Star Formation in Massive Low Surface Brightness Galaxies

TL;DR

This study investigates the structure, stellar, and gas content of massive low surface brightness galaxies to understand their star formation processes through multi-wavelength observations.

Contribution

It provides the most comprehensive multi-wavelength analysis to date of star formation in massive low surface brightness galaxies.

Findings

Detailed structural parameters of these galaxies

Distribution of gas and stellar content

Insights into star formation locations and mechanisms

Abstract

Massive low surface brightness galaxies have disk central surface brightnesses at least one magnitude fainter than the night sky, but total magnitudes and masses that show they are among the largest galaxies known. Like all low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies, massive LSB galaxies are often in the midst of star formation yet their stellar light has remained diffuse, raising the question of how star formation is proceeding within these galaxies. We have undertaken a multi-wavelength study to clarify the structural parameters and stellar and gas content of these enigmatic systems. The results of these studies, which include HI, CO, optical, near UV, and far UV images of the galaxies will provide the most in depth study done to date of how, when, and where star formation proceeds within this unique subset of the galaxy population.