The identification of dust heating mechanisms in nearby galaxies using
  Herschel 160/250 and 250/350 micron surface brightness ratios
  We examined variations in the 160/250 and 250/350 micron surface brightness
ratios within 24 nearby (<30 Mpc) face-on spiral galaxies observed with the
Herschel Space Observatory to identify the heating mechanisms for dust emitting
at these wavelengths. The analysis consisted of both qualitative and
quantitative comparisons of the 160/250 and 250/350 micron ratios to H alpha
and 24 micron surface brightnesses, which trace the light from star forming
regions, and 3.6 micron emission, which traces the light from the older stellar
populations of the galaxies. We find broad variations in the heating mechanisms
for the dust. In one subset of galaxies, we found evidence that emission at
<=160 microns (and in rare cases potentially at <=350 microns) originates from
dust heated by star forming regions. In another subset, we found that the
emission at >=250 microns (and sometimes at >=160 microns) originates from dust
heated by the older stellar population. In the rest of the sample, either the
results are indeterminate or both of these stellar populations may contribute
equally to the global dust heating. The observed variations in dust heating
mechanisms does not necessarily match what has been predicted by dust emission
and radiative transfer models, which could lead to overestimated dust
temperatures, underestimated dust masses, false detections of variability in
dust emissivity, and inaccurate star formation rate measurements.
