Journal article
ALFALFA DISCOVERY OF THE NEARBY GAS-RICH DWARF GALAXY LEO P. IV. DISTANCE MEASUREMENT FROM LBT OPTICAL IMAGING
The Astronomical journal, Vol.146(6), pp.1-10
12/01/2013
DOI: 10.1088/0004-6256/146/6/145
Abstract
Leo P is a low-luminosity dwarf galaxy discovered through the blind H I Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA survey. The H I and follow-up optical observations have shown that Leo P is a gas-rich dwarf galaxy with both active star formation and an underlying older population, as well as an extremely low oxygen abundance. Here, we measure the distance to Leo P by applying the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) distance method to photometry of the resolved stellar population from new Large Binocular Telescope V and I band imaging. We measure a distance modulus of 26.19(-0.50)(+0.17) mag corresponding to a distance of 1.72(-0.40)(+0.14) Mpc. Although our photometry reaches 3 mag below the TRGB, the sparseness of the red giant branch yields higher uncertainties on the lower limit of the distance. Leo P is outside the Local Group with a distance and velocity consistent with the local Hubble flow. While located in a very low-density environment, Leo P lies within similar to 0.5 Mpc of a loose association of dwarf galaxies which include NGC 3109, Antlia, Sextans A, and Sextans B, and 1.1 Mpc away from its next nearest neighbor, Leo A. Leo P is one of the lowest metallicity star-forming galaxies known in the nearby universe, comparable in metallicity to I Zw 18 and DDO 68, but with stellar characteristics similar to dwarf spheriodals (dSphs) in the Local Volume such as Carina, Sextans, and Leo II. Given its physical properties and isolation, Leo P may provide an evolutionary link between gas-rich dwarf irregular galaxies and dSphs that have fallen into a Local Group environment and been stripped of their gas.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- ALFALFA DISCOVERY OF THE NEARBY GAS-RICH DWARF GALAXY LEO P. IV. DISTANCE MEASUREMENT FROM LBT OPTICAL IMAGING
- Creators
- Kristen B. W. McQuinn - University of MinnesotaEvan D. Skillman - University of MinnesotaDanielle Berg - University of MinnesotaJohn M. Cannon - Macalester CollegeJohn J. Salzer - Indiana University BloomingtonElizabeth A. K. Adams - Cornell UniversityAndrew Dolphin - RTXRiccardo Giovanelli - Cornell UniversityMartha P. Haynes - Cornell UniversityKatherine L. Rhode - Indiana University Bloomington
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The Astronomical journal, Vol.146(6), pp.1-10
- Publisher
- Iop Publishing Ltd
- DOI
- 10.1088/0004-6256/146/6/145
- ISSN
- 0004-6256
- eISSN
- 1538-3881
- Number of pages
- 10
- Grant note
- 1107390 / Division Of Astronomical Sciences; Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien; National Science Foundation (NSF); NSF - Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS) 0847109; 1211683 / Division Of Astronomical Sciences; Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien; National Science Foundation (NSF); NSF - Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS) University of Minnesota; University of Minnesota System National Aeronautics and Space Administration; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) AST-1211683; AST-0847109 / NSF; National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 12/01/2013
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984627247902771
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