Gradients of Stellar Population Properties and Evolution Clues in a Nearby Galaxy M 101

TL;DR

This study uses multi-band photometry and stellar population models to map the spatial distribution of age, metallicity, dust, and star formation history in galaxy M 101, revealing inside-out growth and distinct disk regions.

Contribution

It provides a detailed, spatially resolved analysis of stellar population properties in M 101, incorporating the IRX-$A_ ext{FUV}$ relation and identifying a pseudobulge formed by secular processes.

Findings

Parameter gradients support inside-out disk growth.

Discovery of two distinct disk regions with different age and color gradients.

Stellar metallicity gradient is flatter than that of H II regions.

Abstract

Multi-band photometric images from ultraviolet and optical to infrared are collected to derive spatially resolved properties of a nearby Scd type galaxy M 101. With evolutionary stellar population synthesis models, two-dimensional distributions and radial profiles of age, metallicity, dust attenuation, and star formation timescale in the form of the Sandage star formation history are obtained. When fitting with the models, we use the IRX-$A_\mathrm{FUV}$ relation, found to depend on a second parameter of birth rate b (ratio of present and past-averaged star formation rate), to constrain the dust attenuation. There are obvious parameter gradients in the disk of M101, which supports the theory of an "inside-out disk" growth scenario. Two distinct disc regions with different gradients of age and color are discovered, similar to another late-type galaxy NGC 628. The metallicity gradient of the stellar content is flatter than that of H {\sc ii} regions. The stellar disk is optically thicker inside than outside and the global dust attenuation of this galaxy is lower, compared with galaxies of similar and earlier morphological type. We highlight that a variational star formation timescale describes the real star formation history of a galaxy. The timescale increases steadily from the center to the outskirt. We also confirm that the bulge in this galaxy is a disk-like pseudobulge, whose evolution is likely to be induced by some secular processes of the small bar with relatively young age, rich metal, and much dust.