Publication Date:
2015-09-27
Description:
Using data taken as part of the Bluedisk project, we study the connection between neutral hydrogen (H i ) in the environment of spiral galaxies and that in the galaxies themselves. We measure the total H i mass present in the environment in a statistical way by studying the distribution of noise peaks in the H i data cubes obtained for 40 galaxies observed with Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope. We find that galaxies whose H i mass fraction is high relative to standard scaling relations have an excess H i mass in the surrounding environment as well. Gas in the environment consists of gas clumps which are individually below the detection limit of our H i data. These clumps may be hosted by small satellite galaxies and/or be the high-density peaks of a more diffuse gas distribution in the intergalactic medium. We interpret this result as an indication for a picture in which the ${\rm H}\,{\small {I}}$ -rich central galaxies accrete gas from an extended gas reservoir present in their environment.
Print ISSN:
0035-8711
Electronic ISSN:
1365-2966
Topics:
Physics
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