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Merrett, Helen (2007) A deep kinematic survey of planetary nebulae in the Andromeda Galaxy. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.

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Abstract

This thesis presents a survey of compact emission-line objects in the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), performed using a novel new instrument, the Planetary Nebula Spectrograph. The final catalogue contains the positions, magnitudes and velocities for 3300 objects displaying [O III] emission at 5007 Angstroms, of which 2615 are found likely to be planetary nebulae (PNe) associated with M31. The survey area covers some 6 square degrees, taking in the whole of M31's disk out to a projected radius of 1.5 degrees, with extensions along the major and minor axes, and the Northern Spur and Southern Stream regions. The calibrated data have been checked for internal consistency and compared with other catalogues. With the exception of the very central, high surface brightness region of M31, this survey is complete to a magnitude limit of m(5007) ~ 23.75, 3.5 magnitudes into the planetary nebula luminosity function.

A number of satellite and background galaxies are located within the M31 survey area and emission line objects associated with these have been identified. Analyses of the basic kinematic properties associated with each of these galaxies are presented.

The PN catalogue has been analysed for non-kinematic, kinematic and dynamical properties. We have examined the planetary nebula luminosity function across M31, the spatial distribution of PNe, and the luminosity specific PN density. These analyses indicate that apart from a small change in the luminosity specific PN density there are no other non-kinematic differences between the bulge and disk PN populations suggesting that the sample of PNe is not strongly populated by objects whose progenitors are more massive stars. There is no indication of a significant halo PN population.

Rotation curves for both the surveyed PNe and H II regions have been produced as well as the PN velocity dispersion profile. The H II rotation curve is seen to be in good agreement with those in the literature, while the PN rotation curve and velocity dispersion profile exhibit some peculiarities. However, under the approximation of an axisymmetric disk these are shown to be mutually consistent, but require the disk to flare with radius if the shape of its velocity ellipsoid remains invariant.

The kinematic properties of photometric substructures are examined and kinematic substructures are searched for. A possible kinematic extension of the Southern Stream has been discovered. A new approach is taken in order to search for dynamical streams in the disk of the galaxy, involving an examination of the energy angular momentum plane. This also provides a new way of looking at the distribution function of a tracer population in a disk galaxy.

Item Type:	Thesis (University of Nottingham only) (PhD)
Supervisors:	Merrifield, M.R.
Keywords:	Andromeda Galaxy, M31, galaxy kinematics, planetary nebulae
Subjects:	Q Science > QB Astronomy
Faculties/Schools:	UK Campuses > Faculty of Science > School of Physics and Astronomy
Item ID:	10249
Depositing User:	EP, Services
Date Deposited:	19 Jun 2007
Last Modified:	19 Oct 2017 11:28
URI:	https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/10249

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