M51-Finder: um método automático para a busca de galáxias do Tipo-M51

Abstract

In this work, it is presented an automatic tool (M51-Finder) to identify new M51- type galaxies, which are constituted by a main spiral galaxy and its companion, a galaxy with size at least 50% less than the main galaxy. The primary dataset is based on the catalogues of Arp & Madore (1987), Jokimäki et al. (2008) and HyperLeda. The M51-Finder’s tool uses as its criteria to identify new M51-type galaxies, some of the ones established in the literature as well as the ones obtained in this Dissertation. The Method was applied for whole Southern Hemisphere for a sample approximately equal to one million of galaxies from HyperLeda database. It is obtained the identification of 53 new candidates of M51-type galaxies, which need further confirmation, for instance by spectroscopic observations. The relevance of this work can be highlighted comparing with the previous confirmed M51-type galaxies as well as its candidates which totalizes 232 and 435 M51-type galaxies, respectively.