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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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NASA NTRS1986

The radial velocity, velocity dispersion, and mass-to-light ratio of the Sculptor dwarf galaxy

The radial velocity, velocity dispersion, and mass-to-light ratio for 16 K giants in the Sculptor dwarf galaxy are calculated. Spectra at the Ca II triplet are analyzed using cross-correlation techniques in order to obtain the mean velocity of + 107.4 + or - 2.0 km/s. The dimensional velocity dispersion estimated as 6.3 (+1.1, -1.3) km/s is combined with the calculated core radius and observed central surface brightness to produce a mass-to-light ratio of 6.0 in solar units. It is noted that the data indicate that the Sculptor contains a large amount of mass not found in globular clusters, and the mass is either in the form of remnant stars or low-mass dwarfs.

Armandroff, T. E.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Blue compact dwarf galaxies. II - Near-infrared studies and stellar populations

An IR photometric survey was performed of 36 blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDG) where intense bursts of star formation have been observed. The survey covered the J, H, and K lines, with all readings taken at the level of a few mJy. Although the near-IR fluxes observed in the galaxies are due to K and M giants, the bursts have calculated ages of less than 50 million yr. However, the BCDG galaxies surveyed are not young, with the least chemically evolved galaxy observed, I Zw 18, featuring 50 pct of its stars formed prior to its last burst, but with a missing mass that is not accounted for by H I interferometric observations. It is concluded that the old stars must be more spatially extended than the young stars, and a mixture of OB stars with the K and M giants is projected as capable of displaying the colors observed. The star formation processes in the BCDG galaxies is defined as dependent on the total mass of the galaxies, with low mass galaxies having a high ratio of star formation, compared to their previous rates.

Thuan, T. X.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Surface brightness and color distributions in blue compact dwarf galaxies. I - Haro 2, an extreme example of a star-forming young elliptical galaxy

The first results of a large-scale program to study the morphology and structure of blue compact dwarf galaxies from CCD observations are presented. The observations and reduction procedures are described, and surface brightness and color profiles are shown. The results are used to discuss the morphological type of Haro 2 and its stellar populations. It is found that Haro 2 appears to be an extreme example of an elliptical galaxy undergoing intense star formation in its central regions, and that the oldest stars it contains were made only about four million yr ago. The 'missing' mass problem of Haro 2 is also discussed.

Loose, Hans-Hermann↗
NASA NTRS1993

HI observations of dwarf galaxies out to a distance of 50 Mpc

Here we report our preliminary findings from an HI search for dwarf galaxies in three environmentally distinct regions of the sky: a galactic void, a galactic cluster, and an interaction field. This study is sensitive at the 5(sigma) level to hydrogen masses as low as 5 x 10(exp 5) solar mass. We have made three possible detections of previously uncatalogued objects: one in the void field, and two in the cluster field. Reduction of the interaction field is in progress.

Simpson, Caroline↗
NASA NTRS1993

Faint blue counts from formation of dwarf galaxies at z approximately equals 1

The nature of faint blue objects (FBO's) has been a source of much speculation since their detection in deep CCD images of the sky. Their high surface density argues against them being progenitors of present-day bright galaxies and since they are only weakly clustered on small scales, they cannot be entities that merged together to form present-day galaxies. Babul & Rees (1992) have suggested that the observed faint blue counts may be due to dwarf elliptical galaxies undergoing their initial starburst at z is approximately equal to 1. In generic hierarchical clustering scenarios, however, dwarf galaxy halos (M is approximately 10(exp 9) solar mass) are expected to form at an earlier epoch; for example, typical 10(exp 9) solar mass halos will virialize at z is approximately equal to 2.3 if the power-spectrum for the density fluctuations is that of the standard b = 2 cold dark matter (CDM) model. Under 'ordinary conditions' the gas would rapidly cool, collect in the cores, and undergo star-formation. Conditions at high redshifts are far from 'ordinary'. The intense UV background will prevent the gas in the dwarf halos from cooling, the halos being released from their suspended state only when the UV flux has diminished sufficiently.

Babul, Arif↗
NASA NTRS1986

Two Cepheid variables in the Fornax dwarf galaxy

Two fields surrounding globular clusters 2 and 3 in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy have been searched for short-period variable stars that are brighter than the horizontal branch. This survey confirmed as variable the two suspected suprahorizontal-branch variables discovered by Buonanno et al. (1985) in their photometry of the clusters. The observations show that the star in cluster 2 is a W Virginis variable of 14.4 day period. It is the first W Vir variable to be found in a dwarf spheroidal galaxy, and its proximity to the center of cluster 2 suggests that it is a cluster member. The other star appears to be an anomalous Cephpeid of 0.78 day period. It lies outside or very near the boundary of cluster 3, and is therefore probably a member of the field population of Fornax. Although no other suprahorizontal-branch variables were discovered in the survey, it did confirm as variable two of the RR Lyrae candidates of Buonanno et al., which appeared at the survey limit. The implications of these observations for the understanding of the stellar content at Fornax are discussed.

Light, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Distance and absolute magnitudes of the brightest stars in the dwarf galaxy Sextans A

In an attempt to improve present bright star calibration, data were gathered for the brightest red and blue stars and the Cepheids in the Im V dwarf galaxy, Sextans A. On the basis of a magnitude sequence measured to V and B values of about 22 and 23, respectively, the mean magnitudes of the three brightest blue stars are V=17.98 and B=17.88. The three brightest red supergiants have V=18.09 and B=20.14. The periods and magnitudes measured for five Cepheids yield an apparent blue distance modulus of 25.67 + or - 0.2, via the P-L relation, and the mean absolute magnitudes of V=-7.56 and B=-5.53 for the red supergiants provide additional calibration of the brightest red stars as distance indicators. If Sextans A were placed at the distance of the Virgo cluster, it would appear to have a surface brightness of 23.5 mag/sq arcec. This, together with the large angular diameter, would make such a galaxy easily discoverable in the Virgo cluster by means of ground-based surveys.

Sandage, A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Near-infrared line and continuum emission from the blue dwarf galaxy II Zw 40

A multicolor analysis of new near-infrared line and continuum measurements indicates that nebular recombination emission and photospheric radiation from young blue stars produce most of the near-infrared continuum emission in the central 6 arcsec of the dwarf galaxy II Zw 40. The derived nebular recombination level is in excellent agreement with independent observations of the radio free-free continuum. It is found that evolved stars, which dominate the near-infrared emission from normal galaxies, contribute no more than 25 percent of the total 2.2 micron flux in the central region of II Zw 40. It is concluded that the total mass of the evolved stellar population in the central 400 pc of the galaxy is less than about two hundred million solar. The total mass of recently formed stars is about two million solar, and the stellar mass ratio is exceptionally large. Thus, II Zw 40 is a quintessential starburst galaxy.

Joy, Marshall↗
NASA NTRS1986

The origin of dwarf galaxies, cold dark matter, and biased galaxy formation

A reexamination is conducted of the formation of dwarf, diffuse, metal-poor galaxies due to supernova-driven winds, in view of data on the systematic properties of dwarfs in the Local Group and Virgo Cluster. The critical condition for global gas loss as a result of the first burst of star formation is that the virial velocity lie below an approximately 100 km/sec critical value. This leads, as observed, to two distinct classes of galaxies, encompassing the diffuse dwarfs, which primarily originate from typical density perturbations, and the normal, brighter galaxies, including compact dwarfs, which can originate only from the highest density peaks. This furnishes a statistical biasing mechanism for the preferential formation of bright galaxies in denser regions, enhancing high surface brightness galaxies' clustering relative to the diffusive dwarfs.

Dekel, A.↗
NASA NTRS2019

A 10,000-solar-mass black hole in the nucleus of a bulgeless dwarf galaxy

The motions of gas and stars in the nuclei of nearby galaxies have demonstrated that massive black holes are common1 and that their masses correlate with the stellar velocity dispersion σ⁎ of the bulge. This correlation suggests that massive black holes and galaxies influence each other’s growth. Dynamical measurements are less reliable when the sphere of influence is unresolved; thus, it remains unknown whether this correlation exists in galaxies much smaller than the Milky Way. Light echoes from photoionized clouds around accreting black holes, in combination with the velocity of these clouds, yield a direct mass measurement that circumvents this difficulty. Here we report an exceptionally low reverberation delay of 83 ± 14 min between variability in the accretion disk and Hα emission from the nucleus of the dwarf galaxy NGC 4395. Combined with the Hα velocity dispersion σline = 426 ± 1 km/s, this lag determines a mass of about 10,000 M⊙ for the black hole (M(BH)). This mass is among the smallest central black hole masses reported, near the low end of expected masses for heavy ‘seeds’, and the best direct mass measurement for a galaxy of this size. Despite the lack of a bulge, NGC 4395 is consistent with the M(BH–σ⁎) relation, indicating that the relation need not originate from hierarchical galaxy assembly nor from black hole feedback.

Jong-Hak Woo↗
NASA NTRS1994

Dwarf elliptical galaxies

Dwarf elliptical (dE) galaxies, with blue absolute magnitudes typically fainter than M(sub B) = -16, are the most numerous type of galaxy in the nearby universe. Tremendous advances have been made over the past several years in delineating the properties of both Local Group satellite dE's and the large dE populations of nearby clusters. We review some of these advances, with particular attention to how well currently availiable data can constrain (a) models for the formation of dE's, (b) the physical and evolutionary connections between different types of galaxies that overlap in the same portion of the mass-spectrum of galaxies, (c) the contribution of dE's to the galaxy luminosity functions in clusters and the field, (d) the star-forming histories of dE's and their possible contribution to faint galaxy counts, and (e) the clustering properties of dE's. In addressing these issues, we highlight the extent to which selection effects temper these constraints, and outline areas where new data would be particularly valuable.

Ferguson, Henry C.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The dwarf galaxy UGC 5272 and its small companion galaxy

The present study of optical images and spectroscopy of the dwarf irregular galaxy UGC 5272 notes the presence, at 3.6 kpc, of a small neighboring galaxy which is also of irregular type and has a Holmberg diameter of 0.6 kpc. Attention is given to the possibility that the two galaxies, which are resolved into single stars, may form a physical pair. It is suggested that the blue-to-red supergiant ratio of UGC 5272 is high due to its low metallicity. While its extremely blue colors are suggestive of a recent starburst, the structural parameters of the galaxy are surprisingly normal. The gas contribution to total mass is high.

Hopp, U.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Variable stars in the Pegasus dwarf galaxy (DDO 216)

Observations obtained over a period of five years of the resolved stars in the Pegasus dwarf irregular galaxy (DDO 216) have been searched for variable stars. Thirty-one variables were found, and periods established for 12. Two of these variable stars are clearly eclipsing variables, seven are very likely Cepheid variables, and the remaining three are probable Cepheids. The period-luminosity relation for the Cepheids indicates a distance modulus for Pegasus of m - M = 26.22 + or - 0.20. This places Pegasus very near the zero-velocity surface of the Local Group.

Hoessel, J. G.↗
NASA NTRS1995

The evolution of C/O in dwarf galaxies from Hubble Space Telescope FOS observations

We present UV observations of seven H II regions in low-luminosity dwarf irregular galaxies and the Magellanic Clouds obtained with the Faint Object Spectrograph (FOS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in order to measure the C/O abundance ratio in the interstellar medium (ISM) of those galaxies. We measure both O III 1666 A and C III 1909 A in our spectra, enabling us to determine C(+2)/O(+2) with relatively small uncertainties. The results from our HST observations show a continuous increase in C/O with increasing O/H, consistent with a power law having an index of 0.43 +/- 0.09 over the range -4.7 to -3.6 in log (O/H). One possible interpretation of this trend is that the most metal-poor galaxies are the youngest and dominated by the products of early enrichment by massive stars, while more metal-rich galaxies show increasing, delayed contributions of carbon from intermediate-mass stars. Our results also suggest that it may not be appropiate to combine abundances in irregular galaxies with those in spiral galaxies to study the evolution of chemical abundances. Our measured C/O ratios in the most metal-poor galaxies are consistent with predictions of nucleosynthesis from massive stars for Weaver & Woosley's best estimate for the 12C(alpha, gamma) 16O nuclear reaction rate, assuming negligible contanmination from carbon produced in intermediate-mass stars in these galaxies. We detect a weak N III 1750 A multiplet in SMC N88A and obtain interesting upper limits for two other objects. Our 2 sigma uppr limits on the 1750 A feature indicate that the N(+2)/O(+2) ratios in these objects are not significantly larger than the N(+)/O(+) ratios measured from optical spectra. This behavior is consistent with predictions of photionization models, although better detections of N III are needed to confirm the results.

Garnett, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Star formation in proto dwarf galaxies

The effects of the onset of star formation on the residual gas in primordial low-mass Local-Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies is studied by a series of hydrodynamical simulations. The models have concentrated on the effect of photoionization. The results indicate that photoionization in the presence of a moderate gas density gradient can eject most of the residual gas on a time scale of a few 10 to the 7th power years. High central gas density combined with inefficient star formation, however, may prevent mass ejection. The effect of supernova explosions is discussed briefly.

Noriega-Crespo, A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

UGC 8508 - A dwarf galaxy associated with the M 101 group

Two-color CCD photometry of UGC 8508 has resolved the system into stars. The color-magnitude diagram shows blue and red supergiants, the apparent magnitudes of the brightest stars indicate that UGC 8508 lies within 2 Mpc of the adopted 6 Mpc distance of the M 101 group. The galaxy contains a significant color gradient; star formation is confined to the central 1.5 scale lengths (0.8 kpc). UGC 8508 has a central surface brightness intermediate between bursting and quiescent dwarf irregular galaxies.

Mould, J. R.↗