The effects of dust on the derived photometric parameters of disks and bulges in spiral galaxies

TL;DR

This study quantifies how dust affects the measurement of key photometric parameters of disks and bulges in spiral galaxies, providing correction formulas based on simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of dust effects on photometric parameters and offers correction methods for different galaxy components using radiative transfer models.

Findings

Young stellar disks are most affected by dust.

Dust corrections vary with galaxy inclination and opacity.

Corrections are provided for different galaxy components and are publicly available.

Abstract

We present results of a study to quantify the effects of dust on the derived photometric parameters of disks (old stellar disks and young stellar disks) and bulges: disk scale-lengths, axis-ratios, central surface-brightness, bulge effective radii and Sersic indexes. The changes in the derived photometric parameters from their intrinsic values (as seen in the absence of dust) were obtained by fitting simulated images of disks and bulges produced using radiative transfer calculations and the model of Popescu et al. (2011). The fits to the simulations were performed using GALFIT 3.0.2 data analysis algorithm and the fitted models were the commonly used infinitely thin disks described by exponential, general Sersic and de Vaucouleurs distributions. We find the young stellar disks to suffer the most severe variation in the photometric parameters due to dust effects. In this context we also present corrections for narrow line (Balmer line) images. Old stellar disks are also significantly affected by dust, in particular when fits are performed with exponential functions. The photometric parameters of bulges are to a lesser extent affected by dust. We also find that the variation of dust corrections with face-on dust opacity and inclination is similar for bulges with different intrinsic stellar emissivities (different Sersic index), with differences manifesting only close to edge-on orientations of the disk. Dust corrections for bulges are found to be insensitive to the choice of the truncation radius and ellipticity of the bulge. All corrections are listed in the Appendix and made available in electronic format.