Irregular Galaxies Research Articles

Stability of galaxies across morphological sequence

ABSTRACT We investigate the stability of nearby disc galaxies and galaxies at redshift (z) equal to 4.5. We explore the connection between the stability parameter (QRW), star formation rate (SFR), gas fraction (fGas), and the time-scale for growth of gravitational instabilities (τ). We find that, despite differences in morphology 91 per cent of the nearby galaxies have a minimum value of stability parameter ($Q^{Min}_{RW}$) greater than 1 indicating stability against the growth of axisymmetric instabilities. The spirals in our sample have higher median star formation rate, lower median QRW, a lower fGas and small time scale for growth of gravitational instabilities than irregular galaxies. We find that the gravitational instabilities in spirals convert a large fraction of gas into stars quickly, depleting the gas reservoirs. On the other hand, star formation occurs more gradually over longer time-scales in irregulars with a higher gas fraction. We then compare the stability of the nearby galaxies with galaxies at $z\, =\, 4.5$. We find that net stability levels in the nearby galaxies and the galaxies at $z\, =\, 4.5$ are primarily driven by the stellar disc suggesting the presence of an inherent mechanism that self-regulates the stability. Finally, upon removing the contribution of the dark matter to the total potential, the median QRW for the nearby galaxies and galaxies at $z \, = \, 4.5$ remains unchanged indicating that the baryons can self-regulate the stability levels, at least in a statistical sense.

Searching for TeV Dark Matter in Irregular Dwarf Galaxies with HAWC Observatory

We present the results of dark matter (DM) searches in a sample of 31 dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxies within the field of view of the HAWC Observatory. dIrr galaxies are DM-dominated objects in which astrophysical gamma-ray emission is estimated to be negligible with respect to the secondary gamma-ray flux expected by annihilation or decay of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). While we do not see any statistically significant DM signal in dIrr galaxies, we present the exclusion limits (95% C.L.) for annihilation cross section and decay lifetime for WIMP candidates with masses between 1 and 100 TeV. Exclusion limits from dIrr galaxies are relevant and complementary to benchmark dwarf Spheroidal (dSph) galaxies. In fact, dIrr galaxies are targets kinematically different from benchmark dSph, preserving the footprints of different evolution histories. We compare the limits from dIrr galaxies to those from ultrafaint and classical dSph galaxies previously observed with HAWC. We find that the constraints are comparable to the limits from classical dSph galaxies and ∼2 orders of magnitude weaker than the ultrafaint dSph limits.

CEERS Key Paper. III. The Diversity of Galaxy Structure and Morphology at z = 3–9 with JWST

We present a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of the morphological and structural properties of a large sample of galaxies at z = 3–9 using early James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) CEERS NIRCam observations. Our sample consists of 850 galaxies at z > 3 detected in both Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/WFC3 and CEERS JWST/NIRCam images, enabling a comparison of HST and JWST morphologies. We conduct a set of visual classifications, with each galaxy in the sample classified three times. We also measure quantitative morphologies across all NIRCam filters. We find that galaxies at z > 3 have a wide diversity of morphologies. Galaxies with disks make up 60% of galaxies at z = 3, and this fraction drops to ∼30% at z = 6–9, while galaxies with spheroids make up ∼30%–40% across the redshift range, and pure spheroids with no evidence for disks or irregular features make up ∼20%. The fraction of galaxies with irregular features is roughly constant at all redshifts (∼40%–50%), while those that are purely irregular increases from ∼12% to ∼20% at z > 4.5. We note that these are apparent fractions, as many observational effects impact the visibility of morphological features at high redshift. On average, Spheroid-only galaxies have a higher Sérsic index, smaller size, and higher axis ratio than disk or irregular galaxies. Across all redshifts, smaller spheroid and disk galaxies tend to be rounder. Overall, these trends suggest that galaxies with established disks and spheroids exist across the full redshift range of this study, and further work with large samples at higher redshift is needed to quantify when these features first formed.

The Isaac Newton Telescope Monitoring Survey of Local Group Dwarf Galaxies. V. The Star Formation History of Sagittarius Dwarf Irregular Galaxy Derived from Long-period Variable Stars

We conducted an optical monitoring survey of the Sagittarius dwarf irregular galaxy (SagDIG) during the period of 2016 June–2017 October, using the 2.5 m Isaac Newton Telescopeat La Palama. Our goal was to identify long-period variable stars (LPVs), namely, asymptotic giant branch stars (AGBs) and red supergiant stars, to obtain the star formation history of isolated, metal-poor SagDIG. For our purpose, we used a method that relies on evaluating the relation between luminosity and the birth mass of these most evolved stars. We found 27 LPV candidates within 2 half-light radii of SagDIG. 10 LPV candidates were in common with previous studies, including one extreme-AGB (x-AGB). By adopting the metallicity Z = 0.0002 for older populations and Z = 0.0004 for younger ages, we estimated that the star formation rate changes from 0.0005 ± 0.0002 M ⊙ yr−1 kpc−2 (13 Gyr ago) to 0.0021 ± 0.0010 M ⊙ yr−1 kpc−2 (0.06 Gyr ago). Like many dwarf irregular galaxies, SagDIG has had continuous star formation activity across its lifetime, though with different rates, and experiences an enhancement of star formation since z ≃ 1. We also evaluated the total stellar mass within 2 half-light radii of SagDIG for three choices of metallicities. For metallicity Z = 0.0002 and 0.0004, we estimated the stellar mass M* = (5.4 ± 2.3) × 106 and (3.0 ± 1.3) × 106 M ⊙, respectively. Additionally, we determined a distance modulus of μ = 25.27 ± 0.05 mag, using the tip of the red giant branch.

Fraction of stars in clusters for the LEGUS dwarf galaxies

ABSTRACT We study the young star cluster populations in 23 dwarf and irregular galaxies observed by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Legacy ExtraGalactic Ultraviolet Survey (LEGUS), and examine relationships between the ensemble properties of the cluster populations and those of their host galaxies: star formation rate (SFR) density (ΣSFR). A strength of this analysis is the availability of SFRs measured from temporally resolved star formation histories that provide the means to match cluster and host galaxy properties on several time-scales (1–10, 1–100, and 10–100 Myr). Nevertheless, studies of this kind are challenging for dwarf galaxies due to the small numbers of clusters in each system. We mitigate these issues by combining the clusters across different galaxies with similar ΣSFR properties. We find good agreement with a well-established relationship ($M_{V}^{\mathrm{ brightest}}$–SFR), but find no significant correlations between ΣSFR and the slopes of the cluster luminosity function, mass function, nor the age distribution. We also find no significant trend between the fraction of stars in bound clusters at different age ranges (Γ1–10, Γ10–100, and Γ1–100) and ΣSFR of the host galaxy. Our data show a decrease in Γ over time (from 1–10 to 10–100 Myr) suggesting early cluster dissolution, though the presence of unbound clusters in the youngest time bin makes it difficult to quantify the degree of dissolution. While our data do not exhibit strong correlations between ΣSFR and ensemble cluster properties, we cannot rule out that a weak trend might exist given the relatively large uncertainties due to low number statistics and the limited ΣSFR range probed.

Search for LBVs in the Local Volume galaxies: study of two stars in NGC 1156

ABSTRACT We continue the search for luminous blue variables (LBVs) in Local Volume galaxies in order to study their fundamental parameters. In this paper, we report the discovery of two new LBVs in the dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 1156. Both stars exhibit spectral variability simultaneously with strong brightness variations: ΔRc = 0.84 ± 0.23m for J025941.21+251412.2 and ΔRc = 2.59 ± 0.10m for J025941.54+251421.8. The bolometric luminosities of the stars are in the range of LBol ≈ (0.8–1.6) × 106 L⊙. These values are corrected for reddening AV ≈ 0.9 and are given for the distance to the galaxy D = 7.0 ± 0.4 Mpc, which we have measured by the tip of the red-giant branch method. Both stars are above the Humphreys–Davidson limit in the region of relatively low temperatures, Teff ≲ 10 kK, on the temperature–luminosity diagram. J025941.54+251421.8 had a temperature below the hydrogen ionization threshold at maximum brightness, exhibiting behaviour very similar to that of the known LBV R71 during its 2012 outburst. We have estimated the masses of the detected LBVs and studied the properties of their stellar environment. We discuss our results within the framework of both a single star and a binary system evolution scenario for LBVs.

Peekaboo: the extremely metal poor dwarf galaxy HIPASS J1131-31

ABSTRACT The dwarf irregular galaxy HIPASS J1131-31 was discovered as a source of HI emission at low redshift in such close proximity of a bright star that we call it Peekaboo. The galaxy resolves into stars in images with Hubble Space Telescope, leading to a distance estimate of 6.8 ± 0.7 Mpc. Spectral optical observations with the Southern African Large Telescope reveal HIPASS J1131-31 to be one of the most extremely metal-poor galaxies known with the gas-phase oxygen abundance 12 + log(O/H) = 6.99 ± 0.16 dex via the direct [O iii] 4363 line method and 6.87 ± 0.07 dex from the two strong line empirical methods. The red giant branch of the system is tenuous compared with the prominence of the features of young populations in the colour-magnitude diagram, inviting speculation that star formation in the galaxy only began in the last few Gyr.

Chemical abundances in the dwarf galaxy NGC 4163 based on the nebular and auroral emission lines

AbstractWe constructed an oxygen abundance map and N/O ratio map of the unusually low excitation dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 4163 based on publicly available spectroscopy obtained by the MaNGA survey. We detected auroral emission line [O II]7320,7330 which allows us to measure chemical abundance by direct method. We found that the scatter of the oxygen abundance derived by the strong line method is large. The oxygen abundances 12 + log(O/H) derived by strong line method vary from to with a mean value of . The oxygen abundances derived in two apertures of 2 arcseconds by the direct method using our measurements of the auroral line is about 7.8 dex. The nitrogen‐to‐oxygen ratio of about −1.5 is typical value for a low metallicity galaxy, maybe slightly shifted towards higher N/O ratios with respect to the N/O values in the H II regions in nearby galaxies. An unusual negative trend between (N/O) and oxygen abundance is detected. NGC 4163 is a gas‐poor galaxy with a neutral atomic gas mass fraction of around 0.25. The oxygen abundance in the galaxy is only around 0.1 of the oxygen abundance potentially attainable in a galaxy with such a gas mass fraction. The low metallicity coupled with the low gas mass fraction implies that either the metallicity of the interstellar medium of the galaxy was reduced by pristine gas infall in the recent epoch or the evolution of this galaxy was accompanied by strong galactic winds.

Red Supergiant Stars in IC 1613 and Metallicity-dependent Mixing Length in the Evolutionary Model

We report a spectroscopic study on red supergiant stars (RSGs) in the irregular dwarf galaxy IC 1613 in the Local Group. We derive the effective temperatures (T eff) and metallicities of 14 RSGs by synthetic spectral fitting to the spectra observed with the MMIRS instrument on the MMT telescope for a wavelength range from 1.16 to 1.23 μm. A weak bimodal distribution of the RSG metallicity centered on [Fe/H] = −0.65 is found, which is slightly lower than or comparable to that of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). There is no evidence for spatial segregation between the metal-rich ([Fe/H] > −0.65) and -poor ([Fe/H] < −0.65) RSGs throughout the galaxy. The mean effective temperature of our RSG sample in IC 1613 is higher by about 250 K than that of the SMC. However, no correlation between T eff and metallicity within our RSG sample is found. We calibrate the convective mixing length (α MLT) by comparing stellar evolutionary tracks with the RSG positions on the H-R diagram, finding that models with α MLT = 2.2–2.4H P can best reproduce the effective temperatures of the RSGs in IC 1613 for both Schwarzschild and Ledoux convection criteria. This result supports our previous finding that a metallicity-dependent mixing length is needed to explain the RSG temperatures observed in the Local Group, but we find that this dependence becomes relatively weak for RSGs having a metallicity equal to or less than the SMC metallicity.

The SCUBA-2 Cosmology Legacy Survey: the EGS deep field – III. The evolution of faint submillimetre galaxies atz&amp;lt; 4

ABSTRACTWe present a demographic analysis of the physical and morphological properties of $450/850~\mu \rm m$-selected galaxies from the deep observations of the SCUBA-2 Cosmology Legacy Survey in the Extended Groth Strip that are detected below the classical submillimetre-galaxy regime ($S_{850\, \mu \rm m}\lesssim 6~\rm mJy$ beam−1) and compare them with a sample of optically selected star-forming galaxies detected in the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey in the same field. We derive the evolution of the main sequence of star-forming galaxies, finding a steeper specific star formation rate versus stellar mass at z &amp;gt; 2.5 than previous studies. Most faint submillimetre-galaxies fall within 3σ of the main sequence, but 40 per cent are classified as starbursts. Faint submillimetre galaxies have 50 per cent larger sizes at 2 &amp;lt; z &amp;lt; 3 than optically selected star-forming galaxies of the same mass range. This is also the redshift bin where we find the largest fraction of starbursts, and hence we could be witnessing merging processes, as confirmed by the preference for visual-morphology classifications of these systems as irregular disc galaxies and mergers. Both populations show an increment towards lower redshifts (z &amp;lt; 2) of their concentration in H-band morphology, but faint submillimetre galaxies on average show larger concentration values at later times. These findings support the claim that faint submillimetre galaxies are mostly a population of massive dust-obscured disc-like galaxies that develop larger bulge components at later epochs. While the similarities are great, the median sizes, starburst numbers, and H-band concentration of faint submillimetre galaxies differ from those of optically selected star-forming galaxies of the same stellar mass.

Chemical composition of the young massive cluster NGC 1569-B

Context.The chemical composition of young massive clusters (YMCs) provides stellar population information on their host galaxy. As potential precursors of globular clusters (GCs), their properties can help us understand the origins of GCs and their evolution.Aims.We present a detailed chemical abundance analysis of the YMC NGC 1569-B. The host galaxy, NGC 1569, is a dwarf irregular starburst galaxy at a distance of 3.36 ± 0.20 Mpc. We derive the abundances of theα, Fe-peak, and heavy elements.Methods.We determined the abundance ratios from the analysis of an optical integrated-light (IL) spectrum of NGC 1569-B, obtained with the HIRES echelle spectrograph on the Keck I telescope. We considered different red-to-blue supergiant ratios (NRSG/NBSG), namely: the ratio obtained from a theoretical isochrone (NRSG/NBSG = 1.24), the ratio obtained from a resolved colour–magnitude diagram of the YMC (NRSG/NBSG = 1.53), and the ratio that minimises theχ2when comparing our model spectra with the observations (NRSG/NBSG = 1.90). We adopted the latter ratio for our resulting chemical abundances.Results.The derived iron abundance is sub-solar with [Fe/H] = −0.74 ± 0.05. In relation to the scaled solar composition, we find enhancedα-element abundances, [⟨Mg, Si, Ca, Ti⟩/Fe]= + 0.25 ± 0.11, with a particularly high Ti abundance of +0.49 ± 0.05. Other super-solar elements include [Cr/Fe] = +0.50 ± 0.11, [Sc/Fe] = +0.78 ± 0.20, and [Ba/Fe] = +1.28 ± 0.14, while other Fe-peak elements are close to scaled solar abundances: ([Mn/Fe] = −0.22 ± 0.12 and [Ni/Fe] = +0.13 ± 0.11).Conclusions.The composition of NGC 1569-B resembles the stellar populations of the YMC NGC 1705-1, located in a blue compact dwarf galaxy. The two YMCs agree with regard toα-elements and the majority of the Fe-peak elements, except for Sc and Ba, which are extremely super-solar in NGC 1569-B – and higher than in any YMC studied so far. The blue part of the optical spectrum of a young population is still a very challenging wavelength region to analyse using IL spectroscopic studies. This is due to the uncertain contribution to the light from blue supergiant stars, which can be difficult to disentangle from turn-off stars, even when resolved photometry is available. We suggest that the comparison of model fits at different wavelengths offers a route to determining the red-to-blue supergiant ratio from IL spectroscopy.

Classification of gamma-ray targets for velocity-dependent and subhalo-boosted dark-matter annihilation

Gamma-ray observations have long been used to constrain the properties of dark matter (DM), with a strong focus on weakly interacting massive particles annihilating through velocity-independent processes. However, in the absence of clear-cut observational evidence for the simplest candidates, the interest of the community in more complex DM scenarios involving a velocity-dependent cross-section has been growing steadily over the past few years. We present the first systematic study of velocity-dependent DM annihilation (in particular p-wave annihilation and Sommerfeld enhancement) in a variety of astrophysical objects, not only including the well-studied Milky Way dwarf satellite galaxies, but nearby dwarf irregular galaxies and local galaxy clusters as well. Particular attention is given to the interplay between velocity dependence and DM halo substructure. Uncertainties related to halo mass, phase-space and substructure modelling are also discussed in this velocity-dependent context. We show that, for s-wave annihilation, extremely large subhalo boost factors are to be expected, up to 1011 in clusters and up to 106–107 in dwarf galaxies where subhalos are usually assumed not to play an important role. Boost factors for p-wave annihilation are smaller but can still reach 103 in clusters. The angular extension of the DM signal is also significantly impacted, with e.g. the cluster typical emission radius increasing by a factor of order 10 in the s-wave case. We also compute the signal contrast of the objects in our sample with respect to annihilation happening in the Milky Way halo. Overall, we find that the hierarchy between the brightest considered targets depends on the specific details of the assumed particle-physics model.

Aging of galaxies along the morphological sequence, marked by bulge growth and disk quenching

Aims. We revisit the color bimodality of galaxies using the extensive EFIGI morphological classification of nearby galaxies. Methods. The galaxy profiles from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) gri images were decomposed as a bulge and a disk by controlled profile modeling with the Euclid SourceXtractor++ software. The spectral energy distributions from our resulting gri SDSS photometry complemented with Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) NUV photometry were fitted with the ZPEG software and PEGASE.2 templates in order to estimate the stellar masses and specific star formation rates (sSFR) of whole galaxies as well as their bulge and disk components. Results. The absolute NUV−r color versus stellar mass diagram shows a continuous relationship between the present sSFR of galaxies and their stellar mass, which spans all morphological types of the Hubble sequence monotonously. Irregular galaxies to intermediate-type Sab spirals make up the “Blue Cloud” across 4 orders of magnitude in stellar mass but a narrow range of sSFR. This mass build-up of spiral galaxies requires major mergers, in agreement with their frequently perturbed isophotes. At high mass, the Blue Cloud leads to the “Green Plain”, dominated by S0a and Sa early-type spirals. It was formerly called the “Green Valley”, due to its low density, but we rename it because of its wide stretch and nearly flat density over ∼2 mag in NUV−r color (hence sSFR), despite a limited range of stellar mass (1 order of magnitude). The Green Plain links up the “Red Sequence”, containing all lenticular and elliptical galaxies with a 2 order of magnitude mass interval, and systematically higher masses for the ellipticals. We confirm that the Green Plain cannot be studied using u − r optical colors because it is overlayed by the Red Sequence, hence NUV data are necessary. Galaxies across the Green Plain undergo a marked growth by a factor 2 to 3 in their bulge-to-total mass ratio and a systematic profile change from pseudo to classical bulges, as well as a significant reddening due to star formation fading in their disks. The Green Plain is also characterized by a maximum stellar mass of 1011.7 M⊙ beyond which only elliptical galaxies exist, hence supporting the scenario of ellipticals partly forming by major mergers of massive disk galaxies. Conclusions. The EFIGI attributes indicate that dynamical processes (spiral arms and isophote distortions) contribute to the scatter of the Main Sequence of star-forming galaxies (Blue Cloud), via the enhancement of star formation (flocculence, HII regions). The significant bulge growth across the Green Plain confirms that it is a transition region, and excludes a predominantly quick transit due to rapid quenching. The high frequency of bars for all spirals as well as the stronger spiral arms and flocculence in the knee of the Green Plain suggest that internal dynamics, likely triggered by flybys or (mainly minor) mergers, may be the key to the bulge growth of massive disk galaxies, which is a marker of the aging of galaxies from star forming to quiescence. The Hubble sequence can then be considered as an inverse sequence of galaxy physical evolution.

The H i gas disc thickness of the ultra-diffuse galaxy AGC 242019

ABSTRACT Ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) are as faint as dwarf galaxies but whose sizes are similar to those of spiral galaxies. A variety of formation mechanisms have been proposed, some of which could result in different disc thicknesses. In this study, we measure the radial profile of the H i scale height (hg) and flaring angle (hg/R) of AGC 242019 through the joint Poisson–Boltzmann equation based on its well spatially-resolved H i gas maps. The mean H i scale height of AGC 242019 is $\langle h_{\rm g}\rangle \approx 537.15 \pm 89.4\,{\rm pc}$, and the mean flaring angle is $\langle h_{\rm g}/R \rangle\approx 0.19 \pm 0.03$. As a comparison, we also derive the disc thickness for a sample of 14 dwarf irregulars. It is found that the H i disc of AGC 242019 has comparable thickness to dwarfs. This suggests that AGC 242019 is unlikely to experience much stronger stellar feedback than dwarf galaxies, which otherwise leads to a thicker disc for this galaxy.

On the Dwarf Irregular Galaxy NGC 6822. I. Young, Intermediate, and Old Stellar Populations

We present accurate and deep multiband (g, r, i) photometry of the Local Group dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 6822. The images were collected with wide-field cameras at 2 m/4 m (INT, CTIO, CFHT) and 8 m class telescopes (Subaru) covering a 2 deg2 field of view across the center of the galaxy. We performed point-spread function photometry of ≈7000 CCD images, and the final catalog includes more than 1 million objects. We developed a new approach to identify candidate field and galaxy stars and performed a new estimate of the galaxy center by using old stellar tracers, finding that it differs by 1.′15 (R.A.) and 1.′53 (decl.) from previous estimates. We also found that young (main sequence, red supergiants), intermediate (red clump, asymptotic giant branch (AGB)), and old (red giant branch) stars display different radial distributions. The old stellar population is spherically distributed and extends to radial distances larger than previously estimated (∼1°). The young population shows a well-defined bar and a disk-like distribution, as suggested by radio measurements, that is off-center compared with the old population. We discuss pros and cons of the different diagnostics adopted to identify AGB stars and develop new ones based on optical–near-IR–mid-IR color–color diagrams to characterize oxygen- and carbon-rich stars. We found a mean population ratio between carbon and M-type (C/M) stars of 0.67 ± 0.08 (optical/near-IR/mid-IR), and we used the observed C/M ratio with empirical C/M–metallicity relations to estimate a mean iron abundance of [Fe/H] ∼ −1.25 (σ = 0.04 dex), which agrees quite well with literature estimates.

A kinematical study of the dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 1569 and its supernova remnants

ABSTRACT We present Fabry-Pérot observations in the H α and [S ii] lines to study the kinematics of the Magellanic-type dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 1569, these observations allowed us to compute the H α velocity field of this galaxy. Doing a detailed analysis of the velocity along the line of sight and H α velocity profiles, we identified the origin of most of the motions in the innermost parts of the galaxy and discarded the possibility of deriving a rotation curve that traces the gravitational well of the galaxy. We analysed the kinematics of the ionized gas around 31 supernova remnants previously detected in NGC 1569 by other authors, in optical and radio emission. We found that the H α velocity profiles of the supernova remnants are complex indicating the presence of shocks. Fitting these profiles with several Gaussian functions, we computed their expansion velocities which rank from 87 to 188 km s−1 confirming they are supernova remnants. Also, we determined the physical properties such as electron density, mechanical energy, and kinematic age for 30 of the 31 supernova remnants and found they are in the radiative phase with an energy range from 1 to 39 × 1050 erg s−1 and an age from 2.3 to 8.9 × 104 yr. Finally, we estimated the Surface Brightness–Diameter (Σ–D) relation for NGC 1569 and obtained a slope β = 1.26 ± 0.2, comparable with the β value obtained for supernova remnants in galaxies M31 and M33.

Photometry and kinematics of extragalactic star-forming complexes

Abstract We investigate spectral and photometric properties of extragalactic star-forming complexes (SFCs). The SFCs were selected in 17 nearby galaxies of a spiral or irregular type, having inclinations less than 45° and distances less than 15 Mpc. To identify SFCs, we developed a method based on matching sources of emission at 160 μ m 160\hspace{0.33em}{\rm{\mu }}{\rm{m}} (cold dust) and 8 μ m 8\hspace{0.33em}{\rm{\mu }}{\rm{m}} (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). Using photometry in different spectral bands, correlations between SFC properties for spiral and irregular galaxies were considered. Spectral and kinematic analysis was carried out for several SFCs, and a method to detect gas motion patterns in these SFCs was suggested.

Recent star formation history of the dwarf irregular galaxy Leo A

Context.Leo A is a gas-rich dwarf irregular galaxy of low stellar mass and metallicity. Its star formation history extends up to ∼10 Gyr. A few prominent H II regions indicate that star formation processes are active in the galaxy to this day. In the present epoch, Leo A is a highly isolated galaxy, which allows for it to be studied in a self-propagating star formation regime. Aims. Our aim is to study the recent star formation history of the Leo A galaxy over the last ∼300 Myr. Methods. We analysed populations of main sequence (MS) and blue helium-burning (BHeB – ‘blue loop’) stars using multi-colour photometry data obtained with the Subaru/Suprime-Cam (B, V, R, I, Hα) and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys (F475W and F814W) cameras. We made use of colour-magnitude diagrams and stellar isochrones to determine individual ages of the BHeB stars, which enabled us to study the spatial distribution of these stars in different age bins. In addition, we used Hα emission and H I column density maps to study the relationship between young stellar populations and the surrounding interstellar medium. Results. We found that significant differences are visible in the morphology of stellar distributions represented by the BHeB and MS stars of different ages. We also studied a well-known H I hole in the Leo A galaxy and found that there is a noticeable difference in the surface number density of stars in the western and eastern parts of the hole. The bright young (&lt; 20 Myr) MS stars residing in the western part of the hole indicate the recent star-forming activity in this region after the quiescent period of ∼300 Myr. Furthermore, there is a shock front (prominent in Hα) that closely resembles the shape of the western edge of the H I hole. This shock front could have been formed by the combined stellar feedback from the young MS stars or a Type II supernova located within the H I hole. Additionally, an analysis of the Suprime-Cam photometry in Hα and R passbands enabled us to identify 17 stars with a prominent Hα emission (Hα − R ≤ −0.06) which indicate the presence of early-type (Be, B[e], or A-shell) emission-line stars in the Leo A galaxy.

The Smallest Scale of Hierarchy Survey (SSH) – II. Extended star formation and bar-like features in the dwarf galaxy NGC 3741: recent merger or ongoing gas accretion?

ABSTRACTUsing Large Binocular Telescope deep imaging data from the Smallest Scale of Hierarchy Survey (SSH) and archival Hubble Space Telescope data, we reveal the presence of two elongated stellar features contiguous to a bar-like stellar structure in the inner regions of the dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 3741. These structures are dominated by stars younger than a few hundred Myr and collectively are about twice as extended as the old stellar component. These properties are very unusual for dwarf galaxies in the nearby Universe and difficult to explain by hydro-dynamical simulations. From the analysis of archival 21-cm observations, we find that the young stellar ‘bar’ coincides with an H i high-density region proposed by previous studies to be a purely gaseous bar; we furthermore confirm radial motions of a few km s−1, compatible with an inflow/outflow, and derive a steeply rising rotation curve and high H i surface density at the centre, indicating a very concentrated mass distribution. We propose that the peculiar properties of the stellar and gaseous components of NGC 3741 may be explained by a recent merger or ongoing gas accretion from the intergalactic medium, which caused gas inflows towards the galaxy centre and triggered star formation a few hundred Myr ago. This event may explain the young and extended stellar features, the bar-like structure, the very extended H i disc and the central H i spiral arms. The high central H i density and the steeply rising rotation curve suggest that NGC 3741 may be the progenitor or the descendant of a starburst dwarf.

Off-centering of the disk in the halo potential and the kinematic lopsidedness in the dwarf irregular galaxy WLM

In this work, to investigate the dynamical nature of the kinematic asymmetry in the isolated gas-rich dwarf irregular galaxy W LM in the Local Group, we consider that the dark matter halo and the disk do not have the same center of mass (i.e., the disk lies off-center in the potential of the extended dark matter halo), which is one of the possible physical explanations for the kinematic lopsidedness. To do so, we generate a lopsided halo potential by considering two dark matter mass density models, ISO and Burkert, and we add up the contribution to the rotation curve of a perturbation term [Formula: see text] in the gravitational potential, which arises from the offset between the disk and the dark matter halo. We show that such an m = 1 perturbation improves the rotation curve modeling when compared to a non-perturbed potential and the shape of the HI gas rotation curves is fitted better in the approaching side if the perturbation term in the halo potential is taken into account for this galaxy dynamics. In fact, displacing the disk center by 0.1 kpc from the halo center is sufficient to provide such an improvement in modeling the rotation curve.