Spectroscopy of Stellar-Like Objects Contained in the Second Byurakan Survey. I

The results of spectroscopic observations of 363 star-like objects from the Second Byurakan Survey (SBS) are reported. This SBS's subsample has proven to be a rich source of newly identified quasars, Seyfert type galaxies, degenerate stars and hot subdwarfs. In the subsample here studied, we identified 35 new QSOs, 142 White Dwarfs (WDs) the majority of which, 114 are of DA type, 55 subdwarfs (29 of which are sdB-type stars), 10 HBB, 16 NHB, 54 G-type and 25 F-type stars, two objects with composite spectra, four Cataclismic Variables (CV), two peculiar emission line stars, 17 objects with continuous spectra, as well as one planetary nebula. Among the 35 QSOs we have found two Broad Absorption Line (BAL) QSOs, namely SBS 1423+500 and SBS 1435+500A. Magnitudes, redshifts, and slit spectra for all QSOs, also some typical spectra of the peculiar stars are presented. We estimate the minimum surface density of bright QSOs in redshift range 0.3<z<2.2 to be 0.05 per sq. deg. for B<17.0 and 0.10 per sq. deg. for B<17.5.Comment: 22 pages, 3 tables, 4 figures, PASP in pres

Spectral Observations of Faint Markarian Galaxies of the Second Byurakan Survey. II

We continue the program of spectroscopic observations of objects from the Second Byurakan Survey (SBS). This survey contains more than 1300 galaxies and 1700 star-like objects with m(pg)<19.5. Our work is aimed towards the construction of a complete sample of faint Markarian galaxies. Here, we present spectroscopic data for 43 galaxies. Amongst them six new Seyfert galaxies are found, namely two Sy 1 type (SBS 1343+544 and SBS 1433+500), one Sy 2 type (SBS 1620+545) and three likely Sy 2 type galaxies (SBS 1205+556, SBS 1344+527, SBS 1436+597). SBS 1343+544 falls into the luminosity gap between low-redshift QSOs and high luminosity Sefert galaxies. In the sample studied here, another 36 emission-line galaxies were spectroscopically confirmed. Thus far, 102 SBS galaxies brighter than m(pg)=17.5 have been observed with the Cananea 2.1m GHO telescope. The apparent magnitude and redshift distributions, the spectral classification, the relative intensities of emission lines, and other parameters, as well as slit spectra for all 43 observed galaxies are presented.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables, Latex, aaspp4.sty and aj_pt.sty, Submitted to Astronomical Journa

Compact Nuclei in Galaxies at Moderate Redshift: I. Imaging and Spectroscopy

This study explores the space density and properties of active galaxies to z=0.8. We have investigated the frequency and nature of unresolved nuclei in galaxies at moderate redshift as indicators of nuclear activity such as Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) or starbursts. Candidates are selected by fitting imaged galaxies with multi-component models using maximum likelihood estimate techniques to determine the best model fit. We select those galaxies requiring an unresolved, point source component in the galaxy nucleus, in addition to a disk and/or bulge component, to adequately model the galaxy light. We have searched 70 WFPC2 images primarily from the Medium Deep Survey for galaxies containing compact nuclei. In our survey of 1033 galaxies, the fraction containing an unresolved nuclear component greater than 3% of the total galaxy light is 16+/-3% corrected for incompleteness and 9+/-1% for nuclei greater than 5% of the galaxy light. Spectroscopic redshifts have been obtained for 35 of our AGN/starburst candidates and photometric redshifts are estimated to an accuracy of sigma_z=0.1 for the remaining sample. In this paper, the first of two in this series, we present the selected HST imaged galaxies having unresolved nuclei and discuss the selection procedure. We also present the ground-based spectroscopy for these galaxies as well as the photometric redshifts estimated for those galaxies without spectra.Comment: 56 pages, 22 figures, to appear in ApJ Supplement Series, April 199

The Diverse Infrared Properties of a Complete Sample of Star-Forming Dwarf Galaxies

We present mid-infrared Spitzer Space Telescope observations of a complete sample of star-forming dwarf galaxies selected from the KPNO International Spectroscopic Survey. The galaxies span a wide range in mid-infrared properties. Contrary to expectations, some of the galaxies emit strongly at 8 micron indicating the presence of hot dust and/or PAHs. The ratio of this mid-infrared dust emission to the stellar emission is compared with the galaxies' luminosity, star-formation rate, metallicity, and optical reddening. We find that the strength of the 8.0 micron dust emission to the stellar emission ratio is more strongly correlated with the star-formation rate than it is with the metallicity or the optical reddening in these systems. Nonetheless, there is a correlation between the 8.0 micron luminosity and metallicity. The slope of this luminosity-metallicity correlation is shallower than corresponding ones in the B-band and 3.6 micron. The precise nature of the 8.0 micron emission seen in these galaxies (i.e., PAH versus hot dust or some combination of the two) will require future study, including deep mid-IR spectroscopy.Comment: 14 pages, accepted Ap

Exponential speed of mixing for skew-products with singularities

Let $f: [0,1]\times [0,1] \setminus {1/2} \to [0,1]\times [0,1]$ be the $C^\infty$ endomorphism given by $$f(x,y)=(2x- [2x], y+ c/|x-1/2|- [y+ c/|x-1/2|]),$$ where $c$ is a positive real number. We prove that $f$ is topologically mixing and if $c>1/4$ then $f$ is mixing with respect to Lebesgue measure. Furthermore we prove that the speed of mixing is exponential.Comment: 23 pages, 3 figure

IC 225: a dwarf elliptical galaxy with a peculiar blue core

We present the discovery of a peculiar blue core in the elliptical galaxy IC 225 by using images and spectrum from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The outer parts of the surface brightness profiles of u-, g-, r-, i- and z-band SDSS images for IC 225 are well fitted with an exponential function. The fitting results show that IC 225 follows the same relations between the magnitude, scale length and central surface brightness for dwarf elliptical galaxies. Its absolute blue magnitude (M_B) is -17.14 mag, all of which suggest that IC 225 is a typical dwarf elliptical galaxy. The g-r color profile indicates a very blue core with a radius of 2 arcseconds, which is also clearly seen in the RGB image made of g-, r- and i-band SDSS images. The SDSS optical spectrum exhibits strong and very narrow nebular emission lines. The metal abundances derived by the standard methods, which are 12+log(O/H) = 8.98, log(N/O) = -0.77 and 12+log(S+/H+) = 6.76, turn out to be significantly higher than that predicted by the well-known luminosity-metallicity relation. After carefully inspecting the central region of IC 225, we find that there are two distinct nuclei, separated by 1.4 arcseconds, the off-nucleated one is even bluer than the nucleus of IC 225. The asymmetric line profiles of higher-order Balmer lines indicate that the emission lines are bluer shifted relative to the absorption lines, suggesting that the line emission arises from the off-center core, whose nature is a metal-rich Hii region. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first high-metallicity Hii region detected in a dwarf elliptical galaxy.Comment: 7 figures, accepted for publication in A

An Integrated Spectrophotometric Survey of Nearby Star-Forming Galaxies

We present integrated optical spectrophotometry for a sample of 417 nearby galaxies. Our observations consist of spatially integrated, S/N=10-100 spectroscopy between 3600 and 6900 Angstroms at ~8 Angstroms FWHM resolution. In addition, we present nuclear (2.5"x2.5") spectroscopy for 153 of these objects. Our sample targets a diverse range of galaxy types, including starbursts, peculiar galaxies, interacting/merging systems, dusty, infrared-luminous galaxies, and a significant number of normal galaxies. We use population synthesis to model and subtract the stellar continuum underlying the nebular emission lines. This technique results in emission-line measurements reliably corrected for stellar absorption. Here, we present the integrated and nuclear spectra, the nebular emission-line fluxes and equivalent widths, and a comprehensive compilation of ancillary data available in the literature for our sample. In a series of subsequent papers we use these data to study optical star-formation rate indicators, nebular abundance diagnostics, the luminosity-metallicity relation, the dust properties of normal and starburst galaxies, and the star-formation histories of infrared-luminous galaxies.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ

Delayed Photoionization Feedback in a Super Star Cluster in SBS0335-052E

SBS0335-052 is a well studied Blue Compact Dwarf galaxy with one of the lowest metallicities of any known galaxy. It also contains 6 previously identified Super Star Clusters. We combine archival HST NICMOS images in the Pa alpha line and the 1.6 micron continuum of the eastern component, SBS0335-052E, with other space and ground based data to perform a multi-wavelength analysis of the super star clusters. We concentrate on the southern most clusters, designated S1 and S2, which appear to be the youngest clusters and are the strongest emitters of Pa alpha, radio, and x-ray flux. Our analysis leads to a possible model for S1 and perhaps S2 as a cluster of very young, massive stars with strong stellar winds. The wind density can be high enough to absorb the majority of ionizing photons within less than 1000 AU of the stars, creating very compact HII regions that emit optically thick radiation at radio wavelengths. These winds would then effectively quench the photoionizing flux very close to the stars. This can delay the onset of negative feedback by photoionization and photodissociation on star formation in the clusters. This is significant since SBS0335-052E resembles the conditions that were probably common for high redshift star formation in galaxies near the epoch of reionization.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

The KPNO International Spectroscopic Survey. V. H-alpha-selected Survey List 3

The KPNO International Spectroscopic Survey (KISS) is an objective-prism survey designed to detect extragalactic emission-line objects. It combines many of the features of previous slitless spectroscopic surveys with the advantages of modern CCD detectors, and is the first purely digital objective-prism survey for emission-line galaxies (ELGs). Here we present the third list of ELG candidates selected from our red spectral data, which cover the wavelength range 6400 to 7200 A. In most cases, the detected emission line is H-alpha. The current survey list covers the region of the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey (NDWFS). This survey covers two fields; the first is 3 x 3 degrees square and located at RA = 14h 30m, DEC = 34.5 deg (B1950), the second is 2.3 x 4.0 degrees and centered at RA = 2h 7.5m, DEC = -4.75 deg. A total area of 19.65 deg^2 is covered by the KISS data. A total of 261 candidate emission-line objects have been selected for inclusion in the survey list (13.3 per deg^2). We tabulate accurate coordinates and photometry for each source, as well as estimates of the redshift, emission-line flux and line equivalent width based on measurements of the digital objective-prism spectra. The properties of the KISS ELGs are examined using the available observational data. When combined with the wealth of multi-wavelength data already available for the NDWFS fields, the current list of KISS ELGs should provide a valuable tool for studying star-formation and nuclear activity in galaxies in the local universe.Comment: 18 pages, including 10 figures and 4 tables. Accepted for publication in the December, 2005 A

HST observations of the blue compact dwarf SBS 0335-052: a probable young galaxy

We present HST WFPC2 V and I images and GHRS UV spectrophotometry of the spectral regions around Ly$_alpha$ and OI 1302 of the extremely metal-deficient (Z~Zsun/41) blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxy SBS 0335-052. All the star formation in the BCD occurs in six super-star clusters (SSC) with ages =< 3-4 Myr. Dust is clearly present and mixed spatially with the SSCs. There is a supershell of radius ~380 pc, delineating a large supernova cavity. The instantaneous star formation rate is ~0.4 Msun yr^-1. Strong narrow Ly$\alpha$ emission is not observed. Rather there is low intensity broad (FWZI = 20 A) Ly$\alpha$ emission superposed on even broader Ly$\alpha$ absorption by the HI envelope. This broad low-intensity emission is probably caused by resonant scattering of Ly$\alpha$ photons. The BCD appears to be a young galaxy, undergoing its very first burst of star formation. This conclusion is based on the following evidence: 1) the underlying extended low-surface-brightness component is very irregular and filamentary, suggesting that a significant part of the emission comes from ionized gas; 2) it has very blue colors (-0.34 =< (V-I)$_0$ =< 0.16), consistent with gaseous emission colors; 3) the OI 1302 line is not detected in absorption in the GHRS spectrum, setting an upper limit for N(O)/N(H) in the HI envelope of the BCD of more than 3000 times smaller than the value in Orion.Comment: 20 pages and 6 Postscript figures. Submitted to Astrophysical Journa