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Published 2008 | Published
Book Section - Chapter Open

Spitzer Observations of Stephan's Quintet – IGM Dust and Gas in a Multi-galaxy Collision

Abstract

Stephan's Quintet (SQ) is the most famous and well studied compact group of galaxies. Spectacular activity is triggered by interactions between member galaxies and various constituents of the intragroup medium (IGM), including a 40 kpc large scale-shock and IGM starbursts more than 20 kpc away from any neighboring galaxy centers. Our new Spitzer IRS (SH, LH, and SL) and MIPS (70μm and 160 μm) observations of SQ with unprecedented resolution and sensitivity give new constraints on the physical conditions of the IGM gas and dust. In particular, our IRS observations discovered very strong pure MIR emission lines of molecular hydrogen in the SQ shock, the first time such a spectrum is detected in an extragalactic source. And the MIPS 160μm map of SQ shows clear evidence for the diffuse IGM dust emission.

Additional Information

© 2008 Astronomical Society of the Pacific. This work is based on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under a contract with NASA. Support for this work was provided by NASA through an award issued by JPL/Caltech.

Attached Files

Published - Xu2008p8618Second_Annual_Spitzer_Science_Center_Conference_Infrared_Diagnostics_Of_Galaxy_Evolution.pdf

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Xu2008p8618Second_Annual_Spitzer_Science_Center_Conference_Infrared_Diagnostics_Of_Galaxy_Evolution.pdf

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
January 12, 2024