Sains Malaysiana 51(7)(2022): 2187-2196

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2022-5107-20

Identifying Merging Galaxies in MaNGA using H-a and Hi Observations

(Mengenal Pasti Percantuman Galaksi dalam MaNGA menggunakan H-a dan Pemerhatian Hi)

DANIAL AHMAD ARIFFIN LEE, ZAMRI ZAINAL ABIDIN^*, ABDUL KADIR MD JWEL & MOHD SHAIFUL RIZAL HASSAN

Radio Cosmology Lab, Block B, Physics Department, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory, Malaysia

Received: 9 August 2021/Accepted: 7 December 2021

Abstract

Reliable methods that could recognise and distinguish galactic mergers are important for better understanding of galaxy evolution. This paper explores the feasibility of using observations on Hα and HI as a method to identify mergers. Sixty sample galaxies were carefully selected from the MaNGA DR15 database and cross-checked with the MaNGA Deep Learning DR15 Morphology to determine the merger signature. The chosen galaxies were divided into two groups, where galaxies with P _{M E RG} < 0.5 were selected as non-merging galaxies and galaxies with P _{M E RG} > 0.8 were selected as mergers. The Hα emission line plot and Hα velocity maps were obtained from the MaNGA DR15 database while HI data comes from HI-MaNGA DR1 catalogue for all 60 galaxies. Seventeen of the 30 merging galaxies have more than Hα blobs (28.3% of the 60 galaxies) compared to 14 of the 30 non-merging galaxies (23.3%). Fourteen of the mergers (23.3% of 60 galaxies) have asymmetric Hα velocity plots compared to 8 of the non-mergers. Thirteen of the mergers have a well-defined HI peak (21.7%) versus 11 of the non-merging galaxies (18.3%). These parameters were found to be a feasible new method in determining merging galaxies in the universe.

Keywords: Astrophysics; galaxies; merger

Abstrak

Kaedah untuk mengenal pasti percantuman galaksi adalah penting dalam mendalami pemahaman evolusi galaksi. Ini adalah kajian untuk merungkai kebolehlaksanaan penggunaan Hα dan HI sebagai penanda berlakunya percantuman galaksi. Enam puluh galaksi contoh telah dipilih secara terperinci daripada senarai DR15 MaNGA dan disemak dengan MaNGA Deep Learning DR15 Morphology. Galaksi yang dipilih dibahagikan kepada 2 kumpulan, iaitu galaksi dengan P _{M E RG} < 0.5 sebagai galaksi tidak bercantum dan galaksi dengan P _{M E RG} > 0.8 sebagai yang bercantum. Data Hα dan peta kelajuan Hα diperoleh daripada MaNGA DR15 manakala data HI diperoleh daripada katalog HI-MaNGA DR1 untuk kesemua 60 galaksi. Tujuh belas daripada 30 galaksi bercantum mempunyai lebih daripada satu tompokan Hα (28.3% daripada 60 galaksi) berbanding 14 daripada 30 galaksi tidak bercantum (23.3%). Empat belas daripada galaksi bercantum (23.3% of 60 galaksi) mempunyai taburan kelajuan Hα tidak simetrik berbanding 8 galaksi tidak bercantum. Tiga belas daripada galaksi bercantum mempunyai puncak HI (21.7%) berbanding 11 galaksi tidak bercantum (18.3%). Hasil kajian mendapati data Hα dan HI menunjukkan potensi sebagai penanda berlakunya aktiviti percantuman galaksi.

Kata kunci: Astrofizik; galaksi; percantuman

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^*Corresponding author; email: zzaa@um.edu.my