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The Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S$^{4}$G) is a detailed study of over 2300 nearby galaxies in the near-infrared (NIR), which has been critical to our understanding of the detailed structures of nearby galaxies. Because the sample galaxies were selected only using radio-derived velocities, however, the survey favored late-type disk galaxies over lenticulars and ellipticals. A follow-up Spitzer survey was conducted to rectify this bias, adding 465 early-type galaxies (ETGs) to the original sample, to be analyzed in a manner consistent with the initial survey. We present the data release of this ETG extension, up to the third data processing pipeline (P3): surface photometry. We produce curves of growth and radial surface brightness profiles (with and without inclination corrections) using reduced and masked Spitzer IRAC 3.6$\mu$m and 4.5$\mu$m images produced through Pipelines 1 and 2, respectively. From these profiles, we derive the following integrated quantities: total magnitudes, stellar masses, concentration parameters, and galaxy size metrics. We showcase NIR scaling relations for ETGs among these quantities. We examine general trends across the whole S$^{4}$G and ETG extension among our derived parameters, highlighting differences between ETGs and late-type galaxies (LTGs). ETGs are, on average, more massive and more concentrated than LTGs, and also show subtle distinctions among ETG morphological sub-types. We also derive the following scaling relations and compare with previous results in visible light: mass--size (both half-light and isophotal), mass--concentration, mass--surface brightness (central, effective, and within 1 kpc), and mass--color. We find good agreement with previous works, though some relations (e.g., mass--central surface brightness) will require more careful multi-component decompositions to be fully understood., Comment: 25 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

We investigate the origin of the extraplanar diffuse ionized gas (eDIG) and its predominant ionization mechanisms in five nearby (17-46 Mpc) low-mass ($10^9\text{-}10^{10}$ $M_{\odot}$) edge-on disk galaxies: ESO 157-49, ESO 469-15, ESO 544-27, IC 217, and IC 1553. We acquired Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) integral field spectroscopy and deep narrowband H$\alpha$ imaging of our sample galaxies. To investigate the connection between in-plane star formation and eDIG, we perform a photometric analysis of our narrowband H$\alpha$ imaging. We measure eDIG scale heights of $h_{z\text{eDIG}} = 0.59 \text{-} 1.39$ kpc and find a positive correlation between them and specific star formation rates. In all galaxies, we also find a strong correlation between extraplanar and midplane radial H$\alpha$ profiles. Using our MUSE data, we investigate the origin of eDIG via kinematics. We find ionized gas rotation velocity lags above the midplane with values between 10 and 27 km s$^{-1}$ kpc$^{-1}$. While we do find hints of an accretion origin for the ionized gas in ESO 157-49, IC 217, and IC 1553, overall the ionized gas kinematics of our galaxies do not match a steady galaxy model or any simplistic model of accretion or internal origin for the gas. We also construct standard diagnostic diagrams and emission-line maps (EW(H$\alpha$), [NII]/H$\alpha$, [SII]//H$\alpha$, [OIII]/H$\beta$) and find regions consistent with mixed OB star and hot low-mass evolved stars (HOLMES) ionization, and mixed OB-shock ionization. Our results suggest that OB stars are the primary driver of eDIG ionization, while both HOLMES and shocks may locally contribute to the ionization of eDIG to a significant degree. Despite our galaxies' similar structures and masses, we find a surprisingly composite image of ionization mechanisms and a multifarious origin for the eDIG., Comment: 21 pages, 14 figures, accepted to Astronomy & Astrophysics

We thank the anonymous referee for a constructive and detailed report. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska Curie grant agreement No 893673. We acknowledge financial support from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 721463 to the SUNDIAL ITN network, from the State Research Agency (AEI-MCINN) of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under the grant "The structure and evolution of galaxies and their central regions" with reference PID2019-105602GBI00/10.13039/501100011033, and from IAC project P/300724, financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, through the State Budget and by the Canary Islands Department of Economy, Knowledge and Employment, through the Regional Budget of the Autonomous Community. SDG acknowledges support from the Spanish Public Employment Service (SEPE). Furthermore, we acknowledge support by the research project AYA2017-84897-P from the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, from the European Regional Development Funds (FEDER) and the Junta de Andalucia (Spain) grants FQM108. DE acknowledges support from a Beatriz Galindo senior fellowship (BG20/00224) from the Ministry of Science and Innovation. LVM acknowledges financial support from the grants AYA2015-65973-C3-1-R and RTI2018096228-B-C31 (MINECO/FEDER, UE), as well as from the State Agency for Research of the Spanish MCIU through the Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa award to the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (SEV-2017-0709). This research makes use of python (http://www.python.org), Matplotlib (Hunter 2007), and Astropy (Astropy Collaboration 2013, 2018). We acknowledge the usage of the HyperLeda database (http://leda.univ-lyon1.fr).We thank Alexandre Bouquin for providing us with the GALEX FUV and NUV images used in this work. We thank Stephane Courteau, Estrella Florido, Raul Infante-Sainz, Tom Jarrett, Johan H. Knapen, Heikki Salo, and Miguel Querejeta for useful discussions. We thank Sebastien Comeron and Facundo D. Moyano for valuable comments on the manuscript. Facilities: GALEX, WISE, Spitzer (IRAC)., Context. While some galactic bars show recent massive star formation (SF) along them, some others do not. Whether bars with low level of SF are a consequence of low star formation efficiency, low gas inflow rate, or dynamical effects remains a matter of debate. Aims. In order to study the physical conditions that enable or prevent SF, we perform a multi-wavelength analysis of 12 strongly barred galaxies with total stellar masses log(10)(M-*/M-circle dot)is an element of[10.2,11], chosen to host different degrees of SF along the bar major axis without any prior condition on gas content. We observe the CO(1-0) and CO(2-1) emission within bars with the IRAM-30 m telescope (beam sizes of 1.7-3.9 kpc and 0.9-2.0 kpc, respectively; 7-8 pointings per galaxy on average). Methods. We estimated molecular gas masses (M-mol) from the CO(1-0) and CO(2-1) emissions. SF rates (SFRs) were calculated from GALEX near-ultraviolet (UV) and WISE 12 mu m images within the beam-pointings, covering the full bar extent (SFRs were also derived from far-UV and 22 mu m). Results. We detect molecular gas along the bars of all probed galaxies. Molecular gas and SFR surface densities span the ranges log(10)(sigma(mol)/[M-circle dot pc(-2)]) is an element of [0.4,2.4] and log(10)(sigma(SFR)/[M-circle dot pc(-1) kpc(-2)]]) is an element of [-3.25, -0.75], respectively. The star formation efficiency (SFE; i.e., SFR/M-mol) in bars varies between galaxies by up to an order of magnitude (SFE is an element of[0.1,1.8] Gyr(-1)). On average, SFEs are roughly constant along bars. SFEs are not significantly different from the mean value in spiral galaxies reported in the literature (similar to 0.43 Gyr(-1)), regardless of whether we estimate M-mol from CO(1-0) or CO(2-1). Interestingly, the higher the total stellar mass of the host galaxy, the lower the SFE within their bars. In particular, the two galaxies in our sample with the lowest SFE and sigma(SFR) (NGC 4548 and NGC 5850, SFE less than or similar to 0.25 Gyr(-1), sigma(SFR)less than or similar to 10(-2.25)M(circle dot) yr(-1) kpc(-2), M greater than or similar to 10(10.7)M(circle dot)) are also those hosting massive bulges and signs of past interactions with nearby companions. Conclusions. We present a statistical analysis of the SFE in bars for a sample of 12 galaxies. The SFE in strong bars is not systematically inhibited (either in the central, middle, or end parts of the bar). Both environmental and internal quenching are likely responsible for the lowest SFEs reported in this work., European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska Curie 893673, European Commission 721463, State Research Agency (AEI-MCINN) of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under the grant "The structure and evolution of galaxies and their central regions" - Ministry of Science and Innovation P/300724 PID2019-105602GBI00, Spanish Public Employment Service (SEPE), Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, from the European Regional Development Funds (FEDER) AYA2017-84897-P, Junta de Andalucia, European Commission FQM108, Spanish Government BG20/00224, State Agency for Research of the Spanish MCIU through the Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa award SEV-2017-0709, Canary Islands Department of Economy, Knowledge and Employment, through the Regional Budget of the Autonomous Community, MINECO/FEDER, UE AYA2015-65973-C3-1-R RTI2018096228-B-C31

We investigate the spatial distribution of star formation (SF) within bars of nearby disk galaxies (inclination $< 65^{\circ}$) from the S$^4$G survey. We use archival GALEX far- and near-UV imaging for 772 barred galaxies. We also assemble a compilation of continuum-subtracted H$\alpha$ images for 433 barred galaxies, of which 70 are produced by ourselves from ancillary photometry and MUSE/CALIFA IFU data cubes. We employ two complementary approaches: i) the analysis of bar/disk stacks built from co-added UV images of hundreds of galaxies; and ii) the classification of the morphology of ionised regions in galaxies into three main SF classes: A) only circumnuclear SF, B) SF at the bar ends, but not along the bar, and C) SF along the bar. Lenticular galaxies typically belong to SF class A: this is probably related to bar-induced SF quenching. The distribution of SF class B peaks for early- and intermediate-type spirals: this most likely results from the interplay of gas flow, shocks, and enhanced shear in centrally concentrated galaxies with large bar amplitudes. Late-type galaxies are mainly assigned to SF class C: we argue that this is a consequence of low shear. In bar stacks of spirals, the UV emission traces the stellar bars and dominates on their leading side, as witnessed in simulations. For early-types, the central UV emission is $\sim$0.5 mag brighter in strongly barred galaxies, relative to their weakly barred counterparts: this is related to the efficiency of strong bars sweeping the disk gas and triggering central starbursts. We also show that the distributions of SF in inner ringed galaxies are broadly the same in barred and non-barred galaxies, including a UV/H$\alpha$ deficit in the middle part of the bar: this hints at the effect of resonance rings trapping gas. Distinct distributions of SF within bars are reported in galaxies of different morphological types (Abridged)., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A (September 2, 2020). 18 pages, 14 figures, 2 tables, plus appendices (16 pages, 8 figures, 1 table)

We study the atomic gas content and the central stellar mass concentration for a sample of almost 1500 nearby galaxies to investigate the nature of starbursts and the influence of galaxy-galaxy interactions on star formation (SF). We used a sample of catalogued interacting and non-interacting galaxies in the S$^4$G survey - along with archival HI gas masses, stellar masses ($M_{\ast}$), and SF rates from $IRAS$ far-infrared fluxes - and calculate depletion times and gas fractions. We traced the central stellar mass concentration from the inner slope of the stellar component of the rotation curves. Starbursts are defined as galaxies with a factor $>4$ enhanced SF rate relative to a control sample of non-interacting galaxies which are $\pm 0.2$ dex in stellar mass and $\pm 1$ in $T$-type. Starbursts are mainly early-type ($T\lesssim 5$), massive spiral galaxies ($M_{\ast}\gtrsim 10^{10}M_{\odot}$) that are not necessarily interacting. For a given stellar mass bin, starbursts are characterised by lower gas depletion times, similar gas fractions, and larger central stellar mass concentrations than non-starburst galaxies. The global distributions of gas fraction and gas depletion time are not statistically different for interacting and non-interacting galaxies. However, in the case of currently merging galaxies, the median gas depletion time is a factor of $0.4 \pm 0.2$ that of control sample galaxies, and their SF rates are a factor of $1.9 \pm 0.5$ enhanced, even though the median gas fraction is similar. Starbursts present long-lasting SF in the circumnuclear regions that causes an enhancement of the central stellar density at $z\approx0$ in both interacting and non-interacting systems. Starbursts have low gas depletion timescales, yet similar gas fractions as normal main-sequence galaxies. Galaxy mergers cause a moderate enhancement of the SF efficiency (Abridged)., Accepted for publication in A&A (February 21, 2020). 6 pages, 5 figures

Spiral galaxies are common in the local Universe, but their formation, evolution, and interplay with bars remain poorly understood. We use a sample of 391 nearby galaxies from the S$^4$G survey to characterise the winding angle and amplitude of spiral arms as a function of disc properties, such as bar strength, in all kinds of spirals (grand-design, multi-armed, and flocculent). We derive global pitch angles in 3.6 $��$m de-projected images from i) average measurements of individual logarithmic spiral segments, and ii) for a subsample of 32 galaxies, from 2-D Fourier analyses. The strength of spirals is quantified from the tangential-to-radial force ratio and from the normalised $m=2$ Fourier density amplitudes. In galaxies with more than one measured logarithmic segment, the spiral pitch angle varies on average by $\sim 10^{\circ}$ between segments, but by up to $\gtrsim 15-20^{\circ}$. The distribution of the global pitch angle versus Hubble type ($T$) is very similar for barred and non-barred galaxies when $1 \lesssim T \lesssim 5$. Most spiral galaxies ($>90\%$) are barred for $T>5$. The pitch angle is not correlated with bar strength, and only weakly with spiral strength. The amplitude of spirals is correlated with bar strength (and less tightly, with bar length) for all types of spirals. The mean pitch angle is hardly correlated with the mass of the supermassive black hole (estimated from central stellar velocity dispersion), with central stellar mass concentration, or with shear, questioning previous results in the literature using smaller samples. We do not find observational evidence that spiral arms are driven by stellar bars or by invariant manifolds. Most likely, disks that are prone to the development of strong bars are also reactive to the formation of prominent spirals, explaining the observed coupling between bar and spiral amplitudes (Abridged)., Accepted for publication in A&A (August 12, 2019). 18 pages, 19 figures, 4 tables, plus appendices (11 pages, 6 figures, 1 table)

We study the frequency and dimensions of inner and outer rings in the local Universe as a function of disk parameters and the amplitude of non-axisymmetries. We use the 1320 not-highly inclined disk galaxies ($i, Accepted for publication in A&A (April 8, 2019). 16 pages, 12 figures, 2 tables, plus appendices (4 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables)