Identificação de candidatas a galáxias interagentes no infravermelho próximo a baixos redshifts

Abstract

Interacting peculiar galaxies are objects that still require further studies because they play an important role in the processes of the evolution of galaxies. The knowledge of its location and properties constitutes a great benefit to the astronomical community. In this dissertation, we present an automatic method for identifying and classifying images of interacting galaxies at low redshifts for the Southern Hemisphere, based on the properties of stellar and interstellar extinction distribution as well as using a pattern recognition software called “Wndchrm” on images from the 2MASS survey, in the near infrared for the filters: J, H and KS. The training phase was made with images of known interacting galaxies from the Arp &Madore Catalogue, Categories 1 and 2. After training, a validation was performed using images of a region of the sky with 573 square degrees, obtaining a hit of, approximately, 73% in the identification of galaxies identified by visual inspection as interacting. This rate can reach up 88% considering the comparison with previous know galaxy pairs of Category 2 of Arp &Madore Catalogue. The procedure was performed for an area of about 17.836 square degrees of the Southern Hemisphere, finding at least several hundred galaxy pairs as yet uncatalogued.