B. Cherinka et al. 2009 The Astronomical Journal 138 1714 doi:10.1088/0004-6256/138/6/1714
B. Cherinka1, R. E. Schulte-Ladbeck1 and J. L. Rosenberg2
Show affiliationsIn an effort to study Damped Lyα (DLA) galaxies at low redshift, we have been using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to identify galaxies projected onto quasi-stellar object (QSO) sight lines and to characterize their optical properties. For low-redshift galaxies, the H I 21 cm emission line can be used as an alternate tool for identifying possible DLA galaxies, since H I-emitting galaxies typically exhibit H I columns that are larger than the classical DLA limit. Here, we report on follow-up H I 21 cm emission-line observations of two DLA candidates that are both low-redshift spiral galaxies, Mrk 1456 and SDSS J211701.26–002633.7. The observations were made using the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) and Arecibo telescope, respectively. Analysis of their H I properties reveal the galaxies to be about one and two M*H I galaxies, respectively, and to have average H I mass, gas richness, and gas-mass fraction for their morphological types. We consider Mrk 1456 and SDSS J211701.26–002633.7 to be candidate DLA systems based upon the strength of the Ca II absorption lines they cause in their QSO's spectra, and impact parameters to the QSO that are smaller than the stellar disk. Compared to the small numbers of other H I detected DLA and candidate DLA galaxies, Mrk 1456 and SDSS J211701.26–002633.7 have high H I masses. Mrk 1456 and SDSS J211701.26–002633.7 have also been found to lie in galaxy groups that are high in H I gas mass compared to the group containing SBS 1543+593, the only DLA galaxy previously known to be situated in a galaxy group. When compared with the expected properties of low-z DLAs from an H I-detected sample of galaxies, Mrk 1456 and SDSS J211701.26–002633.7 fall within the ranges for impact parameter and MB ; and the H I mass distribution for the H I-detected DLAs agrees with that of the expected H I mass distribution for low-z DLAs. Our observations support galaxy-evolution models in which high-mass galaxies make up an increasing contribution to the DLA cross section at lower redshifts. We also report on the 21 cm line emission of Mrk 1457, a Seyfert galaxy observed within the beam of the GBT.
galaxies: individual (Mrk 1456, Mrk 1457, SDSS J211701.26–002633.7); quasars: absorption lines; radio lines: galaxies
Issue 6 (2009 December)
Received 2009 March 11, accepted for publication 2009 September 27
Published 2009 November 2
B. Cherinka et al. 2009 The Astronomical Journal 138 1714
M. Okabayashi et al 2005 Nucl. Fusion 45 1715
E. Lundh 2008 EPL 84 10007
M V Georgievsky 2009 Environ. Res. Lett. 4 045017
L. Homer et al. 2001 The Astronomical Journal 122 2627
Sikina Jinnah et al 2009 Environ. Res. Lett. 4 034003
U. Heiter and R. E. Luck 2003 The Astronomical Journal 126 2015
Tadayuki Takahashi et al. 2009 ApJ 697 592
J Winter 2004 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 46 B583
D. W. Savin et al. 2006 ApJ 642 1275