TY - JOUR
T1 - Stellar populations in NGC 5128 with the VLT
T2 - Evidence for recent star formation
AU - Rejkuba, M.
AU - Minniti, D.
AU - Silva, D. R.
AU - Bedding, T. R.
PY - 2001/12
Y1 - 2001/12
N2 - We resolve stars of the nearest giant elliptical galaxy NGC 5128 using VLT with FORS1 and ISAAC. We construct deep U, V and Ks color-magnitude and color-color diagrams in two different halo fields (in the halo and in the north-eastern diffuse shell). In the outer, shell field, at ∼14 kpc from the center of the galaxy, there is a significant recent star formation with stars as young as 10 Myr, approximately aligned with the prominent radio and X-ray jet from the nucleus of the host AGN. Ionized gas filaments are evident in ultraviolet images near the area where neutral HI and CO molecular gas was previously observed. The underlying stellar population of the halo of the giant elliptical is predominantly old with a very broad metallicity distribution. The presence of an extended giant branch reaching Mbol = -5 mag suggests the existence of a significant intermediate-age AGB population in the halo of this galaxy.
AB - We resolve stars of the nearest giant elliptical galaxy NGC 5128 using VLT with FORS1 and ISAAC. We construct deep U, V and Ks color-magnitude and color-color diagrams in two different halo fields (in the halo and in the north-eastern diffuse shell). In the outer, shell field, at ∼14 kpc from the center of the galaxy, there is a significant recent star formation with stars as young as 10 Myr, approximately aligned with the prominent radio and X-ray jet from the nucleus of the host AGN. Ionized gas filaments are evident in ultraviolet images near the area where neutral HI and CO molecular gas was previously observed. The underlying stellar population of the halo of the giant elliptical is predominantly old with a very broad metallicity distribution. The presence of an extended giant branch reaching Mbol = -5 mag suggests the existence of a significant intermediate-age AGB population in the halo of this galaxy.
KW - Galaxies: elliptical and lenticular, cD
KW - Galaxies: individual: NGC 5128
KW - Galaxies: stellar content
KW - Stars: fundamental parameters
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035625067&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1051/0004-6361:20011315
DO - 10.1051/0004-6361:20011315
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0035625067
VL - 379
SP - 781
EP - 797
JO - Astronomy and Astrophysics
JF - Astronomy and Astrophysics
SN - 0004-6361
IS - 3
ER -