Does star formation proceed differently in metal-poor galaxies?
Abstract
The importance of molecular gas in the star-formation process has been questioned by recent theoretical studies. When metals are scarce, star formation could proceed before the molecular fraction becomes significant, making cold atomic gas the key pre-requisite for star formation. The best case studies are blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDs), with their prominent star-formation episode and yet with little or no evidence of molecular gas. Current observations do not provide strong constraints on the presence of dense atomic gas in BCDs nor on the fraction of molecular gas.
We propose to examine the HI region of 9 nearby BCDs selected from the Herschel Dwarf Galaxy Survey. Our program relies on the synergy of Hubble and Herschel, by calculating the gas cooling rate from the fine-structure level of ionized carbon, a parameter that can be determined both in the FUV with COS (probing the diffuse gas through the 1335.7A CII* absorption) and in the FIR with Herschel (probing the denser gas through the [CII] 157um emission). This comparison allows us to constrain the volume filling factor of dense vs. diffuse gas. The program we propose will allow us to examine how this fraction varies with metallicity, star-formation rate, and total gas mass. We will also be able to quantify the mass of molecular gas and evaluate its actual importance for star formation. Finally, a secondary objective is to characterize the main gas heating mechanisms in the HI region of BCDs and in particular the validity of the photoelectric effect paradigm in sources with a low dust-to-gas ratio, with potential implications for high-redshift galaxies.- Publication:
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HST Proposal
- Pub Date:
- December 2015
- Bibcode:
- 2015hst..prop13697L