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We map optical and near-infrared (NIR) stellar population properties of the inner 320 × 535 pc2 of the elliptical galaxy NGC 1052. The optical and NIR spectra were obtained using the Gemini Integral Field Units of the GMOS instrument and NIFS, respectively. By performing stellar population synthesis in the optical alone, we find that this region of the galaxy is dominated by old (t > 10 Gyr) stellar populations. Using the NIR, we find the nucleus to be dominated by old stellar populations, and a circumnuclear ring with younger (∼2.5 Gyr) stars. We also combined the optical and NIR datacubes and performed a panchromatic spatially resolved stellar population synthesis, which resulted in a dominance of older stellar populations, in agreement with optical results. We argue that the technique of combining optical and NIR data might be useful to isolate the contribution of stellar population ages with strong NIR absorption bands. We also derive the stellar kinematics and find that the stellar motions are dominated by a high (∼240 km s−1) velocity dispersion in the nucleus, with stars also rotating around the centre. Lastly, we measure the absorption bands, both in the optical and in the NIR, and find a nuclear drop in their equivalent widths. The favoured explanation for this drop is a featureless continuum emission from the low luminosity active galactic nucleus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a spatially resolved stellar population study of the inner ∼200 pc radius of NGC 4303 based on near-infrared integral field spectroscopy with SINFONI/VLT at a spatial resolution of 40–80 pc and using the starlight code. We found that the distribution of the stellar populations presents a spatial variation, suggesting an age stratification. Three main structures stand out. Two nuclear blobs, one composed by young stars (t ≤ 50 Myr) and one with intermediate-age stars (50 Myr < t ≤ 2 Gyr), both shifted from the centre. The third one is an internal intermediate-age spiral arm-like structure, surrounding the blob of young stars. Our results indicate that star formation has occurred through multiple bursts in this source. Furthermore, the youngest stellar populations (t ≲ 2 Gyr) are distributed along a circumnuclear star-forming ring with r ∼ 250 pc. The ring displays star formation rates (SFRs) in the range of 0.002–0.14 M⊙yr−1, favouring the 'pearls-on-a-string' scenario. The old underlying bulge stellar population component (t > 2 Gyr) is distributed outside the two blob structures. For the nuclear region (inner ∼60 pc radius) we derived an SFR of 0.43 M⊙ yr−1 and found no signatures of non-thermal featureless continuum and hot dust emission, supporting the scenario in which an LLAGN/LINER-like source is hidden in the centre of NGC 4303. Thus, our results reveal a rather complex star formation history in NGC 4303, with different stellar population components coexisting with a low efficiency accreting black hole in its centre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We employ the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility's near-infrared spectrograph SpeX at 0.8–2.4 μm to investigate the spatial distribution of the stellar populations (SPs) in the four well-known starburst galaxies: NGC 34, NGC 1614, NGC 3310 and NGC 7714. We use the starlight code updated with the synthetic simple SPs models computed by Maraston. Our main results are that the near-infrared light in the nuclear surroundings of the galaxies is dominated by young-/intermediate-age SPs (t ≤ 2 × 109 yr), summing from ∼40 up to 100 per cent of the light contribution. In the nuclear aperture of two sources (NGC 1614 and NGC 3310), we detected a predominant old SP component (t > 2 × 109 yr), while for NGC 34 and NGC 7714 the younger component prevails. Furthermore, we found evidence of a circumnuclear star formation ring-like structure and a secondary nucleus in NGC 1614, in agreement with previous studies. We also suggest that the merger/interaction experienced by three of the galaxies studied, NGC 1614, NGC 3310 and NGC 7714, can explain the lower metallicity values derived for the young SP component of these sources. In this scenario, the fresh unprocessed metal poorer gas from the destroyed/interacting companion galaxy is driven to the centre of the galaxies and mixed with the central region gas, before star formation takes place. In order to deepen our analysis, we performed the same procedure of SP synthesis using the Maraston & Strömbäck evolutionary population synthesis models. Our results show that the newer and higher resolution M11 models tend to enhance the old-/intermediate-age SP contribution over the younger ages. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We study how the spectral fitting of galaxies, in terms of light fractions, derived in one spectral region translates into another region, by using results from evolutionary synthesis models. In particular, we examine propagation dependencies on evolutionary population synthesis (EPS) models (, , Maraston and ), age, metallicity and stellar evolution tracks over the near-ultraviolet-near-infrared (NUV-NIR, 3500 Å to 2.5 μm) spectral region. Our main results are as follows: as expected, young ( Myr) stellar population fractions derived in the optical cannot be directly compared to those derived in the NIR, and vice versa. In contrast, intermediate to old age ( Myr) fractions are similar over the whole spectral region studied. The metallicity has a negligible effect on the propagation of the stellar population fractions derived from NUV to NIR. The same applies to the different EPS models, but restricted to the range between 3800 and 9000 Å. However, a discrepancy between /Maraston and / models occurs in the NIR. Furthermore, the initial mass function is not important for the synthesis propagation. Compared to synthesis results, our propagation predictions agree at ∼95 per cent confidence level in the optical, and ∼85 per cent in the NIR. In summary, spectral fitting performed in a restricted spectral range should not be directly propagated from the NIR to the UV/optical, or vice versa. We provide equations and an on-line form [panchromatic averaged stellar population (PaASP)] to be used for this purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present SOAR/OSIRIS cross-dispersed near-infrared (NIR) integrated spectra of 12 Galactic globular clusters that are employed to test Maraston NIR evolutionary population synthesis models, and to provide spectral observational constraints to calibrate future models. We measured equivalent widths () of the most prominent NIR absorption features: λ 1.49 μm, Mg λ 1.58 μm, Fe /Mg , λ 1.59 μm, Si , λ 1.71 μm, Mg , λ 2.21 μm, Na and λ 2.26 μm, Ca as well as the λ 1.62 μm, λ 2.29 μm, CO and λ 2.05 μm, CN molecular bands. Optical of G band (4300 Å), Hβ, Mg, Fe (4531, 527 and 5335 Å) and Na (5897 Å) were also measured. The globular clusters were compared with model predictions with ages within 4-15 Gyr, and metallicities between 0.005 and 2 . Observed integrated colours ( and ) were also compared with models. The NIR integrated spectra among our sample appear qualitatively similar in most of the absorption features. The Maraston models can properly predict the optical observed in globular clusters. Regarding the NIR, they do underestimate the strength of Mg 1.49 μm, but they can reproduce the observed of Fe 1.58 μm, Si 1.59 μm and CO 2.29 μm, in about half of our sample. The remaining objects require the inclusion of intermediate-age populations. Thus, we suggest that the presence of C- and O-rich stars in models is important to reproduce the observed strengths of metallic lines. Another possibility is the lack of α-enhancement in the models. In the case of the optical and NIR Fe lines, standard models and those that include blue horizontal branch stars produce similar results. A similar trend is observed for Na 5895 Å, while in the case of the G band, the models with blue horizontal branch do describe better the observations. For most of the sample, the optical to NIR colours are well described by the Maraston models. In general, Maraston models can provide reliable information on the NIR stellar population of galaxies, but only when and colours are taken together; in other words, and continuum fluxes should be simultaneously fitted. However, the results should be taken with caution, since the models tend to predict results biased towards young ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the central (inner few hundred parsecs) stellar populations of four starburst galaxies (NGC 34, 1614, 3310 and 7714) in the near-infrared (NIR), from 0.8 to 2.4 μm, by fitting combinations of stellar population models of various ages and metallicities. The NIR spectra of these galaxies feature many absorption lines. For the first time, we fit simultaneously as much as 15 absorption features in the NIR. The observed spectra are best explained by stellar populations containing a sizable amount (20–56 per cent by mass) of ∼1-Gyr-old stellar population with thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch stars. We found that the metallicity of the stars which dominates the light is solar. Metallicities substantially different from solar give a worse fit. Though the ages and metallicities we estimate using the NIR spectroscopy are in agreement with values from the literature based on the ultraviolet/optical, we find older ages and a larger age spread. This may be due to the fact that the optical is mostly sensitive to the last episode of star formation, while the NIR better maintains the record of previous stellar generations. Another interesting result is that the reddening estimated from the whole NIR spectrum is considerably lower than that based on emission lines. Finally, we find a good agreement of the free emission-line spectrum with photoionization models, using as input spectral energy distribution the synthetic composite template we derived as best fit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We characterized the kinematics, morphology, and stellar population (SP) properties of a sample of massive compact quiescent galaxies (MCGs, |$10\, \lesssim \, \log M_\star$| /M |$_\odot \, \lesssim \, 11$| and r e ∼ 1–3 kpc) in the MaNGA Survey, with the goal of constraining their formation, assembly history, and assessing their relation with non-compact quiescent galaxies. We compared their properties with those of a control sample of median-sized quiescent galaxies (r e ∼ 4–8 kpc) with similar effective velocity dispersions. MCGs have elevated rotational support, as evidenced by a strong anticorrelation between the Gauss–Hermite moment h 3 and V / σ. In contrast, 30 |${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| of control sample galaxies (CSGs) are slow rotators, and fast-rotating CSGs generally show a weak h 3– V / σ anticorrelation. MCGs and CSGs have similar ages, but MCGs are more metal-rich and α -enhanced. Both MCGs and CSGs have shallow negative metallicity gradients and flat [ α /Fe] gradients. On average, MCGs and CSGs have flat age gradients, but CSGs have a significantly larger dispersion of gradient values. The kinematics and SP properties of MCGs suggest that they experienced highly dissipative gas-rich events, such as mergers, followed by an intense, short, and centrally concentrated burst of star formation, between 4 and 10 Gyr ago (z ∼ 0.4–2), and had a quiet accretion history since then. This sequence of events might be analogous to, although less extreme than, the compaction events that formed compact quiescent galaxies at z  ∼ 2. The small sizes of MCGs, and the high efficiency and short duration of their last star formation episode suggest that they are descendants of compact post-starburst galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on our combined analysis of HST , VLT/MUSE, VLT/SINFONI, and ALMA observations of the local Seyfert 2 galaxy, NGC 5728 to investigate in detail the feeding and feedback of the active galactic nucleus (AGN). The data sets simultaneously probe the morphology, excitation, and kinematics of the stars, ionized gas, and molecular gas over a large range of spatial scales (10 pc to 10 kpc). NGC 5728 contains a large stellar bar that is driving gas along prominent dust lanes to the inner 1 kpc where the gas settles into a circumnuclear ring. The ring is strongly star forming and contains a substantial population of young stars as indicated by the lowered stellar velocity dispersion and gas excitation consistent with H  ii regions. We model the kinematics of the ring using the velocity field of the CO (2–1) emission and stars and find it is consistent with a rotating disc. The outer regions of the disc, where the dust lanes meet the ring, show signatures of inflow at a rate of 1 M |$\odot$|  yr−1. Inside the ring, we observe three molecular gas components corresponding to the circular rotation of the outer ring, a warped disc, and the nuclear stellar bar. The AGN is driving an ionized gas outflow that reaches a radius of 250 pc with a mass outflow rate of 0.08 M |$\odot$|  yr−1 consistent with its luminosity and scaling relations from previous studies. While we observe distinct holes in CO emission which could be signs of molecular gas removal, we find that largely the AGN is not disrupting the structure of the circumnuclear region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we study the optical properties of compact radio sources selected from the literature in order to determine the impact of the radio-jet in their circumnuclear environment. Our sample includes 58 Compact Steep Spectrum (CSS) and GigaHertz Peaked Spectrum (GPS) and 14 Megahertz-Peaked spectrum (MPS) radio sources located at z ≤ 1. The radio luminosity (LR) of the sample varies between Log L R ∼ 23.2 and 27.7 W Hz−1. We obtained optical spectra for all sources from SDSS-DR12 and performed a stellar population synthesis using the starlight code. We derived stellar masses (M⋆), ages 〈 t ⋆〉, star formation rates (SFR), metallicities 〈 Z ⋆〉 and internal reddening A V for all young AGNs of our sample. A visual inspection of the SDSS images was made to assign a morphological class for each source. Our results indicate that the sample is dominated by intermediate to old stellar populations and there is no strong correlation between optical and radio properties of these sources. Also, we found that young AGNs can be hosted by elliptical, spiral and interacting galaxies, confirming recent findings. When comparing the optical properties of CSS/GPS and MPS sources, we do not find any significant difference. Finally, the Mid-Infrared WISE colours analysis suggests that the compact radio sources defined as powerful AGNs are, in general, gas-rich systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the internal radial gradients of stellar population properties within 1.5 Re and analyse the impact of galaxy environment. We use a representative sample of 721 galaxies with masses ranging between 109 M⊙ and 1011.5 M⊙ from he SDSS-IV survey MaNGA. We split this sample by morphology into early-type and late-type galaxies. Using the full spectral fitting code FIREFLY, we derive the light and mass-weighted stellar population properties, age and metallicity, and calculate the gradients of these properties. We use three independent methods to quantify galaxy environment, namely the Nth nearest neighbour, the tidal strength parameter Q and distinguish between central and satellite galaxies. In our analysis, we find that early-type galaxies generally exhibit shallow light-weighted age gradients in agreement with the literature and mass-weighted median age gradients tend to be slightly positive. Late-type galaxies, instead, have negative light-weighted age gradients. We detect negative metallicity gradients in both early- and late-type galaxies that correlate with galaxy mass, with the gradients being steeper and the correlation with mass being stronger in late-types. We find, however, that stellar population gradients, for both morphological classifications, have no significant correlation with galaxy environment for all three characterizations of environment. Our results suggest that galaxy mass is the main driver of stellar population gradients in both early and late-type galaxies, and any environmental dependence, if present at all, must be very subtle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]