PAH Feature Ratios around Stellar Clusters and Associations in 19 Nearby Galaxies
We present a comparison of observed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) feature ratios in 19 nearby galaxies with a grid of theoretical expectations for near- and mid-infrared dust emission. The PAH feature ratios are drawn from Cycle 1 JWST observations and are measured for 7224 stellar clusters...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Daniel A. Dale Gabrielle B. Graham Ashley T. Barnes Dalya Baron Frank Bigiel Médéric Boquien Rupali Chandar Jérémy Chastenet Ryan Chown Oleg V. Egorov Simon C. O. Glover Lindsey Hands Kiana F. Henny Remy Indebetouw Ralf S. Klessen Kirsten L. Larson Janice C. Lee Adam K. Leroy Daniel Maschmann Debosmita Pathak M. Jimena Rodríguez Erik Rosolowsky Karin Sandstrom Eva Schinnerer Jessica Sutter David A. Thilker Tony D. Weinbeck Bradley C. Whitmore Thomas G. Williams Aida Wofford |
| author_facet | Daniel A. Dale Gabrielle B. Graham Ashley T. Barnes Dalya Baron Frank Bigiel Médéric Boquien Rupali Chandar Jérémy Chastenet Ryan Chown Oleg V. Egorov Simon C. O. Glover Lindsey Hands Kiana F. Henny Remy Indebetouw Ralf S. Klessen Kirsten L. Larson Janice C. Lee Adam K. Leroy Daniel Maschmann Debosmita Pathak M. Jimena Rodríguez Erik Rosolowsky Karin Sandstrom Eva Schinnerer Jessica Sutter David A. Thilker Tony D. Weinbeck Bradley C. Whitmore Thomas G. Williams Aida Wofford |
| author_sort | Daniel A. Dale |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We present a comparison of observed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) feature ratios in 19 nearby galaxies with a grid of theoretical expectations for near- and mid-infrared dust emission. The PAH feature ratios are drawn from Cycle 1 JWST observations and are measured for 7224 stellar clusters and 29,176 stellar associations for which we have robust ages and mass estimates from Hubble Space Telescope five-band photometry. Though there are galaxy-to-galaxy variations, the observed PAH feature ratios largely agree with the theoretical models, particularly those that are skewed toward more ionized and larger PAH size distributions. For each galaxy we also extract PAH feature ratios for 200 pc wide circular regions in the diffuse interstellar medium, which serve as a noncluster/association control sample. Compared to what we find for stellar clusters and associations, the 3.3 μ m/7.7 μ m and 3.3 μ m/11.3 μ m ratios from the diffuse interstellar medium are ∼0.10–0.15 dex smaller. When the observed PAH feature ratios are compared to the radiation field hardness as probed by the [O iii ]/H β ratio, we find anticorrelations for nearly all galaxies in the sample. These results together suggest that the PAH feature ratios are driven by the shape and intensity of the radiation field and that the smallest PAHs—observed via JWST F335M imaging—are increasingly “processed” or destroyed in regions with the most intense and hard radiation fields. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4158fb2d072e4fd49fce2d3f66128755 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1538-3881 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
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| series | The Astronomical Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-4158fb2d072e4fd49fce2d3f661287552025-08-20T03:17:18ZengIOP PublishingThe Astronomical Journal1538-38812025-01-01169313310.3847/1538-3881/ada89fPAH Feature Ratios around Stellar Clusters and Associations in 19 Nearby GalaxiesDaniel A. Dale0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5782-9093Gabrielle B. Graham1https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0926-8791Ashley T. Barnes2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0410-4504Dalya Baron3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4974-3481Frank Bigiel4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0166-9745Médéric Boquien5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0946-6176Rupali Chandar6https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0085-4623Jérémy Chastenet7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5235-5589Ryan Chown8https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8241-7704Oleg V. Egorov9https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4755-118XSimon C. O. Glover10https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6708-1317Lindsey Hands11Kiana F. Henny12https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7448-1749Remy Indebetouw13https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4663-6827Ralf S. Klessen14https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0560-3172Kirsten L. Larson15https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3917-6460Janice C. Lee16https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2278-9407Adam K. Leroy17https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2545-1700Daniel Maschmann18https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6038-9511Debosmita Pathak19https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2721-487XM. Jimena Rodríguez20https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0579-6613Erik Rosolowsky21https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5204-2259Karin Sandstrom22https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4378-8534Eva Schinnerer23https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3933-7677Jessica Sutter24https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9183-8102David A. Thilker25https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8528-7340Tony D. Weinbeck26https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8923-558XBradley C. Whitmore27https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3784-7032Thomas G. Williams28https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0012-2142Aida Wofford29https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8289-3428Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wyoming , Laramie, WY 82071, USA ; ddale@uwyo.eduDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wyoming , Laramie, WY 82071, USA ; ddale@uwyo.eduEuropean Southern Observatory (ESO) , Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 2, 85748 Garching, GermanyThe Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science , 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101, USAArgelander-Institut für Astronomie, Universität Bonn , Auf dem Hügel 71, 53121, Bonn, GermanyUniversité Côte d’Azur , Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire Lagrange, 06000 Nice, FranceRitter Astrophysical Research Center, University of Toledo , Toledo, OH 43606, USASterrenkundig Observatorium, Universiteit Gent , Krijgslaan 281 S9, B-9000 Gent, BelgiumDepartment of Astronomy, Ohio State University , 180 W. 18th Ave, Columbus, OH 43210, USAAstronomisches Rechen-Institut, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg , Mönchhofstr. 12-14, D-69120 Heidelberg, GermanyUniversität Heidelberg , Zentrum für Astronomie, Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik, Albert-Ueberle-Str. 2, 69120 Heidelberg, GermanyDepartment of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California , San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wyoming , Laramie, WY 82071, USA ; ddale@uwyo.eduUniversity of Virginia Astronomy Department , P.O. Box 400325, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA; National Radio Astronomy Observatory , 520 Edgemont Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22903, USAInstitut für Theoretische Astrophysik, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg , Albert-Ueberle-Strasse 2, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Universität Heidelberg , Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Wissenschaftliches Rechnen, Im Neuenheimer Feld 205, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics , 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Elizabeth S. and Richard M. Cashin Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies at Harvard University , 10 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USAAURA for the European Space Agency (ESA), Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USASpace Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USADepartment of Astronomy, Ohio State University , 180 W. 18th Ave, Columbus, OH 43210, USASpace Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USADepartment of Astronomy, Ohio State University , 180 W. 18th Ave, Columbus, OH 43210, USASpace Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Instituto de Astrofísica de La Plata , CONICET–UNLP, Paseo del Bosque S/N, B1900FWA La Plata, ArgentinaDepartment of Physics, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, CanadaDepartment of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California , San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USAMax Planck Institut für Astronomie , Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, GermanyWhitman College , 345 Boyer Avenue, Walla Walla, WA 99362, USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, MD 21218, USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wyoming , Laramie, WY 82071, USA ; ddale@uwyo.eduSpace Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USASub-department of Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford , Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UKDepartment of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California , San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Unidad Académica en Ensenada, Km 103 Carr. Tijuana–Ensenada, Ensenada, B.C., C.P. 22860, MexicoWe present a comparison of observed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) feature ratios in 19 nearby galaxies with a grid of theoretical expectations for near- and mid-infrared dust emission. The PAH feature ratios are drawn from Cycle 1 JWST observations and are measured for 7224 stellar clusters and 29,176 stellar associations for which we have robust ages and mass estimates from Hubble Space Telescope five-band photometry. Though there are galaxy-to-galaxy variations, the observed PAH feature ratios largely agree with the theoretical models, particularly those that are skewed toward more ionized and larger PAH size distributions. For each galaxy we also extract PAH feature ratios for 200 pc wide circular regions in the diffuse interstellar medium, which serve as a noncluster/association control sample. Compared to what we find for stellar clusters and associations, the 3.3 μ m/7.7 μ m and 3.3 μ m/11.3 μ m ratios from the diffuse interstellar medium are ∼0.10–0.15 dex smaller. When the observed PAH feature ratios are compared to the radiation field hardness as probed by the [O iii ]/H β ratio, we find anticorrelations for nearly all galaxies in the sample. These results together suggest that the PAH feature ratios are driven by the shape and intensity of the radiation field and that the smallest PAHs—observed via JWST F335M imaging—are increasingly “processed” or destroyed in regions with the most intense and hard radiation fields.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ada89fGalaxiesStar clustersPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons |
| spellingShingle | Daniel A. Dale Gabrielle B. Graham Ashley T. Barnes Dalya Baron Frank Bigiel Médéric Boquien Rupali Chandar Jérémy Chastenet Ryan Chown Oleg V. Egorov Simon C. O. Glover Lindsey Hands Kiana F. Henny Remy Indebetouw Ralf S. Klessen Kirsten L. Larson Janice C. Lee Adam K. Leroy Daniel Maschmann Debosmita Pathak M. Jimena Rodríguez Erik Rosolowsky Karin Sandstrom Eva Schinnerer Jessica Sutter David A. Thilker Tony D. Weinbeck Bradley C. Whitmore Thomas G. Williams Aida Wofford PAH Feature Ratios around Stellar Clusters and Associations in 19 Nearby Galaxies The Astronomical Journal Galaxies Star clusters Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons |
| title | PAH Feature Ratios around Stellar Clusters and Associations in 19 Nearby Galaxies |
| title_full | PAH Feature Ratios around Stellar Clusters and Associations in 19 Nearby Galaxies |
| title_fullStr | PAH Feature Ratios around Stellar Clusters and Associations in 19 Nearby Galaxies |
| title_full_unstemmed | PAH Feature Ratios around Stellar Clusters and Associations in 19 Nearby Galaxies |
| title_short | PAH Feature Ratios around Stellar Clusters and Associations in 19 Nearby Galaxies |
| title_sort | pah feature ratios around stellar clusters and associations in 19 nearby galaxies |
| topic | Galaxies Star clusters Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ada89f |
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