Exploring 3D data of Dwarf Galaxies

Abstract

AbstractDwarf irregular galaxies are places of ongoing star-formation in the low-redshift Universe. Low metallicity dwarfs were originally thought to be the youngest galaxies in the local Universe, however, there is now evidence that they consist of matter which has previously undergone evolution and is enriched by star-formation. Here we present a sample of seven nearby metal-poor dwarf galaxies with a young stellar populations selected from the SDSS which we study using integral field unit (IFU) data from the VIMOS instrument, covering the spectral range between the He II 4686 line and the [SII] 6718/6733 Å doublet. We present property maps across the galaxies and compare different galaxies and different HII regions within the same galaxy. We find that the properties within one galaxy are not uniform and they also differ between different galaxies concerning star-formation, kinematics and metallicity and morphology. The observed differences across individual galaxies together with disturbed kinematics and morphologies can be interpreted as possible signs of recent interactions and/or mergers. Additionally, we present a comparison of different metallicity calibrations and search for systematic differences obtained using different methods.