{
  "id": "2301.09621",
  "version": "v1",
  "published": "2023-01-23T18:42:25.000Z",
  "updated": "2023-01-23T18:42:25.000Z",
  "title": "The vertical structure of the spiral galaxy NGC 3501: first stages of the formation of a thin metal-rich disc",
  "authors": [
    "Natascha Sattler",
    "Francesca Pinna",
    "Nadine Neumayer",
    "Jesus Falcón-Barroso",
    "Marie Martig",
    "Dimitri A. Gadotti",
    "Glenn van de Ven",
    "Ivan Minchev"
  ],
  "comment": "15 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS",
  "categories": [
    "astro-ph.GA"
  ],
  "abstract": "We trace the evolution of the edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 3501, making use of its stellar populations extracted from deep integral-field spectroscopy MUSE observations. We present stellar kinematic and population maps, as well as the star formation history, of the south-western half of the galaxy. The derived maps of the stellar line-of-sight velocity and velocity dispersion are quite regular, show disc-like rotation, and no other structural component of the galaxy. However, maps of the stellar populations exhibit structures in the mass-weighted and light-weighted age, total metallicity and [Mg/Fe] abundance. These maps indicate that NGC 3501 is a young galaxy, consisting mostly of stars with ages between 2 to 8 Gyr. Also, they show a thicker more extended structure that is metal-poor and $\\alpha$-rich, and another inner metal-rich and $\\alpha$-poor one with smaller radial extension. While previous studies revealed that NGC 3501 shows only one morphological disc component in its vertical structure, we divided the galaxy into two regions: an inner metal-rich midplane and a metal-poor thicker envelope. Comparing the star formation history of the inner thinner metal-rich disc and the thicker metal-poor disc, we see that the metal-rich component evolved more steadily, while the metal-poor one experienced several bursts of star formation. We propose this spiral galaxy is being observed in an early evolutionary phase, with a thicker disc already in place and an inner thin disc in an early formation stage. So we are probably witnessing the birth of a future massive thin disc, continuously growing embedded in a preexisting thicker disc.",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "version": "v1",
      "updated": "2023-01-23T18:42:25.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "analyses": {
    "keywords": [
      "spiral galaxy ngc",
      "thin metal-rich disc",
      "vertical structure",
      "first stages",
      "star formation history"
    ],
    "note": {
      "typesetting": "TeX",
      "pages": 15,
      "language": "en",
      "license": "arXiv",
      "status": "editable"
    }
  }
}