48 research outputs found
Mapping the properties of blue compact dwarf galaxies: integral field spectroscopy with PMAS
(Abridged) We perform integral field spectroscopy of a sample of Blue compact
dwarf (BCD) galaxies with the aim of analyzing their morphology, the spatial
distribution of some of their physical properties (excitation, extinction, and
electron density) and their relationship with the distribution and evolutionary
state of the stellar populations. Integral field spectroscopy observations of
the sample galaxies were carried out with the Potsdam Multi-Aperture
Spectrophotometer (PMAS) at the 3.5 m telescope at Calar Alto Observatory. An
area 16 arcsec x 16 arcsec in size was mapped with a spatial sampling of 1
arcsec x 1 arcsec. We obtained data in the 3590-6996 Angstroms spectral range,
with a linear dispersion of 3.2 Angstroms per pixel. From these data we built
two-dimensional maps of the flux of the most prominent emission lines, of two
continuum bands, of the most relevant line ratios, and of the gas velocity
field. Integrated spectra of the most prominent star-forming regions and of
whole objects within the FOV were used to derive their physical parameters and
the gas metal abundances. Six galaxies display the same morphology both in
emission line and in continuum maps; only in two objects, Mrk 32 and Tololo
1434+032, the distributions of the ionized gas and of the stars differ
considerably. In general the different excitation maps for a same object
display the same pattern and trace the star-forming regions, as expected for
objects ionized by hot stars; only the outer regions of Mrk 32, I Zw 123 and I
Zw 159 display higher [SII]/Halpha values, suggestive of shocks. Six galaxies
display an inhomogeneous dust distribution. Regarding the kinematics, Mrk 750,
Mrk 206 and I Zw 159 display a clear rotation pattern, while in Mrk 32, Mrk 475
and I Zw 123 the velocity fields are flat.Comment: 27 pages, 11 figures; Accepted for publication in A&
The stellar host in blue compact dwarf galaxies: the need for a two-dimensional fit
The structural properties of the low surface brightness stellar host in blue
compact dwarf galaxies are often studied by fitting r^{1/n} models to the outer
regions of their radial profiles. The limitations imposed by the presence of a
large starburst emission overlapping the underlying component makes this kind
of analysis a difficult task. We propose a two-dimensional fitting methodology
in order to improve the extraction of the structural parameters of the LSB
host. We discuss its advantages and weaknesses by using a set of simulated
galaxies and compare the results for a sample of eight objects with those
already obtained using a one-dimensional technique. We fit a PSF convolved
Sersic model to synthetic galaxies, and to real galaxy images in the B, V, R
filters. We restrict the fit to the stellar host by masking out the starburst
region and take special care to minimize the sky-subtraction uncertainties. In
order to test the robustness and flexibility of the method, we carry out a set
of fits with synthetic galaxies. Furthermore consistency checks are performed
to assess the reliability and accuracy of the derived structural parameters.
The more accurate isolation of the starburst emission is the most important
advantage and strength of the method. Thus, we fit the host galaxy in a range
of surface brightness and in a portion of area larger than in previous
published 1D fits with the same dataset. We obtain robust fits for all the
sample galaxies, all of which, except one, show Sersic indices n very close to
1, with good agreement in the three bands. These findings suggest that the
stellar hosts in BCDs have near-exponential profiles, a result that will help
us to understand the mechanisms that form and shape BCD galaxies, and how they
relate to the other dwarf galaxy classes.Comment: 22 pages, 15 figures (low resolution), accepted for publication in
A&A. A higher resolution version of the figures can be provided upon reques
The interplay between ionized gas and massive stars in the HII galaxy IIZw70: integral field spectroscopy with PMAS
We performed an integral field spectroscopic study for the HII galaxy IIZw70
in order to investigate the interplay between its ionized interstellar medium
(ISM) and the massive star formation (SF). Observations were taken in the
optical spectral range (3700-6800 A) with the Potsdam Multi-Aperture
Spectrophotometer (PMAS) attached to the 3.5 m telescope at CAHA. We created
and analysed maps of spatially distributed emission-lines, continuum emission
and properties of the ionized ISM (e.g. physical-chemical conditions, dust
extinction, kinematics). We investigated the relation of these properties to
the spatial distribution and evolutionary stage of the massive stars. For the
first time we have detected the presence of Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars in this
galaxy. The peak of the ionized gas emission coincides with the location of the
WR bump. The region of the galaxy with lower dust extinction corresponds to the
region that shows the lowest values of velocity dispersion and radial velocity.
The overall picture suggests that the ISM of this region is being disrupted via
photoionization and stellar winds, leading to a spatial decoupling between
gas+stars and dust clouds. The bulk of dust appears to be located at the
boundaries of the region occupied by the probable ionizing cluster. We also
found that this region is associated to the nebular emission in HeII4686 and to
the intensity maximum of most emission lines. This indicates that the hard
ionizing radiation responsible for the HeII4686 nebular emission can be related
to the youngest stars. Within 0.4 x 0.3 kpc^2 in the central burst, we
derived O/H using direct determinations of Te[OIII]. We found abundances in the
range 12+log(O/H)=7.65-8.05, yielding an error-weighted mean of
12+log(O/H)=7.86 0.05.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in A&A, minor changes
adde
The Host in Blue Compact Galaxies: Structural Properties and Scaling Relations
We have characterized the underlying stellar host in a sample of 28 blue
compact galaxies (BCGs), by fitting their 2D light distributions. Their
structural parameters were related with galaxy properties such as colours and
gas content. These properties were also compared with those of other galaxy
types. All the BCG hosts but one show low Sersic indexes (0.5 < n < 2), with
mean effective radius =1.110.74 kpc, and mean surface
brightness = 22.590.68 mag arcsec. Host effective
radii scale linearly with their luminosity, while n and do not.
In addition, host colours and structural parameters are not linearly
correlated. Overall,the flux enhancement caused by the starburst is about 0.8
mag while their B-R colours decrease by about 0.2 mag. Galaxies with more
luminous and extended hosts show larger and luminous starburst components. BCG
hosts show B-R=0.950.26 in median. Overall, BCG hosts are more compact (by
a factor ~2) and have higher central surface brightnesses (by about ~2 mag)
than dIs and most dEs. BCG hosts and dIs are indistinguishable in the B-band
Tully-Fisher relation (TFR). We found that about 50-60 % of the galaxies are
more underluminous than those late-type discs with the same circular velocity.
This feature is more important when luminosities are converted into stellar
masses, while it tends to diminish when the HI gas mass is added. Deviations
among host masses for a given circular velocity from the stellar TFR correlate
with their HI mass-to-luminosity ratio, whereas deviations from the gas+stellar
TFR, do not. Overall, our findings suggest that the baryonic mass in BCGs tends
to normal values but BCGs tend to be inefficient producing stars, especially
toward the low-mass, gas-rich and bluest hosts, in a similar way to dIs.Comment: 25 pages, 11 figures (low-res). Accepted for publication in A&A.
Added reference. Language revisio
The ionized gas at the center of IC 10: A possible localized chemical pollution by Wolf-Rayet stars
We present results from integral field spectroscopy with the Potsdam
Multi-Aperture Spectrograph at the 3.5m telescope at Calar Alto Observatory of
the intense star-forming region [HL90] 111 at the center of the starburst
galaxy IC 10. We have obtained maps with a spatial sampling of 1" x 1" = 3.9 pc
x 3.9 pc of different emission lines and analyzed the extinction, physical
conditions, nature of the ionization, and chemical abundances of the ionized
gas, as well determined locally the age of the most recent star-formation
event. By defining several apertures, we study the main integrated properties
of some regions within [HL90] 111. Two contiguous spaxels show an unambiguous
detection of the broad He II 4686 emission line, this feature seems to be
produced by a single WNL star. We also report a probable N and He enrichment in
the precise spaxels where the WR features are detected. The enrichment pattern
is roughly consistent with that expected for the pollution of the ejecta of a
single or a very small number of WR stars. Furthermore, this chemical pollution
is very localized (~2"~7.8 pc) and it should be difficult to detect in
star-forming galaxies beyond the Local Volume. We also discuss the use of the
most-common empirical calibrations to estimate the oxygen abundances of the
ionized gas in nearby galaxies from 2D spectroscopic data. The ionization
degree of the gas plays an important role when applying these empirical
methods, as they tend to give lower oxygen abundances with increasing
ionization degree.Comment: 18 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Photometric Properties of Six Local Volume Dwarf Galaxies from Deep Near-Infrared Observations
We have obtained deep near-infrared - (1.25 m), - (1.65m)
and -band (2.15 m) imaging for a sample of six dwarf galaxies
(M_B\ga-17 mag) in the Local Volume (LV, D\la10 Mpc). The sample consists
mainly of early-type dwarf galaxies found in various environments in the LV.
Two galaxies (LEDA 166099 and UGCA 200) in the sample are detected in the
near-infrared for the first time. The deep near-infrared images allow for a
detailed study of the photometric and structural properties of each galaxy. The
surface brightness profiles of the galaxies are detected down to the ~ isophote in the - and -bands, and in
the -band. The total magnitudes of the galaxies are derived in the three
wavelength bands. For the brightest galaxies (M_B\la-15.5 mag) in the sample,
we find that the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) underestimates the total
magnitudes of these systems by up to \la0.5 mag. The radial surface
brightness profiles of the galaxies are fitted with an exponential (for those
galaxies having a stellar disk) or S\'ersic law to derive the structure of the
underlying stellar component. In particular, the effective surface brightness
() and effective radius () are determined from the analytic fits to
the surface brightness profile. The - colours for the galaxies have
been measured to explore the luminosity-metallicity relation for early-type
dwarfs. In addition, the - colours of the galaxies are used to assess
their evolutionary state relative to other galaxy morphologies. The total
stellar masses of the dwarf galaxies are derived from the -band photometric
measurements. These will later be compared to the dynamical mass estimates for
the galaxies to determine their dark matter content.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, submitted to MNRA
Unveiling the nature of the "Green Pea" galaxies
We review recent results on the oxygen and nitrogen chemical abundances in
extremely compact, low-mass starburst galaxies at redshifts between 0.1-0.3
recently named to as "Green Pea" galaxies. These galaxies are genuine
metal-poor galaxies ( one fifth solar) with N/O ratios unusually high for
galaxies of the same metallicity. In combination with their known general
properties, i.e., size, stellar mass and star-formation rate, these findings
suggest that these objects could be experiencing a short and extreme phase in
their evolution. The possible action of both recent and massive inflow of gas,
as well as stellar feedback mechanisms are discussed here as main drivers of
the starburst activity and their oxygen and nitrogen abundances.Comment: To appear in JENAM Symposium "Dwarf Galaxies: Keys to Galaxy
Formation and Evolution", P. Papaderos, G. Hensler, S. Recchi (eds.). Lisbon,
September 2010, Springer Verlag, in pres
Search for blue compact dwarf galaxies during quiescence II: metallicities of gas and stars, ages, and star-formation rates
We examine the metallicity and age of a large set of SDSS/DR6 galaxies that
may be Blue Compact Dwarf (BCD) galaxies during quiescence (QBCDs).The
individual spectra are first classified and then averaged to reduce noise. The
metallicity inferred from emission lines (tracing ionized gas) exceeds by ~0.35
dex the metallicity inferred from absorption lines (tracing stars). Such a
small difference is significant according to our error budget estimate. The
same procedure was applied to a reference sample of BCDs, and in this case the
two metallicities agree, being also consistent with the stellar metallicity in
QBCDs. Chemical evolution models indicate that the gas metallicity of QBCDs is
too high to be representative of the galaxy as a whole, but it can represent a
small fraction of the galactic gas, self enriched by previous starbursts. The
luminosity weighted stellar age of QBCDs spans the whole range between 1 and 10
Gyr, whereas it is always smaller than 1 Gyr for BCDs. Our stellar ages and
metallicities rely on a single stellar population spectrum fitting procedure,
which we have specifically developed for this work using the stellar library
MILES.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 20 pages. 16 figures (corrected
typos
A Spectroscopic Study of the Near-IR [SIII] Lines in a Sample of HII Galaxies: chemical abundances
A detailed spectroscopic study, from lambda 3700 A to 1 um, was performed for
a sample of 34 HII galaxies in order to derive fundamental parameters for their
HII regions and ionizing sources, as well as gaseous metal abundances. All the
spectra included the nebular [SIII]9069,9532 A lines, given their importance in
the derivation of the S/H abundance and relevant ionization diagnostics. A
systematic method was followed to correct the near-IR [SIII] line fluxes for
the effects of the atmospheric transmission.A comparative analysis of the
predictions of the empirical abundance indicators R23 and S23 has been
performed. The relative hardness of their ionizing sources was studied using
the eta parameter, and exploring the role played by metallicity. For 22
galaxies of the sample a direct value of te[SIII] was derived, along with their
ionic and total S/H abundances. Their ionic and total O/H abundances were
derived using direct determinations of te[OIII].For the rest of the objects,
the total S/H abundance was derived using S23. The abundance range covered by
our sample goes from 1/20 solar up to solar metallicity. The mean S/O ratio
derived is log (S/O)=-1.68+/-0.20 dex, 1 sigma below the solar S/O value. The
S/O abundance ratio shows no significant trend with O/H over the range of
abundance covered in this work, in agreement with previous findings.There is a
trend for HII galaxies with lower gaseous metallicity to present harder
ionizing spectra. We compared the distribution of the ionic ratios O+/O++ vs.
S+/S++ derived for our sample with the predictions of a grid of photoionization
models performed for different stellar effective temperatures. This analysis
indicates that a large fraction of galaxies in our sample seem to be ionized by
extremely hard spectra.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in the A&A, minor
gramatical corrections include
A study of HI-selected galaxies in the Hercules cluster
The present study is aimed at a sample of 22 galaxies detected in the blind
VLA HI survey of the Hercules cluster by Dickey (1997), 18 of which were
selected on an HI line width smaller than 270 km/s and 4 others with only
tentative optical counterparts on the Palomar Sky Survey. Sensitive single-dish
HI line spectra were obtained for 20 of them, and for one (47-154) the VLA
detection was not confirmed. Optical surface photometry was obtained of 10
objects, for 8 of which optical spectroscopy was obtained as well. Based on
various selection criteria, two (ce-143 and ne-204) can be classified as
dwarfs. The objects of which optical observations were made show star formation
properties similar to those of published samples of actively star forming
galaxies, and approximately half of them have properties intermediate between
those of dwarf galaxies and low-luminosity disc galaxies. No optical redshifts
could be obtained for two of the galaxies (sw-103 and sw-194) and their
physical association with the HI clouds detected at their positions therefore
remains uncertain. Unique among the objects is the Tidal Dwarf Galaxy ce-061 in
a tail of the IC 1182 merger system.Comment: 20 pages, 19 figures, accepted for publication in A&