Integrated radio continuum spectra of galaxies

The ratio of thermal to non-thermal emission is estimated through two independent methods: (1) using the IRAS far-IR fluxes and (2) with the value of the total spectral index. Method (1) results in a distribution of 1.4GHz thermal fractions of 9%+/-3%, which is consistent with previous studies, while method (2) produces a mean 1.4GHz thermal fraction of 51% with dispersion 26%. The highly implausible values produced by method (2) indicate that the sum of typical power-law thermal and non-thermal components is not a viable model for the total spectral index between 325 and 1.4GHz.

An investigation into relationships between spectral index, infrared-derived quantities, and additional source properties reveals that galaxies with high radio luminosity in our sample are found to have, on average, a flatter radio spectral index, and early types tend to have excess radio emission when compared to the radio-infrared ratio of later types. Early types also have radio emission that is more compact than later type galaxies, as compared to the optical size of the galaxy.

Despite these differences, no relation between spectral index and galaxy type is detected.