HS 0837+4717 – a metal-deficient blue compact galaxy with large nitrogen excess

Abstract

(Abridged) We present the results of high S/N long-slit spectroscopy with the Multiple Mirror and the SAO 6-m telescopes, optical imaging with the Wise 1-m telescope and HI observations with the Nancay Radio Telescope of the very metal-deficient (12+log(O/H)=7.64) luminous (M_B=-18.1) blue compact galaxy (BCG) HS 0837+4717. The blue bump near lambda4650, characteristic of WR stars is detected in the central supergiant HII region, as well as the barely seen red bump at lambda5808. The derived number of WR stars in the region of the current starburst is ~1000. Evidence for fast motions in this region is also seen as broad, low-contrast components in the Ha, Hb and strong [OIII] lines. While the extinction of the narrow emission lines from the supergiant HII region is low, the very large Balmer decrement of the broad components suggests that the part of current starburst is highly obscured by dust. Abundance ratios X/O for X=Ne, Ar, S, Fe and Cl in the supergiant HII region are in good agreement with the mean values of other BCGs. Nitrogen, however, is overabundant by a factor of ~6. This implies an unusually efficient N enrichment in HS 0837+4717, and probably, a non-typical evolution scenario. The Ha-line Position--Velocity diagrams for directions approximately along the major and minor axes reveal disturbed motions of the ionized gas. The SW part of the major axis P--V diagram looks like a rotation curve, with V_rot ~50--70 km/s at r=4.3 kpc. Its NE part displays, however, strong deviations, indicating either counter-rotation, or strong outflow/supershell. The overall BCG morphology is highly disturbed. With a double-nucleus structure, disturbed velocities of ionized gas, and the very high power of the starburst this suggests a possible explanation of the object as a recent merger.