1 research outputs found
MIGHTEE-\HI: Possible interactions with the galaxy NGC~895
The transformation and evolution of a galaxy is strongly influenced by
interactions with its environment. Neutral hydrogen (\HI) is an excellent way
to trace these interactions. Here, we present \HI\ observations of the spiral
galaxy NGC~895, which was previously thought to be isolated. High-sensitivity
\HI\ observations from the MeerKAT large survey project MIGHTEE reveal possible
interaction features, such as extended spiral arms, and the two newly
discovered \HI\ companions, that drive us to change the narrative that it is an
isolated galaxy. We combine these observations with deep optical images from
the Hyper Suprime Camera to show an absence of tidal debris between NGC 895 and
its companions. We do find an excess of light in the outer parts of the
companion galaxy MGTHJ022138.1-052631 which could be an indication of
external perturbation and thus possible sign of interactions. Our analysis
shows that NGC~895 is an actively star-forming galaxy with a SFR of
, a value typical for high stellar mass
galaxies on the star forming main sequence. It is reasonable to state that
different mechanisms may have contributed to the observed features in NGC~895
and this emphasizes the need to revisit the target with more detailed
observations. Our work shows the high potential and synergy of using
state-of-the-art data in both \HI\ and optical to reveal a more complete
picture of galaxy environments.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA