Other
Scientific paper
Dec 2007
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007aas...211.1604d&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #211, #16.04; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.766
Other
Scientific paper
A subgroup of dwarf galaxies have characteristics of a possible evolutionary transition between star-forming systems and dwarf ellipticals. These systems contain significant central starbursts embedded in older, smooth, elliptical outer stellar envelopes. They also have small HI contents and apparently do not have sufficient amounts of ISM to sustain high star formation rates over a significant cosmic timescale; gas exhaustion timescales < 1 Gyr. We also find these objects have surprisingly high HII region oxygen abundances with values near solar, suggesting the starburst came from internal gas that was previously enriched and that a significant fraction of the synthesized metals are retained. Additionally, these systems are located in loose groups and are not currently interacting with any nearby galaxies, thus their origins are not immediately obvious. We explore possible evolutionary histories of such starburst "transition" dwarfs based on this puzzling set of characteristics and results from moderately deep optical imaging. We consider mechanisms where the starbursts are tied either to interactions with other galaxies or to the state of the interstellar medium. While galaxy-galaxy interactions could produce these galaxies, we do not find any optical evidence for tidal debris or other disturbances, thus any such disturbances most likely took place in the past.
Dellenbusch Kate
Gallagher Jay S.
Knezek Patricia M.
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