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Optical spectrophotometry of Wolf-Rayet galaxies
- Source :
- The Astrophysical Journal. 401:543
- Publication Year :
- 1992
- Publisher :
- American Astronomical Society, 1992.
-
Abstract
- We have obtained long-slit optical spectra of 10 Wolf-Rayet galaxies and four other starburst galaxies. Using the nebular emission lines we have determined the electron temperatures, electron densities, extinctions, oxygen abundances, mass of ionized hydrogen, and numbers of ionizing photons due to hot stars in these galaxies. The various forbidden line ratios clearly indicate a stellar origin for the emission-line spectrum. From the flux of the broad He II 4686 A emission feature we have estimated the number of Wolf-Rayet stars present. We have accounted for the contribution of these stars to the total ionizing flux and have calculated the ratio of the number of these stars to the number of O stars. Wolf-Rayet galaxies are among the youngest examples of the starburst phenomenon, which we observed at a propitious moment.
- Subjects :
- Luminous infrared galaxy
Physics
Stellar population
Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Surface brightness fluctuation
Astronomy
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Galaxy
Stars
Wolf–Rayet star
Space and Planetary Science
Elliptical galaxy
Astrophysics::Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Astrophysics::Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics
Luminosity function (astronomy)
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15384357 and 0004637X
- Volume :
- 401
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- The Astrophysical Journal
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........356cbf379e133d2d7ecee069af3dde6f