New giant HII regions in the southern sky

FIRPO, V.; GUILLERMO LUIS BOSCH; MORRELL, N. I.

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2005 vol. 356 p. 1375 - 1380

0035-8711

We present results of a search for giant HII regions in southern galaxies. Using high-resolution spectra, obtained with the Magellan Inamori Kyocera Echelle (MIKE) at the Las Campanas Magellan II telescope, we were able to resolve the emission-line profiles and determine the intrinsic velocity dispersion of the ionized gas. Out of four observed regions, selected from previous CCD narrow-band photometry, we detected three HII regions showing supersonic velocity dispersion, characteristic of giant HII regions, and their location in diagnostic diagrams suggests that a powerful starburst is the source of ionization energy.