Virgo Redux: The Masses and Stellar Content of Nuclei in Early-Type Galaxies from Multi-Band Photometry and Spectroscopy

TL;DR

This study analyzes the stellar content and masses of nuclei in early-type galaxies within the Virgo Cluster using multi-band photometry and spectroscopy, revealing diverse formation processes and properties.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive multi-wavelength analysis of galaxy nuclei, comparing photometric and spectroscopic data, and explores their formation scenarios and relation to host galaxies.

Findings

Nuclei metallicities are similar to their hosts, slightly more metal-rich.

Nuclei mass fraction is about 0.33% for certain galaxy masses.

Massive nuclei tend to be flatter and aligned with host galaxy axes.

Abstract

We present an analysis of 39 nuclei and their early-type hosts in the Virgo Cluster using ten broadband filters: F300W, F475W, F850LP, F160W, $u^*griz$, and $K_s$. We describe the Virgo Redux program, which provides high-resolution UV and NIR imaging. Combining this data with optical and NIR imaging from the ACS Virgo Cluster Survey and the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey, we estimate masses, metallicities and ages using simple stellar population (SSP) models. For 19 nuclei, we compare to SSP parameters derived from Keck and Gemini spectra and find reasonable agreement between the photometric and spectroscopic metallicity: the RMS scatter is 0.3 dex. We reproduce the nucleus-galaxy mass fraction of $0.33^{+0.09}_{-0.07}$ percent for galaxy stellar masses $10^{8.4}-10^{10.3} M_\odot$ with a typical precision of $\sim$35% for the nuclei masses. Based on available model predictions, there is no single preferred formation scenario for nuclei, suggesting that nuclei are formed stochastically through a mix of processes. Nuclei metallicities are statistically identical to those of their hosts, appearing $0.07 \pm 0.3$ dex more metal-rich on average -- although, omitting galaxies with unusual origins, nuclei are $0.20\pm0.28$ dex more metal-rich. Nuclei appear to be $0.56 \pm 0.12$ dex more metal rich than ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs) at fixed mass. We find no clear age difference between nuclei and their galaxies, with nuclei displaying a broad range of ages. Interestingly, we find that the most massive nuclei may be flatter and more closely aligned with the semi-major axes of their hosts, suggesting that they formed through predominantly dissipative processes.