Interacting and merging galaxies from the second Byurakan survey: I. HI-observations

Abstract

We present new results from HI observations of 53 previously undetected interacting and merging galaxies from the Second Byurakan Survey (SBS), in which 30 systems have been detected (detection rate 56%). High-resolution gray-scale optical images and isophotal maps of the HI detected galaxy systems are presented, in addition to comments on these systems. The possibility of confusion arising from known objects within the telescope beam is discussed for each case. For nine unconfused mergers, global HI parameters are determined. These objects are found to be HI-rich and have normal values of (total) mass-to-luminosity ratios. At least 18 objects in the present sample are found to have radio continuum counterparts above the milli-Jansky level near 1 GHz. Throughout this paper we use a value of H0 = 72 km s-1 Mpc-1 for the Hubble constant. © 2008 ESO.