444 research outputs found
Molecular Gas in Tidal Dwarf Galaxies: On-going Galaxy Formation
We investigate the process of galaxy formation as can be observed in the only
currently forming galaxies -- the so-called Tidal Dwarf Galaxies, hereafter
TDGs -- through observations of the molecular gas detected via its CO (Carbon
Monoxide) emission. Molecular gas is a key element in the galaxy formation
process, providing the link between a cloud of gas and a {\it bona fide}
galaxy. We have now detected CO in 9 TDGs with an overall detection rate of
80%, showing that molecular gas is abundant in TDGs, up to a few . The CO emission coincides both spatially and kinematically with the
HI emission, indicating that the molecular gas forms from the atomic hydrogen
where the HI column density is high. A possible trend of more evolved TDGs
having greater molecular gas masses is observed, in accord with the
transformation of HI into H. Although uncertainties are still large for
individual objects as the geometry is unknown, we find that the "dynamical"
masses of TDGs, estimated from the CO line widths, do not seem to be greater
than the "visible" masses (HI + H + a stellar component), i.e., TDGs
require no dark matter. We provide evidence that TDGs are self-gravitating
entities, implying that we are witnessing the ensemble of processes in galaxy
formation: concentration of large amounts of gas in a bound object,
condensation of the gas, which is atomic at this point, to form molecular gas
and the subsequent star formation from the dense molecular component.Comment: 8 pages 4 figures, to be published in: Proceedings of the IAU
Symposium 217: Recycling Intergalactic and Interstellar Matte
On the origin of the neutral hydrogen supershells: the ionized progenitors and the limitations of the multiple supernovae hypothesis
Here we address the question whether the ionized shells associated with giant
HII regions can be progenitors of the larger HI shell-like objects found in the
Milky Way and other spiral and dwarf irregular galaxies. We use for our
analysis a sample of 12 HII shells presented recently by Rela\~no et al. (2005,
2007). We calculate the evolutionary tracks that these shells would have if
their expansion is driven by multiple supernovae explosions from the parental
stellar clusters. We find, contrary to Rela\~no et al. (2007), that the
evolutionary tracks of their sample HII shells are inconsistent with the
observed parameters of the largest and most massive neutral hydrogen
supershells. We conclude that HII shells found inside giant HII regions may
represent the progenitors of small or intermediate HI shells, however they
cannot evolve into the largest HI objects unless, aside from the multiple
supernovae explosions, an additional energy source contributes to their
expansion.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, tentatively scheduled for the ApJ
July 1, 2008, v681n1 issue. 19 pages, 4 figure
DDO 88: A Galaxy-Sized Hole in the Interstellar Medium
We present an HI and optical study of the gas-rich dwarf irregular galaxy DDO
88. Although DDO 88's global optical and HI parameters are normal for its
morphological type, it hosts a large (3 kpc diameter) and unusually complete
ring of enhanced HI emission. The gas ring is located at approximately
one-third of the total HI radius and one-half the optically-defined Holmberg
radius, and contains 30% of the total HI of the galaxy. The ring surrounds a
central depression in the HI distribution, so it may be a shell formed by a
starburst episode. However, the UBV colors in the HI hole are not bluer than
the rest of the galaxy as would be expected if an unusual star-forming event
had taken place there recently, but there is an old (~1-3 Gyr), red cluster
near the center of the hole that is massive enough to have produced the hole in
the HI. An age estimate for the ring, however, is uncertain because it is not
observed to be expanding. An expansion model produces a lower estimate of 0.5
Gyr, but the presence of faint star formation regions associated with the ring
indicate a much younger age. We also estimate that the ring could have
dispersed by now if it is older than 0.5 Gyr. This implies that the ring is
younger than 0.5 Gyr. A younger age would indicate that the red cluster did not
produce the hole and ring. If this ring and the depression in the gas which it
surrounds were not formed by stellar winds and supernovae, this would indicate
that some other, currently unidentified, mechanism is operating.Comment: 44 pages; 16 figures. To appear in AJ, January 2005. Available from
ftp.lowell.edu, cd pub/dah/papers/d88 and http://www.fiu.edu/~simpsonc/d8
Environment, Ram Pressure, and Shell Formation in HoII
Neutral hydrogen VLA D-array observations of the dwarf irregular galaxy HoII,
a prototype galaxy for studies of shell formation, are presented. HI is
detected to radii over 16' or 4 R_25, and M_HI=6.44x10^8 M_sun. The total HI
map has a comet-like appearance suggesting that HoII is affected by ram
pressure from an intragroup medium (IGM). A rotation curve corrected for
asymmetric drift was derived and an analysis of the mass distribution yields a
total mass 6.3x10^9 M_sun, of which about 80% is dark. HoII lies northeast of
the M81 group's core, along with Kar52 (M81dwA) and UGC4483. No signs of
interaction are observed and it is argued that HoII is part of the NGC2403
subgroup, infalling towards M81. A case is made for ram pressure stripping and
an IGM in the M81 group. Stripping of the disk outer parts would require an IGM
density n_IGM>=4.0x10^-6 atoms/cm^3 at the location of HoII. This corresponds
to 1% of the virial mass of the group uniformly distributed over a volume just
enclosing HoII and is consistent with the X-ray properties of small groups. It
is argued that existing observations of HoII do not support self-propagating
star formation scenarios, whereby the HI holes and shells are created by
supernova explosions and stellar winds. Many HI holes are located in low
surface density regions of the disk, where no star formation is expected or
observed. Ram pressure has the capacity to enlarge preexisting holes and lower
their creation energies, helping to bridge the gap between the observed star
formation rate and that required to create the holes. (abridged)Comment: 43 pages, including 7 figures. 4 figures available as JPEG only.
Complete manuscript including full resolution figures available at
http://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/~bureau/pub_list.html . Accepted for
publication in The Astronomical Journa
Extended HI Rotation Curve and Mass Distribution of M31
New HI observations of Messier 31 (M31) obtained with the Effelsberg and
Green Bank 100-m telescopes make it possible to measure the rotation curve of
that galaxy out to ~35 kpc. Between 20 and 35 kpc, the rotation curve is nearly
flat at a velocity of ~226 km/s. A model of the mass distribution shows that at
the last observed velocity point, the minimum dark-to-luminous mass ratio is
\~0.5 for a total mass of 3.4 10^11 Msol at R < 35 kpc. This can be compared to
the estimated MW mass of 4.9 10^11 Msol for R < 50 kpc.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
The Tully-Fisher Relation and H_not
The use of the Tully-Fisher (TF) relation for the determination of the Hubble
Constant relies on the availability of an adequate template TF relation and of
reliable primary distances. Here we use a TF template relation with the best
available kinematical zero-point, obtained from a sample of 24 clusters of
galaxies extending to cz ~ 9,000 km/s, and the most recent set of Cepheid
distances for galaxies fit for TF use. The combination of these two ingredients
yields H_not = 69+/-5 km/(s Mpc). The approach is significantly more accurate
than the more common application with single cluster (e.g. Virgo, Coma)
samples.Comment: 10 pages, including 2 figures and 1 table; uses AAS LaTex. Submitted
to ApJ Letter
SKA studies of nearby galaxies : star-formation, accretion processes and molecular gas across all environments
Copyright owned by the author(s) under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike LicenceThe SKA will be a transformational instrument in the study of our local Universe. In particular, by virtue of its high sensitivity (both to point sources and diffuse low surface brightness emission), angular resolution and the frequency ranges covered, the SKA will undertake a very wide range of astrophysical research in the field of nearby galaxies. By surveying vast numbers of nearby galaxies of all types with Jy sensitivity and sub-arcsecond angular resolutions at radio wavelengths, the SKA will provide the cornerstone of our understanding of star-formation and accretion activity in the local Universe. In this chapter we outline the key continuum and molecular line science areas where the SKA, both during phase-1 and when it becomes the full SKA, will have a significant scientific impact.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio
A Test of the Standard Hypothesis for the Origin of the HI Holes in Holmberg II
The nearby irregular galaxy Holmberg II has been extensively mapped in HI
using the Very Large Array (VLA), revealing intricate structure in its
interstellar gas component (Puche et al. 1992). An analysis of these structures
shows the neutral gas to contain a number of expanding HI holes. The formation
of the HI holes has been attributed to multiple supernova events occurring
within wind-blown shells around young, massive star clusters, with as many as
10-200 supernovae required to produce many of the holes. From the sizes and
expansion velocities of the holes, Puche et al. assigned ages of ~10^7 to 10^8
years. If the supernova scenario for the formation of the HI holes is correct,
it implies the existence of star clusters with a substantial population of
late-B, A and F main sequence stars at the centers of the holes. Many of these
clusters should be detectable in deep ground-based CCD images of the galaxy. In
order to test the supernova hypothesis for the formation of the HI holes, we
have obtained and analyzed deep broad-band BVR and narrow-band H-alpha images
of Ho II. We compare the optical and HI data and search for evidence of the
expected star clusters in and around the HI holes. We also use the HI data to
constrain models of the expected remnant stellar population. We show that in
several of the holes the observed upper limits for the remnant cluster
brightness are strongly inconsistent with the SNe hypothesis described in Puche
et al. Moreover, many of the HI holes are located in regions of very low
optical surface brightness which show no indication of recent star formation.
Here we present our findings and explore possible alternative explanations for
the existence of the HI holes in Ho II, including the suggestion that some of
the holes were produced by Gamma-ray burst events.Comment: 30 pages, including 6 tables and 3 images. To appear in Astron.
Journal (June 1999
Smooth HI Low Column Density Outskirts In Nearby Galaxies
This is an author-created, un-copyedited version of an article published in The Astronomical Journal. The Version of Record is available online at https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/aabbaa.The low column density gas at the outskirts of galaxies as traced by the 21 cm hydrogen line emission (H i) represents the interface between galaxies and the intergalactic medium, i.e., where galaxies are believed to get their supply of gas to fuel future episodes of star formation. Photoionization models predict a break in the radial profiles of H i at a column density of ∼5 × 10 19 cm -2 due to the lack of self-shielding against extragalactic ionizing photons. To investigate the prevalence of such breaks in galactic disks and to characterize what determines the potential edge of the H i disks, we study the azimuthally averaged H i column density profiles of 17 nearby galaxies from the H i Nearby Galaxy Survey and supplemented in two cases with published Hydrogen Accretion in LOcal GAlaxieS data. To detect potential faint H i emission that would otherwise be undetected using conventional moment map analysis, we line up individual profiles to the same reference velocity and average them azimuthally to derive stacked radial profiles. To do so, we use model velocity fields created from a simple extrapolation of the rotation curves to align the profiles in velocity at radii beyond the extent probed with the sensitivity of traditional integrated H i maps. With this method, we improve our sensitivity to outer-disk H i emission by up to an order of magnitude. Except for a few disturbed galaxies, none show evidence of a sudden change in the slope of the H i radial profiles: the alleged signature of ionization by the extragalactic background.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio
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