The Structure of Classical Bulges And Pseudobulges: The Link Between Pseudobulges And Sersic Index

TL;DR

This study reveals that pseudobulges and classical bulges differ significantly in structure, morphology, and formation processes, with pseudobulges showing lower Sersic indices, flatter shapes, and correlations with disk properties, indicating secular evolution.

Contribution

The paper establishes a clear link between bulge Sersic index and morphology, demonstrating bimodality and suggesting different formation mechanisms for pseudobulges and classical bulges.

Findings

Pseudobulges have Sersic index n<2, classical bulges have n>2.

Pseudobulges are more disk-like and flatter than classical bulges.

Sersic index in pseudobulges does not correlate with bulge-to-total ratio.

Abstract

In this paper we study the properties of pseudobulges (bulges that appear similar to disk galaxies) and classical bulges (bulges which appear similar to E-type galaxies) in bulge-disk decompositions. We show that the distribution of bulge Sersic indices is bimodal, and this bimodality correlates with the morphology of the bulge. Pseudobulges have n<2 and classical bulges have n>2 with little overlap. Also, pseudobulges do not follow the correlations of Sersic index with structural parameters or the photometric projections of the fundamental plane in the same way as classical bulges and elliptical galaxies do. We find that pseudobulges are systematically flatter than classical bulges and thus more disk-like in both their morphology and shape. We do not find significant differences between different bulge morphologies that we are collectively calling pseudobulges (nuclear spirals, nuclear rings, nuclear bars, and nuclear patchiness) appear to behave similarly in all parameter correlations. In Sersic index, flattening, and bulge-to-total ratio, the distinction appears to be between classical bulges and pseudobulges, not between different pseudobulge morphologies. The Sersic index of the pseudobulges does not correlate with B/T, in contrast to classical bulges. Also, the half-light radius of the pseudobulge correlates with the scale length of the disk; this is not the case for classical bulges. The correlation of Sersic index and scale lengths with bulge morphology suggests that secular evolution is creating pseudobulges with low-Sersic index, and that other processes (e.g. major mergers) are responsible for the higher Sersic index in classical bulges and elliptical galaxies.