MeerKAT view of Hickson Compact Groups I. Data description and release
Journal article, 2025
Context. Hickson Compact Groups (HCGs) are dense gravitationally bound collections of four to ten galaxies and are ideal for studying gas and star formation quenching processes. Aims. We aim to understand the transition of HCGs from possessing complex H i tidal structures (so-called phase 2 groups) to a phase where galaxies have lost most or all of their H i (phase 3). We also seek to detect diffuse H i gas that was previously missed by the Very Large Array (VLA). Methods. We observed three phase 2 and three phase 3 HCGs with MeerKAT and reduced the data using the Containerized Automated Radio Astronomy Calibration (CARACal) pipeline. We produced data cubes, moment maps, and integrated spectra, and we compared our findings with previous VLA and Green Bank Telescope observations. Results. Compared with previous VLA observations, MeerKAT reveals much more extended tidal features in phase 2 and some new high surface brightness features in phase 3 groups. However, no diffuse H i component was found in phase 3 groups. We also detected many surrounding galaxies for both phase 2 and phase 3 groups, most of which are normal disc galaxies. Conclusions. The difference between phase 2 and phase 3 groups is still substantial, supporting the previous finding that the transition between the two phases must be abrupt.
galaxies: groups: individual: HCG90
galaxies: groups: individual: HCG97
galaxies: groups: individual: HCG31
galaxies: groups: individual: HCG 16
galaxies: groups: individual: HCG30
galaxies: groups: individual: HCG91
Author
R. Ianjamasimanana
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
L. Verdes-Montenegro
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
A. Sorgho
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
Kelley Michelle Hess
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Onsala Space Observatory
M. G. Jones
University of Arizona
J. M. Cannon
Macalester College
J. M. Solanes
University of Barcelona
M. E. Cluver
Swinburne University of Technology
J. Moldon
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
B. Namumba
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
J. Román
Complutense University
I. Labadie-García
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
C. C. De La Casa
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
S. Borthakur
Arizona State University
J. Wang
Beijing University of Technology
R. García-Benito
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
A. del Olmo
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
J. Perea
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
T. Wiegert
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
Min S. Yun
University of Massachusetts
J. Garrido
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
S. Sánchez-Expósito
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
A. Bosma
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille
E. Athanassoula
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille
G. I.G. Józsa
Max Planck Society
Rhodes University
T. H. Jarrett
Western Sydney University
University of Cape Town
C. Kevin Xu
Chinese Academy of Sciences
O. Smirnov
Rhodes University
South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO)
Astronomy and Astrophysics
0004-6361 (ISSN) 1432-0746 (eISSN)
Vol. 696 A176Subject Categories (SSIF 2025)
Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Cosmology
DOI
10.1051/0004-6361/202453005
Related datasets
MeerKAT view of Hickson Compact Groups: I. Data description and release [dataset]
URI: https://github.com/ianjarog/hcg-data-paper