The Shapes of Galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

dc.creatorAlam, S. M. Khairul
dc.creatorRyden, Barbara S.
dc.date2002-01-26
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T02:02:31Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T02:02:31Z
dc.descriptionWe estimate the distribution of apparent axis ratios $q$ for galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Early Data Release. We divide the galaxies by profile type (de Vaucouleurs versus exponential) as well as by color ($u^* - r^* \leq 2.22$ versus $u^* - r^* > 2.22$). The axis ratios found by fitting models to the surface photometry are generally smaller than those found by taking the second moments of the surface brightness distribution. Using the axis ratios found from fitting models, we find that galaxies with de Vaucouleurs profiles have axis ratio distributions which are inconsistent, at the 99% confidence level, with their being a population of randomly oriented oblate spheroids. Red de Vaucouleurs galaxies are slightly rounder, on average, than blue de Vaucouleurs galaxies. By contrast, blue galaxies with exponential profiles appear very much flatter, on average, than red galaxies with exponential profiles. The red exponential galaxies are primarily disk galaxies seen nearly edge-on, with reddening due to the presence of dust, rather than to an intrinsically red stellar population.
dc.description10 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Part I
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0201435
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0201435
dc.identifierAstrophys.J. 570 (2002) 610-617
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/4061
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.titleThe Shapes of Galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
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