Study of galaxies in the Lynx-Cancer void - III. New extreme low surface brightness dwarf galaxies

Abstract

We present the results of a complex study of the low surface brightness dwarf (LSBD) gas-rich galaxies J0723+3621, J0737+4724 and J0852+1350, which reside in the nearby Lynx-Cancer void. Their ratios M(Hi)/LB, according to Hi data obtained with the Nançay Radio Telescope (NRT), are respectively ~3.9, ~2 and ~2.6. For the two latter galaxies, we derived an oxygen abundance corresponding to the value of 12+log(O/H) 7.3, using spectra from the Russian 6-m telescope (BTA) and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data base. We found two additional blue LSBDs, J0723+3622 and J0852+1351, which appear to be physical companions of J0723+3621 and J0852+1350 situated at projected distances of ~12-13kpc. The companion relative velocities, derived from the BTA spectra, are ΔV=+89kms-1 and +30kms-1 respectively. The geometry and relative orientation of orbits and spins in these pairs indicate, respectively, prograde and polar encounters for J0723+3621 and J0852+1350. The NRT Hi profiles of J0723+3621 and J0723+3622 indicate a sizeable gas flow in this system. The SDSS u, g, r, i images of the five dwarfs are used to derive photometric parameters and exponential or Sersic disc model fits. For three of them, the (u-g), (g-r), (r-i) colours of the outer parts, when compared with PEGASE evolutionary tracks, provide evidence for the dominance of old stellar populations with ages of T~ (8-10) ± 3 Gyr. For J0723+3622 and J0737+4724 the outer region colours appear rather blue, implying ages of the oldest visible stars of Gyr. The new LSB galaxies complement the list of known most metal-poor and 'unevolved' dwarfs in this void, including DDO68, SDSSJ0812+4836, SDSSJ0926+3343 and SAO0822+3545. This unique concentration of 'unevolved' dwarf galaxies in a small cell of the nearby Universe implies a physical relationship between slow galaxy evolution and a void-type global environment. We also compare the baryonic content of these LSBDs with predictions from the most updated cosmological simulations. © 2011 The Authors Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society © 2011 RAS.