Near-Infrared Surface Photometry of Bulges and Disks of Spiral Galaxies. The Data

Abstract

We present optical and near-infrared (NIR) surface brightness and colour profiles,in bands ranging from U to K, for the disk and bulge components of a complete sample of 30 nearby S0 to Sbc galaxies with inclinations larger than 50 degrees. We describe in detail the observations and the determination of colour parameters. Calibrated monochromatic and real-colour images are presented, as well as colour index maps. This data set, tailored for the study of the population characteristics of galaxy bulges, provides useful information on the colours of inner disks as well. In related papers, we have used them to quantify colour gradients in bulges, and age differentials between bulge and inner disk.