165 research outputs found
Discovery of a tidal dwarf galaxy in the Leo Triplet
We report discovery of a dwarf galaxy in the Leo Triplet. Analysis of the
neutral hydrogen distribution shows that it rotates independently of the tidal
tail of NGC 3628, with a radial velocity gradient of 35-40 km s over
approximately 13 kpc. The galaxy has a very high neutral gas content,
explaining large part of its total dynamic mass - suggesting small dark matter
content. As it is located at the tip of the gaseous tail, this strongly
suggests its tidal origin. Should it be the case, it would be one of the most
confident and closest (to the Milky Way) detections of a tidal dwarf galaxy
and, at the same time, a most detached from its parent galaxy (140
kpc) object of this type.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures; The Astrophysical Journal, in pres
A search for extended radio emission from selected compact galaxy groups
Context. Studies on compact galaxy groups have led to the conclusion that a
plenitude of phenomena take place in between galaxies that form them. However,
radio data on these objects are extremely scarce and not much is known
concerning the existence and role of the magnetic field in intergalactic space.
Aims. We aim to study a small sample of galaxy groups that look promising as
possible sources of intergalactic magnetic fields; for example data from radio
surveys suggest that most of the radio emission is due to extended, diffuse
structures in and out of the galaxies. Methods. We used the Effelsberg 100 m
radio telescope at 4.85 GHz and NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) data at 1.40 GHz.
After subtraction of compact sources we analysed the maps searching for
diffuse, intergalactic radio emission. Spectral index and magnetic field
properties were derived. Results. Intergalactic magnetic fields exist in groups
HCG 15 and HCG 60, whereas there are no signs of them in HCG 68. There are also
hints of an intergalactic bridge in HCG 44 at 4.85 GHz. Conclusions.
Intergalactic magnetic fields exist in galaxy groups and their energy density
may be comparable to the thermal (X-ray) density, suggesting an important role
of the magnetic field in the intra-group medium, wherever it is detected.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in A&
M82 - A radio continuum and polarisation study I. Data reduction and cosmic ray propagation
The potential role of magnetic fields and cosmic ray propagation for feedback
processes in the early Universe can be probed by studies of local starburst
counterparts with an equivalent star-formation rate. Archival data from the
WSRT was reduced and a new calibration technique introduced to reach the high
dynamic ranges needed for the complex source morphology of M82. This data was
combined with archival VLA data, yielding total power maps at 3cm, 6cm, 22cm
and 92cm. The data shows a confinement of the emission at wavelengths of 3/6cm
to the core region and a largely extended halo reaching up to 4kpc away from
the galaxy midplane at wavelengths of 22/92cm up to a sensitivity limit of
90muJy and 1.8mJy respectively. The results are used to calculate the magnetic
field strength in the core region to 98muG and to 24muG in the halo regions.
From the observation of free-free losses the filling factor of the ionised
medium could be estimated to 2%. We find that the radio emission from the core
region is dominated by very dense HII-regions and supernova remnants, while the
surrounding medium is filled with hot X-ray and neutral gas. Cosmic rays
radiating at frequencies higher than 1.4 GHz are suffering from high
synchrotron and inverse Compton losses in the core region and are not able to
reach the halo. Even the cosmic rays radiating at longer wavelengths are only
able to build up the observed kpc sized halo, when several starbursting periods
are assumed where the photon field density varies by an order of magnitude.
These findings together with the strong correlation between Halpha, PAH+, and
our radio continuum data suggests a magnetic field which is frozen into the
ionised medium and driven out of the galaxy kinematically.Comment: 17 pages, 17 figures, to be published in A&
BVR photometry of the resolved dwarf galaxy Ho IX
We present BVR CCD photometry down to limiting magnitude B=23.5 mag for 232
starlike objects and 11 diffuse objects in a 5.4' x 5.4' field of Ho IX. The
galaxy is a gas-rich irregular dwarf galaxy possibly very close to M 81, which
makes it especially interesting in the context of the evolution of satellite
galaxies and the accretion of dwarf galaxies. Investigations of Ho IX were
hampered by relatively large contradictions in the magnitude scale between
earlier studies. With our new photometry we resolved these discrepancies. The
color magnitude diagram (CMD) of Ho IX is fairly typical of a star-forming
dwarf irregular, consistent with earlier results. Distance estimates from our
new CMD are consistent with Ho IX being very close to M 81 and therefore being
a definite member of the M 81 group, apparently in very close physical
proximity to M 81.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, uses aa.cls, A&A in pres
Radio haloes in nearby galaxies modelled with 1D cosmic-ray transport using SPINNAKER
We present radio continuum maps of 12 nearby (), edge-on
(), late-type spiral galaxies mostly at and 5 GHz,
observed with the Australia Telescope Compact Array, Very Large Array,
Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope, Effelsberg 100-m and Parkes 64-m
telescopes. All galaxies show clear evidence of radio haloes, including the
first detection in the Magellanic-type galaxy NGC 55. In 11 galaxies, we find a
thin and a thick disc that can be better fitted by exponential rather than
Gaussian functions. We fit our SPINNAKER (SPectral INdex Numerical Analysis of
K(c)osmic-ray Electron Radio-emission) 1D cosmic-ray transport models to the
vertical model profiles of the non-thermal intensity and to the non-thermal
radio spectral index in the halo. We simultaneously fit for the advection speed
(or diffusion coefficient) and magnetic field scale height. In the thick disc,
the magnetic field scale heights range from 2 to 8 kpc with an average across
the sample of ; they show no correlation with either
star-formation rate (SFR), SFR surface density () or rotation
speed (). The advection speeds range from 100 to and display correlations of and
; they agree remarkably well with the
escape velocities (), which can be explained by
cosmic-ray driven winds. Radio haloes show the presence of disc winds in
galaxies with
that extend over several kpc and are driven by processes related to the
distributed star formation in the disc.Comment: 39 pages, 20 colour figures, 10 tables. Accepted by MNRA
Radio continuum observations of the Leo Triplet at 2.64 GHz
Aims. The magnetic fields of the member galaxies NGC 3628 and NGC 3627 show
morphological peculiarities, suggesting that interactions within the group may
be caused by stripping of the magnetic field. This process could supply the
intergalactic space with magnetised material, a scenario considered as a
possible source of intergalactic magnetic fields (as seen eg. in the Taffy
pairs of galaxies). Additionally, the plumes are likely to be the tidal dwarf
galaxy candidates.
Methods. We performed radio continuum mapping observations at 2.64 GHz using
the 100-m Effelsberg radio telescope. We obtained total power and polarised
intensity maps of the Triplet. These maps were analysed together with the
archive data, and the magnetic field strength (as well as the magnetic energy
density) was estimated.
Results. Extended emission was not detected either in the total power or the
polarised intensity maps. We obtained upper limits of the magnetic field
strength and the energy density of the magnetic field in the Triplet. We
detected emission from the easternmost clump and determined the strength of its
magnetic field. In addition, we measured integrated fluxes of the member
galaxies at 2.64 GHz and estimated their total magnetic field strengths.
Conclusions. We found that the tidal tail hosts a tidal dwarf galaxy
candidate that possesses a detectable magnetic field with a non-zero ordered
component. Extended radio continuum emission, if present, is weaker than the
reached confusion limit. The total magnetic field strength does not exceed 2.8
{\mu}G and the ordered component is lower than 1.6 {\mu}G.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in
Astronomy&Astrophysic
Star Formation in Sculptor Group Dwarf Irregular Galaxies and the Nature of "Transition" Galaxies
We present new H-alpha narrow band imaging of the HII regions in eight
Sculptor Group dwarf irregular (dI) galaxies. Comparing the Sculptor Group dIs
to the Local Group dIs, we find that the Sculptor Group dIs have, on average,
lower values of SFR when normalized to either galaxy luminosity or gas mass
(although there is considerable overlap between the two samples). The
properties of ``transition'' (dSph/dIrr) galaxies in Sculptor and the Local
Group are also compared and found to be similar. The transition galaxies are
typically among the lowest luminosities of the gas rich dwarf galaxies.
Relative to the dwarf irregular galaxies, the transition galaxies are found
preferentially nearer to spiral galaxies, and are found nearer to the center of
the mass distribution in the local cloud. While most of these systems are
consistent with normal dI galaxies which currently exhibit temporarily
interrupted star formation, the observed density-morphology relationship (which
is weaker than that observed for the dwarf spheroidal galaxies) indicates that
environmental processes such as ``tidal stirring'' may play a role in causing
their lower SFRs.Comment: 35 pages, 10 figures, accepted for Feb 2003 AJ, companion to
astro-ph/021117
Large-scale magnetized outflows from the Virgo Cluster spiral NGC 4569 : a galactic wind in a ram pressure wind
Using the Effelsberg radio telescope at 4.85 GHz and 8.35 GHz we
discovered large symmetric lobes of polarized radio emission around the
strongly H
A kinematic study of the irregular dwarf galaxy NGC 2366 using HI and Halpha observations
Abridged. Context. The metal content of dwarf galaxies and the metal
enrichment of the intergalactic medium both suggest that mass loss from
galaxies is a significant factor for the chemical evolution history of
galaxies, in particular of dwarf galaxies. However, no clear evidence of a
blow-away in local dwarf galaxies has been found so far.
Aims. We therefore performed a detailed kinematic analysis of the neutral and
ionised gas in the nearby star-forming irregular dwarf galaxy NGC 2366 in order
to make predictions about the fate of the gas and to get a more complete
picture of this galaxy.
Methods. A deep Halpha image and Fabry-Perot interferometric data of NGC 2366
were obtained. They were complemented by HI synthesis data from the THINGS
survey. We searched for line-splitting both in Halpha and HI by performing a
Gaussian decomposition. To get an idea whether the expansion velocities are
high enough for a gas blow-away, we used the pseudo-isothermal halo model,
which gives us realistic values for the escape velocities of NGC 2366. The good
data quality also allowed us to discuss some peculiarities of the morphology
and the dynamics in NGC 2366.
Results. A large red-shifted outflow north west of the giant extragalactic
HII region with an expansion velocity of up to 50 km/s is found in Halpha, but
not in HI. Additionally, a blue-shifted component north of the giant
extragalactic HII region was detected both in Halpha and HI with an expansion
velocity of up to 30 km/s. A comparison with the escape velocities of NGC 2366
reveals that the gas does not have enough kinetic energy to leave the
gravitational potential.Comment: 15 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication by A&
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