The Widefield Arecibo Virgo Extragalactic Survey: Early Results on Known Dark Sources

TL;DR

The WAVES survey used the Arecibo telescope to study dark HI structures in the Virgo Cluster, revealing unexpected non-detections and contributing to understanding of optically dark gas in galaxy clusters.

Contribution

This paper presents early results from WAVES, highlighting new insights into dark HI structures and their detectability in the Virgo Cluster.

Findings

Two dark HI structures not detected despite being above detection limits.

Revealed complexities in the distribution of optically dark gas.

Enhanced understanding of HI structures in galaxy clusters.

Abstract

The Widefield Arecibo Virgo Extragalactic Survey (WAVES) was an ongoing HI survey of the Virgo Cluster with the Arecibo Observatory's 305m William E. Gordon Telescope at the time of its structural failure. The full 20 square degrees of the southern field and 10 of the planned 35 square degrees of the northern field had been observed to full depth, adding to 25 square degrees observed to the same depth in the cluster by the Arecibo Galaxy Environment Survey. We here review what WAVES reveals about four optically dark HI structures that were previously discovered in the survey area, including two that are not seen despite being well above our detection limit.