Computer Science
Scientific paper
Jul 1995
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1995hst..prop.5994k&link_type=abstract
HST Proposal ID #5994
Computer Science
Hst Proposal Id #5994 Galaxies &Amp, Clusters
Scientific paper
We propose to obtain WFPC-2 images in F814W and F606W of 10 very compact, very blue galaxies to measure their sizes, light profiles and colors. Such HST data are critical to convert new Keck velocity width data into masses and to decipher the nature of extremely compact galaxies with high luminosities. Though faint (B ~ 20-23) and distant (z ~ 0.1 to 0.7), we have measured their velocity widths on the Keck echelle spectrograph. All but two galaxies lie within one magnitude of L^* and yet they exhibit velocity widths Sigma = 28 - 103 km s^-1. Such small widths compared to those of typical L^* galaxies (Sigma ~200 km s^-1) suggest that some compact galaxies could be 1000 times less massive. Their extreme surface brightnesses, very blue colors, and luminosities can be understood to result from a recent burst of star formation. Without additional prior or subsequent star formation, these galaxies will fade by ~5 mag to dwarf luminosities after a few Gyrs. Thus we are perhaps witnessing, in-situ, the birth of today's low surface brightness dwarf ellipticals like NGC 205 and Fornax. Besides yielding masses as a new dimension for faint galaxy studies, the HST size and color data will provide several critical tests of our interpretation.
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