Publication Date:
2011-08-19
Description:
Imagery of the bulge of M31 obtained with a rocket-borne telescope in two broad bands centered at 1460 A and 2380 A is discussed. The UV spatial profiles over a region about 200 arcsec wide are identical with those at visible wavelengths. The absence of detectable point sources indicates that main-sequence stars hotter than B0 V are not present in the bulge. It is suggested that the far-UV flux in old stellar populations originates in post-AGB stars. The UV flux from such stars is extremely sensitive to age and the physics of their previous mass loss.
Keywords:
ASTROPHYSICS
Type:
Astrophysical Journal, Part 2 - Letters to the Editor (ISSN 0004-637X); 298; L37-L40
Format:
text