Detalles de publicación
PP 015018
VIMOS integral field spectroscopy of blue compact galaxies. I. Morphological properties, diagnostic emission-line ratios, and kinematics.
1) Institut für Astrophysik, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen. 2) Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias. 3) Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de la Laguna. 4) Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP).
Blue compact galaxies (BCG) are gas-rich, low-luminosity, low-metallicity
systems that undergo a violent burst of star formation. These galaxies offer
us a unique opportunity to investigate collective star formation and its
effects on galaxy evolution in a relatively simple environment. Spatially
resolved spectrophotometric studies of BCGs are essential for a better
understanding of the role of starburst-driven feedback processes on the
kinematical and chemical evolution of low-mass galaxies near and far.
We carried out an integral field spectroscopic study of a sample of BCGs, with
the aim of probing the morphology, kinematics, dust extinction, and excitation
mechanisms of their warm interstellar medium.
Eight BCGs were observed with the VIMOS integral field unit at the Very Large
Telescope using blue and orange grisms in high-resolution mode. At a spatial
sampling of 0.67" per spaxel, we covered about 30x30 arcsec on the sky, with a
wavelength range of 4150 to 7400 AA.
Emission lines were fitted with a single Gaussian profile to measure their
wavelength, flux, and width. From these data we built two-dimensional maps of
the continuum and the most prominent emission-lines, as well as diagnostic
line ratios, extinction, and kinematic maps.
An atlas has been produced with the following: emission-line fluxes and
continuum emission; ionization, interstellar extinction, and electron density
maps from line ratios; velocity and velocity dispersion fields. From
integrated spectroscopy, it includes tables of the extinction corrected line
fluxes and equivalent widths, diagnostic-line ratios, physical parameters,
and the abundances for the brightest star-forming knots and for the whole
galaxy.
systems that undergo a violent burst of star formation. These galaxies offer
us a unique opportunity to investigate collective star formation and its
effects on galaxy evolution in a relatively simple environment. Spatially
resolved spectrophotometric studies of BCGs are essential for a better
understanding of the role of starburst-driven feedback processes on the
kinematical and chemical evolution of low-mass galaxies near and far.
We carried out an integral field spectroscopic study of a sample of BCGs, with
the aim of probing the morphology, kinematics, dust extinction, and excitation
mechanisms of their warm interstellar medium.
Eight BCGs were observed with the VIMOS integral field unit at the Very Large
Telescope using blue and orange grisms in high-resolution mode. At a spatial
sampling of 0.67" per spaxel, we covered about 30x30 arcsec on the sky, with a
wavelength range of 4150 to 7400 AA.
Emission lines were fitted with a single Gaussian profile to measure their
wavelength, flux, and width. From these data we built two-dimensional maps of
the continuum and the most prominent emission-lines, as well as diagnostic
line ratios, extinction, and kinematic maps.
An atlas has been produced with the following: emission-line fluxes and
continuum emission; ionization, interstellar extinction, and electron density
maps from line ratios; velocity and velocity dispersion fields. From
integrated spectroscopy, it includes tables of the extinction corrected line
fluxes and equivalent widths, diagnostic-line ratios, physical parameters,
and the abundances for the brightest star-forming knots and for the whole
galaxy.