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We present the star formation history (SFH) of the isolated (D ∼ 970 kpc) Local Group dwarf galaxy Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte (WLM) measured from colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) constructed from deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging. Our observations include a central (0.5 rh) and outer field (0.7 rh) that reach below the oldest main-sequence turn-off. WLM has no early dominant episode of star formation: 20 per cent of its stellar mass formed by ∼12.5 Gyr ago (z ∼ 5). It also has an SFR that rises to the present with 50 per cent of the stellar mass within the most recent 5 Gyr (z < 0.7). There is evidence of a strong age gradient: the mean age of the outer field is 5 Gyr older than the inner field despite being only 0.4 kpc apart. Some models suggest such steep gradients are associated with strong stellar feedback and dark-matter core creation. The SFHs of real isolated dwarf galaxies and those from the Feedback in Realistic Environment suite are in good agreement for M*(z = 0) ∼ 107-109M☉, but in worse agreement at lower masses (M*(z = 0) ∼ 105-107 M☉). These differences may be explainable by systematics in the models (e.g. reionization model) and/or observations (HST field placement). We suggest that a coordinated effort to get deep CMDs between HST/JWST (crowded central fields) and WFIRST (wide-area halo coverage) is the optimal path for measuring global SFHs of isolated dwarf galaxies.

We present a suite of 15 cosmological zoom-in simulations of isolated dark matter haloes, all with masses of Mhalo ≈ 1010M⊙ at z = 0, in order to understand the relationship among halo assembly, galaxy formation and feedback's effects on the central density structure in dwarf galaxies. These simulations are part of the Feedback in Realistic Environments (FIRE) project and are performed at extremely high resolution (mbaryon = 500M⊙, mdm = 2500M⊙). The resultant galaxies have stellar masses that are consistent with rough abundance matching estimates, coinciding with the faintest galaxies that can be seen beyond the virial radius of the Milky Way (M*/M⊙ ≈ 105 - 107). This non-negligible spread in stellar mass at z = 0 in haloes within a narrow range of virial masses is strongly correlated with central halo density or maximum circular velocity Vmax, both of which are tightly linked to halo formation time. Much of this dependence of M* on a second parameter (beyond Mhalo) is a direct consequence of the Mhalo ~ 1010M⊙ mass scale coinciding with the threshold for strong reionization suppression: the densest, earliest-forming haloes remain above the UV-suppression scale throughout their histories while late-forming systems fall below the UV-suppression scale over longer periods and form fewer stars as a result. In fact, the latest-forming, lowest-concentration halo in our suite fails to form any stars. Haloes that form galaxies with M ≳ 2 × 106 M⊙ have reduced central densities relative to dark-matter-only simulations, and the radial extent of the density modifications is well-approximated by the galaxy half-mass radius r1/2. Lower-mass galaxies do not modify their host dark matter haloes at the mass scale studied here. This apparent stellar mass threshold of M ≈ 2 × 106-2 × 10-4 Mhalo is broadly consistent with previous work and provides a testable prediction of FIRE feedback models in Λcold dark matter.

Mass-loss via stellar-feedback driven outflows is predicted to play a critical role in the baryon cycle of low-mass galaxies. However, observational constraints on warm winds are limited as outflows are transient, intrinsically low-surface brightness events and, thus, difficult to detect. Here, we search for outflows in a sample of eleven nearby starburst dwarf galaxies which are strong candidates for outflows. Despite deep H? imaging on galaxies, only a fraction of the sample show evidence of winds. The spatial extent of all detected ionized gas is limited and would still be considered part of the ISM by simulations. These new observations indicate that the physical extent of warm phase outflows is modest and most of the mass will be recycled to the galaxy. The sample is part of the panchromatic STARBurst IRegular Dwarf Survey (STARBIRDS) designed to characterize the starburst phenomenon and its impact on the evolution of low-mass galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winds are predicted to be ubiquitous in low-mass, actively star-forming galaxies. Observationally, winds have been detected in relatively few local dwarf galaxies, with even fewer constraints placed on their time-scales. Here, we compare galactic outflows traced by diffuse, soft X-ray emission from Chandra Space Telescope archival observations to the star formation histories derived from Hubble Space Telescope imaging of the resolved stellar populations in six starburst dwarfs. We constrain the longevity of a wind to have an upper limit of 25 Myr based on galaxies whose starburst activity has already declined, although a larger sample is needed to confirm this result. We find an average 16 per cent efficiency for converting the mechanical energy of stellar feedback to thermal, soft X-ray emission on the 25 Myr time-scale, somewhat higher than simulations predict. The outflows have likely been sustained for time-scales comparable to the duration of the starbursts (i.e. 100s Myr), after taking into account the time for the development and cessation of the wind. The wind time-scales imply that material is driven to larger distances in the circumgalactic medium than estimated by assuming short, 5–10 Myr starburst durations, and that less material is recycled back to the host galaxy on short time-scales. In the detected outflows, the expelled hot gas shows various morphologies that are not consistent with a simple biconical outflow structure. The sample and analysis are part of a larger program, the STARBurst IRregular Dwarf Survey (STARBIRDS), aimed at understanding the life cycle and impact of starburst activity in low-mass systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present detailed analysis of color-magnitude diagrams of NGC 2403, obtained from a deep (m ≲ 28) Hubble Space Telescope (HST)Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 observation of the outer disk of NGC 2403, supplemented by several shallow (m ≲ 26) HST Advanced Camera for Surveys fields.We derive the spatially resolved star formation history of NGC 2403 out to 11 disk scale lengths. In the inner portions of the galaxy, we compare the recent star formation rates (SFRs) we derive from the resolved stars with those measured using GALEX FUV + Spitzer 24μ fluxes, finding excellent agreement between the methods. Our measurements also show that the radial gradient in recent SFR mirrors the disk exponential profile to 11 scale lengths with no break, extending to SFR densities a factor of ~100 lower than those that can be measured with GALEX and Spitzer (~2×10-6 M☉ yr-1 kpc-2). Furthermore, we find that the cumulative stellar mass of the disk was formed at similar times at all radii. We compare these characteristics of NGC 2403 to those of its "morphological twins," NGC 300 and M 33, showing that the structure and age distributions of the NGC 2403 disk are more similar to those of the relatively isolated system NGC 300 than to those of the Local Group analog M 33. We also discuss the environments and Hi morphologies of these three nearby galaxies, comparing them to integrated light studies of larger samples of more distant galaxy disks. Taken together, the physical properties and evolutionary history of NGC 2403 suggest that the galaxy has had no close encounters with other M 81 group members and may be falling into the group for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging of six positions spanning 5.8 kpc of the HI major axis of the Local Group dIrr NGC 6822, including both the putative companion galaxy and the large HI hole. The resulting deep color-magnitude diagrams show that NGC 6822 has formed >50% of its stars in the last ~5 Gyr. The star formation histories of all six positions are similar over the most recent 500 Myr, including low-level star formation throughout this interval and a weak increase in star formation rate during the most recent 50 Myr. Stellar feedback can create the giant HI hole, assuming that the lifetime of the structure is longer than 500 Myr; such long-lived structures have now been observed in multiple systems and may be the norm in galaxies with solid-body rotation. The old stellar populations (red giants and red clump stars) of the putative companion are consistent with those of the extended halo of NGC 6822; this argues against the interpretation of this structure as a bona fide interacting companion galaxy and against its being linked to the formation of the HI hole via an interaction. Since there is no evidence in the stellar population of a companion galaxy, the most likely explanation of the extended Hi structure in NGC 6822 is a warped disk inclined to the line of sight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the effects of non-constant star formation histories (SFHs) on Hα and GALEX far-ultraviolet (FUV) star formation rate (SFR) indicators. Under the assumption of a fully populated Chabrier initial mass function (IMF), we compare the distribution of Hα-to-FUV flux ratios from ~1500 simple, periodic model SFHs with observations of 185 galaxies from the Spitzer Local Volume Legacy survey. We find a set of SFH models that are well matched to the data, such that more massive galaxies are best characterized by nearly constant SFHs, while low-mass systems experience burst amplitudes of ~30 (i.e., an increase in the SFR by a factor of 30 over the SFR during the inter-burst period), burst durations of tens of Myr, and periods of ~250 Myr; these SFHs are broadly consistent with the increased stochastic star formation expected in systems with lower SFRs. We analyze the predicted temporal evolution of galaxy stellar mass, R-band surface brightness, Hα-derived SFR, and blue luminosity, and find that they provide a reasonable match to observed flux distributions. We find that our model SFHs are generally able to reproduce both the observed systematic decline and increased scatter in Hα-to-FUV ratios toward low-mass systems, without invoking other physical mechanisms. We also compare our predictions with those from the Integrated Galactic IMF theory with a constant SFR. We find that while both predict a systematic decline in the observed ratios, only the time variable SFH models are capable of producing the observed population of low-mass galaxies (M* ≲ 107 M⊙) with normal Hα-to-FUV ratios. These results demonstrate that a variable IMF alone has difficulty explaining the observed scatter in the Hα-to-FUV ratios. We conclude by considering the limitations of the model SFHs and discuss the use of additional empirical constraints to improve future SFH modeling efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an analysis of ultradeep UV and Hα imaging of five nearby spiral galaxies to study the recent star formation in the outer disk. Using azimuthally averaged ellipse photometry as well as aperture photometry of individual young stellar complexes, we measure how star formation rates (SFRs) and UV and Hα colors vary with radius. We detect azimuthally averaged UV flux to ~1.2-1.4 R25 in most galaxies; at the edge of the detected UV disk, the surface brightnesses are 28-29 mag arcsec-2, corresponding to SFR surface densities of ~3 x 10-4 M⊙ yr-1 kpc-2. Additionally, we detect between 120 and 410 young stellar complexes per galaxy, with a significant number of detections out to ~1.5 R25. We measure radial FUV-NUV profiles, and find that the dispersion in the UV colors of individual young stellar complexes increases with radius. We investigate how radial variations in the frequency of star formation episodes can create color gradients and increasing dispersion in the UV colors of star-forming regions, like those observed in our study. Specifically, we use recently published, high spatial and temporal resolution measurements of ΣSFR throughout the disk of M33 to estimate the frequency of star formation episodes throughout the disk of a typical spiral galaxy. We use stellar synthesis models of these star formation histories (SFHs) to measure the variations in UV colors and find that we can replicate large dispersions in UV colors based on episodic SFHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compare the cumulative star formation histories (SFHs) of Local Group (LG) dwarf galaxies with those in the volume-limited ACS Nearby Galaxy Survey Treasury (ANGST) sample (D ≲ 4 Mpc), in order to understand how typical the LG dwarf galaxies are relative to those in the nearby universe. The SFHs were derived in a uniform manner from high-quality optical color--magnitude diagrams constructed from Hubble Space Telescope imaging. We find that the mean cumulative SFHs of the LG dwarfs are comparable to the mean cumulative SFHs of the ANGST sample for the three different morphological types (dwarf spheroidals/ellipticals: dSph/dE; dwarf irregulars: dI; transition dwarfs: dTrans). We also discuss effects such as population gradients and systematic uncertainties in the stellar models that may influence the derived SFHs. Both the ANGST and LG dwarf galaxies show a consistent and strong morphology--density relationship, emphasizing the importance of environment in the evolution of dwarf galaxies. Specifically, we confirm that dIs are found at lower densities and higher luminosities than dSphs, within this large sample. We also find that dTrans are located in similar environments to those occupied by dwarf irregular galaxies, but have systematically lower luminosities that are more comparable to those of dwarf spheroidals. The similarity of the SFHs and morphology-density relationships of the LG and ANGST dwarf galaxies suggests that the LG dwarfs are a good representation of dwarf galaxies in the local universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present uniformly measured star formation histories (SFHs) of 60 nearby (D ≲ 4 Mpc) dwarf galaxies based on color-magnitude diagrams of resolved stellar populations from images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope and analyzed as part of the ACS Nearby Galaxy Survey Treasury program (ANGST). This volume-limited sample contains 12 dwarf spheroidal (dSph)/dwarf elliptical (dE), 5 dwarf spiral, 28 dwarf irregular (dI), 12 dSph/dI (transition), and 3 tidal dwarf galaxies. The sample spans a range of ~10 mag in MB and covers a wide range of environments, from highly interacting to truly isolated. From the best-fit SFHs, we find three significant results for dwarf galaxies in the ANGST volume: (1) the majority of dwarf galaxies formed the bulk of their mass prior to z ~ 1, regardless of current morphological type; (2) the mean SFHs of dis, transition dwarf galaxies (dTrans), and dSphs are similar over most of cosmic time, and only begin to diverge a few Gyr ago, with the clearest differences between the three appearing during the most recent 1 Gyr; and (3) the SFHs are complex and the mean values are inconsistent with simple SFH models, e.g., single bursts, constant star formation rates (SFRs), or smooth, exponentially declining SFRs. The mean SFHs show clear divergence from the cosmic SFH at z ≲ 0.7, which could be evidence that low-mass systems have experienced delayed star formation relative to more massive galaxies. The sample shows a strong density-morphology relationship, such that the dSphs in the sample are less isolated than the dis. We find that the transition from a gas-rich to gas-poor galaxy cannot be solely due to internal mechanisms such as stellar feedback, and instead is likely the result of external mechanisms, e.g., ram pressure and tidal stripping and tidal forces. In terms of their environments, SFHs, and gas fractions, the majority of the dTrans appear to be low-mass dis that simply lack Hα emission, similar to Local Group (LG) dTrans DDO 210. However, a handful of dTrans have remarkably low gas fractions, suggesting that they have nearly exhausted their gas supply, analogous to LG dTrans such as Phoenix. Finally, we have also included extensive exploration of uncertainties in the SFH recovery method, including the optimization of time resolution, the effects of photometric depth, and impact of systematic uncertainties due to the limitations in current stellar evolution models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new MMT spectroscopic observations of four dwarf galaxies representative of a larger sample observed by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and identified by Peeples et al. as low-mass, high oxygen abundance outliers from the mass-metallicity relation. Peeples showed that these four objects (with metallicity estimates of 8.5 ≤ 12 + log(O/H) ≤ 8.8) have oxygen abundance offsets of 0.4-0.6 dex from the MB luminosity-metallicity relation. Our new observations extend the wavelength coverage to include the [O II] λλ3726, 3729 doublet, which adds leverage in oxygen abundance estimates and allows measurements of N/O ratios. All four spectra are low excitation, with relatively high N/O ratios (N/O ≳ 0.10), each of which tend to bias estimates based on strong emission lines toward high oxygen abundances. These spectra all fall in a regime where the "standard" strong-line methods for metallicity determinations are not well calibrated either empirically or by photoionization modeling. By comparing our spectra directly to photoionization models, we estimate oxygen abundances in the range of 7.9 ≤ 12 + log (O/H) ≤ 8.4, consistent with the scatter of the mass-metallicity relation. We discuss the physical nature of these galaxies that leads to their unusual spectra (and previous classification as outliers), finding their low excitation, elevated N/O, and strong Balmer absorption are consistent with the properties expected from galaxies evolving past the "Wolf-Rayet galaxy" phase. We compare our results to the "main" sample of Peeples and conclude that they are outliers primarily due to enrichment of nitrogen relative to oxygen and not due to unusually high oxygen abundances for their masses or luminosities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compare the stellar populations and complex neutral gas dynamics of the M81 group dIrr galaxy DDO 165 using data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Very Large Array. Cannon et al. in Paper I of this series identified two kinematically distinct H I components, multiple localized high velocity gas features, and eight H I holes and shells (the largest of which spans ~2.2 × 1.1 kpc). Using the spatial and temporal information from the stellar populations in DDO 165, we compare the patterns of star formation (SF) over the past 500 Myr with the H I dynamics. We extract localized star formation histories within 6 of the 8 H I holes identified in Paper I, as well as 23 other regions that sample a range of stellar densities and neutral gas properties. From population synthesis modeling, we derive the energy outputs (from stellar winds and supernovae) of the stellar populations within these regions over the last 100 Myr, and compare with refined estimates of the energies required to create the H I holes. In all cases, we find that "feedback" is energetically capable of creating the observed structures in the interstellar medium (ISM). Numerous regions with significant energy inputs from feedback lack coherent H I structures but show prominent localized high velocity gas features; this feedback signature is a natural product of temporally and spatially distributed SF. In DDO 165, the extended period of heightened SF activity (lasting more than 1 Gyr) is energetically capable of creating the observed holes and high velocity gas features in the neutral ISM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new multi-configuration Very Large Array H I spectral line observations of the M81 group dwarf irregular post-starburst galaxy DDO 165. The Hi morphology is complex, with multiple column density peaks surrounding a large region of very low H I surface density that is offset from the center of the stellar distribution. The bulk of the neutral gas is associated with the southern section of the galaxy; a secondary peak in the north contains ~15% of the total Hi mass. These components appear to be kinematically distinct, suggesting that either tidal processes or large-scale blowout have recently shaped the interstellar medium (ISM) of DDO 165. Using spatially resolved position-velocity maps, we find multiple localized high-velocity gas features. Cross-correlating with radius-velocity analyses, we identify eight shell/hole structures in the ISM with a range of sizes (~400-900 pc) and expansion velocities (~7-11 km s-1). These structures are compared with narrow- and broadband imaging from the Kitt Peak National Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Using the latter data, recent works have shown that DDO 165's previous "burst" phase was extended temporally (≳1 Gyr). We thus interpret the high-velocity gas features, H I holes, and kinematically distinct components of the galaxy in the context of the immediate effects of "feedback" from recent star formation (SF). In addition to creating H I holes and shells, extended SF events are capable of creating localized high-velocity motion of the surrounding interstellar material. A companion paper connects the energetics from the H I and HST data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present deep Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 optical observations obtained as part of the ACS Nearby Galaxy Survey Treasury as well as early release Wide Field Camera 3 ultraviolet and infrared observations of the nearby dwarf starbursting galaxy NGC 4214. Our data provide a detailed example of how covering such a broad range in wavelength provides a powerful tool for constraining the physical properties of stellar populations. The deepest data reach the ancient red clump at MF814W ~ -0.2. All of the optical data reach the main-sequence turnoff for stars younger than ~300 Myr and the blue He-burning sequence for stars younger than 500 Myr. The full color-magnitude diagram (CMD) fitting analysis shows that all three fields in our data set are consistent with ~75% of the stellar mass being older than 8 Gyr, in spite of showing a wide range in star formation rates at present. Thus, our results suggest that the scale length of NGC 4214 has remained relatively constant for many gigayears. As previously noted by others, we also find the galaxy has recently ramped up production consistent with its bright UV luminosity and its population of UV-bright massive stars. In the central field we find UV point sources with F336W magnitudes as bright as -9.9. These are as bright as stars with masses of at least 52-56 M... and ages near 4 Myr in stellar evolution models. Assuming a standard initial mass function, our CMD is well fitted by an increase in star formation rate beginning 100 Myr ago. The stellar populations of this late-type dwarf are compared with those of NGC 404, an early-type dwarf that is also the most massive galaxy in its local environment. The late-type dwarf appears to have a similar high fraction of ancient stars, suggesting that these dominant galaxies may form at early epochs even if they have low total mass and very different present-day morphologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I present an introduction to three important subjects relevant to low metallicity star formation: the IMF, stellar evolution, and star formation histories. I will draw on observations from the LCID (Local Cosmology from Isolated Dwarfs) project to illustrate some of these topics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Recent (≤ 0.5 Gyr) star formation histories have a large impact on the observable properties of galaxies. Using HST/ACS observations, we have used the blue helium burning (BHeB) stars to construct spatially resolved star formation histories of M81 group dwarf galaxies with a time resolution of roughly 30 Myr over the last 500 Myr. We have designed a sample of ten galaxies spanning ranges of 6 magnitudes in luminosity, 1000 in current star formation rate, and 0.5 dex in metallicity. The ACS observations allow us to directly observe the strength and spatial relationships of all of the recent star formation in these galaxies. These observations are complemented by high-quality ancillary data (e.g., Spitzer, UV/optical/H-alpha/NIR, VLA HI). Our resolved star formation maps will be compared with star formation rates inferred from H-alpha, UV, and IR observations – allowing an independent calibration of these techniques. Given the ranges in metallicity, these observations will provide calibrations of stellar evolution tracks for young, low metallicity stars. These observations will also enable us to construct prescriptions of how star formation and feedback depend on metallicity, size, gas content, and current star formation rates in galaxies. Finally, I note that the new observations becoming available as a part of the ANGST (ACS Nearby Galaxies Survey Treasury Program) will allow a large number of dwarf galaxies to be analyzed in this way. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

With the new discoveries that some dEs are rotationally supported and that dIs may show a large variety in star formation histories, the perceived relationships between these two families of galaxies are changing. There are at least three viable channels for the origin of dwarf elliptical galaxies with strong observational evidence that support their reality. I will discuss the observational evidence for each of these channels and the likely physical processes which determine each channel. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]