Open AccessHigh‐resolution UKIRT observations of circumnuclear star formation in M100
Author(s) -
Ryder S. D.,
Knapen J. H.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.1999.02204.x
Subject(s) - physics , astrophysics , star formation , galaxy , spiral galaxy , barred spiral galaxy , astronomy , infrared , high resolution , spectroscopy , irregular galaxy , lenticular galaxy , remote sensing , geology
We present high‐resolution, near‐infrared imaging of the circumnuclear region of the barred spiral galaxy M100 (NGC 4321), accompanied by near‐infrared spectroscopy. We identify a total of 43 distinct regions in the K ‐band image, and determine magnitudes and colours for 41 of them. By comparison with other near‐infrared maps we also derive colour excesses and K ‐band extinctions for the knots. Combining the imaging and spectroscopic results, we conclude that the knots are the result of bursts of star formation within the last 15‐‐25 Myr. We discuss the implications of these new results for our dynamical and evolutionary understanding of this galaxy.