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4 Result discussion

4.1 Bulge-disk parameters

Bulge-disk decomposition has been performed for a total number of 147 objects (77% of the sample). The rest of the galaxy profiles were very distorted or the images did not present enough quality to attempt the fitting. None of the morphological types is segregated from this subsample. Figure 1 shows the histogram of the bulge-to-disk luminosity ratio for the UCM Survey galaxies in the Johnson B band; dotted lines in this picture and the next ones stand for the Gunn r data (Vitores et al. 1996a). Median values (the upper corresponds to B and the lower to r) and error bars referring to the first quartiles (black line for blue data and grey line for red results) are shown at the top. The mean B/D value is 0.40 with a standard deviation of 0.65. This ratio is common for a Sb-Sbc galaxy, according to Kent (1985). Special care should be taken with the B/D ratio when classifying galaxies, particularly when $B/D\ge 1.7$ (14 of our galaxies have a bulge-to-disk ratio above this value); based on this statement, this criterium has only been taken into account in galaxy profiles easily separable into clear bulge and disk components, where the concept of B/D ratio is meaningful (Simien & de Vaucouleurs 1986; Schombert & Bothun 1987). Overall, bulge-to-disk ratios based on B images are lower than those calculated with the Gunn r data. The difference could be, in part, due to the distinct methods used to fit the surface brightness profiles, being the seeing convolution treatment the main difference. We have performed a test on the artificial galaxies introduced in Sect. 3.2 not taking into account the seeing-dominated zone of the profiles; the bulge-to-disk ratios calculated in this case are, in average, $\sim$10% larger than the values achieved using the seeing convolution. Therefore, the effect of seeing does not seem to cope with the whole difference between the B and r bulge-to-disk ratios; on the contrary, it appears to be a real characteristic of the objects.
  \begin{figure}
\par\includegraphics[angle=-90,width=8.8cm,clip]{H2366f1.ps}\end{figure} Figure 1: Bulge-to-disk ratio histogram of the UCM Survey in the Johnson Bband. In this plot and hereafter, the median value and first quartiles of the data will be shown at the top. Black lines correspond to Bband results; dotted lines for the histograms and grey lines for the median and error bars will refer to the Gunn r data from now on

In Figs. 2-5, we show the histograms for the bulge and disk parameters $\mu _{\rm e}^{\rm c}$, $r_{\rm e}$, $\mu _0^{\rm c}$ and $d_{\rm L}^{\rm c}$, respectively. Scales are in kpc and surface brightnesses in magarcsec-2. Superindex c denotes correction for Galactic extinction and inclination (in the disk typical surface brightness).

The averaged $\mu _{\rm e}^{\rm c}$ value is $22.8\pm 2.3$ magarcsec-2 ( $22.7\pm 2.3$ magarcsec-2 if we only take into account the galaxies with B/D < 1.7, the low B/D subsample hereafter), typical for a late-type spiral (Kent 1985; Simien 1989). The typical scale of the bulge is in average 2.7 kpc (2.2 kpc for the low-B/D subsample), with a great dispersion ( $\sigma=4.8$), but also common for a Sb-Sc galaxy. These values are very similar to the ones measured in the Gunn r images, although there seems to be a lack of small bulges in the red data.

  \begin{figure}
\par\includegraphics[angle=-90,width=8.8cm,clip]{H2366f2.ps}\end{figure} Figure 2: Histogram of the effective bulge surface brightness $\mu _{\rm e}^{\rm c}$ corrected for Galactic extinction


  \begin{figure}
\par\includegraphics[angle=-90,width=8.8cm,clip]{H2366f3.ps}\end{figure} Figure 3: Histogram of the effective radius of the bulge component in kpc


  \begin{figure}
\par\includegraphics[angle=-90,width=8.8cm,clip]{H2366f4.ps}\end{figure} Figure 4: Histogram of the characteristic surface brightness of the disk $\mu _0^{\rm c}$ corrected for Galactic extinction and inclination


  \begin{figure}
\par\includegraphics[angle=-90,width=8.8cm,clip]{H2366f5.ps}\end{figure} Figure 5: Histogram of the exponential scale length of the disk $d_{\rm L}^{\rm c}$ measured in kpc

The histogram of the characteristic surface brightness of the disk (Fig. 4) is dominated by galaxies with $\mu_0^{\rm c}=21{-}22$ magarcsec-2, with the average in $21.1\pm 1.1$ magarcsec-2 ( $21.2\pm 1.1$ magarcsec-2 for the low-B/D subsample). The narrow range of $\mu _0^{\rm c}$ seems to support the existence of a universal central surface brightness for the disk, as proposed for normal spirals by Freeman (1970) and confirmed by other authors (i.e., Boroson 1981; Simien & de Vaucouleurs 1986), although other works in the literature present samples of galaxies with a wider spread in $\mu _0^{\rm c}$ (see, for example, McGaugh et al. 1995 or Beijersbergen et al. 1999). Our $\mu _0^{\rm c}$ value is $\sim$0.5$^{\rm m}$ brighter than the Freeman central surface brightness. Therefore, the UCM sample of star-forming galaxies appears to have brighter disks than those of normal spirals; this fact is probably related to the higher star-formation activity. Scale lengths are dominated by disks smaller than 4 kpc (68% of the total number of galaxies fitted), with mean $3.6\pm 2.6$ kpc (the same for the low-B/D subsample). This value is higher than that found by Chitre et al. (1999) for a sample of starburst galaxies in the Markarian sample ( $d_{\rm L}^{\rm c}<3$ kpc), very similar to the averaged value found by Vennik et al. (2000) for a sample of emission-line galaxies ( $d_{\rm L}^{\rm c}\sim 2.7$ kpc), although they only fit an exponential to the outer parts of the profiles. Our value is lower than the one found by de Jong (1996a) for normal edge-on spirals ( $d_{\rm L}^{\rm c}\sim 8$ kpc) - they argue that their selection biases against galaxies with low surface brightness and short scale lengths are large -. Other works (for example, Boroson 1981; Kent 1985; Bothun et al. 1989; Andredakis & Sanders 1994) agree in placing our galaxies in the zone of short disk spirals, though one should be cautious against comparing scale lengths from different authors due to the subjective nature of disk parameters (Knapen & van der Kruit 1991 find discrepancies up to a factor of two in the scale lengths calculated from several authors).

All of the above values are very similar to those found by Vitores et al. (1996b) and place the UCM sample of galaxies in the zone of the late-type spirals, with small bulges and not very extended disks (Freeman 1970). Three remarks are interesting when comparing both sets of data. First, in the Gunn r decomposition a lower bulge scale cut-off was observed (at $r_{\rm e}=0.5$ kpc); this is not present in the B band study. A possible explanation is the different handling performed with the seeing that allows the B bulges to be smaller but brighter (seeing correction smoothes the profile; this was not the case with the Gunn r bulge-disk decomposition, where the seeing effect was not taken into account directly), but this does not seem to cope with the whole difference. Second, both bands present a preference for disk scales around 2-3 kpc (larger disks in the blue band); very short disk scales and large ones are less frequent. Third, the difference between the surface brightness levels of the bulge and disk are of the order of the mean colour, around $0.5^{\rm m}$, as expected according to the averaged B-r colour found in Fukugita et al. (1995).

4.2 Geometric parameters


  \begin{figure}
\par\includegraphics[angle=-90,width=8.8cm,clip]{H2366f6.ps}\end{figure} Figure 6: Histogram of the diameter of the 24.5 magarcsec-2 isophote D24.5 in kpc


  \begin{figure}
\par\includegraphics[angle=-90,width=8.8cm,clip]{H2366f7.ps}\end{figure} Figure 7: Histogram of effective radius $a_{\rm e}$ in kpc

In order to typify the size of the UCM galaxies, the histograms representing the diameter of the 24.5 magarcsec-2 isophote D24.5 and the effective radius $a_{\rm e}$ (both in kpc) have been plotted in Figs. 6 and 7. The averaged diameter of the UCM objects is $22\pm 12$ kpc. Comparison with the red data has been established through the plot of the diameter of the 24 magarcsec-2 Gunn r isophote (that will be nearer to the 24.5 blue isophote than the corresponding red one, assuming a mean colour $B-r\sim0.5$). The mean effective radius $a_{\rm e}$ is $3.8\pm 2.3$ kpc; this reflects the high degree of spatial luminosity concentration of our objects, most of them being starburst nuclei with a large emission arising from the center of the galaxy. Tentatively, UCM galaxies seem to be more extended in the blue band than in the red one (they show larger effective radius and diameters in B).

Finally, we plot in Figs. 8 and 9 the mean effective and isophote 24.5 surface brightnesses in order to characterize the whole galaxy luminosity distribution. UCM objects show $<\mu_{\rm e}^{\rm c}>\ =\ 21.2\pm 0.9$ and $<\mu_{24.5}^{\rm c}>\ =\ 22.5\pm 0.4$ (both in magarcsec-2), common value for normal galaxies (Doi et al. 1993). The difference between the Gunn r and the Johnson B values ($\sim$0.5$^{\rm m}$) is a common B-r colour for spirals (Fukugita et al. 1995).

  \begin{figure}
\par\includegraphics[angle=-90,width=8.8cm,clip]{H2366f8.ps}\end{figure} Figure 8: Histogram of the mean surface brightness inside the effective aperture $<\mu _{\rm e}^{\rm c}>$ corrected for Galactic extinction


  \begin{figure}
\par\includegraphics[angle=-90,width=8.8cm,clip]{H2366f9.ps}\end{figure} Figure 9: Histogram of the mean surface brightness inside the 24.5 isophote $<\mu _{24.5}^{\rm c}>$ corrected for Galactic extinction

4.3 Concentration indices and asymmetry coefficient


  \begin{figure}
\par\includegraphics[angle=-90,width=8.8cm,clip]{H2366f10.ps}\end{figure} Figure 10: Histogram of the concentration index $c_{\rm in}$ of the UCM sample


  \begin{figure}
\par\includegraphics[angle=-90,width=8.8cm,clip]{H2366f11.ps}\end{figure} Figure 11: Histogram of the concentration index c31 of the UCM sample


  \begin{figure}
\par\includegraphics[angle=-90,width=8.8cm,clip]{H2366f12.ps}\end{figure} Figure 12: Histogram of the concentration index c42 of the UCM sample


  \begin{figure}
\par\includegraphics[angle=-90,width=8.8cm,clip]{H2366f13.ps}\end{figure} Figure 13: Histogram of the asymmetry coefficient A of the UCM sample calculated after Abraham et al. (1996)

In the next 3 figures, labelled 10, 11 and 12, histograms of the concentration indices are shown. Mean values are $c_{\rm in}=0.41\pm 0.12$, $c_{31}=3.4\pm 1.0$ and $c_{42}=3.3\pm 0.6$. All of them are common values for spiral galaxies, corresponding approximately to a Hubble type of Sb (Doi et al. 1993; Gavazzi et al. 1990; Kent 1985; respectively for each concentration index). These values are higher than those measured in the Gunn r images. The B luminosity seems to be more concentrated in the inner parts than the r one, although galaxies are more extended.

Figure 13 depicts the histogram of the asymmetry coefficient for the UCM sample. The UCM sample is dominated by intermediately asymmetrical galaxies with mean $0.10\pm 0.08$, lower than the value found by Bershady et al. (2000) for a sample of normal local galaxies; this could be due to a difference in the calculation of A or because their sample is composed by bright, large objects which probably have many asymmetrical features. This is what we should expect for spirals which have a certain axis symmetry although they present arms, bars or HII regions that enlarge the asymmetry coefficient. There is a lack of highly symmetrical objects, which correspond to elliptical galaxies, not present in our sample as it is composed by star-forming systems.


  \begin{figure}
\par {
\resizebox{8.3cm}{!}{\psfig{file=H2366f14a.ps,angle=0}} }
...
... }
\par {
\resizebox{8.3cm}{!}{\psfig{file=H2366f14c.ps,angle=0}} }
\end{figure} Figure 14: Plots of the 5 criteria used to morphologically classify the UCM galaxies. Top panels show on the left the distribution of the B/T ratio and on the right the mean effective surface brightness (corrected for Galactic extinction) according to the final Hubble type established for each galaxy. The middle panel shows the plot found in Doi et al. (1993) of concentration index $c_{\rm in}$ versus isophote 24.5 mean surface brightness; the dashed line represents the segregation between late-type and early-type established by Doi et al. (1993). Lower panels are the histograms of the concentration indices c42 (left) and c31 (right)

All the previous results have been summarized in Table 4 for a quick look, jointly with the Gunn r statistics.

 

 
Table 4: Mean, median and standard deviation of the photometric parameters of the Johnson B and Gunn r (in brackets) images of the UCM Survey galaxies (scales are in kpc and surface brightnesses in magarcsec-2)
Magnitudes symbol mean st. dev. median
Magnitudes        
apparent magnitude mB 16.1 (15.5) 1.1 (1.0) 16.1 (15.5)
absolute magnitude MB -19.9 (-20.5) 1.1 (1.1) -20.0 (-20.6)
B+D parameters        
bulge-to-disk ratio B/D 0.40 (0.82) 0.65 (0.98) 0.12 (0.48)
effective bulge surface brightness $\mu _{\rm e}^{\rm c}$ 22.8 (22.6) 2.3 (1.7) 22.5 (22.6)
effective radius of the bulge $r_{\rm e}$ 2.7 (2.1) 4.8 (3.3) 1.0 (2.1)
disk face-on central surface brightness $\mu _0^{\rm c}$ 21.1 (20.3) 1.1 (1.1) 21.2 (20.3)
exponential scale length of the disk $d_{\rm L}^{\rm c}$ 3.6 (1.8) 2.6 (1.6) 3.0 (1.8)
Geometric parameters        
diameter of the 24.5 magarcsec-2 isophote D24.5 22 (18) 12 (9) 19 (16)
Mean photometric parameters        
effective radius $a_{\rm e}$ 3.8 (3.3) 2.3 (1.9) 3.2 (2.7)
mean effective surface brightness $<\mu _{\rm e}^{\rm c}>$ 21.2 (20.4) 0.9 (0.7) 21.2 (20.4)
isophote 24.5 magarcsec-2 mean surface brightness $<\mu _{24.5}^{\rm c}>$ 22.5 (22.1) 0.4 (0.4) 22.5 (22.1)
Concentration indices        
concentration index ( $\alpha=0.3$) c$_{\rm in}$ 0.41 (0.48) 0.12 (0.10) 0.40 (0.48)
concentration index c31 3.4 (3.2) 1.0 (0.9) 3.2 (3.0)
concentration index c42 3.3 (3.1) 0.6 (0.6) 3.2 (3.0)
Asymmetry coefficient        
asymmetry coefficient A 0.10 (-) 0.08 (-) 0.09 (-)


4.4 Morphological classification

A morphological classification of the UCM galaxies has been carried out using 5 different criteria. These criteria were already used by Vitores et al. (1996a) with the Gunn r images, and are now applied to the Johnson B data in order to compare the results obtained with different bandpasses. Besides, some galaxies not studied in Vitores et al. (1996a) have now been classified for the first time (15% of the sample). We outline the main features of the classification criteria:

Visual inspection of each image was also used for the classification.

In this work we utilized all these five criteria to classify the UCM galaxies in S0, Sa, Sb, Sc+ (Sc type or later) and Irr galaxies plus the BCD type (these galaxies were classified using spectroscopic confirmation available in Gallego et al. 1996); some galaxies were very distorted due to interactions and are marked in the result table as an independent class. The final Hubble type was established as that in which most criteria agree. This method is not completely objective and constitutes the main reason for the discrepancy between the classification using the Gunn r data and that performed in this paper with the Johnson B images. Table 5 presents the final classification in both bands. Figure 14 shows the histograms and plots of the 5 criteria used in the classification; in these plots the general trend of each parameter with the Hubble type can be seen, although great scatter and overlap between the different types are also present. Mean values will be shown in Table 7.

Table 6 presents the number of UCM galaxies of each type in the Gunn r and Johnson B filters. A total number of 35 galaxies have been classified differently in the two bands, although the differences are always from one type to the contiguous (except in UCM 2316+2028). Based on the Johnson B data, 65% of the whole sample is classified as Sb or later (61% based on Gunn r images). The percentage of barred galaxies is very similar in both bands (Johnson B 9%, Gunn r 8%); most of them are late-type spirals (47% are Sb galaxies and 35% Sc+). We have marked 6 clear interactions among the UCM galaxies (3%), although there are more objects with tails or structures that could have been formed during an interaction. Seyfert 1 galaxies (6 objects) are all classified as S0, except one (UCM 0003+1955) that is very bright and could not be classified; Sy 2 galaxies have been classified as Sa (1 object), Sb (3 objects) and Sc+ (3 objects). These results are consistent with the ones found in the literature (see, for example, Hunt & Malkan 1999).


 
Table 5: Morphological classification of the UCM sample of galaxies
UCM name MpT(B) MpT (r) UCM name MpT(B) MpT (r) UCM name MpT(B) MpT (r)
(1) (2) (3) (1) (2) (3) (1) (2) (3)
0000+2140 INTER -- 0141+2220 Sa Sb 1314+2827 Sa Sa
0003+2200 Sc+ Sc+ 0142+2137 SBb SBb 1320+2727 Sb Sb
0003+2215 Sc+ -- 0144+2519 SBc+ SBc+(r) 1324+2926 BCD BCD
0003+1955 -- -- 0147+2309 Sa Sa 1324+2651 INTER --
0005+1802 Sb -- 0148+2124 BCD BCD 1331+2900 BCD BCD
0006+2332 Sb -- 0150+2032 Sc+ Sc+ 1428+2727 Irr Sc+
0013+1942 Sc+ Sc+ 0156+2410 Sb Sc+ 1429+2645 Sb Sc+
0014+1829 Sa Sa 0157+2413 Sc+ Sc+ 1430+2947 S0 S0
0014+1748 SBb SBb 0157+2102 Sb Sb 1431+2854 Sb Sb
0015+2212 Sa Sa 0159+2354 Sb Sa 1431+2702 Sa Sb
0017+1942 Sc+ Sc+ 0159+2326 Sc+ Sc+ 1431+2947 BCD BCD
0017+2148 Sa -- 1246+2727 Irr -- 1431+2814 Sb Sa
0018+2216 Sb Sb 1247+2701 Sc+ Sc+ 1432+2645 SBb SBb
0018+2218 Sb -- 1248+2912 SBb -- 1440+2521S Sb Sb
0019+2201 Sb Sc+ 1253+2756 Sa Sa 1440+2511 Sb Sb
0022+2049 Sb Sb 1254+2741 Sb Sb 1440+2521N Sb Sa
0023+1908 Sc+ -- 1254+2802 Sc+ Sc+ 1442+2845 Sb Sb
0034+2119 SBc+ -- 1255+2819 Sb Sb 1443+2714 Sa Sa
0037+2226 SBc+ -- 1255+3125 Sa Sa 1443+2844 SBc+ SBc+
0038+2259 Sb Sa 1255+2734 Sc+ Irr 1443+2548 Sc+ Sc+
0039+0054 Sc+ -- 1256+2717 S0 -- 1444+2923 S0 S0
0040+0257 Sb Sc+ 1256+2732 INTER -- 1452+2754 Sb Sb
0040+2312 Sc+ -- 1256+2701 Sc+ Irr 1506+1922 Sb Sb
0040+0220 Sc+ Sb 1256+2910 Sb Sb 1513+2012 Sa S0
0040-0023 Sc+ -- 1256+2823 Sb Sb 1537+2506N SBb SBb
0041+0134 Sc+ -- 1256+2754 Sa Sa 1537+2506S SBa SBa
0043+0245 Sc+ -- 1256+2722 Sc+ Sc+ 1557+1423 Sb Sb
0043-0159 Sc+ -- 1257+2808 Sb Sa 1612+1308 BCD BCD
0044+2246 Sb Sb 1258+2754 Sb Sb 1646+2725 Sc+ Sc+
0045+2206 INTER   1259+2934 Sb Sb 1647+2950 Sc+ Sc+
0047+2051 Sc+ Sc+ 1259+3011 Sa Sa 1647+2729 Sb Sb
0047-0213 S0 Sa 1259+2755 Sa Sa 1647+2727 Sb Sa
0047+2413 Sa Sa 1300+2907 Sa Sb 1648+2855 Sa Sa
0047+2414 Sc+ -- 1301+2904 Sb Sb 1653+2644 INTER --
0049-0006 BCD BCD 1302+2853 Sb Sa 1654+2812 Sc+ Sc+
0049+0017 Sb Sc+ 1302+3032 Sa -- 1655+2755 Sc+ Sb
0049-0045 Sb -- 1303+2908 Irr Irr 1656+2744 Sa Sa
0050+0005 Sa Sa 1304+2808 Sb Sa 1657+2901 Sb Sc+
0050+2114 Sa Sa 1304+2830 BCD BCD 1659+2928 SB0 SB0
0051+2430 Sa -- 1304+2907 Irr Irr 1701+3131 S0 S0
0054-0133 Sb -- 1304+2818 Sc+ Sc+ 2238+2308 Sa(r) Sa
0054+2337 Sc+ -- 1306+2938 SBb Sb 2239+1959 S0 S0
0056+0044 Irr Irr 1306+3111 Sc+ Sc+ 2249+2149 Sb Sa
0056+0043 Sb Sc+ 1307+2910 SBb SBb 2250+2427 Sa Sa
0119+2156 Sb Sc+ 1308+2958 Sc+ Sc+ 2251+2352 Sc+ Sc+
0121+2137 Sc+ Sc+ 1308+2950 SBb SBb 2253+2219 Sa Sa
0129+2109 SBc+ -- 1310+3027 Sb Sa 2255+1930S Sb Sb
0134+2257 Sb -- 1312+3040 Sa Sa 2255+1930N Sb Sb
0135+2242 S0 S0 1312+2954 Sc+ Sc+ 2255+1926 Sb Sc+
0138+2216 Sc+ -- 1313+2938 Sa Sa 2255+1654 Sc+ Sc+



 

 
Table 5: continued
UCM name MpT(B) MpT (r) UCM name MpT(B) MpT (r) UCM name MpT(B) MpT (r)
(1) (2) (3) (1) (2) (3) (1) (2) (3)
2256+2001 Sc+ Sc+ 2313+1841 Sb Sb 2325+2318 INTER --
2257+2438 S0 S0 2313+2517 Sa -- 2325+2208 SBc+ SBc+
2257+1606 S0 -- 2315+1923 Sb Sa 2326+2435 Sb Sa
2258+1920 Sc+ Sc+ 2316+2457 SBa SBa 2327+2515N Sb Sb
2300+2015 Sb Sb 2316+2459 Sc+ Sc+ 2327+2515S S0 S0
2302+2053W Sb Sb 2316+2028 Sa Sc+ 2329+2427 Sb Sb
2302+2053E Sb Sb 2317+2356 Sa Sa 2329+2500 S0(r) S0(r)
2303+1856 Sa Sa 2319+2234 Sb Sc+ 2329+2512 Sa Sa
2303+1702 Sc+ Sc+ 2319+2243 S0 S0 2331+2214 Sb Sb
2304+1640 BCD BCD 2320+2428 Sa Sa 2333+2248 Sc+ Sc+
2304+1621 Sa Sa 2321+2149 Sc+ Sc+ 2333+2359 S0a S0
2307+1947 Sb Sb 2321+2506 Sc+ Sc+ 2348+2407 Sa Sa
2310+1800 Sb Sc+ 2322+2218 Sc+ Sc+ 2351+2321 Sb Sb
2312+2204 Sa -- 2324+2448 Sb Sc+      

(1) UCM name. (2) Morphological type established using 5 different criteria based on luminosity concentration and bulge-disk decomposition applied to the Johnson B images. (3) Morphological type established using 5 different criteria based on luminosity concentration and bulge-disk decomposition applied to the Gunn r images.


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