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We present detections of the CO(4-3) and [C I] 609 $\mu$m spectral lines, as well as the dust continuum at 480.5 GHz (rest-frame), in 3C 368, a Fanaroff-Riley class II (FR-II) galaxy at redshift (z) 1.131. 3C 368 has a large stellar mass, ~ 3.6 x 10$^{11}$ M$_\odot$, and is undergoing an episode of vigorous star formation, at a rate of ~ 350 M$_\odot$/yr, and active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity, with radio-emitting lobes extended over ~ 73 kpc. Our observations allow us to inventory the molecular-gas reservoirs in 3C 368 by applying three independent methods: (1) using the CO(4-3)-line luminosity, excitation state of the gas, and an $\alpha_{CO}$ conversion factor, (2) scaling from the [C I]-line luminosity, and (3) adopting a gas-to-dust conversion factor. We also present gas-phase metallicity estimates in this source, both using far-infrared (FIR) fine-structure lines together with radio free-free continuum emission and independently employing the optical [O III] 5007 A and [O II] 3727 A lines (R$_{23}$ method). Both methods agree on a sub-solar gas-phase metallicity of ~ 0.3 Z$_\odot$. Intriguingly, comparing the molecular-gas mass estimated using this sub-solar metallicity, M$_{gas}$ ~ 6.4 x 10$^{10}$ M$_\odot$, to dust-mass estimates from multi-component spectral energy distribution (SED) modeling, M$_{dust}$ ~ 1.4 x 10$^8$ M$_\odot$, yields a gas-to-dust ratio within ~ 15% of the accepted value for a metallicity of 0.3 Z$_\odot$. The derived gas-mass puts 3C 368 on par with other galaxies at z ~ 1 in terms of specific star-formation rate and gas fraction. However, it does not explain how a galaxy can amass such a large stellar population while maintaining such a low gas-phase metallicity. Perhaps 3C 368 has recently undergone a merger, accreting pristine molecular gas from an external source., Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal

The Nitrogen-to-Oxygen (N/O) abundance ratio is an important diagnostic of galaxy evolution since the ratio is closely tied to the growth of metallicity and the star formation history in galaxies. Estimates for the N/O ratio are traditionally accomplished with optical lines that could suffer from extinction and excitation effects, so the N/O ratio is arguably measured better through far-infrared (far-IR) fine-structure lines. Here we show that the [N III]57$\mu$m/[O III]52$\mu$m line ratio, denoted $N3O3$, is a physically robust probe of N/O. This parameter is insensitive to gas temperature and only weakly dependent on electron density. Though it has a dependence on the hardness of the ionizing radiation field, we show that it is well corrected by including the [Ne III]15.5$\mu$m/[Ne II]12.8$\mu$m line ratio. We verify the method, and characterize its intrinsic uncertainties by comparing the results to photoionization models. We then apply our method to a sample of nearby galaxies using new observations obtained with SOFIA/FIFI-LS in combination with available Herschel/PACS data, and the results are compared with optical N/O estimates. We find evidence for a systematic offset between the far-IR and optically derived N/O ratio. We argue this is likely due to that our far-IR method is biased towards younger and denser H II regions, while the optical methods are biased towards older H II regions as well as diffuse ionized gas. This work provides a local template for studies of ISM abundance in the early Universe., Comment: 23 pages, 14 figures. Accepted by ApJ

Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) 12CO(J=1-0) observations are used to study the cold molecular ISM of the Cartwheel ring galaxy and its relation to HI and massive star formation (SF). CO moment maps find $(2.69\pm0.05)\times10^{9}$ M$_{\odot}$ of H$_2$ associated with the inner ring (72%) and nucleus (28%) for a Galactic I(CO)-to-N(H2) conversion factor ($\alpha_{\rm CO}$). The spokes and disk are not detected. Analysis of the inner ring's CO kinematics show it to be expanding ($V_{\rm exp}=68.9\pm4.9$ km s$^{-1}$) implying an $\approx70$ Myr age. Stack averaging reveals CO emission in the starburst outer ring for the first time, but only where HI surface density ($\Sigma_{\rm HI}$) is high, representing $M_{\rm H_2}=(7.5\pm0.8)\times10^{8}$ M$_{\odot}$ for a metallicity appropriate $\alpha_{\rm CO}$, giving small $\Sigma_{\rm H_2}$ ($3.7$ M$_{\odot}$ pc$^{-2}$), molecular fraction ($f_{\rm mol}=0.10$), and H$_2$ depletion timescales ($\tau_{\rm mol} \approx50-600$ Myr). Elsewhere in the outer ring $\Sigma_{\rm H_2}\lesssim 2$ M$_{\odot}$ pc$^{-2}$, $f_{\rm mol}\lesssim 0.1$ and $\tau_{\rm mol}\lesssim 140-540$ Myr (all $3\sigma$). The inner ring and nucleus are H$_2$-dominated and are consistent with local spiral SF laws. $\Sigma_{\rm SFR}$ in the outer ring appears independent of $\Sigma_{\rm H_2}$, $\Sigma_{\rm HI}$ or $\Sigma_{\rm HI+H_2}$. The ISM's long confinement in the robustly star forming rings of the Cartwheel and AM0644-741 may result in either a large diffuse H$_2$ component or an abundance of CO-faint low column density molecular clouds. The H$_2$ content of evolved starburst rings may therefore be substantially larger. Due to its lower $\Sigma_{\rm SFR}$ and age the Cartwheel's inner ring has yet to reach this state. Alternately, the outer ring may trigger efficient SF in an HI-dominated ISM., Comment: 10-pages text; 5-figures

SMART is a software package written in IDL to reduce and analyze Spitzer data from all four modules of the Infrared Spectrograph, including the peak-up arrays. The software is designed to make full use of the ancillary files generated in the Spitzer Science Center pipeline so that it can either remove or flag artifacts and corrupted data and maximize the signal-to-noise in the extraction routines. It may be run in both interactive and batch mode. The software and Users Guide will be available for public release in December 2004. We briefly describe some of the main features of SMART including: visualization tools for assessing the data quality, basic arithmetic operations for either 2-d images or 1-d spectra, extraction of both point and extended sources and a suite of spectral analysis tools., Comment: To Appear in the October 2004 Issue of PASP. 9 pages AASTeX format includes 8 figures

The Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) on board the Spitzer Space Telescope has been used to obtain low- and moderate-resolution spectra of the dust- and gas-rich quasar APM 08279+5255 (z = 3.91). Broad Paα and Paβ recombination lines of hydrogen were detected at wavelengths of 9.235 and 6.315 μm, respectively, as well as a strong, red continuum that is a smooth power law over the observed (rest-frame) wavelength range 5.3-35 μm (1.08-7.1 μm). The observed Paα/Paβ line flux ratio of 1.05 ± 0.2 is far from the case B value of ~2 and simple models of high-density, high optical depth ionized-gas regions (~1.8). This deviation is opposite in sense to the expected effect of reddening. No evidence is found in the spectrum for either the 3.3 or the 6.2 μm emission features usually attributed to aromatic hydrocarbons in gas-rich galaxies in the local universe. This is consistent with the high-luminosity active galactic nucleus (AGN) nature of APM 08279+5255.

We present Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) Long-Wavelength Spectrometer (LWS) far-infrared (FIR) spectra of the nucleus and six giant H II regions in M33 (NGC 595, IC 142, NGC 592, NGC 604, NGC 588, and IC 133). The seven fine-structure lines observed in the FIR are used to model the H II and photodissociation regions (PDRs). There is no observed trend in the FIR properties, observed with the LWS, as a function of galactic radius or metallicity. The cold neutral medium (CNM) is the main reservoir for the atomic gas, containing between 60% and 95% of the gas. The FIRLWS spectral energy distribution can be fitted with a single-temperature graybody spectrum with a temperature in the range 35 K ≤ T ≤ 49 K. The [C II] 158 μm line flux is 0.2%-0.7% FIRLWS, which is typical of values seen (0.1%-1% FIR) in the nuclei of star-forming galaxies. The [C II]/FIRLWS ratio peaks at the nucleus and is fairly constant across the rest of the sample. Massive star formation is traced by the intensity of the [O III] 88 μm line. The emission from the observed FIR lines that arise solely from H II regions can be modeled as a single component with a given oxygen and nitrogen abundance, effective temperature, density, and ionizing flux. There is no need for an extended low-density component (ELDWIM). Apart from NGC 604 and NGC 595, the fractional [C II] emission that arises from the H II regions and/or PDRs is not well constrained, but typically 5%-50% arises in the H II regions, 10%-35% from the CNM, and the bulk of the emission (40%-90%) in the PDRs. The average PDR in this sample has a gas density n ~ 103.1 cm-3, an average incident far-ultraviolet flux (in units of the local interstellar value) G0 = 102.4, a gas temperature T ~ 200 K, and an AV ~ 10 through the clouds. NGC 604 has 40% of the atomic gas residing in the PDRs, while the rest have a much smaller fraction, ~5%-15%. The PDRs are similar to those found in other star-forming galaxies such as Centaurus A. G0 is at the lower end of the range observed in samples of spiral and starburst galaxies (2.2 ≤ log G0 ≤ 5), and log (n) sits comfortably in the middle of the observed range (1.8 ≤ log n ≤ 4.2).

The low-mass star formation region associated with the reflection nebula Cederblad 110 in the Chamaeleon I cloud was mapped with the Australian Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) at 6 and 3.5 cm. Altogether 11 sources were detected, three of which are previously known low mass young stellar objects associated with the nebula: the illuminating star IRS 2 (Class III, Einstein X-ray source CHX 7), the brightest far-infrared source IRS 4 (Class I), and the weak X-ray source CHX10a (Class III). The other young stellar objects in the region, including the Class 0 protostar candidate Cha-MMS1, were not detected. The radio spectral index of IRS 4 (= 1:7 0:3) is consistent with optically thick free-free emission arising from a dense ionized region, probably a jet-induced shock occurring in the circumstellar material. As the only Class I protostar with a "thermal jet" IRS 4 is the strongest candidate for the central source of the molecular outflow found previously in the region. The emission from IRS 2 has a flat spectrum ( = 0:05 0:05) but shows no sign of polarization, and therefore its origin is likely to be optically thin free-free emission either from ionized wind or a collimated jet. The strongest source detected in this survey is a new compact object with a steep negative spectral index ( 1:1) and a weak linear polarization (2%), which probably represents a background radio galaxy.

We have conducted a deep search for neutral hydrogen gas associated with the faint optical "jets" of NGC 1097 using the Very Large Array. Measurable H I would have been expected if the jets were tidal in origin given their moderately blue optical and near-infrared colors. The jets are free of H I emission to a limiting surface density (Σ) of 0.06 M☉ pc-2 (3 σ) over a 1102 km s-1 velocity range. We also rule out extended H I emission down to 0.02 M☉ pc-2 (3 σ, ΔV = 45 km s-1) within a 4' FWHM aperture centered on the right-angle turn in jet R1. We have detected an H I source [M = (5.1 ± 1.0) × 106 M☉] coincident with a small edge-on spiral or irregular galaxy (NGC 1097B) 12' southwest of NGC 1097, situated between two jets. Two other ~106 M☉ H I point sources in the field are considered marginal detections. Neither are associated with the optical jets. The jets' radio-X-ray spectral energy distribution is most consistent with starlight. However, from their morphology, optical/near-infrared colors, and lack of H I, we argue that the jets are not tidal tails drawn out of NGC 1097's disk or stars stripped from the elliptical companion NGC 1097A. We also reject in situ star formation in ancient radio jets as this requires essentially 100% conversion of gas into stars on large scales. Instead, we conclude that the jets represent the captured remains of a disrupted dwarf galaxy that passed through the inner few kiloparsecs of NGC 1097's disk. We present N-body simulations of such an encounter that reproduce the essential features of NGC 1097's jets: A long and narrow "X"-shaped morphology centered near the spiral's nucleus, right-angle bends, and no discernible dwarf galaxy remnant. A series of jetlike distributions are formed, with the earliest appearing ~1.4 Gyr after impact. Well-defined X shapes form only when the more massive galaxy has a strong disk component. Ram-pressure stripping of the dwarf's interstellar medium would be expected to occur while passing through NGC 1097's disk, accounting for the jets' lack of H I and H II. The remnants' (B-V) color would still agree with observations even after ~3 Gyr of passive evolution, provided the cannibalized dwarf was low-metallicity and dominated by young stars at impact.

The low-mass star formation region associated with the reflection nebula Cederblad 110 in the Chamaeleon I cloud was mapped with the Australian Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) at 6 and 3.5cm. Altogether 11 sources were detected, three of which are previously known low mass young stellar objects associated with the nebula: the illuminating star IRS2 (Class III, Einstein X-ray source CHX7), the brightest far-infrared source IRS4 (Class I), and the weak X-ray source CHX10a (Class III). The other young stellar objects in the region, including the Class 0 protostar candidate Cha-MMS1, were not detected. The radio spectral index of IRS4 (alpha = 1.7 +/- 0.3) is consistent with optically thick free-free emission arising from a dense ionized region, probably a jet-induced shock occurring in the circumstellar material. As the only Class I protostar with a 'thermal jet' IRS4 is the strongest candidate for the central source of the molecular outflow found previously in the region. The emission from IRS2 has a flat spectrum (alpha = 0.05 +/- 0.05) but shows no sign of polarization, and therefore its origin is likely to be optically thin free-free emission either from ionized wind or a collimated jet. The strongest source detected in this survey is a new compact object with a steep negative spectral index (-1.1) and a weak linear polarization (about 2 %), which probably represents a background radio galaxy.

We report first science results from our new spectrometer, the 2nd generation z(Redshift) and Early Universe Spectrometer (ZEUS-2), recently commissioned on the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment telescope (APEX). ZEUS-2 is a submillimeter grating spectrometer optimized for detecting the faint and broad lines from distant galaxies that are redshifted into the telluric windows from 200 to 850 microns. It utilizes a focal plane array of transition-edge sensed bolometers, the first use of these arrays for astrophysical spectroscopy. ZEUS-2 promises to be an important tool for studying galaxies in the years to come due to its synergy with ALMA and its capabilities in the short submillimeter windows that are unique in the post Herschel era. Here we report on our first detection of the [CII] 158 $\mu m$ line with ZEUS-2. We detect the line at z ~ 1.8 from H-ATLAS J091043.1-000322 with a line flux of $(6.44 \pm 0.42) \times 10^{-18} W m^{-2}$. Combined with its far-infrared luminosity and a new Herschel-PACS detection of the [OI] 63 $\mu m $ line we model the line emission as coming from a photo-dissociation region with far-ultraviolet radiation field, $G \approx 2 \times 10^{4} G_{0}$, gas density, $n \approx 1 \times 10^{3} cm^{-3}$ and size between ~ 0.4 and 1 kpc. Based on this model, we conclude that H-ATLAS J091043.1-000322 is a high redshift analogue of a local ultra-luminous infrared galaxy, i.e. it is likely the site of a compact starburst due to a major merger. Further identification of these merging systems is important for constraining galaxy formation and evolution models.

Data accumulated over the past year strongly favour the idea that γ-ray bursts lie at cosmological distances, although the nature of the power source remains unclear. Here we report radio observations of the supernova SN1998bw, which exploded at about the same time, and in about the same direction, as the γ-ray burst GRB980425. At its peak, the supernova was unusually luminous at radio wavelengths. A simple interpretation of the data requires that the source expanded with an apparent velocity of at least twice the speed of light, indicating that the supernova was accompanied by a shock wave moving at relativistic speeds (the ejects of supernovae are typically characterized by non-relativistic velocities). The energy of the shock is at least 10^(49)erg, with an inferred ejecta mass of 10^(-5) solar masses, and we suggest that the early phase of this shock wave produced the burst of γ-rays. Although in general the properties of supernovae are very different from those of γ-ray bursts, we argue that this unusual supernova establishes a second class of γ-ray burst, which is distinctly different from the cosmological kind.

We present optical CCD surface photometry and VLA H I observations of NGC 5850, one of the largest and brightest barred spirals of the inner ring variety in the sky. The broadband images reveal numerous morphological peculiarities, particularly in the spiral arms. Structural asymmetries are more obvious in H I, the most pronounced being a large-scale displacement of gas to the west and northwest of the nucleus. Most of the (3.3 ± 0.1) × 109 M☉ of atomic hydrogen is concentrated in the prominent optical ring and faint spiral arms, with very low H I surface densities (ΣH I) in the bulge and interarm regions. We detect approximately 2 × 107 M☉ of H I in the southwestern half of the nuclear ring. The H I surface density drops rapidly outside the arms, and we find no evidence for either large-scale tidal features or an extended gas disk above 0.05 M☉ pc-2 (3 σ). Overall, the intensity-weighted H I velocity field appears fairly regular, yet still shows clear deviations from circular rotation that we attribute to a warped oval disk and streaming motions across the arms. Radio continuum emission at 20 cm is dominated by a faint bulge component that peaks at the optical nucleus. The spiral arms are not detected. The absence of extended X-ray emission throughout the NGC 5846 group and the close similarity between NGC 5850's optical and H I morphologies argue against ram pressure stripping through a dense intergalactic medium as the cause of the galaxy's peculiar morphology. We attribute it instead to a high-speed encounter with the massive elliptical galaxy NGC 5846. We identify the peculiar spiral arms as a disrupted outer pseudoring. Star formation in NGC 5850 has not been enhanced relative to other intermediate field spirals, nor have significant gas masses been transported to the nucleus. This may be attributed to the recent (200 Myr) nature of the interaction.

We have imaged the kiloparsec-scale distribution of 12CO(J=1-0) emission in the ring galaxy system Arp 143 (NGC 2444/2445) using the OVRO millimeter array. We find two giant molecular complexes in the ring component (NGC 2445) and a bright central source. The ring complexes represent 20%-60% of the detected MH2, depending on the relative ICO-NH2 for the ring and nucleus. Their individual H2 masses and surface densities (ΣH2) exceed typical spiral arm giant molecular clouds and associations regardless of the conversion factor. Both are associated with a 6 kpc ridge of peak ΣH I and massive star formation activity. Hα imaging shows a patchy ring of H II regions situated along the outer edge of the H I ring. The kinematics of the H I ring show clear signs of expansion. A simple rotating-expanding ring model (Vexp=118±30 km s−1) fits the data reasonably well, which implies a ring age of 60±15 Myr. NGC 2445's ring is able to form very large molecular complexes promptly in a metal-poor ISM and trigger massive star formation. Nearly 80% of the detected 12CO(1-0) flux originates in a resolved central source that is slightly offset from NGC 2445's starburst nucleus. We find an ordered velocity field in this component. Assuming an inclined disk, we argue that it is dynamically stable. The central ΣH2 (9 × 10 M☉ pc-2) significantly exceeds ΣH2 values commonly found in normal spirals but is much smaller than values derived in similar sized regions of IR-luminous galaxies. The nuclear H2 may be the result of a previous encounter with NGC 2444.12CO(1-0) emission in ring galaxies may be dominated by the nucleus, which could bias the interpretation of single-dish measurements.

We have used Hα CCD imaging to map the distribution and intensity of massive star formation (MSF) in AM 0644-741, a large southern ring galaxy. MSF is restricted to a pair of interlocked 30 kpc diameter rings, with less than 1% contributed by a nuclear point source. Fifty percent of the total Hα emission originates in a crescent-shaped region defining the southwest quadrant of the most prominent ring ("A-ring"). North of the nucleus, MSF bifurcates into closely spaced rings of H II complexes. Particularly strong MSF occurs where they intersect. A broad continuum ring spans the disk south of the nucleus ("B-ring"). No diffuse MSF is found over the enclosed disk above an SFR per unit area of 0.15 M☉ Gyr-1 pc-2 (3 σ), which is similar to limits set in the disks of S0 galaxies. However, low Hα surface brightness (ΣHα) complexes are found beyond the southwest A-ring. We derive a total Hα luminosity (LHα) of 3.0 × 1041 ergs s-1 (H0 = 100 km s-1 Mpc-1), and a total SFR of 3 M☉ yr-1. Both values are significantly larger than those of field spirals and comparable to those found in interacting disk systems. The integrated Hα equivalent width (EWHα) is 14 A, which is similar to values derived for noninteracting spirals. Systematic changes in LHα and EWHα with ring position angle were found in the A-ring, although much less pronounced than the Cartwheel's (Higdon 1995). Both A-rings and B-rings show only small azimuthal changes in red continuum. We have measured LHα and EWHα for 54 ring H II complexes. While their LHα tend to be higher than those commonly found in spiral galaxies, their EWHα are very similar. The H II luminosity function possesses a flat slope and large peak LHα, similar to those of irregular galaxies. We conclude that MSF in AM 0644-741 has been enhanced (~3×) and redistributed as a result of the intruder's passage and that the ring galaxy was originally an Sa-Sab spiral. We interpret the distribution of ΣHα around the rings and faint Hα emission beyond the southwest A-ring in terms of MSF triggered on the outer edge of a primarily gaseous ring density wave. We suggest that the unique double-ring structure reflects strong caustics along the inner and outer edges of a single-ring density wave. The much less extreme MSF properties in AM 0644 relative to the Cartwheel likely arise from a combination of a weaker orbit crowding in the ring, higher metallicity, and a thicker precollision disk. We compare our results with ring galaxy models, where we find mixed results: the basic distribution and kinematics of material in ring galaxies appear to be described reasonably well. However, recent models fail to reproduce the observed distribution of star forming regions.

We describe six years of a Band R monitoring program of a sample of 44 radio-loud quasars. The observations were performed at the Wise Observatory, Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory and McDonald Observatory with a mean sampling of about 4-8 times a year and a typical accuracy of 0.02-0.03 mag. We show the B, R and B -R light-curves of all sources and discuss the sample properties in terms of variability amplitude, luminosity, continuum shape, radio structure and variability time-scale. All objects in our sample have varied during the monitoring campaign. In 15 per cent of the sources the variability is smaller than 0.2 mag and in 45 per cent between 0.2 and 0.4 mag. The amplitude of the variations does not depend on redshift or luminosity. Furthermore, there is no difference, in this respect, between core-dominated and lobe-dominated sources. Our sampling is adequate to calculate the autocorrelation function of 34 sources in the sample and to use it to define the typical variability time-scale. We find that the rest-frame variability time is inversely correlated with the source luminosity. However, external effects caused by the sampling period and the frequency can strongly influence this conclusion and we suggest ways to try to eliminate such biases. If correct, the inverse correlation with luminosity can dominate any cosmological (1 +z) dependence.

We combine data from the ATNF and the SEST to investigate the neutral ISM in AM0644-741, a large and robustly star-forming ring galaxy. The galaxy's ISM is concentrated in the 42-kpc diameter starburst ring, but appears dominated by atomic gas, with a global molecular fraction (f_mol) of only 7.9%. Apart from the starburst peak, the gas ring is stable against the growth of gravitational instabilities (Q_gas=2-7). Including stars lowers Q overall, but not enough to make Q100 Myr confinement time in the starburst ring, which enhances the destructive effects of embedded massive stars and supernovae. As a result, the ring's molecular ISM becomes dominated by small clouds where star formation is most intense, causing H2 to be underestimated by 12CO line fluxes: in effect X(CO) >> X(Gal) despite the ring's solar metallicity. The observed large HI component is primarily a low density photodissociation product, i.e., a tracer rather than a precursor of massive star formation. Such an "over-cooked" ISM may be a general characteristic of evolved starburst ring galaxies., 41 pages, 7 tables, 18 eps figures

A multipass, Brewster prism monochromator that is an effective laser beam separator is described. Fourteen passes through the prism of the monochromator produce a resolution of 4 cm(-1) with a throughput of 63%. Larger throughputs are obtained for fewer passes and a poorer resolution. The device is tunable and has an extinction coefficient of 2 x 10(-8) at a detuning of 200 cm(-1). It promises to be an important tool for coherent Raman spectroscopy.

We present Spitzer observations of Tidal Dwarf Galaxies (TDGs) in three interacting systems: NGC 5291, Arp105 and Stephan's Quintet. The spectra show bright emission from polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nebular lines and warm molecular hydrogen, characteristic of recent episodes of star formation. The PAH emission that falls in the IRAC 8.0 micron band leads to the TDGs having an extremely red IRAC color, with [4.5] - [8.0] > 3. The emission from PAHs is characterized by a model with mainly neutral 100-C PAH atoms., To be published in the proceedings of IAU Symposium 244: "Dark Galaxies and Lost Baryons", J. I. Davies & M. D. Disney. eds., Cambridge University Press. 2 pages

We observed two faint tidal dwarf galaxies (TDGs), NGC 5291N and NGC 5291 S with the Infrared Spectrograph on the Spitzer Space Telescope. We detect strong polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission, which match models of groups of \~100 carbon atoms with an equal mixture of neutral and ionized PAHs. The TDGs have a dominant warm ~140 K dust component in marked contrast to the cooler, 40-60 K dust found in starburst galaxies. For the first time we detect the low-J rotational lines from molecular hydrogen. Adopting LTE there is ~10^5 solar masses of ~400 K gas, which is 3.2. NGC 5291 N and S have stellar masses of (1.5 and 3.0) 10^8 solar masses, which is comparable to BCDs. This system appears to be a remarkable TDG nursery., Accepted ApJ. 30 pages 14 figures

We determine the rest-frame 8 micron luminosity function of type I quasars over the redshift range 1, Comment: Accepted for publication in the ApJ, 19 pages, 12 figures

NGC 5850 is a large, nearby SB(r)b spiral that is an apparent member of the NGC 5846 group of galaxies (de Vaucouleurs 1975; Turner & Gott 1976). The mean corrected redshift of this group is ≈1900 km s−1 (Haynes & Giovanelli 1991). We have obtained broadband imaging and VLA HI interferometry of this galaxy as part of a general study of its properties. The most noteworthy characteristic of the galaxy is a severe distortion of the outer regions. This distortion is most likely due to an interaction with another member of the group, possibly NGC 5846 or its companion NGC 5846A, which are only 10' to the northwest. In this paper we summarize some of the results of the optical and HI analysis, and highlight the effects of the interaction.

The infrared Spitzer Space Telescope is the last of NASA’s Great Observatories. Highlights of the first results from the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) Extragalactic Team are given. The main focus of this paper is a demonstration of the unprecedented sensitivity of the IRS, which makes observations of distant, dust enshrouded galaxies possible.

The unprecedented sensitivity of the Infrared Spectrograph on the Spitzer Space Telescope allows for the first time the measurement of mid-infrared spectra from 14 to 38 microns of faint high-z galaxies. This unique capability is demonstrated with observations of sources having 16 micron fluxes of 3.6 mJy (CFRS 14.1157) and 0.35 mJy (CFRS 14.9025). A spectral-fitting technique is illustrated which determines the redshift by fitting emission and absorption features characteristic of nearby galaxies to the spectrum of an unknown source. For CFRS 14.1157, the measured redshift is z = 1.00+/-0.20 in agreement with the published result of z = 1.15. The spectrum is dominated by emission from an AGN, similar to the nucleus of NGC 1068, rather than a typical starburst with strong PAH emission like M82. Such spectra will be crucial in characterizing the nature of newly discovered distant galaxies, which are too faint for optical follow-up., Accepted in ApJ Sup. Spitzer Special Issue, 4 pages, 5 figures

A spectroscopic analysis of 10 intergalactic star forming objects (ISFOs) and a photometric analysis of 67 ISFOs in a sample of 14 interacting systems is presented. The majority of the ISFOs have relative polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) band strengths similar to those of nearby spiral and starburst galaxies. In contrast to what is observed in blue compact dwarfs (BCDs) and local giant HII regions in the Milky Way (NGC 3603) and the Magellanic Clouds (30 Doradus and N 66), the relative PAH band strengths in ISFOs correspond to models with a significant PAH ion fraction ( 3.7, i.e., enhanced non-stellar emission, most likely due to PAHs, relative to normal spirals, dwarf irregulars and BCD galaxies. The relative strength of the 8 um emission compared to that at 3.6 um or 24 um separates ISFOs from dwarf galaxies in Spitzer two color diagrams. The infrared power in two thirds of the ISFOs is dominated by emission from grains in a diffuse interstellar medium. One in six ISFOs have significant emission from PDRs, contributing ~30 % - 60 % of the total power. ISFOs are young knots of intense star formation., Accepted in ApJ. 49 pages 9 figures

Westerbork Radio Synthesis Telescope observation of the galaxy VV29=Arp188=UGC10214 shows that there are at least three distinct dynamical components whose kinematics can be traced in 21cm line emission. The system appears to be the result of a galaxy-galaxy interaction. We identify a sufficient number of dynamical elements containing baryons (stars and neutral gas) that there is no compelling reason to postulate the presence of an additional dark matter halo that is devoid of detectable baryons. The central galaxy VV29a is massive (V_rot = 330 km/s) and gas rich (M_HI} = 6x10^9 Msolar). The distinctive optical plume (VV29b), which extends eastward from the main galaxy, is also gas rich (M_HI = 3x10^9 Msolar) and has a very low gradient in line of sight velocity (, 7 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

We have used the Owens Valley Millimeter Array to map 12CO (J=1-0) along a 3.5 kpc segment of M83's eastern spiral arm at resolutions of 6.5"x3.5", 10", and 16". The CO emission in most of this segment lies along the sharp dust lane demarking the inner edge of the spiral arm, but beyond a certain point along the arm the emission shifts downstream from the dust lane to become better aligned with the young stars seen in blue and H-beta images. This morphology resembles that of the western arm of M100. Three possibilities, none of which is wholly satisfactory, are considered to explain the deviation of the CO arm from the dust lane: heating of the CO by UV radiation from young stars, heating by low-energy cosmic rays, and a molecular medium consisting of two (diffuse and dense) components which react differently to the density wave. Regardless, the question of what CO emission traces along this spiral arm is a complicated one. Strong tangential streaming is observed where the arm crosses the kinematic major axis of the galaxy, implying that the shear becomes locally prograde in the arms. Inferred from the streaming is a very high gas surface density of about 230 solar masses/pc**2 and an arm-interarm contrast greater than 2.3 in the part of the arm near the major axis. Using two different criteria, we find that the gas at this location is well above the threshold for gravitational instability -- much more clearly so than in either M51 or M100., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 25 pages, 5 figures. Manuscript in LaTeX, figures in pdf. Fig 3 in color

CONTEXT: Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies and tidal streams. AIMS: We investigate the structure and stellar population of two large stellar condensations (knots A & B) along one of the faint optical "jet-like" tidal streams associated with the spiral NGC 1097, with the goal of establishing their physical association with the galaxy and their origin. METHODS: We use the VLT/FORS2 to get deep V-band imaging and low-resolution optical spectra of two knots along NGC 1097's northeast "dog-leg" tidal stream. With this data, we explore their morphology and stellar populations. RESULTS: The FORS2 spectra show that the redshift of knot A (and perhaps of knot B) is consistent with that of NGC 1097. The FORS2 photometry shows that the two knots match very well the photometric scaling relations of canonical dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSph). From the spectral analysis we find that knot A is mainly composed of stars near G-type, with no signs of ongoing star formation. Comparing its spectrum to a library of Galactic GC spectra, we find that the stellar population of this dSph-like object is most similar to intermediate to metal rich GCs. We find moreover, that the tidal stream shows an "S" shaped inflection as well as a pronounced stellar overdensity at knot A's position. This suggests that knot A is being tidally stripped, and populates the stellar stream with its stars. CONCLUSIONS: We have discovered that two knots along NGC 1097's northeast tidal stream share most of their spectral and photometric properties with ordinary dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSph). Moreover, we find strong indications that the "dog-leg" tidal stream arise from the tidal disruption of knot A. Since it has been demonstrated that tidally stripping dSph galaxies need to loose most of their dark matter before starting to loose stars, we suggest that knot A is at present a CDM-poor object.

We have used the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) 12 m telescope to search for CO (J = 1 - 0) emission from the tidal tails of six merging or interacting galaxies. Although these plumes are H I-rich and several contain star forming regions, they are undetected in CO to low levels. The lack of strong CO emission from these plumes in conjunction with the presence of massive star formation is reminiscent of the situation in dwarf irregular galaxies, and the CO/H I limits are consistent with those of dwarfs. The low CO brightness of these plumes may be due either to a low proportion of molecular gas, or to a high N(H2)/I(sub CO) conversion factor.

A series of increasingly sophisticated models of the Cartwheel ring galaxy is studied in order to test the collisional model for the galaxy formation and examine the star formation processes in this unique environment, using new data acquired in the last decade. The simulations provided some possible answers to a number of questions about the Cartwheel. First, an explanation for the wide spacing between inner and outer rings is suggested by the simple epicyclic kinematics within the dark matter-dominated potential implied by H I rotation curve. These models and the kinematic model of Struck-Marcell and Lotan (1990) also predict that the outer ring should be relatively weak, while the second inner ring should be stronger, with a dense orbit-crossing region of significant width bounded by sharp, caustic edges. The collisional model is given support by the agreement between the observations and the morphological and kinematic properties of the numerical simulations presented.

We present an HST I-band Planetary Camera image of the nuclear region of NGC 4314, an anemic barred galaxy with recent star formation confined to a nuclear ring. These data resolve the nuclear ring into multiple sites of new star formation and resolve associated dust lanes into discrete clouds. Deconvolution results in at least 0.13 arcsec resolution, as demonstrated by the de Vaucouleurs r exp 1/4 law. Contrasted with similar studies of M87 and NGC 7457, we find no photometric evidence for an extreme concentration of stars in the center of NGC 4314. We identify an oval distortion of length 8 arcsec in the nuclear region, using ellipse-fitting routines and the unsharp masked frame. This nuclear bar has newer stars near its ends. We catalog 14 star clusters associated with H II regions in the nuclear ring. As an additional demonstration of the resolution achieved, the integral size distribution of these clusters is described by an exponential relationship which prevails down to 0.14 arcsec.

Substantial near-infrared and optical color gradients have been observed within the disk of the classical ring galaxy A0035-324 (the 'Cartwheel'). The slope of the radial B-V, V-K color gradient coincides with starburst color evolution predictions, indicating that the age of the disk population is a function of radius. Observations indicate that the youngest stars are on the leading edge of the outer ring, and the stellar population grows increasingly older toward the nucleus. The radial color gradient, taken together with other evidence, strongly support the collisional picture for the formation of ring galaxies. Strong IR emission observed in the outer ring appears to be directly associated with the young star-forming regions rather than an evolved stellar population. We conclude that star formation is occurring in a mainly gaseous expanding density wave and that the Cartwheel is undergoing its first epoch of star formation since its formation.

Multicolor near-infrared images have been obtained for the 'folded ring' galaxy Arp 144 (NGC 7828/29). About 10 to the 10th solar mass stellar nuclei associated with both NGC 7828 and NGC 7829 are found, indicating that this system is the result of an interaction between two similarly massive galaxies. The galaxy/intergalactic H I cloud collision model proposed by Freeman and de Vaucouleurs (1974) appears to be untenable, since it unequivocally predicts the existence of a single evolved stellar nucleus.