| Description: | Recent MeerKAT observations of nearby galaxy, NGC 5643 (DL~17 Mpc), provide new insights on the accretion of gas onto star-forming galaxies and the effects of galactic nuclei on the surrounding ISM. These observations detect, for the very first time, neutral atomic hydrogen (HI) sources within 1.5 degrees from NGC5643, the closest at 104 projected-kpc. 6 detections are novel, some associated with dwarf galaxies and some pristine dark clouds. The high density HI disk accurately traces the SF spiral arms while several low-column density (<1019 cm-2) features are found in the outskirts . The most prominent feature is an extended tail (31 kpc), its velocity dispersion is high and is counter-rotating with respect to the disk, extending beyond the rotational velocity and is likely tracing cold gas accreting from the environment. Conversely, in the innermost kilo-parsec HI absorption may trace the neutral atomic counterpart of the multi-phase outflow ejected by the AGN. |
