Ed Elson
W.J.G. de Blok, R.C. Kraan-Korteweg
Our changing view of the blue compact dwarf NGC 2915
The nearby blue compact dwarf galaxy NGC 2915 is known as one of the most dark matter dominated galaxies. Its compact stellar core is embedded in an HI spiral disk extending more than 22 B-band scale lengths. We have obtained high quality HI line observations from an extension to the THINGS survey which, in combination with IR and UV imaging from the Spitzer and GALEX nearby galaxy surveys, show that, contrary to previous observations, NGC 2915 is a dynamically complex system with strong evidence for gas infall or interactions. Through detailed 3D modeling of the HI data cubes NGC 2915 is found to be dark matter dominated at all radii, the dark matter halo being best fit by a pseudo isothermal sphere rather than a Cold Dark Matter halo. The modeling results further suggest that the kinematic anomalies seen in the HI data cubes are consistent with a fast rotating, expanding inner HI ring inclined at ~20 degrees relative to the underlying HI disk. Our observations therefore provide some of the clearest evidence so far that cold gas accretion may also play an important role in the evolution of dwarf galaxies.