3D spectroscopic surveys of late-type nearby galaxies in the optical

Abstract

Two classes of spectro-imagers are available, the first one, usually based on grisms, allows to cover intermediate fields of view and wide spectral ranges (decreasing when the spectral resolution increases) while the second one, usually based on tunable filters (like Fabry-Perot), is generally able to cover larger fields of view but on narrow spectral ranges (also depending on the spectral resolution). Both families of instrument have access to low or high spectral resolution and are used in seeing limited conditions for observing nearby galaxies. Spectro-imagers provide data cubes consisting of a spectrum for each spatial sample on the sky. From these spectra, using both emission and absorption lines, combined with the continuum emission, the history of the stars and the interstellar medium in nearby galaxies, encoded in different physical quantities, such as chemical abundances, kinematics properties, is deciphered. Only a few surveys of galaxies using spectro-imagers have been led up to now and mainly using 4-m class or smaller telescopes. This includes the case of nearby late-type galaxies surveyed in the optical. Two large surveys of some 600 galaxies each have just been launched, one on the Magellan 6m telescope (CGS) and the other one on the William Herschel 4.2m telescope (CALIFA). Surveys containing a smaller number of galaxies have been conducted elsewhere, for instance on the WIYN and Calar Alto 3.5m telescopes (the DiskMass survey, 146 galaxies); on the ESO and CFHT 3.6m telescopes (CIGALE, 269 galaxies); on the OHP 1.92m telescope (GHASP, 203 galaxies); on the mont Mégantic 1.6m telescope (107 galaxies) and on the San Pedro Mártir 2.1m telescope (79 galaxies). Other programs surveying less then 50 galaxies have been also led, like VENGA, SAURON, PINGS or GHaFaS. The scientific drivers of these surveys are broad, they span from the study of the structural properties, star formation histories, AGN content, to mass profiles and uncertainties in rotation-curve decompositions, nature and formation of bulges and disks components. © Copyright International Astronomical Union 2011.