Analysis of ultraviolet (UV) observations with the FAUST shuttle-borne telescope toward the Antennae and NGC 6752 celestial regions resulted in the detection of 46 and 221 candidate sources respectively, for a signal-to-noise ratio of 8. We discuss the source detection process and the identification of UV sources with optical counterparts. Using correlations with existing catalogues, we present reliable identifications for approximately 60 per cent of the sources. We find that most identified objects are B, A and F stars. The remaining identified objects are galaxies, a white dwarf in a binary system, and two K-type stars. Nearly all of the remaining unidentified objects have assigned optical counterparts but, lacking additional information, we give these only as best estimates. With help from new diagnostic diagrams, we suggest that these unclassified objects are main-sequence (or giant) stars within the local spiral arm or halo; or other hot evolved objects within the local spiral arm. We discuss the nature of the objects found and compare our results with those predicted from spectral and Galactic models.
We analyze three UV images covering a ~100 square degree field toward the Virgo cluster, obtained by the FAUST space experiment. We detect 191 sources to a signal-to-noise ratio of 4.4 and identify 94% of them. Most sources have optical counterparts in existing catalogs, and about half are identified as galaxies. Some sources with no listed counterpart were observed at the Wise Observatory. We present the results of low-resolution visible spectrophotometry and discuss the foreground 101 stellar sources and the 76 detected galaxies, both in the cluster and in the foreground or background. We derive conclusions on star formation properties of galaxies and on the total UV flux from discrete and diffuse sources in the cluster. We test for the presence of intracluster dust, determine the clustering properties of UV emitting galaxies, and derive the UV luminosity function of Virgo galaxies.
