Spectroscopic observations in the range 1200-2000 A of the Ir II galaxy NGC 3077 made with the IUE telescope using the large aperture (10 arcsec x 20 arcsec) slit in low-dispersion mode are presented. The observations show the presence of a hot stellar component (20,000-23,000 K) spatially distributed in an asymmetric way. Analysis of the slit position with respect to some blue stellar knots present in the center suggests that they are responsible for about 66% of the total UV light detected. The hypothesis that these hot stars are the result of an H I infall because of a close encounter with M81 is briefly considered, accounting for the presence of the recently detected hydrogen bridge between these two galaxies.
UV observation of the nucleus of NGC 3077
BENACCHIO, LEOPOLDO;GALLETTA, GIUSEPPE
1981
Abstract
Spectroscopic observations in the range 1200-2000 A of the Ir II galaxy NGC 3077 made with the IUE telescope using the large aperture (10 arcsec x 20 arcsec) slit in low-dispersion mode are presented. The observations show the presence of a hot stellar component (20,000-23,000 K) spatially distributed in an asymmetric way. Analysis of the slit position with respect to some blue stellar knots present in the center suggests that they are responsible for about 66% of the total UV light detected. The hypothesis that these hot stars are the result of an H I infall because of a close encounter with M81 is briefly considered, accounting for the presence of the recently detected hydrogen bridge between these two galaxies.
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