TY - JOUR

T1 - Measuring the X-shaped structures in edge-on galaxies

AU - Savchenko, S. S.

AU - Sotnikova, N. Ya

AU - Mosenkov, A. V.

AU - Reshetnikov, V. P.

AU - Bizyaev, D. V.

PY - 2017/1/1

Y1 - 2017/1/1

N2 - We present a detailed photometric study of a sample of 22 edge-on galaxies with clearly visible X-shaped structures. We propose a novel method to derive geometrical parameters of these features, along with the parameters of their host galaxies based on the multi-component photometric decomposition of galactic images. To include the X-shaped structure into our photometric model, we use the IMFIT package, in which we implement a new component describing the X-shaped structure. This method is applied for a sample of galaxies with available Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Spitzer IRAC 3.6 μm observations. In order to explain our results, we perform realistic N-body simulations of aMilkyWay-type galaxy and compare the observed and the model X-shaped structures. Our main conclusions are as follows: (1) galaxies with strong X-shaped structures reside in approximately the same local environments as field galaxies; (2) the characteristic size of the X-shaped structures is about 2/3 of the bar size; (3) there is a correlation between the X-shaped structure size and its observed flatness: the larger structures are more flattened; (4) our N-body simulations qualitatively confirm the observational results and support the bar-driven scenario for the X-shaped structure formation.

AB - We present a detailed photometric study of a sample of 22 edge-on galaxies with clearly visible X-shaped structures. We propose a novel method to derive geometrical parameters of these features, along with the parameters of their host galaxies based on the multi-component photometric decomposition of galactic images. To include the X-shaped structure into our photometric model, we use the IMFIT package, in which we implement a new component describing the X-shaped structure. This method is applied for a sample of galaxies with available Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Spitzer IRAC 3.6 μm observations. In order to explain our results, we perform realistic N-body simulations of aMilkyWay-type galaxy and compare the observed and the model X-shaped structures. Our main conclusions are as follows: (1) galaxies with strong X-shaped structures reside in approximately the same local environments as field galaxies; (2) the characteristic size of the X-shaped structures is about 2/3 of the bar size; (3) there is a correlation between the X-shaped structure size and its observed flatness: the larger structures are more flattened; (4) our N-body simulations qualitatively confirm the observational results and support the bar-driven scenario for the X-shaped structure formation.

KW - Galaxies: spiral

KW - Methods: data analysis

KW - Techniques: photometric

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85052514543&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/mnras/stx1802

DO - 10.1093/mnras/stx1802

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85052514543

VL - 471

SP - 3261

EP - 3272

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

SN - 0035-8711

IS - 3

ER -