TY - JOUR
T1 - Chemical signature reveals co-spatial dwarf satellite of an edge-on disc galaxy with MUSE
AU - Somawanshi, Devang
AU - Bhattacharya, Souradeep
AU - Kataria, Manish
AU - Mishra, Preetish K.
AU - Kobayashi, Chiaki
N1 - © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
PY - 2025/7/1
Y1 - 2025/7/1
N2 - Integral field unit (IFU) spectroscopic observations of resolved galaxies provide an optimal experimental setting for determination of stellar population properties, in particular – age, metallicity, and -enhancement, which are key to understanding evolution of galaxies across diverse physical environments. We determine these properties for the edge-on disc galaxy IC 1553, through stellar population models fitted to MUSE IFU observations. From our determined spatial distributions of metallicity and [/Fe], we serendipitously identify the unique chemical signature of a dwarf galaxy that is co-spatial with the luminous disc of IC 1553. The dwarf galaxy is characterized by the presence of higher [/Fe] and metal-poor stellar populations relative to the disc of IC 1553. The identified dwarf is dynamically cold from its determined kinematics, consistent with being a satellite of IC 1553. From modelling the Spitzer IRAC 3.6 image of IC 1553, we confirmed the presence of the dwarf galaxy and calculated its stellar mass to be . This is the first such identification of a dwarf galaxy from its unique chemical signature in such integrated light IFU observations, even though its hidden by the luminous body of its massive host.
AB - Integral field unit (IFU) spectroscopic observations of resolved galaxies provide an optimal experimental setting for determination of stellar population properties, in particular – age, metallicity, and -enhancement, which are key to understanding evolution of galaxies across diverse physical environments. We determine these properties for the edge-on disc galaxy IC 1553, through stellar population models fitted to MUSE IFU observations. From our determined spatial distributions of metallicity and [/Fe], we serendipitously identify the unique chemical signature of a dwarf galaxy that is co-spatial with the luminous disc of IC 1553. The dwarf galaxy is characterized by the presence of higher [/Fe] and metal-poor stellar populations relative to the disc of IC 1553. The identified dwarf is dynamically cold from its determined kinematics, consistent with being a satellite of IC 1553. From modelling the Spitzer IRAC 3.6 image of IC 1553, we confirmed the presence of the dwarf galaxy and calculated its stellar mass to be . This is the first such identification of a dwarf galaxy from its unique chemical signature in such integrated light IFU observations, even though its hidden by the luminous body of its massive host.
KW - galaxies: abundances
KW - galaxies: evolution
KW - galaxies: formation
KW - galaxies: individual: IC 1553
KW - galaxies: spiral
KW - galaxies: stellar content
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105007193850&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/mnrasl/slaf048
DO - 10.1093/mnrasl/slaf048
M3 - Article
SN - 1745-3925
VL - 541
SP - L37-L42
JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
IS - 1
M1 - slaf048
ER -