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Large-scale asymmetries (i.e. lopsidedness) are a common feature in the stellar density distribution of nearby disc galaxies both in low- and high-density environments. In this work, we characterize the present-day lopsidedness in a sample of 1435 disc-like galaxies selected from the TNG50 simulation. We find that the percentage of lopsided galaxies (10  per cent–30  per cent) is in good agreement with observations if we use similar radial ranges to the observations. However, the percentage (58  per cent) significantly increases if we extend our measurement to larger radii. We find a mild or lack of correlation between lopsidedness amplitude and environment at z  = 0 and a strong correlation between lopsidedness and galaxy morphology regardless of the environment. Present-day galaxies with more extended discs, flatter inner galactic regions, and lower central stellar mass density (i.e. late-type disc galaxies) are typically more lopsided than galaxies with smaller discs, rounder inner galactic regions, and higher central stellar mass density (i.e. early-type disc galaxies). Interestingly, we find that lopsided galaxies have, on average, a very distinct star formation history within the last |$10\, \mathrm{Gyr}$|⁠ , with respect to their symmetric counterparts. Symmetric galaxies have typically assembled at early times (∼8– |$6\, \mathrm{Gyr}$| ago) with relatively short and intense bursts of central star formation, while lopsided galaxies have assembled on longer time-scales and with milder initial bursts of star formation, continuing building up their mass until z  = 0. Overall, these results indicate that lopsidedness in present-day disc galaxies is connected to the specific evolutionary histories of the galaxies that shaped their distinct internal properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a sample of 330 blue edge-on low surface brightness galaxies (ELSBGs). To understand the chemical evolution of ELSBGs, we derived the gas-phase abundance and the [ α /Fe] ratio. Compared with star-forming galaxies, ELSBGs show a flatter trend in the mass–metallicity (M *– Z) relation, which suggests that the oxygen abundance enhancement is inefficient. We focused on 77 ELSBGs with H i data and found that the closed-box model cannot explain their gas fraction and metallicity relation, which implies that infall and/or outflow is needed. We derived the [ α /Fe] ratio of normal ELSBG (<109.5 M ⊙) and massive ELSBG (> = 109.5 M ⊙) using single stellar population grids from the MILES stellar library. The mean [ α /Fe] ratios are 0.18 and 0.4 for normal ELSBG and massive ELSBG, respectively. We suggest that the long timescales of star formation and/or metal-rich gas outflow events caused by SNe Ia winds are likely to be responsible for the α -enhancement of massive ELSBGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many processes have been proposed to explain the quenching of star formation in spiral galaxies and their transformation into S0s. These processes affect the bulge and disc in different ways, and so by isolating the bulge and disc spectra, we can look for these characteristic signatures. In this work, we used buddi to cleanly extract the spectra of the bulges and discs of 78 S0 galaxies in the MaNGA Survey. We compared the luminosity and mass weighted stellar populations of the bulges and discs, finding that bulges are generally older and more metal rich than their discs. When considering the mass and environment of each galaxy, we found that the galaxy stellar mass plays a more significant role on the formation of the bulges. Bulges in galaxies with masses |$\ge 10^{10}\, {\rm M}_\odot$| built up the majority of their mass rapidly early in their lifetimes, while those in lower mass galaxies formed over more extended time-scales and more recently. No clear difference was found in the formation or quenching processes of the discs as a function of galaxy environment. We conclude that more massive S0 galaxies formed through an inside-out scenario, where the bulge formed first and evolved passively while the disc underwent a more extended period of star formation. In lower mass S0s, the bulges and discs either formed together from the same material, or through an outside-in scenario. Our results therefore imply multiple formation mechanisms for S0 galaxies, the pathway of which is chiefly determined by a galaxy's current stellar mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using observed data from the literature, we compare in one single publication the angular momentum (AM) of low surface brightness galaxies (LSBGs), with that of high surface brightness galaxies (HSBGs), a comparison that either is currently spread across many unconnected references, or simply does not exist. Partly because of the subject, this has received little attention outside the realm of simulations. We use previous results of the stellar specific AM j* from the SPARC database containing Spitzer 3.6 μm photometry and accurate H i rotation curves from Lelli et al. using a sample of 38 LSBGs and 82 HSBGs. We do this with the objective of comparing both galaxy populations, finding that LSBGs are higher in the Fall relation by about 0.174 dex. Additionally, we apply and test different masses and formation models to estimate the spin parameter λ, which quantifies the rotation obtained from the tidal torque theory, finding no clear evidence of a difference in the spin of LSBGs and HSBGs under a classic disk formation model that assumes the ratio (fj) between j* and the specific AM of the halo is ∼1. In another respect, by using the biased collapse model, where fj depends on the star formation efficiency, it was found that LSBGs clearly show higher spin values, having an average spin of ∼2 times the average spin of HSBGs. This latter result is consistent with those obtained from simulations by Dalcanton et al. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clues to the formation and evolution of nuclear star clusters (NSCs) lie in their stellar populations. However, these structures are often very faint compared to their host galaxy, and spectroscopic analysis of NSCs is hampered by contamination of light from the rest of the system. With the introduction of wide-field integral field unit (IFU) spectrographs, new techniques have been developed to model the light from different components within galaxies, making it possible to cleanly extract the spectra of the NSCs and study their properties with minimal contamination from the light of the rest of the galaxy. This work presents the analysis of the NSCs in a sample of 12 dwarf galaxies in the Fornax Cluster observed with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE). Analysis of the stellar populations and star formation histories reveal that all the NSCs show evidence of multiple episodes of star formation, indicating that they have built up their mass further since their initial formation. The NSCs were found to have systematically lower metallicities than their host galaxies, which is consistent with a scenario for mass assembly through mergers with infalling globular clusters, whilst the presence of younger stellar populations and gas emission in the core of two galaxies is indicative of in-situ star formation. We conclude that the NSCs in these dwarf galaxies likely originated as globular clusters that migrated to the core of the galaxy that have built up their mass mainly through mergers with other infalling clusters, with gas-inflow leading to in-situ star formation playing a secondary role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]