974 research outputs found
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
Metal Abundances of KISS Galaxies III. Nebular Abundances for Fourteen Galaxies and the Luminosity-Metallicity Relationship for HII Galaxies
We report results from the third in a series of nebular abundance studies of
emission-line galaxies from the KPNO International Spectroscopic Survey (KISS).
Galaxies with coarse metallicity estimates of 12 + log(O/H) less than 8.2 dex
were selected for observation. Spectra of 14 galaxies, which cover the full
optical region from [OII]3727,3729 to beyond [SII]6717,6731, are presented, and
abundance ratios of N, O, Ne, S, and Ar are computed. The auroral [OIII]4363
line is detected in all 14 galaxies. Oxygen abundances determined through the
direct electron temperature T_e method confirm that the sample is metal-poor
with 7.61 <= 12 + log(O/H) <= 8.32. By using these abundances in conjunction
with other T_e-based measurements from the literature, we demonstrate that HII
galaxies and more quiescent dwarf irregular galaxies follow similar
metallicity-luminosity (L-Z) relationships. The primary difference is a
zero-point shift between the correlations such that HII galaxies are brighter
by an average of 0.8 B magnitudes at a given metallicity. This offset can be
used as evidence to argue that low-luminosity HII galaxies typically undergo
factor of two luminosity enhancements, and starbursts that elevate the
luminosities of their host galaxies by 2 to 3 magnitudes are not as common. We
also demonstrate that the inclusion of interacting galaxies can increase the
scatter in the L-Z relation and may force the observed correlation towards
lower metallicities and/or larger luminosities. This must be taken into account
when attempting to infer metal abundance evolution by comparing local L-Z
relations with ones based on higher redshift samples since the fraction of
interacting galaxies should increase with look-back time.Comment: 36 pages, 5 figures. ApJ, in pres
Nr-CAM and neurofascin interactions regulate ankyrin G and sodium channel clustering at the node of Ranvier
AbstractVoltage-dependent sodium (Na+) channels are highly concentrated at nodes of Ranvier in myelinated axons and play a key role in promoting rapid and efficient conduction of action potentials by saltatory conduction. The molecular mechanisms that direct their localization to the node are not well understood but are believed to involve contact-dependent signals from myelinating Schwann cells [1] and interactions of Na+ channels with the cytoskeletal protein, ankyrin G [2]. Two cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) expressed at the axon surface, Nr-CAM and neurofascin, are also linked to ankyrin G and accumulate at early stages of node formation, suggesting that they mediate contact-dependent Schwann cell signals to initiate node development [3]. To examine the potential role of Nr-CAM in this process, we treated myelinating cocultures of DRG (dorsal root ganglion) neurons and Schwann cells with an Nr-CAM-Fc (Nr-Fc) fusion protein. Nr-Fc had no effect on initial axon-Schwann cell interactions, including Schwann cell proliferation, or on the extent of myelination, but it strikingly and specifically inhibited Na+ channel and ankyrin G accumulation at the node. Nr-Fc bound directly to neurons and clustered and coprecipitated neurofascin expressed on axons. These results provide the first evidence that neurofascin plays a major role in the formation of nodes, possibly via interactions with Nr-CAM
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
On faint companions in the close environment of star-forming dwarf galaxies. Possible external star formation triggers ?
We have searched for companion galaxies in the close environment of 98
star-forming dwarf galaxies (SFDGs) from field and low density environments,
using the NASA Extragalactic Database. Most of the companions are dwarf
galaxies which due to observational selection effects were previously
disregarded in environmental studies of SFDGs. A subsample at low redshift,
cz<2000 km/s, was chosen to partially eliminate the observational bias against
distant dwarf companions. We find companion candidates for approximately 30% of
the objects within a projected linear separation s_p<100 kpc and a redshift
difference (Delta cz)<500 km/s. The limited completeness of the available data
sets, together with the non-negligible frequency of HI clouds in the vicinity
of SFDGs indicated by recent radio surveys, suggest that a considerably larger
fraction of these galaxies may be accompanied by low-mass systems. This casts
doubt on the hypothesis that the majority of them can be considered truly
isolated. The velocity differences between companion candidates and sample
SFDGs amount typically to (Delta cz)<250 km/s, and show a rising distribution
towards lower (Delta cz). This is similarly found for dwarf satellites of
spiral galaxies, suggesting a physical association between the companion
candidates and the sample SFDGs. SFDGs with a close companion do not show
significant differences in their Hbeta equivalent widths and B-V colours as
compared to isolated ones. However, the available data do not allow us to rule
out that interactions with close dwarf companions can influence the star
formation activity in SFDGs.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, to appear in A&A; also available at
http://www.uni-sw.gwdg.de/~knoeske/PUB_LIST/sfdg_comps.ps.g
The Motions of Clusters of Galaxies and the Dipoles of the Peculiar Velocity Field
In preceding papers of this series, TF relations for galaxies in 24 clusters
with radial velocities between 1000 and 9200 km/s (SCI sample) were obtained, a
Tully-Fisher (TF) template relation was constructed and mean offsets of each
cluster with respect to the template obtained. Here, an estimate of the
line-of-sight peculiar velocities of the clusters and their associated errors
are given. It is found that cluster peculiar velocities in the Cosmic Microwave
Background reference frame do not exceed 600 k/ms and that their distribution
has a line-of-sight dispersion of 300 k/ms, suggesting a more quiescent cluster
peculiar velocity field than previously reported. When measured in a reference
frame in which the Local Group is at rest, the set of clusters at cz > 3000
km/s exhibits a dipole moment in agreement with that of the CMB, both in
amplitude and apex direction. It is estimated that the bulk flow of a sphere of
6000 km/s radius in the CMB reference frame is between 140 and 320 km/s. These
results are in agreement with those obtained from an independent sample of
field galaxies (Giovanelli et al. 1998; see astro-ph/9807274)Comment: 9 pages, 2 tables, 7 figures, uses AAS LaTex; to appear in A
Emission-Line Galaxy Surveys as Probes of the Spatial Distribution of Dwarf Galaxies. I. The University of Michigan Survey
Objective-prism surveys which select galaxies on the basis of line-emission
are extremely effective at detecting low-luminosity galaxies and constitute
some of the deepest available samples of dwarfs. In this study, we confirm that
emission-line galaxies (ELGs) in the University of Michigan (UM)
objective-prism survey (MacAlpine et al. 1977-1981) are reliable tracers of
large-scale structure, and utilize the depth of the samples to examine the
spatial distribution of low-luminosity (M -18.0) dwarfs relative to
higher luminosity giant galaxies (M -18.0) in the Updated Zwicky
Catalogue (Falco et al. 1999). New spectroscopic data are presented for 26 UM
survey objects. We analyze the relative clustering properties of the overall
starbursting ELG and normal galaxy populations, using nearest neighbor and
correlation function statistics. This allows us to determine whether the
activity in ELGs is primarily caused by gravitational interactions. We conclude
that galaxy-galaxy encounters are not the sole cause of activity in ELGs since
ELGs tend to be more isolated and are more often found in the voids when
compared to their normal galaxy counterparts. Furthermore, statistical analyses
performed on low-luminosity dwarf ELGs show that the dwarfs are less clustered
when compared to their non-active giant neighbors. The UM dwarf samples have
greater percentages of nearest neighbor separations at large values and lower
correlation function amplitudes relative to the UZC giant galaxy samples. These
results are consistent with the expectations of galaxy biasing.Comment: 17 pages, 4 tables, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in the Ap
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