We investigate the optical and Wide-field Survey Explorer (WISE) colors of "E+A" identified post-starburst galaxies, including a deep analysis of 190 post-starbursts detected in the 2 mu m All Sky Survey Extended Source Catalog. The post-starburst galaxies appear in both the optical green valley and the WISE Infrared Transition Zone. Furthermore, we find that post-starbursts occupy a distinct region of [3.4]-[4.6] versus [4.6]-[12] WISE colors, enabling the identification of this class of transitioning galaxies through the use of broadband photometric criteria alone. We have investigated possible causes for the WISE colors of post-starbursts by constructing a composite spectral energy distribution (SED), finding that the mid-infrared (4-12 mu m) properties of post-starbursts are consistent with either 11.3 mu m polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission, or thermally pulsating asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) and post-AGB stars. The composite SED of extended post-starburst galaxies with 22 mu m emission detected with signal-to-noise ratio >= 3 requires a hot dust component to produce their observed rising mid-infrared SED between 12 and 22 mu m. The composite SED of WISE. 22 mu m non-detections (S/N < 3), created by stacking 22 mu m images, is also flat, requiring a hot dust component. The most likely source of the mid-infrared emission of these E+A galaxies is a buried active galactic nucleus (AGN). The inferred upper limits to the Eddington ratios of post-starbursts are 10(-2)-10(-4), with an average of 10(-3). This suggests that AGNs are not radiatively dominant in these systems. This could mean that including selections capable of identifying AGNs as part of a search for transitioning and post-starburst galaxies would create a more complete census of the transition pathways taken as a galaxy quenches its star formation.

IC 1613 is an isolated dwarf galaxy within the Local Group. Low foreground and internal extinction, low metallicity, and low crowding make it an invaluable testbed for the calibration of the local distance ladder. We present new, high-fidelity distance estimates to IC 1613 via its Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) and its RR Lyrae (RRL) variables as part of the Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program, which seeks an alternate local route to H-0 using Population II stars. We have measured a TRGB magnitude I-ACS(TRGB) = 20.35 +/- 0.01(stat) +/- 0.01(sys) mag using wide-field observations obtained from the IMACS camera on the Magellan-Baade telescope. We have further constructed optical and near-infrared RRL light curves using archival BI-and new H-band observations from the ACS/WFC and WFC3/IR instruments on board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). In advance of future Gaia data releases, we set provisional values for the TRGB luminosity via the Large Magellanic Cloud and Galactic RRL zero-points via HST parallaxes. We find corresponding true distance moduli mu(TRGB)(0) = 24.30 +/- 0.03(stat) +/- 0.05(sys) mag and mu(RRL)(0) 24.28 +/- 0.04(stat+sys) mag. We compare our results to a body of recent publications on IC 1613 and find no statistically significant difference between the distances derived from Population. I and II stars.

The Shocked POststarburst Galaxy Survey (SPOGS) aims to identify galaxies in the transitional phase between actively star-forming and quiescence with nebular lines that are excited from shocks rather than star formation processes. We explored the ultraviolet (UV) properties of objects with near-ultraviolet (NUV) and far-ultraviolet (FUV) photometry from archival GALEX data; 444 objects were detected in both bands, 365 in only the NUV, and 24 in only the FUV, for a total of 833 observed objects. We compared SPOGs to samples of star-forming galaxies (SFs), quiescent galaxies (Qs), classical E+A post-starburst galaxies, active galactic nuclei (AGN) host galaxies, and interacting galaxies. We found that SPOGs have a larger range in their FUV-NUV and NUV-r colors compared with most of the other samples, although all of our comparison samples occupied color space inside of the SPOGs region. On the basis of their UV colors, SPOGs are a heterogeneous group, possibly made up of a mixture of SFs, Qs, and/or AGN. Using Gaussian mixture models, we are able to recreate the distribution of FUV-NUV colors of SPOGs and E + A galaxies with different combinations of SFs, Qs, and AGN. We find that the UV colors of SPOGs require a > 60% contribution from SFs, with either Qs or AGN representing the remaining contribution, while UV colors of E + A galaxies required a significantly lower fraction of SFs, supporting the idea that SPOGs are at an earlier point in their transition from quiescent to star-forming than E + A galaxies.

We demonstrate a robust method of resolving the star formation and AGN contributions to emission lines using two very well known AGN systems: NGC 1365 and NGC 1068, using the high spatial resolution data from the TYPHOON/PrISM survey. We expand the previous method of calculating the AGN fraction by using theoretical-based model grids rather than empirical points. The high spatial resolution of the TYPHOON/PrISM observations shows evidence of both star formation and AGN activity occurring in the nuclei of the two galaxies. We rebin the data to the lower resolutions, typically found in other integral field spectroscopy surveys such as SAMI, MaNGA, and CALIFA. The results show that when rebinned from the native resolution of TYPHOON (< 200 pc pixel(-1)) to 1 kpc pixel(-1), the effects include an similar to 3 kpc increase in the radius of measured AGN activity, and a factor of 2-7 increase in the detection of low surface brightness features such as shocks. All of this information is critical, because information on certain physical processes may be lost at varying resolutions. We make recommendations for analysing data at current IFU survey resolutions.

The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program (CCHP) seeks to anchor the distance scale of Type la supernovae via the Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) method. Based on deep Hubble Space Telescope ACS/WFC imaging, we present an analysis of the TRGB for the metal-poor halo of NGC 1365, a giant spiral galaxy in the Fornax cluster that was host to the Type la supernova SN 2012fr. We have measured the extinction-corrected TRGB magnitude of NGC 1365 to be F814W = 27.34 +/- 0.03(stat) +/- 0.04(sys) mag. In advance of future direct calibration by Gala, we adopt a provisiona I-band TRGB luminosity set at the Large Magellanic Cloud and find a true distance modulus mu(0) = 31.29 +/- 0.04(stat) +/- 0.06(sys) mag or D = 18.1 +/- 0.3(stat) +/- 0.5(sys) Mpc. This measurement is in excellent agreement with recent Cepheid-based distances to NGC 1365 and reveals no significant difference in the distances derived from stars of Populations I and II for this galaxy. We revisit the error budget for the CCHP path to the Hubble constant based on the analysis presented here, i.e., that for one of the most distant Type la supernova hosts within our Program, and find that a 2.5% measurement is feasible with the current sample of galaxies and TRGB absolute calibration.

Based on observations from the FourStar near-infrared camera on the 6.5 m Baade-Magellan telescope at Las Campanas, Chile, we present calibrations of the JHK luminosities of stars defining the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) in the halo of the Local Group dwarf galaxy IC 1613. We employ metallicity-independent (rectified) T-band magnitudes-constructed using J-, H-, and K-band magnitudes and both (J - H) and (J - K) colors to flatten the upward-sloping red giant branch tips as otherwise seen in their apparent color-magnitude diagrams. We describe and quantify the advantages of working at these particular near-infrared wavelengths, which are applicable to both the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We also note that these same wavelengths can be accessed from the ground for an eventual tie-in to Gaia for absolute astrometry and parallaxes to calibrate the intrinsic luminosity of the TRGB. Adopting the color terms derived from the IC 1613 data, as well as the zero points from a companion study of the Large Magellanic Cloud, whose distance is anchored to the geometric distances of detached eclipsing binaries, we find a true distance modulus of 24.32. +/- 0.02. (statistical) +/- 0.05. mag (systematic) for IC 1613, which compares favorably with the recently published multi-wavelength, multi-method consensus modulus of 24.30 +/- 0.05. mag by Hatt et al.

The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program is undertaking a re-calibration of the extragalactic distance scale, using SNe Ia that are tied to Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) distances to local galaxies. We present here deep Hubble Space Telescope ACS/WFC imaging of the resolved stellar populations in the metal-poor halos of the SN. Ia-host galaxies NGC 4424, NGC 4526, and NGC 4536. These three Virgo constellation galaxies are prime targets for calibrating the extragalactic distance scale given their relative proximity in the local universe and their low line-of-sight reddenings. Anchoring the TRGB zero-point to the geometric distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud via detached eclipsing binaries, we measure extinction-corrected distance moduli of 31.00 +/- 0.03(stat) +/- 0.06(sys) mag, 30.98 +/- 0.03(stat) +/- 0.06(sys) mag, and 30.99 +/- 0.03(stat) +/- 0.06(sys) mag for NGC 4424, NGC 4526, and NGC 4536, respectively, or 15.8 +/- 0.2(stat) +/- 0.4(sys) Mpc, 15.7 +/- 0.2(stat) +/- 0.4(sys) Mpc, and 15.8. +/-. 0.2stat. +/-. 0.4sys Mpc. For these three galaxies, the distances are the first that are based on the TRGB, and for NGC 4424 and NGC 4526, they are the highest-precision distances published to date, each measured to 3%. Finally, we report good agreement between our TRGB distances and the available Cepheid distances for NGC 4424 and NGC 4536, demonstrating consistency between the distance scales currently derived from stars of Population I and II.

The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program (CCHP) is recalibrating the extragalactic SN Ia distance scale using exclusively Population II stars. This effort focuses on the Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) method, whose systematics are entirely independent of the Population I Cepheid-based determinations that have long served as calibrators for the SN Ia distance scale. We present deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging of the low surface density and low line-of-sight reddening halos of two galaxies, NGC 1448 and NGC 1316, each of which have been hosts to recent SN Ia events. Provisionally anchoring the TRGB zero-point to the geometric distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud derived from detached eclipsing binaries, we measure extinction-corrected distance moduli of 31.23 +/- 0.04(stat )+/- 0.06(sys) mag for NGC 1448 and 31.37 +/- 0.04(stat) +/- 0.06(sys) mag for NGC 1316, respectively, giving metric distances of 17.7 +/- 0.3(stat) +/- 0.5(sys) Mpc, and 18.8 +/- 0.3(stat) +/- 0.5(sys) Mpc. We find agreement between our result and the available Cepheid distance for NGC 1448; for NGC 1316, where there are relatively few published distances based on direct measurements, we find that our result is consistent with the published SN Ia distances whose absolute scales are set from other locally determined methods such as Cepheids. For NGC 1448 and NGC 1316, our distances are some of the most precise (and systematically accurate) measurements with errors at 1.7 (2.8)% and 1.6 (2.7)% levels, respectively.

We present a new empirical JHK absolute calibration of the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We use published data from the extensive Near-Infrared Synoptic Survey containing 3.5 million stars, 65,000 of which are red giants that fall within one magnitude of the TRGB. Adopting the TRGB slopes from a companion study of the isolated dwarf galaxy IC 1613, as well as an LMC distance modulus of mu(0) - 18.49 mag from (geometric) detached eclipsing binaries, we derive absolute JHK zero points for the near-infrared TRGB. For a comparison with measurements in the bar alone, we apply the calibrated JHK TRGB to a 500 deg(2) area of the 2MASS survey. The TRGB reveals the 3D structure of the LMC with a tilt in the direction perpendicular to the major axis of the bar, which is in agreement with previous studies.

We detect widespread [C II] 157.7 mu m emission from the inner 5 kpc of the active galaxy NGC 4258 with the SOFIA integral field spectrometer FIFI-LS. The emission is found to be associated with warm H-2, distributed along and beyond the end of the southern jet, in a zone known to contain shock-excited optical filaments. It is also associated with soft X-ray hotspots, which are the counterparts of the "anomalous radio arms" of NGC 4258, and a 1 kpc long filament on the minor axis of the galaxy that contains young star clusters. Palomar CWI H alpha integral field spectroscopy shows that the filament exhibits non-circular motions within NGC 4258. Many of the [C II] profiles are very broad, with the greatest line width, 455 km s(-1), observed at the position of the southern jet bow-shock. Abnormally high ratios of L([C II])/L(FIR) and L([C II])/L(PAH 7.7 mu m) are found along and beyond the southern jet and in the X-ray hotspots. These are the same regions that exhibit unusually large intrinsic [C II] line widths. This suggests that the [C II] traces warm molecular gas in shocks and turbulence associated with the jet. We estimate that as much as 40% (3.8 x 10(39) erg s(-1)) of the total [C II] luminosity from the inner 5 kpc of NGC 4258 arises in shocks and turbulence (<1% bolometric luminosity from the active nucleus), the rest being consistent with [C II] excitation associated with star formation. We propose that the highly inclined jet is colliding with, and being deflected around, dense irregularities in a thick disk, leading to significant energy dissipation over a wide area of the galaxy.