Abstract

A High-Resolution Radio Continuum Study of the Dwarf Irregular Galaxy IC10
e-Merlin: Scientific Results and Facility Development
Jonathan Westcott
University of Hertfordshire
Elias Brinks (University of Hertfordshire), Robert Beswick (University of Manchester)
Dwarf galaxies are a significant contributor to the current star formation rate for the Universe as a whole, yet little is understood of what drives star formation in these low gas density environments. IC10 is a nearby dwarf irregular galaxy that is currently in a starburst phase making it an ideal place to study star formation and its effects on the interstellar medium in a low density setting. We present new high resolution (~1 pc) radio continuum maps of IC10 at λ=20cm (ν = 1.5GHz) taken with the e-MERLIN array. Maps were produced by reducing and combining data taken in two observational epochs, one in February and the other in November 2013. Inspection of the final maps reveal 8 compact sources coincident with extended emission, 4 of which are classified as HII regions and 4 as supernova remnants (SNR). We summarise some characteristic parameters for these candidates. Nearly all spatially resolved sources are coincident with regions of H-alpha emission, suggesting that they are the sites of current star formation. Interestingly, no compact sources were detected within the star forming non-thermal superbubble, either supporting that it is indeed a hypernova remnant or suggesting that SNRs within this region are too dim to be detected.

Schedule

09:00 - 10:30
10:16
Thursday

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