Published in ApJS, Vol. 147, pp.29-59, 2003.
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PALOMAR/LAS CAMPANAS IMAGING ATLAS OF BLUE COMPACT DWARF GALAXIES:
I. IMAGES AND INTEGRATED PHOTOMETRY
A. Gil de Paz 1,2,3
B. F. Madore 1,3, and
O. Pevunova 1
1 NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database,
California Institute of
Technology,
MS 100-22, Pasadena, CA 91125;
agpaz,
barry,
olga@ipac.caltech.edu
2 Jet
Propulsion Laboratory,
California Institute of
Technology, MS 183-900, Pasadena, CA 91109
3 The
Observatories, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 813
Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101
Abstract. We present B, R, and
H
images for a total of
114 nearby galaxies
(vhelio < 4000 km s-1)that,
with exception of 9 objects, are classified as Blue Compact Dwarfs
(BCDs). BR integrated magnitudes,
H fluxes and
H equivalent widths for
all the objects in the sample are
presented. A new set of quantitative, observational criteria for a
galaxy to be classified as a BCD is proposed. These criteria include a
limit on the K-band luminosity (i.e. stellar mass;
MK > -21 mag), peak surface brigthness
(µB, peak < 22mag/arcsec2), and
color at the peak surface brightness
(µB, peak - µR, peak
1).
H
emission is detected in all but three sample galaxies. Typical color,
absolute magnitude, and H
luminosity are
(B - R) = 0.7 ± 0.3 mag, MB = -16.1 ±
1.4 mag, and
log(LH) = 40.0
± 0.6 (erg s-1). Galaxies
morphologically classified as nE and iE BCDs within our sample show
lower H equivalent
widths and redder colors, on average, than
the iI and i0-type BCDs. For most of the galaxies the presence of an
evolved stellar population is required to explain their observed
properties; only the most metal-poor BCDs (e.g. I Zw 18, Tol 65) are
still compatible with a pure, young burst. The flux-calibrated and
WCS-compliant images in this Atlas are individually available through
the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED) image server and
collectively through a dedicated web page at
(/level5/Sept02/Palco_BCD/).
Key words: galaxies: evolution - galaxies: starburst -
galaxies: dwarf - galaxies: fundamental parameters - galaxies:
- photometry - atlases
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