Galaxies behind the Galactic plane: First results and perspectives from the VVV Survey

Abstract

Vista Variables in The Via Lactea (VVV) is an ESO variability survey that is performing observations in near infrared bands (ZYJHKs) towards the Galactic bulge and part of the disk with the completeness limits at least 3 mag deeper than 2MASS. In the present work, we searched in the VVV survey data for background galaxies near the Galactic plane using ZYJHKs photometry that covers 1.636 square degrees. We identified 204 new galaxy candidates by analyzing colors, sizes, and visual inspection of multi-band (ZYJHKs) images. The galaxy candidates colors were also compared with the predicted ones by star counts models considering a more realistic extinction model at the same completeness limits observed by VVV. A comparison of the galaxy candidates with the expected one by Milennium simulations is also presented. Our results increase the number density of known galaxies behind the Milky Way by more than one order of magnitude. A catalog with galaxy properties including ellipticity, Petrosian radii and ZYJHKs magnitudes is provided, as well as comparisons of the results with other surveys of galaxies towards Galactic plane.

27 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables; in press at The Astronomical Journal

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Cited by in corpus (14)

• Hi-GAL, the Herschel infrared Galactic Plane Survey: photometric maps and compact source catalogues. First data release for Inner Milky Way: +68°> l > -70°
• Searching for Extragalactic Sources in the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea Survey
• The VVV Near-IR Galaxy Catalogue beyond the Galactic disk
• NIR Tully-Fisher in the Zone of Avoidance. -- III. Deep NIR catalogue of the HIZOA galaxies
• Confirmation of a cluster of galaxies hidden behind the Galactic bulge using the VVV Survey
• The long bar as seen by the VVV Survey: II. Star counts
• The First Galaxy Cluster Discovered by the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea Survey
• The VVV near-IR galaxy catalogue in a Northern part of the Galactic disc
• Overdensity of VVV galaxies behind the Galactic bulge
• Dust extinction map of the Galactic plane based on the VVV survey data
• Unveiling a new structure behind the Milky Way
• AGN candidates in the VVV near-IR galaxy catalogue
• Hiding behind a curtain of dust: Gas and dust properties of an ultra-luminous strongly-lensed z = 3.75 galaxy behind the Milky Way disk
• Galaxy clustering in the VVV Near-IR Galaxy Catalogue