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We present Spitzer/Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) 5-21 µm spectroscopic maps towards 12 regions in the Andromeda galaxy (M31). These regions include the nucleus, bulge, an active region in the star-forming ring and nine other regions chosen to cover a range of mid-to-far-infrared colours. In line with previous results, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) feature ratios (6.2 and 7.7 µm features compared to the 11.2 µm feature) measured from our extracted M31 spectra, except the nucleus, strongly correlate. The equivalent widths of the main PAH features, as a function of metallicity and radiation hardness, are consistent with those observed for other nearby spiral and starburst galaxies. Reprocessed data from the ISOCAM instrument on the Infrared Space Observatory agree with the IRS data; early reports of suppressed 6-8 µm features and enhanced 11.3 µm feature intensity and full width at half-maximum apparently resulted from background-subtraction problems. The nucleus does not show any PAH emission but does show strong silicate emission at 9.7 µm. Furthermore, different spectral features (11.3 µm PAH emission, silicate emission and [Ne III] 15.5 µm line emission) have distinct spatial distributions in the nuclear region: the silicate emission is strongest towards the stellar nucleus, while the PAH emission peaks 15 arcsec north of the nucleus. The PAH feature ratios at this position are atypical with strong emission at 11.2 and 15-20 µm but weak emission at 6-8 µm. The nucleus itself is dominated by stellar light giving rise to a strong blue continuum and silicate emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the detection and analysis of molecular hydrogen emission towards ten interstellar regions in the Large Magellanic Cloud. We examined low-resolution infrared spectral maps of 12 regions obtained with the Spitzer infrared spectrograph (IRS). The pure rotational 0-0 transitions of H2 at 28.2 and 17.1 μm are detected in the IRS spectra for 10 regions. The higher level transitions are mostly upper limit measurements except for three regions, where a 3σ detection threshold is achieved for lines at 12.2 and 8.6 μm. The excitation diagrams of the detected H2 transitions are used to determine the warm H2 gas column density and temperature. The single-temperature fits through the lower transition lines give temperatures in the range 86-137 K. The bulk of the excited H2 gas is found at these temperatures and contributes ~5-17 per cent to the total gas mass. We find a tight correlation of the H2 surface brightness with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and total infrared emission, which is a clear indication of photoelectric heating in photodissociation regions. We find the excitation of H2 by this process is equally efficient in both atomic- and molecular-dominated regions. We also present the correlation of the warm H2 physical conditions with dust properties. The warm H2 mass fraction and excitation temperature show positive correlations with the average starlight intensity, again supporting H2 excitation in photodissociation regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When combined with infrared observations with the Spitzer telescope (3 to 160 μm), the Herschel Space Observatory now fully samples the thermal dust emission up to 500 μm and enables us to better estimate the total infrared-submm energy budget (LTIR) of nearby galaxies. We present new empirical calibrations to estimate resolved and integrated total infrared luminosities from Spitzer and Herschel bands used as monochromatic or combined tracers. We base our calibrations on resolved elements of nearby galaxies (3 to 30 Mpc) observed with Herschel. We perform a resolved spectral energy distribution (SED) modelling of these objects using the Draine & Li dust models and investigate the influence of the addition of Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) measurements in the estimation of LTIR. We find that using data up to 250 μm leads to local LTIR values consistent with those obtained with a complete coverage (up to 500 μm) within ±10 per cent for most of our resolved elements. We then study the distribution of energy in the resolved SEDs of our galaxies. The bulk of energy (30–50 per cent) is contained in the [70–160 μm] band. The [24–70 μm] fraction decreases with increasing metallicity. The [160–1100 μm]submillimetre band can account for up to 25 per cent of the LTIR in metal-rich galaxies. We investigate the correlation between the total infrared (TIR) surface brightnesses/luminosities and monochromatic Spitzer and Herschel surface brightnesses/luminosities. The three Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) bands can be used as reliable monochromatic estimators of the LTIR, the 100 μm band being the most reliable monochromatic tracer. There is also a strong correlation between the SPIRE 250 μm and LTIR, although with more scatter than for the PACS relations. We also study the ability of our monochromatic relations to reproduce integrated LTIR of nearby galaxies as well as LTIR of z ∼ 1–3 sources. Finally, we provide calibration coefficients that can be used to derive TIR surface brightnesses/luminosities from a combination of Spitzer and Herschel surface brightnesses/fluxes and analyse the associated uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate which conditions of dust attenuation and stellar populations allow models of dusty, continuously star-forming, bulge-less disc galaxies at to meet the different colour selection criteria of high- z‘red’ galaxies (e.g. ). As a main novelty, we use stellar population models that include the thermally pulsating asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) phase of stellar evolution. The star formation rate of the models declines exponentially as a function of time, the e-folding time being longer than 3 Gyr. In addition, we use calculations of radiative transfer of the stellar and scattered radiation through different dusty interstellar media in order to explore the wide parameter space of dust attenuation. We find that synthetic discs can exhibit red optical/near-infrared colours because of reddening by dust, but only if they have been forming stars for at least ∼1 Gyr. Extremely few models barely exhibit , if the inclination and if the opacity . Hence, -selected galaxies at most probably are either systems with an old, passively evolving bulge or starbursts. Synthetic discs at exhibit , if they are seen edge on (i.e. at ) and if . This explains the large fraction of observed, edge-on disc-like galaxies with and . Finally, models with exhibit , with no bias towards and for a large range in opacity (e.g. for ). In conclusion, red disc-like galaxies at may not necessarily be dustier than nearby disc galaxies (with ) and/or much older than ∼1 Gyr. This result is due both to a realistic description of dust attenuation and to the emission contribution by TP-AGB stars, with ages of 0.2 to 1–2 Gyr and intrinsically red colours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report far-infrared and submillimeter observations of supernova 1987A, the star whose explosion was observed on 23 February 1987 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a galaxy located 160,000 light years away. The observations reveal the presence of a population of cold dust grains radiating with a temperature of about 17 to 23 kelvin at a rate of about 220 times the luminosity of the Sun. The intensity and spectral energy distribution of the emission suggest a dust mass of about 0.4 to 0.7 times the mass of the Sun. The radiation must originate from the supernova ejecta and requires the efficient precipitation of all refractory material into dust. Our observations imply that supernovae can produce the large dust masses detected in young galaxies at very high redshifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]