No Arabic abstract
NGC 4013 is a distinctly warped galaxy with evidence of disk-halo activity. Through deep HI observations and modeling we confirm that the HI disk is thin (central exponential scale height of with an upper limit of 4 or 280 pc), but flaring. We detect a vertical gradient in rotation velocity (lag), which shallows radially from a value of -35 +7/-28 km/s/kpc at 1.4 (5.8 kpc), to a value of zero near R_25 (11.2 kpc). Over much of this radial range, the lag is relatively steep. Both the steepness and the radial shallowing are consistent with recent determinations for a number of edge-ons, which have been difficult to explain. We briefly consider the lag measured in NGC 4013 in the context of this larger sample and theoretical models, further illuminating disk-halo flows.
Observations of the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253 in the 21-cm line reveal the presence of neutral hydrogen in the halo, up to 12 kpc from the galactic plane. This extra-planar HI is found only in one half of the galaxy and is concentrated in a half-ring structure and plumes which are lagging in rotation with respect to the disk. The HI plumes are seen bordering the bright Halpha and X-ray halo emission. It is likely that, as proposed earlier for the Halpha and the X-rays, also the origin of the extra-planar HI is related to the central starburst and to the active star formation in the disk. A minor merger and gas accretion are also discussed as possible explanations. The HI disk is less extended than the stellar disk. This may be the result of ionization of its outer parts or, alternatively, of tidal or ram pressure stripping.
We use new deep 21 cm HI observations of the moderately inclined galaxy NGC 4559 in the HALOGAS survey to investigate the properties of extra-planar gas. We use TiRiFiC to construct simulated data cubes to match the HI observations. We find that a thick disk component of scale height $sim,2,mathrm{kpc}$, characterized by a negative vertical gradient in its rotation velocity (lag) of $sim13 pm 5$ km s$^{-1}$ kpc$^{-1}$ is an adequate fit to extra-planar gas features. The tilted ring models also present evidence for a decrease in the magnitude of the lag outside of $R_{25}$, and a radial inflow of $sim 10$ km s$^{-1}$. We extracted lagging extra-planar gas through Gaussian velocity profile fitting. From both the 3D models and and extraction analyses we conclude that $sim10-20%$ of the total {HI} mass is extra-planar. Most of the extra-planar gas is spatially coincident with regions of star formation in spiral arms, as traced by H$alpha$ and GALEX FUV images, so it is likely due to star formation processes driving a galactic fountain. We also find the signature of a filament of a kinematically forbidden HI, containing $sim 1.4times 10^{6}$ M$_{odot}$ of HI, and discuss its potential relationship to a nearby HI hole. We discover a previously undetected dwarf galaxy in HI located $sim 0.4^{circ}$ ($sim 58$ kpc) from the center of NGC 4559, containing $sim 4times10^{5}$ M$_{odot}$. This dwarf has counterpart sources in SDSS with spectra typical of HII regions, and we conclude it is two merging blue compact dwarf galaxies.
We present a new high-sensitivity HI observation toward nearby spiral galaxy M101 and its adjacent 2$^{circ}times$ 2$^{circ}$ region using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). From the observation, we detect a more extended and asymmetric HI disk around M101. While the HI velocity field within the M101s optical disk region is regular, indicating that the relatively strong disturbance occurs in its outer disk. Moreover, we identify three new HI clouds located on the southern edge of the M101s HI disk. The masses of the three HI clouds are 1.3$times$10$^{7}$ $M_{odot}$, 2.4$times$10$^{7}$ $M_{odot}$, and 2.0$times$10$^{7}$ $M_{odot}$, respectively. The HI clouds similar to dwarf companion NGC 5477 rotate with the HI disk of M101. Unlike the NGC 5477, they have no optical counterparts. Furthermore, we detect a new HI tail in the extended HI disk of M101. The HI tail detected gives a reliable evidence for M101 interaction with the dwarf companion NGC 5474. We argue that the extra-planar gas (three HI clouds) and the HI tail detected in the M101s disk may origin from a minor interaction with NGC 5474.
Multi-wavelength observations of nearby spiral galaxies have shown that neutral and ionized gas are present up to a few kpc from the disk and that star formation and supernovae probably play an important role in bringing gas into the halo. We have obtained very sensitive HI observations of the face-on galaxy NGC 6946 and of the nearly edge-on starburst galaxy NGC 253. We find high velocity HI clouds in NGC 6946 and extra-planar gas with anomalous velocities in NGC 253. In both galaxies there seems to be a close connection between the star-forming disk and the halo HI. In the outer parts of NGC 6946 there is also evidence for recent gas accretion.
Many spiral galaxy haloes show stellar streams with various morphologies when observed with deep images. The origin of these tidal features is discussed, either coming from a satellite infall or caused by residuals of an ancient, gas-rich major merger. By modelling the formation of the peculiar features observed in the NGC 4013 halo, we investigate their origin. By using GADGET -2 with implemented gas cooling, star formation, and feedback, we have modelled the overall NGC 4013 galaxy and its associated halo features. A gas-rich major merger occurring 2.7-4.6 Gyr ago succeeds in reproducing the NGC 4013 galaxy properties, including all the faint stellar features, strong gas warp, boxy-shaped halo and vertical 3.6 mum luminosity distribution. High gas fractions in the progenitors are sufficient to reproduce the observed thin and thick discs, with a small bulge fraction, as observed. A major merger is able to reproduce the overall NGC 4013 system, including the warp strength, the red colour and the high stellar mass density of the loop, while a minor merger model cannot. Because the gas-rich model suffices to create a pseudo-bulge with a small fraction of the light, NGC 4013 is perhaps the archetype of a late-type galaxy formed by a relatively recent merger. Then late type, pseudo-bulge spirals are not mandatorily made through secular evolution, and the NGC 4013 properties also illustrate that strong warps in isolated galaxies may well occur at a late phase of a gas-rich major merger.