DECam Data Reduction and Tidal Shell Analysis of NGC 3923


Wednesday, 16 December 2015 9 a.m. — 9:30 a.m. MST

AURA Lecture Hall

NOIRLab South Colloquia
CONNOR GROOMS (University of Victoria, Canada and Gemini South Intern)

NGC 3923 is an elliptical galaxy with the largest known system of tidal shells. Tidal, or stellar shells, are faint, sharp edge features that can provide information on merger events. Past studies have reported up to 42 observable shells in this system. In some galaxies, like in NGC 3923, the stellar shells form a system of propagating arcs which are symmetric to the major axis of the elliptical galaxy. The radii of these arcs are dependent on the free fall time at the location of the arc and the time since the merger event. We will present a preliminary census of the observed shells, an overview of the DECam reduction, and discuss the methods for detecting these low surface brightness objects.