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Title: THE STAR FORMATION HISTORY OF THE VERY METAL-POOR BLUE COMPACT DWARF I Zw 18 FROM HST/ACS DATA

Abstract

We have derived the star formation history (SFH) of the blue compact dwarf galaxy I Zw 18 through comparison of deep HST/ACS data with synthetic color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs). A statistical analysis was implemented for the identification of the best-fit SFH and relative uncertainties. We confirm that I Zw 18 is not a truly young galaxy, having started forming stars earlier than ∼1 Gyr ago, and possibly at epochs as old as a Hubble time. In I Zw 18's main body we infer a lower limit of ≈2 × 10{sup 6} M {sub ☉} for the mass locked up in old stars. I Zw 18's main body has been forming stars very actively during the last ∼10 Myr, with an average star formation rate (SFR) as high as ≈1 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} (or ≈2 × 10{sup –5} M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} pc{sup –2}). On the other hand, the secondary body was much less active at these epochs, in agreement with the absence of significant nebular emission. The high current SFR can explain the very blue colors and the high ionized gas content in I Zw 18, resembling primeval galaxies in the early universe. Detailed chemical evolution models aremore » required to quantitatively check whether the SFH from the synthetic CMDs can explain the low measured element abundances, or if galactic winds with loss of metals are needed.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ;  [1]; ;  [2];
  1. INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, Via Ranzani 1, I-40127 Bologna (Italy)
  2. Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22273261
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astronomical Journal (New York, N.Y. Online)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 146; Journal Issue: 6; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 1538-3881
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ASTRONOMY; ASTROPHYSICS; COLOR; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; DWARF STARS; ELEMENT ABUNDANCE; GALAXIES; MASS; METALS; STAR EVOLUTION; UNIVERSE

Citation Formats

Annibali, F., Cignoni, M., Tosi, M., Clementini, G., Contreras Ramos, R., Fiorentino, G., Van der Marel, R. P., Aloisi, A., Marconi, M., and Musella, I., E-mail: francesca.annibali@oabo.inaf.it. THE STAR FORMATION HISTORY OF THE VERY METAL-POOR BLUE COMPACT DWARF I Zw 18 FROM HST/ACS DATA. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/146/6/144.
Annibali, F., Cignoni, M., Tosi, M., Clementini, G., Contreras Ramos, R., Fiorentino, G., Van der Marel, R. P., Aloisi, A., Marconi, M., & Musella, I., E-mail: francesca.annibali@oabo.inaf.it. THE STAR FORMATION HISTORY OF THE VERY METAL-POOR BLUE COMPACT DWARF I Zw 18 FROM HST/ACS DATA. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-6256/146/6/144
Annibali, F., Cignoni, M., Tosi, M., Clementini, G., Contreras Ramos, R., Fiorentino, G., Van der Marel, R. P., Aloisi, A., Marconi, M., and Musella, I., E-mail: francesca.annibali@oabo.inaf.it. 2013. "THE STAR FORMATION HISTORY OF THE VERY METAL-POOR BLUE COMPACT DWARF I Zw 18 FROM HST/ACS DATA". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-6256/146/6/144.
@article{osti_22273261,
title = {THE STAR FORMATION HISTORY OF THE VERY METAL-POOR BLUE COMPACT DWARF I Zw 18 FROM HST/ACS DATA},
author = {Annibali, F. and Cignoni, M. and Tosi, M. and Clementini, G. and Contreras Ramos, R. and Fiorentino, G. and Van der Marel, R. P. and Aloisi, A. and Marconi, M. and Musella, I., E-mail: francesca.annibali@oabo.inaf.it},
abstractNote = {We have derived the star formation history (SFH) of the blue compact dwarf galaxy I Zw 18 through comparison of deep HST/ACS data with synthetic color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs). A statistical analysis was implemented for the identification of the best-fit SFH and relative uncertainties. We confirm that I Zw 18 is not a truly young galaxy, having started forming stars earlier than ∼1 Gyr ago, and possibly at epochs as old as a Hubble time. In I Zw 18's main body we infer a lower limit of ≈2 × 10{sup 6} M {sub ☉} for the mass locked up in old stars. I Zw 18's main body has been forming stars very actively during the last ∼10 Myr, with an average star formation rate (SFR) as high as ≈1 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} (or ≈2 × 10{sup –5} M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} pc{sup –2}). On the other hand, the secondary body was much less active at these epochs, in agreement with the absence of significant nebular emission. The high current SFR can explain the very blue colors and the high ionized gas content in I Zw 18, resembling primeval galaxies in the early universe. Detailed chemical evolution models are required to quantitatively check whether the SFH from the synthetic CMDs can explain the low measured element abundances, or if galactic winds with loss of metals are needed.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-6256/146/6/144},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22273261}, journal = {Astronomical Journal (New York, N.Y. Online)},
issn = {1538-3881},
number = 6,
volume = 146,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2013},
month = {Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2013}
}