The dust distribution in edge-on galaxies based on Herschel observations

Edge-on galaxies are the most suitable targets for exploring the 3D structure of different constituents in galaxies. We present results of a detailed study of the dust distribution in 29 nearby edge-on spiral galaxies based on available Herschel observations in the far-infrared. We use 2D and 3D photometric models to fit their profiles and search for optimal functions to describe the individual dust components in these galaxies. We find that many galaxies in our sample demonstrate an excess of emission high above the midplane as compared to the single dust disk models. We also compare the parameters of the dust component, derived in this study, with those found in the literature where radiative transfer simulations were used to model the dust attenuation in galaxies in the optical and near-infrared. Both approaches reveal that the intrinsic flattening (or relative thickness) of the dust disk is negatively correlated with the dust mass of the spiral galaxy: more massive dust disks are, on average, relatively thinner.