A homogeneous sample of binary galaxies: Basic observational properties

A survey of optical characteristics for 585 binary systems, satisfying a condition of apparent isolation on the sky, is presented. Influences of various selection effects distorting the average parameters of the sample are noted. The pair components display mutual similarity over all the global properties: luminosity, diameter, morphological type, mass-to-luminosity ratio, angular momentum etc., which is not due only to selection effects. The observed correlations must be caused by common origin of pair members. Some features (nuclear activity, color index) could acquire similarity during synchronous evolution of double galaxies. Despite the observed isolation, the sample of double systems is seriously contaminated by accidental pairs, and also by members of groups and clusters. After removing false pairs estimates of orbital mass-to-luminosity ratio range from 0 to 30 f(solar), with the mean value (7.8 plus or minus 0.7) f(solar). Binary galaxies possess nearly circular orbits with a typical eccentrity e = 0.25, probably resulting from evolutionary selection driven by component mergers under dynamical friction. The double-galaxy population with space abundance 0.12 plus or minus 0.02 and characteristic merger timescale 0.2 H(exp -1) may significantly influence the rate of dynamical evolution of galaxies

Star-Forming Regions in Dwarf Galaxies of the Local Volume

We present the H-alpha flux measurements for 44 nearby dwarf galaxies, derived from the observations at the 6-m BTA telescope. H-alpha fluxes were used to determine the rate of integral star formation of galaxies, SFR. For the observed galaxies the value of log SFR lies in the range from 0 to -8 M_sun/yr. The specific star formation rate for all the sample galaxies does not exceed the limit of log SSFR=-9.2 yr^{-1}. A burst of star formation was detected in the center of a nearby dwarf galaxy UGC 2172.Comment: 27 pages, 2 figures, 1 Appendix, 2 table

New Probable Dwarf Galaxies in Northern Groups of the Local Supercluster

We have searched for nearby dwarf galaxies in 27 northern groups with characteristic distances 8-15 Mpc based on the Second Palomar Sky Survey prints. In a total area of about 2000 square degrees, we have found 90 low-surface-brightness objects, more than 60% of which are absent from known catalogs and lists. We have classified most of these objects (~80%) as irregular dwarf systems. The first 21-cm line observations of the new objects with the 100-m Effelsberg radio telescope showed that the typical linear diameters (1-2 kpc), internal motions (30 km/s), and hydrogen masses (~2*10^7M_sun) galaxies correspond to those expected for the dwarf population of nearby groups.Comment: 8 pages, 1 fugur

HI properties of nearby galaxies from a volume-limited sample

We consider global HI and optical properties of about three hundred nearby galaxies with V$_0 < 500$ km/s. The majority of them have individual photometric distance estimates. The galaxy sample parameters, e.g. their linear diameters, their HI mass-to-luminosity ratio, their total mass-to-luminosity ratio, their mean optical surface brightness show some known and some new correlations implying a meaningful dynamic explanation. For the LV galaxies their HI mass and angular momentum follow a nearly linear relation expected for rotating gaseous disks being near the threashold of gravitational instability, favourable for active star formation.Comment: 5 pages, 9 figures, uses laa.sty accepted by A&A Suppl. Serie