The Local Group L-Band Survey: The First Measurements of Localized Cold Neutral Medium Properties in the Low-Metallicity Dwarf Galaxy NGC 6822

TL;DR

This study reports the first detection of localized cold neutral medium in a low-metallicity dwarf galaxy outside the Magellanic Clouds, revealing detailed properties and their association with star-forming regions using high-resolution HI observations.

Contribution

It introduces the Local Group L-Band Survey and a custom pipeline for high-resolution HI absorption detection, providing new insights into CNM properties in low-metallicity environments.

Findings

Detected two localized HI absorption features in NGC 6822.

Measured CNM properties: spin temperature ~32 K, column density ~3.1×10^{20} cm^{-2}.

Found a close link between CNM, molecular gas, and star formation.

Abstract

Measuring the properties of the cold neutral medium (CNM) in low-metallicity galaxies provides insight into heating and cooling mechanisms in early Universe-like environments. We report detections of two localized atomic neutral hydrogen (HI) absorption features in NGC 6822, a low-metallicity (0.2 Z$_{\odot}$) dwarf galaxy in the Local Group. These are the first unambiguous CNM detections in a low-metallicity dwarf galaxy outside the Magellanic Clouds. The Local Group L-Band Survey (LGLBS) enabled these detections due to its high spatial (15 pc for HI emission) and spectral (0.4 \kms) resolution. We introduce LGLBS and describe a custom pipeline to search for HI absorption at high angular resolution and extract associated HI emission. A detailed Gaussian decomposition and radiative transfer analysis of the NGC 6822 detections reveals five CNM components, with key properties: a mean spin temperature of 32$\pm$6 K, a mean CNM column density of 3.1$\times$10$^{20}$ cm$^{-2}$, and CNM mass fractions of 0.33 and 0.12 for the two sightlines. Stacking non-detections does not reveal low-level signals below our median optical depth sensitivity of 0.05. One detection intercepts a star-forming region, with the HI absorption profile encompassing the CO (2$-$1) emission, indicating coincident molecular gas and a depression in high-resolution HI emission. We also analyze a nearby sightline with deep, narrow HI self-absorption dips, where the background warm neutral medium is attenuated by intervening CNM. The association of CNM, CO, and H$\alpha$ emissions suggests a close link between the colder, denser HI phase and star formation in NGC 6822.