1999/01/21 by B. Otte, Otte, B., R.‐J. Dettmar +2
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Sensor Technologies Research #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics (astro-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/9901310
8 pages, 7 figures accepted to be published in A&A main journal
arxiv created 1999/01/21 · openalex publication_date 1999/01/21 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Spectroscopic measurements of emission line ratios and velocities are presented for ionized gas across the central plane of NGC 55, a late-type galaxy in the Sculptor group. The low metallicity in NGC 55 leads to relatively low line ratios of [S II]/Hα and [N II]/Hα for H II regions as well as the diffuse ionized gas. These are the first spectroscopical measurements of line ratios in ionized gas exterior to the stellar disc of NGC 55. Analysis of the line ratios and the relative velocities of different features suggests that photoionization is a plausible explanation for the ionization of this diffuse gas. The observed shell structures and the corresponding velocities support the idea of diffuse gas being pushed into the halo by supernova explosions and stellar winds.