Discovery of compact disc Galaxies with High Surface Brightness in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery and analysis of compact disc galaxies with high surface brightness in SDSS, revealing their structural and stellar population differences from normal-sized disk galaxies, and suggesting they are ancient, quenching galaxies.

Contribution

The study identifies a new class of high surface brightness compact disc galaxies and characterizes their structural and stellar properties, providing insights into their evolutionary state.

Findings

CDGs have higher central brightness and older stellar ages than NDGs.

CDGs fit a S{\'e}rsic profile with n ≈ 2.11 and show no color gradient.

NDGs fit exponential profiles with negative color gradients.

Abstract

Compact disc galaxies (CDGs) with high surface brightness were identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data. We determined the surface profiles of the CDGs and compared them to those of normal-sized disk galaxies (NDGs). The CDGs have higher central brightness and older stellar age than the NDGs. Furthermore, the brightness profiles of the CDGs fit a S{\'e}rsic model with $n \approx 2.11$ and have a zero $g^{\prime}-r^{\prime}$ color gradient on average. By contrast, the NDGs fit an exponential profile and have a negative color gradient on average. These results indicate that the structure and stellar population of the CDGs and NDGs differ. We suggest that the CDGs are ancient galaxies in the quenching phase following the initial central starburst.