The effects of dust on the derived photometric parameters of disks and bulges in spiral galaxies^⋆

¹ Jeremiah Horrocks Institute, University of Central Lancashire, PR1 2HE, Preston, UK
e-mail: bapastrav@uclan.ac.uk; cpopescu@uclan.ac.uk; aesansom@uclan.ac.uk
² Max Planck Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
e-mail: Richard.Tuffs@mpi-hd.mpg.de

Received: 19 December 2012
Accepted: 21 January 2013

Abstract

We present results of a study made to quantify the effects of dust on the derived photometric parameters of disks (old and young stellar disks) and bulges: disk scale-lengths, axis-ratios, central surface-brightness, bulge effective radii, and Sérsic indices. The changes in the derived photometric parameters from their intrinsic values (as would be seen in the absence of dust) were obtained by fitting simulated images of disks and bulges produced using radiative transfer calculations. The simulations were fitted with the GALFIT 3.0.2 data analysis algorithm and the fitted models were the commonly used infinitely thin disks described by exponential, general Sérsic and de Vaucouleurs distributions. We find the young stellar disks to suffer the most severe variation in the photometric parameters due to dust effects. In this context we also present corrections for narrow line (Balmer line) images. Old stellar disks are also significantly affected by dust, in particular when fits are performed with exponential functions. The photometric parameters of bulges are to a lesser extent affected by dust. We also find that the variation of dust corrections with face-on dust opacity and inclination is similar for bulges with different intrinsic stellar emissivities (different Sérsic index), with differences manifesting only close to edge-on orientations of the disk. Dust corrections for bulges are found to be insensitive to the choice of the truncation radius and ellipticity of the bulge. All corrections are listed in the appendices and made available in electronic format.