Recent Star Formation in Nearby Galaxies from Galaxy Evolution Explorer Imaging: M101 and M51

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Published 2005 January 17 • © 2005. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
, , Citation Luciana Bianchi et al 2005 ApJ 619 L71 DOI 10.1086/422685

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Author affiliations

1 Deptartment of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218

2 Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, BP8, Traverse du Siphon, 13376 Marseille Cedex 12, France

3 California Institute of Technology, MC 405-47, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125

4 Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101

5 Center for Space Astrophysics, Yonsei University, Seodaemun-ku, Seoul 120-749, Korea

6 Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, 601 Campbell Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720

7 Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771

8 Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California at Los Angeles, Box 951547, Knudsen Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095

Dates

  1. Received 2004 April 15
  2. Accepted 2004 May 21
  3. Published
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1538-4357/619/1/L71

Abstract

The Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) Nearby Galaxies Survey is providing deep far-UV and near-UV imaging for a representative sample of galaxies in the local universe. We present early results for M51 and M101, from GALEX UV imaging and Sloan Digital Sky Survey optical data in five bands. The multiband photometry of compact stellar complexes in M101 is compared to population synthesis models, to derive ages, reddening, reddening-corrected luminosities, and current/initial masses. The GALEX UV photometry provides a complete census of young compact complexes on a ≈160 pc scale. A galactocentric gradient of the far-UV/near-UV color indicates younger stellar populations toward the outer parts of the galaxy disks, the effect being more pronounced in M101 than in M51.

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10.1086/422685