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We re-examine the extremely metal-poor dwarf galaxy AGC 198691 using a high quality spectrum obtained by the LBT's MODS instrument. Previous spectral observations obtained from KOSMOS on the Mayall 4-m and the Blue channel spectrograph on the MMT 6.5-m telescope did not allow for the determination of sulfur, argon, or helium abundances. We report an updated and full chemical abundance analysis for AGC 198691, including confirmation of the extremely low "direct" oxygen abundance with a value of 12 + log (O/H) = 7.06 ± 0.03. AGC 198691's low metallicity potentially makes it a high value target for helping determine the primordial helium abundance (Y p). Though complicated by a Na  i night sky line partially overlaying the He  i λ5876 emission line, the LBT/MODS spectrum proved adequate for determining AGC 198691's helium abundance. We employ the recently expanded and improved model of Aver et al. incorporating higher Balmer and Paschen lines, augmented by the observation of the infrared helium emission line He  i λ10830 obtained by Hsyu et al. Applying our full model produced a reliable helium abundance determination, consistent with the expectation for its metallicity. Although this is the lowest metallicity object with a detailed helium abundance, unfortunately, due to its faintness [EW(Hβ) < 100 Å] and the compromised He  i λ5876, the resultant uncertainty on the helium abundance is too large to allow a significant improvement on the measurement of Y p. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the gas kinematics of a sample of six isolated gas-rich low surface brightness galaxies, of the class called ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs). These galaxies have recently been shown to be outliers from the baryonic Tully–Fisher relation (BTFR), as they rotate much slower than expected given their baryonic mass, and to have a baryon fraction similar to the cosmological mean. By means of a 3D kinematic modelling fitting technique, we show that the H  i in our UDGs is distributed in 'thin' regularly rotating discs and we determine their rotation velocity and gas velocity dispersion. We revisit the BTFR adding galaxies from other studies. We find a previously unknown trend between the deviation from the BTFR and the exponential disc scale length valid for dwarf galaxies with circular speeds ≲ 45 km s−1, with our UDGs being at the extreme end. Based on our findings, we suggest that the high baryon fractions of our UDGs may originate due to the fact that they have experienced weak stellar feedback, likely due to their low star formation rate surface densities, and as a result they did not eject significant amounts of gas out of their discs. At the same time, we find indications that our UDGs may have higher-than-average stellar specific angular momentum, which can explain their large optical scale lengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of sensitivity and large sky coverage of the ALFALFA HI survey has enabled the detection of difficult to observe low mass galaxies in large numbers, including dwarf galaxies overlooked in optical surveys. Three different, but connected, studies of dwarf galaxies from the ALFALFA survey are of particular interest: SHIELD (Survey of HI in Extremely Low-mass Dwarfs), candidate gas-rich ultra-faint dwarf galaxies, and the (Almost) Dark population. SHIELD is a systematic multiwavelength study of all dwarf galaxies from ALFALFA with M HI < 107.2 M ⊙ and clear optical counterparts. Candidate gas-rich ultra-faint dwarf galaxies extend the dwarf galaxy population to even lower masses. These galaxies are identified as isolated HI clouds with no discernible optical counterpart but subsequent observations reveal that some are extremely faint, gas-dominated galaxies. Leo P, discovered first as an HI detection, and then found to be an actively star-forming galaxy, bridges the gap between these candidate galaxies and the SHIELD sample. The (Almost) Dark sample consists of galaxies whose optical counterparts are overlooked in current optical surveys but which are clear detections in ALFALFA. This sample includes field gas-rich ultra-diffuse galaxies. Coma P, with a peak surface brightness of only ∼26.4 mag arcsec−2 in g', demonstrates the sort of extreme low surface brightness galaxy that can be discovered in an HI survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stacy S. McGaugh from the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, provides a solution to the problem of the number of galaxies occurring at faint flux levels. McGaugh's explanation for the presence of large number of galaxies at faint flux levels indicates that the methods used for determining the number of galaxies were inadequate as these galaxies are composed of low surface mass density stars. McGaugh's explanation does not involve the rejection of the standard model for galactic evolution and formation and the fundamentals of cosmology.

We present a dynamical analysis of the galaxy cluster AC114 based on a catalogue of 524 velocities. Of these, 169 (32 percent) are newly obtained at European Southern Observatory (Chile) with the Very Large Telescope and the VIsible MultiObject spectrograph. Data on individual galaxies are presented and the accuracy of the measured velocities is discussed. Dynamical properties of the cluster are derived. We obtain an improved mean redshift value z = 0.31665 ± 0.0008 and velocity dispersion a = 1893+73-82 kms-1. A large velocity velocity dispersion within the core radius and the shape of the infall pattern suggests that this part of the cluster is in a radial phase of relaxation with a very elongated radial filament spanning 12000kms-1. A radial foreground structure is detected within the central 0.5 h-1 Mpc radius, recognizable as a redshift group at the same central redshift value. We analyse the colour distribution for this archetype Butcher-Oemler galaxy cluster and identify the separate red and blue galaxy sequences. The latter subset contains 44 percent of confirmed members of the cluster, reaching magnitudes as faint as Rf= 21.1 (1.0 mag fainter than previous studies). We derive a mass M200 = (4.3 ± 0.7) × 1015 Mʄ h-1. In a subsequent paper, we will utilize the spectral data presented here to explore the mass-metallicity relation for this intermediate redshift cluster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blind HI surveys provide a census of galaxies in the local universe that is unbiased by their optical properties. Even the Arecibo Dual-Beam Survey with a sample of only 265 galaxies discovered many low surface brightness galaxies and one galaxy with no obvious stellar component. Overall the galaxies in this survey display a diverse range of gas-to-stellar properties. The environment in which a galaxy resides is shown to be one of the factors responsible for this diversity, but it is not the only one. Clearly there are other factors affecting the complex processes responsible for the conversion of gas into stars rapidly in some galaxies, slowly in others, and rapidly in the center while slowly in the outskirts in still other galaxies. Nevertheless, even the inefficient star formation observed in a large fraction of the gas-rich galaxies appears to be a significant contributor to the overall star-formation rate density locally and therefore an important driver of galaxy evolution that must be understood. We focus on a discussion of the stellar and star formation properties in a 21 cm selected sample of galaxies because it is these measurements that contain the most information about the nature of star formation in galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Reports on the findings of Salzer Technology Enterprises' 1997 worldwide survey on the rapid thermal processing (RTP) market. Reason for the increased sales performance of RTP in 1997; Core technology of RTP equipment; Leading companies in basic RTP.

Focuses on the market niche of rapid thermal processors (RTP). Constant improvements and changes of furnaces; Reasons for RTP usage; Solutions to the problem of temperature measurement.

We obtained HST COS Lyα spectroscopy for 20 galaxies that were Hα-selected from the Kitt Peak International Spectroscopic Survey data release. We cover redshifts of z=0.02–0.06 and a broad range in metallicity, reddening, and luminosity. We investigate correlations between the properties of the Lyα-lines and fundamental properties of the galaxies. Our seven emitters have: equivalent widths in the range EW(Lyα)=1–12 Å, i.e., below the completeness limits of higher redshift studies; extinction corrected Lyα/Hα ratios of at most 12–15% of the case B recombination theory value; and O I λ1302 ISM absorptions blueshifted to 〈v(O I)〉= − 117±40 km/s, which are consistent with H I gas outflows. Six emitters have P-Cygni-like Lyα profiles with peaks redshifted to 〈v〉=172±25 km/s, and one of our face-on spiral galaxies has two Lyα peaks separated by 370 km/s. The latter peaks are such that the blueshifted peak is twice as strong as the redshifted peak. The rest of the galaxies show Lyα absorption troughs centered at 〈v〉=19 km/s and O I λ1302 absorptions centered at 〈v(O I)〉= − 34±25 km/s, which is consistent with static or low velocity H I gas. Our two most metal poor and least reddened galaxies, which have large Hα equivalent widths are absorbers. The spiral galaxies in our sample have Lyα in single emission, double emission, or absorption. There appears to be a correlation between the Hα derived SFR and the strength of the Lyα emission but our sample is small. Our observations cover regions of at most 3 kpc in diameter and may miss a significant fraction of the resonantly scattered Lyα emission. This work is supported by NASA grant N1317. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]