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arXiv 1109.2597astro-ph.CO
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SDSS星系的巴耳末衰减

The Balmer decrement of SDSS galaxies

Brent Groves, Jarle Brinchmann, Carl Jakob Walcher

摘要:

高分辨率的光谱是必要的,以区分和正确测量的巴尔末发射线,由于存在强金属和巴尔末吸收功能的恒星连续。这种精确的测量是必要的,用于发射线诊断,如巴耳末减量(即H α/H β),用于确定星系的衰减。然而,在高红移下,获得这样的光谱变得昂贵。巴耳末发射线等效宽度更容易测量,只需要低分辨率光谱或甚至简单的窄带滤光片,因此观察时间更短。然而,对于这种等效宽度的巴耳末衰减,仍然需要对恒星连续谱进行修正。在这里,我们提出了一个统计分析的斯隆数字巡天数据发布7发射线星系样本,使用光谱确定的巴耳末发射线通量和等效宽度。使用大量的星系在SDSS目录中,我们确定了一个等效的宽度巴耳末减量,包括一个基于修正的恒星连续。根据这个公式,现在可以从低光谱分辨率观测中获得星系的衰减。此外,这次调查还发现,在SDSS DR 7 MPA/JHU星表中,在发射线星系样本中,β线通量的等效宽度平均被低估了~ 0.35 A。这个误差意味着巴耳末衰减确定的衰减被高估了系统的0.1 A_V量级,并且该样本的未来分析需要包括这个校正。

英文摘要:

High resolution spectra are necessary to distinguish and correctly measure the Balmer emission lines due to the presence of strong metal and Balmer absorption features in the stellar continuum. This accurate measurement is necessary for use in emission line diagnostics, such as the Balmer decrement (i.e. Halpha/Hbeta), used to determine the attenuation of galaxies. Yet at high redshifts obtaining such spectra becomes costly. Balmer emission line equivalent widths are much easier to measure, requiring only low resolution spectra or even simple narrow band filters and therefore shorter observation times. However a correction for the stellar continuum is still needed for this equivalent width Balmer decrement. We present here a statistical analysis of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 emission line galaxy sample, using the spectrally determined Balmer emission line fluxes and equivalent widths. Using the large numbers of galaxies available in the SDSS catalogue, we determined an equivalent width Balmer decrement including a statistically-based correction for the stellar continuum. Based on this formula, the attenuation of galaxies can now be obtained from low spectral resolution observations. In addition, this investigation also revealed an error in the Hbeta line fluxes, within the SDSS DR7 MPA/JHU catalogue, with the equivalent widths underestimated by average ~0.35A in the emission line galaxy sample. This error means that Balmer decrement determined attenuations are overestimated by a systematic 0.1 magnitudes in A_V, and future analyses of this sample need to include this correction.

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