Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Sep 1994
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1994apj...432..590d&link_type=abstract
Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 432, no. 2, p. 590-597
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
9
H Alpha Line, H Ii Regions, Ionized Gases, Radio Emission, Spatial Distribution, Star Formation, Stellar Composition, Ultraviolet Emission, Active Galactic Nuclei, Disk Galaxies, Interacting Galaxies, Stellar Luminosity
Scientific paper
A strong asymmetry with respect to the major axis has been found in the spatial distribution of H II regions in NGC 1792 detected on our H(alpha) image. In the radio continuum, this asymmetry is even stronger than in H(alpha), indicating that supernova activity set in earlier in the northeastern half of the disk than southwest of the nucleus. This suggests that we are viewing spatially propagating star formation (SF) in the disk, which set in about 107 yr ago. The most luminous H II regions are distinctly different from the rest of the star-forming regions in NGC 1792, showing up as a peak in the H(alpha) luminosity near L(H(alpha)) approximately equals 3 x 1039 ergs/s. Around these giant H II regions large amounts of diffuse ionized gas are found, suggesting that this gas is heated by UV radiation escaping these regions. Attributing the radiation coming from the luminous H II regions to a temporarily increased level of SF activity, we estimate that on the order of 1200 OB stars were formed in each of them, with integrated Lyman-continuum luminosites in the range of 6 x 1051/s. Although increased significantly near the galactic turnover of rotation, the global SF rate in NGC 1792 is only marginally affected (approximately 20%) by this phenomenon. The most plausible explanation of these results and those obtained for NGC 1808, the interaction partner of NGC 1792, is that the currently on-going SF was triggered by an interaction some 108 yr ago.
Bomans Dominik J.
Dahlem Michael
Will Jean-Marie
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