As result we have 209 observed candidates preselected on HQS objective prism plates, of which 169 were first priority candidates and 40 were second priority ones. 166 objects (79% from 209 objects) are found to be either ELGs (161), or quasars (5).
Of 161 ELGs 98 galaxies (61%) were classified based on the character of their spectra and their luminosity as H II/BCGs or probable BCGs.
Two of them (HS 1213+3636A and HS 1311+3628) are low-mass neighbours/satellites of the dwarf spiral NGC 4214 and of the Im galaxy UGC 8303. As the discussion of the local environment of BCGs is out of the scope of this paper, we refer to a recent analysis of this issue by Pustilnik et al. (2001).
HS 1213+3636B and HS 1423+3945 are SAs in the dwarf spirals NGC 4214 and UGC 9242.
Six ELGs are difficult to classify at all due to their poor signal-to-noise spectra. Six more ELGs were classified as Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs): 3 as Seyfert galaxies and 3 as LINERs. The remaining 49 ELGs are objects with low excitation: either starburst nuclei galaxies (SBN and probable SBN) or their lower mass analogs - dwarf amorphous nuclear starburst galaxies (DANS or probable DANS).
By keeping a high fraction of BCGs (
62% among the first priority
candidates) we continue to have a high efficiency of discovery new BCGs,
which is the main goal of the HSS.
Since the completeness of the BCG sample under construction is an important
parameter for many follow-up statistical studies, we observed a randomly
selected sample of candidates from our list of second priority candidates.
As discussed already in Paper IV at most 10% of them turned out to be BCGs.
Using additional information from the APM is an efficient means to pick up
these BCGs among the second priority candidates: among 23 objects observed
10 BCGs (43%) were discovered (Table 1).
Summarizing the results of the Hamburg/SAO survey presented in Papers I
through V, we discovered altogether from the 1st priority candidates
433 new emission-line objects (25 of them are QSOs), and for 85 known ELGs
we got quantitative data for their emission lines.
At the moment the total number of confident or probable blue compact/low-mass
H II-galaxies reaches 360. Relative to all observed 493 ELGs
the fraction of BCGs (360/493 or 73%) demonstrates the high efficiency of
the survey to find this type of galaxies.
21 more new BCGs and 20 other type ELGs are found among the second priority
candidates.
To estimate the total number of BCGs in the HSS zone we should count
new BCGs expected from the remaining candidates and those selected
in the HSS, but not observed by us since they already were known from
other surveys. Thus we expect the total number of BCGs in this sky region
to be 500.
This will be the largest homogeneous BCG sample in both hemispheres.
Copyright ESO 2001