H II Regions Within a Compact High Velocity Cloud. A Nearly Starless Dwarf Galaxy?

Bellazzini, M.; Magrini, L.; Mucciarelli, A.; Beccari, G.; Ibata, R.; Battaglia, G.; Martin, N.; Testa, V.; Fumana, M.; Marchetti, A.; Correnti, M.; Fraternali, F.
Referencia bibliográfica

The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Volume 800, Issue 1, article id. L15, 6 pp. (2015).

Fecha de publicación:
2
2015
Número de autores
12
Número de autores del IAC
1
Número de citas
22
Número de citas referidas
22
Descripción
Within the SECCO survey we identified a candidate stellar counterpart to the Ultra Compact High Velocity Cloud (UCHVC) HVC274.68+74.70-123 that was suggested by Adams et al. to be a possible mini halo within the Local Group of galaxies. The spectroscopic follow-up of the brightest sources within the candidate reveals the presence of two H ii regions whose radial velocity is compatible with a physical association with the UVHVC. The available data do not allow us to give a definite answer on the nature of the newly identified system. A few alternative hypotheses are discussed. However, the most likely possibility is that we have found a new faint dwarf galaxy residing in the Virgo cluster of galaxies, which we name SECCO 1. Independently of its actual distance, SECCO 1 displays a ratio of neutral hydrogen mass to V luminosity of {{M}H I}/{{L}V}≳ 20, by far the largest among local dwarfs. Hence, it appears to be a nearly starless galaxy and it may be an example of the missing links between normal dwarfs and the dark mini halos that are predicted to exist in large numbers according to the currently accepted cosmological model. Based on data acquired using the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). The LBT is an international collaboration among institutions in the United States, Italy, and Germany. LBT Corporation partners are The University of Arizona on behalf of the Arizona university system; Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Italy; LBT Beteiligungsgesellschaft, Germany, representing the Max-Planck Society, the Astrophysical Institute Potsdam, and Heidelberg University; The Ohio State University; and The Research Corporation, on behalf of The University of Notre Dame, University of Minnesota, and University of Virginia.
Proyectos relacionados
Una vista de nuestra galaxia, la Vía Láctea, con sus vecinos cercanos,  las Nubes de Magallanes
Evolución Galáctica en el Grupo Local
La formación y evolución de galaxias es un problema fundamental en Astrofísica. Su estudio requiere “viajar atrás en el tiempo”, para lo cual hay dos enfoques complementarios. El mas extendido consiste en analizar las propiedades de las galaxias a diferentes distancias cosmológicas. Nuestro equipo se concentra en el otro enfoque, denominado
Matteo
Monelli