GASP. VII. Gas accretion onto an isolated galaxy

TL;DR

This study presents observational evidence of gas accretion onto an isolated galaxy, highlighting features like lopsidedness, inhomogeneous metallicity, and kinematic anomalies indicative of ongoing gas inflow.

Contribution

It provides detailed observational analysis supporting gas accretion in an isolated galaxy, a scenario difficult to confirm observationally.

Findings

Infalling gas likely from the South-West side.

Inhomogeneous metallicity with steep gradients.

Kinematic and morphological signs of recent gas inflow.

Abstract

Theoretically, inflowing filaments of gas are one of the main causes of growth for a galaxy. Nonetheless, observationally, probing ongoing gas accretion is challenging. As part of the Gas Stripping Phenomena in galaxies with MUSE (GASP) program, we present the analysis of a spiral galaxy at z=0.04648 whose characteristics indeed are consistent with a scenario in which gas accretion plays a major role. The most salient indirect parts of evidence that support this picture are: 1) The galaxy is isolated, its position rules out the mechanisms expected in dense environments. 2) It shows a pronounced lopsidedness extending toward West. According to the spatially resolved star formation history, this component was formed <6x10^8 yr ago. 3) It has many large and elongated HII regions that are indication of a fragmentation due to disk instability. 4) The stellar and gas kinematics are quite symmetric around the same axis, but in the gas the locus of negative velocities shows a convexity toward East, as if new gas has been infalling with different orientation and velocity. 5) The metallicity distribution is inhomogeneous and shows exceptionally steep gradients from the center toward the outskirts, especially in the South-West side. 6) The luminosity weighted age is generally low (~8 Gyr) and particularly low (<7 Gyr) along a trail crossing the galaxy from South-West toward North. It might trace the path of the accreted gas. These findings point to an inflow of gas probably proceeding from the South-West side of the galaxy.