Published on Thu May 27 2021
A multiwavelength study of star formation in 15 local star-forming galaxies
We have fit the far-ultraviolet (FUV) to mid-infrared (MIR) spectral energy
distributions (SEDs) for several nearby galaxies ($<$ 20 Mpc). Global, radial,
and local photometric measurements are explored to better understand how
SED-derived star formation histories (SFHs) and classic star formation rate
(SFR) tracers manifest at different scales. Surface brightness profiles and
radial SED fitting provide insight into stellar population gradients in stellar
discs and haloes. A double exponential SFH model is used in the SED fitting to
better understand the distributions of young vs. old populations throughout
these galaxies. Different regions of a galaxy often have undergone very
different SFHs, either in strength, rate, timing, or some combination of all
these factors. An analysis of individual stellar complexes within these
galaxies shows a relationship between the ages of stellar clusters and how
these clusters are distributed throughout the galaxy. These star formation
properties are presented alongside previously published HI observations to
provide a holistic picture of a small sample of nearby star-forming galaxies.
The results presented here show that there is a wide variety of star formation
gradients and average stellar age distributions that can manifest in a
$\Lambda$CDM universe.