The Galaxies of the Local Group

by Sidney Bergh

• ISBN13: 9780521651813
• ISBN10: 0521651816
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-05-15
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• More Book Details

Summary

The Local Group is a small cluster of galaxies that includes the Milky Way. At least half of all galaxies in the Universe are thought to belong to similar groups. This authoritative volume provides a comprehensive synthesis of what is known about the Local Group. It begins with a summary of each member galaxy, as well as those galaxies previously regarded as possible members. The book examines the mass, stability and evolution of the Local Group as a whole and includes many important previously unpublished results and conclusions. With clarity, Professor van den Bergh provides a masterful summary of all that is known about the galaxies of the Local Group and their evolution, and expertly places this knowledge in the wider context of on-going studies of galaxy formation and evolution, the cosmic distance scale, and the conditions in the early Universe.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
Introduction	1	(3)
Is the Local Group typical?	1	(1)
Discovery of the Local Group	2	(2)
Local Group membership	4	(5)
Introduction	4	(1)
Incompleteness of sample	4	(2)
Substructure within the Local Group	6	(1)
Summary	7	(2)
The Andromeda galaxy (M31)	9	(37)
Introduction	9	(1)
Reddening and distance	10	(2)
The mass of the Andromeda galaxy	12	(1)
The nucleus of M31	12	(2)
The nuclear bulge of M31	14	(1)
The disk of the Andromeda galaxy	15	(9)
The halo of M31	24	(4)
Globular clusters	28	(7)
Variable stars	35	(3)
Supernovae	38	(1)
Novae	39	(2)
Planetary nebulae	41	(1)
X-ray observations of M31	42	(1)
Summary	43	(3)
The Milky Way system	46	(26)
Introduction	46	(1)
The nucleus of the galaxy	47	(3)
The nuclear bulge of the galaxy	50	(3)
The Galactic disk	53	(4)
Young spiral arm tracers	57	(1)
The Galactic halo	58	(3)
Galactic globular clusters	61	(4)
Galactic supernovae	65	(2)
Novae	67	(1)
Planetary nebulae	68	(1)
Comparison with M31	69	(1)
Summary and desiderata	69	(3)
The Triangulum galaxy (M33)	72	(20)
Introduction	72	(1)
Reddening and distance	72	(3)
The nucleus of M33	75	(2)
Central bulge and halo of M33	77	(1)
Disk of M33	78	(3)
Star clusters	81	(2)
Associations and spiral structure	83	(4)
H II regions in the Triangulum Galaxy	87	(1)
Supernovae and supernova remnants	88	(2)
Variable stars	90	(1)
Summary and desiderata	91	(1)
The Large Magellanic Cloud	92	(50)
Introduction	92	(2)
Distance and reddening	94	(5)
Global properties	99	(3)
Star clusters	102	(4)
Young clusters and associations	106	(9)
Variable stars	115	(9)
Evolutionary history of the Large Cloud	124	(5)
Supernovae	129	(4)
Planetary nebulae in the LMC	133	(1)
Interstellar matter	134	(2)
X-ray and γ-ray emission	136	(1)
Interactions between the Magellanic Clouds	137	(2)
Summary and conclusions	139	(3)
The Small Magellanic Cloud	142	(21)
Introduction	142	(1)
Distance and reddening	143	(3)
Global properties	146	(2)
Star clusters	148	(1)
Variable stars	149	(3)
Evolutionary history	152	(3)
Interstellar matter	155	(4)
Supernova remnants	159	(1)
Interactions of SMC with LMC	160	(2)
Summary and conclusions	162	(1)
The elliptical galaxy M32 (= NGC 221)	163	(7)
Introduction	163	(1)
The nucleus of M32	164	(1)
Stellar populations	165	(3)
Summary	168	(2)
The irregular dwarf galaxy NGC 6822	170	(7)
Introduction	170	(1)
Distance and reddening of NGC 6822	170	(2)
Stellar populations and star forming history	172	(1)
Interstellar matter	173	(1)
Radio radiation and X rays	174	(1)
Summary and conclusions	175	(2)
The starburst galaxy IC 10	177	(5)
Introduction	177	(1)
Distance and reddening	177	(1)
Stellar population	178	(2)
Interstellar matter	180	(1)
Summary	181	(1)
Faint dwarf irregular galaxies	182	(23)
IC 1613	182	(6)
The Wolf--Lundmark--Melotte system (= DDO 221)	188	(4)
The Pegasus dwarf irregular (= DDO 216)	192	(2)
The Aquarius dwarf irregular (= DDO 210, = AqrDIG)	194	(1)
SagDIG, the faintest irregular	195	(3)
The Pisces Dwarf (= LGS 3)	198	(2)
The Phoenix dwarf galaxy	200	(2)
The local group member Leo A (= DDO 69)	202	(3)
Spheroidal galaxies	205	(14)
The spheroidal galaxy NGC 205	205	(5)
The spheroidal galaxy NGC 185	210	(3)
The spheroidal galaxy NGC 147	213	(6)
The most luminous dwarf spheroidal galaxies	219	(15)
Introduction	219	(1)
The Fornax dwarf	220	(5)
The Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal	225	(9)
Dwarf spheroidals in the Andromeda subgroup	234	(9)
Introduction	234	(1)
Andromeda I	235	(1)
Andromeda II	236	(1)
Andromeda III	236	(1)
The recently discovered dwarf Andromeda V	237	(3)
Additional probable and possible members of the Andromeda subgroup	240	(2)
Summary	242	(1)
Faint dwarf spheroidals	243	(20)
The dwarf spheroidal Leo I	243	(2)
The Carina dwarf spheroidal	245	(2)
The Sculptor system	247	(2)
The Draco dwarf spheroidal	249	(3)
The recently discovered dwarf in Tucana	252	(1)
The dwarf spheroidal Leo II	253	(2)
The Sextans dwarf spheroidal	255	(2)
The Ursa Minor dwarf spheroidal	257	(1)
Summary and conclusions	258	(5)
The outer fringes of the Local Group	263	(10)
Introduction	263	(2)
The dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 3109	265	(1)
Antlia	265	(2)
The dwarf irregular Sextans B	267	(1)
The dwarf irregular Sextans A	268	(2)
The dwarf irregular galaxy EGB 0419+72	270	(1)
Summary and conclusions	271	(2)
Intergalactic matter in the Local Group	273	(3)
Introduction	273	(1)
Tidal debris	273	(1)
High-velocity clouds	273	(3)
Dynamical and physical evolution	276	(3)
Missing mass	276	(1)
Orbits of individual galaxies	277	(1)
Luminosity evolution	278	(1)
Properties of the Local Group	279	(10)
Introduction	279	(1)
The motions of Local Group galaxies	279	(1)
The luminosity distribution for Local Group galaxies	280	(2)
Local Group statistics	282	(3)
Distribution of Local Group members	285	(4)
Conclusions	289	(4)
Introduction	289	(1)
Local Group calibrators	289	(1)
Evolution of Local Group galaxies	290	(1)
Mergers and galaxy destruction	291	(1)
Historical perspective	291	(2)
Glossary	293	(2)
Bibliography	295	(30)
Object Index	325