THE DYNAMICS AND METALLICITY DISTRIBUTION OF THE DISTANT DWARF GALAXY VV124
- California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, MC 249-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)
- INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, via Ranzani 1, 40127 Bologna (Italy)
VV124 (UGC 4879) is an isolated, dwarf irregular/dwarf spheroidal (dIrr/dSph) transition-type galaxy at a distance of 1.36 Mpc. Previous low-resolution spectroscopy yielded inconsistent radial velocities for different components of the galaxy, and photometry hinted at the presence of a stellar disk. In order to quantify the stellar dynamics, we observed individual red giants in VV124 with the Keck/Deep Extragalactic Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph (DEIMOS). We validated members based on their positions in the color-magnitude diagram, radial velocities, and spectral features. Our sample contains 67 members. The average radial velocity is (v{sub r} ) = -29.1 {+-} 1.3 km s{sup -1} in agreement with the previous radio measurements of H I gas. The velocity distribution is Gaussian, indicating that VV124 is supported primarily by velocity dispersion inside a radius of 1.5 kpc. Outside that radius, our measurements provide only an upper limit of 8.6 km s{sup -1} on any rotation in the photometric disk-like feature. The velocity dispersion is {sigma}{sub v} = 9.4 {+-} 1.0 km s{sup -1}, from which we inferred a mass of M{sub 1/2} = (2.1 {+-} 0.2) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 7} M{sub Sun} and a mass-to-light ratio of (M/L{sub V} ){sub 1/2} = 5.2 {+-} 1.1 M{sub Sun }/L{sub Sun }, both measured within the half-light radius. Thus, VV124 contains dark matter. We also measured the metallicity distribution from neutral iron lines. The average metallicity, ([Fe/H]) = -1.14 {+-} 0.06, is consistent with the mass-metallicity relation defined by dSph galaxies. The dynamics and metallicity distribution of VV124 appear similar to dSphs of similar stellar mass.
- OSTI ID:
- 22037241
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 751, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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