Stellar population synthesis models between 2.5 and 5 μm based on the empirical IRTF stellar library

2015/04/03 by B. Röck, A. Vazdekis, R. F. Peletier +3
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics #Demography #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Galaxy #Infrared telescope #Initial mass function #Metallicity #Physics #Population #Star formation #Stellar mass #Stellar population #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #Telescope #astro-ph.GA

paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/mnras/stv503

published as MNRAS 449 (2015) 2853-2874 · 25 pages, 19 figures, published in MNRAS, models can be downloaded from http://miles.iac.es

openalex publication_date 2015/04/03 · arxiv created 2015/05/07 · arxiv updated 2015/05/08 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

We present the first single-burst stellar population models in the infrared wavelength range between 2.5 and 5 μm which are exclusively based on empirical stellar spectra. Our models take as input 180 spectra from the stellar IRTF (Infrared Telescope Facility) library. Our final single-burst stellar population models are calculated based on two different sets of isochrones and various types of initial mass functions of different slopes, ages larger than 1 Gyr and metallicities between [Fe/H] = −0.70 and 0.26. They are made available online to the scientific community on the MILES web page. We analyse the behaviour of the Spitzer [3.6]−[4.5] colour calculated from our single stellar population models and find only slight dependences on both metallicity and age. When comparing to the colours of observed early-type galaxies, we find a good agreement for older, more massive galaxies that resemble a single-burst population. Younger, less massive and more metal-poor galaxies show redder colours with respect to our models. This mismatch can be explained by a more extended star formation history of these galaxies which includes a metal-poor or/and young population. Moreover, the colours derived from our models agree very well with most other models available in this wavelength range. We confirm that the mass-to-light ratio determined in the Spitzer [3.6] μm band changes much less as a function of both age and metallicity than in the optical bands.

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