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The Astrophysical Journal
Article . 1997 . Peer-reviewed
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Nearby Young Dwarf Galaxies: Primordial Gas and Lyα Emission

Authors: Trinh X. Thuan; Yuri I. Izotov;

Nearby Young Dwarf Galaxies: Primordial Gas and Lyα Emission

Abstract

We present Hubble Space Telescope UV spectrophotometry of three extremely metal-deficient blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxies, SBS 0335-052 (Z ~ Z☉/40), Tol 65 (Z ~ Z☉/24), and T1214-277 (Z ~ Z☉/23). Broad damped Lyα absorption is seen in the first two BCDs. For SBS 0335-052, the H I column density derived by fitting the Lyα absorption profile is N(H I) = (7.0 ± 0.5) × 1021 cm-2, which is the highest H I column density derived thus far for a BCD and which is ~2 times larger than that in I Zw 18. As for Tol 65, N(H I) = (2.5 ± 1.0) × 1021 cm-2, which is also in the high range of H I column densities derived for BCDs and which is only ~1.4 times smaller than that in I Zw 18. The interstellar absorption line O I λ1302 has also been detected in both galaxies. Comparison with high-resolution quasar spectra implies that in SBS 0335-052, the O I λ1302 line, along with other heavy element interstellar absorption lines such as Si II λ1304 and S II λ1251, λ1254, and λ1259, are not saturated, which allows us to derive abundances. Assuming that these lines originate in the H I gas, we derive abundances of oxygen, silicon, and sulfur, respectively, as 37,000, 4000, and 116 times lower than the solar values. The oxygen abundance is a whole 37 times lower than in the neutral gas of I Zw 18. However, these highly discrepant deficiency factors of different elements suggest that the absorption lines are produced, not in the H I, but in the H II gas. Adopting that hypothesis, the derived abundances from the UV absorption lines are then consistent with that derived from the optical emission lines (Z ~ Z☉/40). The conclusion that the heavy element absorption lines originate in the H II region is supported by the detection of several systems of blueshifted S II λ1259, Si II λ1260, O I λ1302, Si II λ1304, and C II λ1335 absorption lines originating in fast-moving clouds with velocities up to ~1500 km s-1 and also by the presence of heavy element absorption lines with excited lower levels. If this conclusion holds, then the H I cloud in SBS 0335-052 is truly primordial, unpolluted by heavy elements. This would alleviate the need for postulating previous enrichment by widespread Population III stars and poses the problem of how such a cloud could last for a Hubble time without making stars before the present epoch. Because the O I λ1302 is likely to be saturated in Tol 65, we could derive only a lower limit for the oxygen abundance, ~6000 times lower than the solar value. Contrary to the situation in the two previous BCDs, a strong Lyα line is seen in the spectrum of T1214-277, which makes it the lowest metallicity BCD with detected Lyα emission. Its equivalent width of 70 A is the largest found in star-forming galaxies. The Lyα emission is not redshifted with respect to the H II gas velocity, so that the escape of Lyα photons in T1214-277 is not dictated by the velocity structure of the H I gas but probably by its porosity. The absence of Lyα emission in SBS 0335-052 and Tol 65 is probably caused by a combination of dust extinction, redistribution of the Lyα photons by multiple scattering over the whole area of the H I cloud, and the geometry of the cloud. The spectrum of SBS 0335-052 shows stellar Si IV λ1394 and λ1403 lines with P Cygni profiles, which suggests the presence of numerous hot supergiant stars. A strong stellar N V λ1240 line with a P Cygni profile is also seen in the spectrum of T1214-277, which suggests that a large population of massive (M 60 M☉) stars is present. The stellar wind terminal velocity is very low in SBS 0335-052, being only ~500 km s-1. It is higher, ~2000 km s-1 in T1214-277, in the low range of terminal velocities found for other BCDs. These BCDs are the two most metal-deficient galaxies known with P Cygni profiles. The presence of such profiles raises the question of how to set up a wind in stellar atmospheres devoid of heavy elements as in SBS 0335-052.

Country
Italy
Keywords

Galaxies: abundances; Galaxies: compact; Galaxies: irregular; Galaxies: ISM; H II regions; Ultraviolet: Galaxies; Nuclear and High Energy Physics; Space and Planetary Science

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    This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
80
Top 10%
Top 10%
Top 10%
gold