 mag arcsec^-2, equivalent to a stellar mass surface density of ~ 1 Msun pc^-2. S^4G thus provides an unprecedented data set for the study of the distribution of mass and stellar structures in the local Universe. This paper introduces the survey, the data analysis pipeline and measurements for a first set of galaxies, observed in both the cryogenic and warm mission phase of Spitzer. For every galaxy we tabulate the galaxy diameter, position angle, axial ratio, inclination at mu_3.6 (AB) = 25.5 and 26.5 mag arcsec^-2 (equivalent to ~ mu_B (AB) =27.2 and 28.2 mag arcsec^-2, respectively). These measurements will form the initial S^4G catalog of galaxy properties. We also measure the total magnitude and the azimuthally-averaged radial profiles of ellipticity, position angle, surface brightness and color. Finally, we deconstruct each galaxy using GALFIT into its main constituent stellar components: the bulge/spheroid, disk, bar, and nuclear point source, where necessary. Together these data products will provide a comprehensive and definitive catalog of stellar structures, mass and properties of galaxies in the nearby Universe., Accepted for Publication in PASP, 14 pages, 13 figures

Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Array Camera imaging provides an opportunity to study all known morphological types of galaxies in the mid-IR at a depth significantly better than ground-based near-infrared and optical images. The goal of this study is to examine the imprint of the de Vaucouleurs classification volume in the 3.6 μm band, which is the best Spitzer waveband for galactic stellar mass morphology owing to its depth and its reddening-free sensitivity mainly to older stars. For this purpose, we have prepared classification images for 207 galaxies from the Spitzer archive, most of which are formally part of the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S^4G), a Spitzer post-cryogenic ("warm") mission Exploration Science Legacy Program survey of 2331 galaxies closer than 40 Mpc. For the purposes of morphology, the galaxies are interpreted as if the images are blue light, the historical waveband for classical galaxy classification studies. We find that 3.6 μm classifications are well correlated with blue-light classifications, to the point where the essential features of many galaxies look very similar in the two very different wavelength regimes. Drastic differences are found only for the most dusty galaxies. Consistent with a previous study by Eskridge et al., the main difference between blue-light and mid-IR types is an ≈1 stage interval difference for S0/a to Sbc or Sc galaxies, which tend to appear "earlier" in type at 3.6 μm due to the slightly increased prominence of the bulge, the reduced effects of extinction, and the reduced (but not completely eliminated) effect of the extreme population I stellar component. We present an atlas of all of the 207 galaxies analyzed here and bring attention to special features or galaxy types, such as nuclear rings, pseudobulges, flocculent spiral galaxies, I0 galaxies, double-stage and double-variety galaxies, and outer rings, that are particularly distinctive in the mid-IR.

Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) imaging provides an opportunity to study all known morphological types of galaxies in the mid-IR at a depth significantly better than ground-based near-infrared and optical images. The goal of this study is to examine the imprint of the de Vaucouleurs classification volume in the 3.6 micron band, which is the best Spitzer waveband for galactic stellar mass morphology owing to its depth and its reddening-free sensitivity mainly to older stars. For this purpose, we have prepared classification images for 207 galaxies from the Spitzer archive, most of which are formally part of the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S^4G), a Spitzer post-cryogenic ("warm") mission Exploration Science Legacy Program survey of 2,331 galaxies closer than 40 Mpc. For the purposes of morphology, the galaxies are interpreted as if the images are {\it blue light}, the historical waveband for classical galaxy classification studies. We find that 3.6 micron classifications are well-correlated with blue-light classifications, to the point where the essential features of many galaxies look very similar in the two very different wavelength regimes. Drastic differences are found only for the most dusty galaxies. Consistent with a previous study by Eskridge et al. (2002), the main difference between blue light and mid-IR types is an approximately 1 stage interval difference for S0/a to Sbc or Sc galaxies, which tend to appear "earlier" in type at 3.6 microns due to the slightly increased prominence of the bulge, the reduced effects of extinction, and the reduced (but not completely eliminated) effect of the extreme population I stellar component. We present an atlas of all of the 207 galaxies analyzed here, and bring attention to special features or galaxy types that are particularly distinctive in the mid-IR., Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series (LaTex, 269 pages + 211 figures, uses aastex.cls); for a higher resolution pdf, see http://bama.ua.edu/~rbuta/s4g/. For the atlas of images and notes only, see http://bama.ua.edu/~rbuta/s4gatlas/

We summarize the main properties of the extended UV (XUV) emission found in roughly 30% of the nearby spiral galaxies observed by the GALEX satellite. Two different classes of XUV disks are identified, the Type 1 XUV disks where significant, structured UV-bright features are found beyond the classical azimuthally-averaged star-formation threshold, and the Type 2 XUV disks, which are characterized by very extended (seven times the area where most of the stellar mass is found), blue ((FUV-K)

International audience Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Array Camera imaging provides an opportunity to study all known morphological types of galaxies in the mid-IR at a depth significantly better than ground-based near-infrared and optical images. The goal of this study is to examine the imprint of the de Vaucouleurs classification volume in the 3.6 mu m band, which is the best Spitzer waveband for galactic stellar mass morphology owing to its depth and its reddening-free sensitivity mainly to older stars. For this purpose, we have prepared classification images for 207 galaxies from the Spitzer archive, most of which are formally part of the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S(4)G), a Spitzer post-cryogenic (”warm”) mission Exploration Science Legacy Program survey of 2331 galaxies closer than 40 Mpc. For the purposes of morphology, the galaxies are interpreted as if the images are blue light, the historical waveband for classical galaxy classification studies. We find that 3.6 mu m classifications are well correlated with blue-light classifications, to the point where the essential features of many galaxies look very similar in the two very different wavelength regimes. Drastic differences are found only for the most dusty galaxies. Consistent with a previous study by Eskridge et al., the main difference between blue-light and mid-IR types is an approximate to 1 stage interval difference for S0/a to Sbc or Sc galaxies, which tend to appear “earlier” in type at 3.6 mu m due to the slightly increased prominence of the bulge, the reduced effects of extinction, and the reduced (but not completely eliminated) effect of the extreme population I stellar component. We present an atlas of all of the 207 galaxies analyzed here and bring attention to special features or galaxy types, such as nuclear rings, pseudobulges, flocculent spiral galaxies, I0 galaxies, double-stage and double-variety galaxies, and outer rings, that are particularly distinctive in the mid-IR.