2 Description of the sample

BCGs are typically rich in H  I gas. Many large H  I surveys of BCGs were carried out, in particular by Gordon & Gottesman (1981), Thuan & Martin (1981), Thuan et al. (1999) and Smoker et al. (2000). Since we want to combine the optical spectra we obtain with HI data to constrain simultaneously the stars and gas contents of BCGs, we therefore select our sample on the basis of these surveys.

Considering the observatory site, instruments and possible observation times, we selected our sample according to the following criteria: (1) $m_B^{\rm c} < 17.0$ mag; (2)  $\delta_{2000} > -12^{\circ}$; (3) $M_B^{\rm c} < -17$ mag. Using these criteria, 83 BCGs were selected. 14 additional "dwarf'' ( $M_B^{\rm c} > -17$ mag) BCGs were also included because we want to compare their properties with those of "luminous'' ( $M_B^{\rm c} < -17$ mag) BCGs. The final sample consists of 97 BCGs. We emphasize that there is no guarantee that our sample has any statistical completeness.

Most (92/97) of the galaxies in our sample come from Gordon & Gottesman (1981). These authors assembled a list of 99 blue compact galaxies from the Markarian, Haro and Zwicky lists. The H  I observations were made using the 91-m transit radio telescope of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and the 305-m spherical radio telescope of the Arecibo Observatory. Three other galaxies in our sample come from Kinney et al. (1993). One galaxy comes from Thuan & Martin (1981); these authors assembled a list of 115 blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDs, M_B > -18 mag) known at that time from the objective prism surveys of Markarian and Haro, with a few objects from Zwicky and other investigators (we are presently observing most of these BCDs and will present our results in the future). Finally, one galaxy in our sample comes from Thuan et al. (1999).

 

Table 1: Global parameters of observed blue compact galaxies.

Galaxy	RA(2000)	Dec(2000)	$m_B^{\rm c}$	Dist.	$M_B^{\rm c}$	$E(B-V)_{\rm G}$	Other
Name	(hms)	(dms)	(mag)	(Mpc)	(mag)		Name
Mrk 335	00:06:19.5	+20:12:10	13.72	102.0	-21.3	0.035	PGC 473
IIIZw12	00:47:56.5	+22:22:23	14.58	80.0	-19.9	0.045	Mrk 347
Haro15	00:48:35.4	-12:42:59	13.48	86.0	-21.2	0.023	Mrk 960
Mrk 352	00:59:53.3	+31:49:37	14.24	62.0	-19.7	0.061	PGC 3575
Mrk 1	01:16:07.2	+33:05:22	14.69	67.0	-19.4	0.060	NGC 449
IIIZw33	01:43:56.5	+17:03:43	14.56	109.0	-20.6	0.068	Mrk 360
VZw155	01:57:49.4	+27:51:56	15.00	111.0	-20.2	0.082	Mrk 364
IIIZw42	02:11:33.5	+13:55:02	14.51	107.0	-20.6	0.088	Mrk 366
IIIZw43	02:13:45.0	+04:06:07	14.05	47.0	-19.3	0.042	Mrk 589
VZw372	04:13:56.0	+29:09:28	15.19R	74.0	-19.2	0.709	UGC 2989
IIZw18	04:38:39.7	+11:14:28	16.41R	59.0	-17.4	0.391	PGC 15715
IIZw23	04:49:44.4	+03:20:03	13.88	110.0	-21.3	0.063	Mrk 1087
IIZw28	05:01:42.0	+03:34:28	14.94	113.0	-20.3	0.060	VV790B
IIZw33	05:10:48.1	-02:40:54	13.48	36.0	-19.3	0.102	Mrk 1094
IIZw35	05:16:59.3	+00:55:20	16.90N	95.0	-18.0	0.140	PGC 17037
IIZw40	05:55:42.8	+03:23:30	14.22	9.0	-15.6	0.820	UGCA 116
IIZw42	06:03:11.4	+07:49:37	15.37	69.0	-18.8	0.417	UGC3 393
Mrk 5	06:42:15.5	+75:37:33	15.12	13.3	-15.5	0.084	UGCA 130
Mrk 6	06:52:12.2	+74:25:37	13.86	76.0	-20.5	0.136	UGC 3547
VIIZw153	07:28:12.0	+72:34:29	13.40	43.0	-19.8	0.030	Mrk 7
VIIZw156	07:29:25.4	+72:07:44	13.17	50.0	-20.3	0.026	Mrk 8
Haro1	07:36:56.4	+35:14:31	12.39	50.0	-21.1	0.043	NGC 2415
Mrk 385	08:03:28.0	+25:06:10	14.57	110.0	-20.6	0.030	PGC 22615
Mrk 622	08:07:41.0	+39:00:15	14.33	94.0	-20.5	0.051	UGC 4229
Mrk 390	08:35:33.1	+30:32:03	14.58	101.0	-20.4	0.041	PGC 24127
Zw0855	08:58:27.4	+06:19:41	14.50	47.0	-18.9	0.069	UGC 4703
Mrk 105	09:20:26.3	+71:24:16	15.88	49.0	-17.6	0.066	PGC 26416
IZw18	09:34:02.0	+55:14:28	15.80	10.9	-14.4	0.032	Mrk 116
Mrk 402	09:35:19.2	+30:24:31	15.66R	98.0	-19.3	0.020	PGC 27258
IZw21	09:46:28.6	+45:45:09	14.59	67.0	-19.5	0.015	UGC 5225
Haro22	09:50:11.0	+28:00:47	14.94	18.4	-16.4	0.025	PGC 28305
Haro23	10:06:18.1	+28:56:40	14.33	17.5	-16.9	0.024	UGCA 201
IIZw44	10:15:14.7	+21:06:34	15.75	81.0	-18.8	0.023	PGC 29934
Haro2	10:32:31.9	+54:24:03	13.15	21.0	-18.5	0.012	Mrk 33
Mrk 148	10:35:34.8	+44:18:57	14.65R	96.0	-20.3	0.019	UGC 5747
Haro3	10:45:22.4	+55:57:37	12.81	13.6	-17.9	0.007	Mrk 35
Haro25	10:48:44.2	+26:03:12	15.52	101.0	-19.5	0.033	Mrk 727
Mrk 1267	10:53:03.9	+04:37:54	14.48	77.8	-20.0	0.034	Ark 264r1
Haro4	11:04:58.5	+29:08:22	15.51	7.9	-14.0	0.030	Mrk 36
IZw26	11:25:36.2	+54:22:57	16.80	83.0	-17.8	0.014	Mrk 40
Mrk169	11:26:44.4	+59:09:20	13.95	17.5	-17.3	0.014	UGC 6447
Haro27	11:40:24.8	+28:22:26	14.13	24.0	-17.8	0.022	Mrk 1507
Mrk198	12:09:14.1	+47:03:30	14.56	97.0	-20.4	0.017	PGC 38613
IIZw57	12:09:32.9	+17:00:51	13.60	88.0	-21.1	0.036	PGC 38634
Mrk201	12:14:09.7	+54:31:38	12.86	35.0	-19.9	0.015	IZw 33r1
Haro28	12:15:46.1	+48:07:54	13.21	10.6	-16.9	0.016	NGC 4218
Haro8	12:19:09.9	+03:51:21	14.49	18.6	-16.9	0.017	Mrk 49
Mrk50	12:23:24.1	+02:40:45	14.89R	92.0	-19.9	0.016	PGC 40220
Haro29	12:26:16.0	+48:29:37	14.24	4.8	-14.2	0.015	IZw 36

 

Table 1: continued.

Galaxy	RA (2000)	Dec. (2000)	$m_B^{\rm c}$	Dist.	$M_B^{\rm c}$	$E(B-V)_{\rm G}$	Other
Name	(hms)	(dms)	(mag)	(Mpc)	(mag)		Name
Mrk 213	12:31:22.2	+57:57:52	13.03R	41.7	-20.1	0.012	NGC 4500r1
Mrk 215	12:32:34.7	+45:46:04	14.47	79.0	-20.0	0.017	PGC 41591
Haro32	12:43:48.6	+54:54:02	13.70	67.0	-20.4	0.016	IZw41
Haro33	12:44:38.3	+28:28:19	14.39	12.5	-16.1	0.016	UGCA 294
Haro34	12:45:06.6	+21:10:10	14.86	93.0	-20.0	0.041	Ark 386
Haro36	12:46:56.4	+51:36:46	14.67	8.0	-14.8	0.015	UGC 7950
Haro35	12:47:08.5	+27:47:35	15.89R	99.0	-19.1	0.013	PGC 43139
Haro37	12:48:41.0	+34:28:39	15.18	57.0	-18.6	0.014	Mrk 444
IIIZw68	12:58:02.4	+26:51:34	14.34	76.0	-20.1	0.009	UGC 8080
IIZw67	12:58:35.2	+27:35:47	13.69	101.0	-21.3	0.010	NGC 4853
Mrk 57	12:58:37.2	+27:10:34	15.08	102.0	-20.0	0.014	PGC 44486r2
Mrk 235	13:00:02.1	+33:26:15	15.07	100.0	-19.9	0.012	PGC 44694
Mrk 241	13:06:19.8	+32:58:25	15.87	105.0	-19.2	0.014	PGC 45363
IZw53	13:13:57.7	+35:18:55	15.00R	69.0	-19.2	0.011	PGC 45993
IZw56	13:20:35.3	+34:08:22	14.10	93.0	-20.7	0.013	UGC 8387
Haro38	13:35:35.6	+29:13:01	14.87	11.9	-15.5	0.012	UGC 8578
Mrk 270	13:41:05.7	+67:40:20	13.61	38.0	-19.3	0.020	NGC 5283
Mrk 275	13:48:40.5	+31:27:39	14.52	106.0	-20.6	0.019	PGC 48992
Haro39	13:58:23.8	+25:33:00	14.49	35.0	-18.2	0.016	PGC 49732
Haro42	14:31:09.0	+27:14:14	14.74	60.0	-19.2	0.015	Mrk 685
Haro43	14:36:08.8	+28:26:59	15.08	27.0	-17.1	0.020	PGC 52193
Haro44	14:43:24.7	+28:18:04	16.05R	51.0	-17.5	0.017	PGC 52587
IIZw70	14:50:56.5	+35:34:18	14.04	18.0	-17.2	0.012	Mrk 829
IIZw71	14:51:14.4	+35:32:31	13.34	18.0	-17.9	0.013	PGC 53039
IZw97	14:54:39.2	+42:01:26	14.47	36.0	-18.3	0.020	PGC 53299
IZw98	14:55:15.6	+42:30:25	13.91	75.0	-20.5	0.019	NGC 5787
IZw101	15:03:45.8	+42:41:59	15.19	68.0	-19.0	0.019	Ark467
IZw117	15:35:53.6	+38:40:37	14.15	77.0	-20.3	0.017	UGC 9922
IZw123	15:37:04.2	+55:15:48	15.44	11.6	-14.9	0.014	Mrk 487
VIIZw631	15:59:11.9	+20:45:31	12.98	62.0	-21.0	0.055	NGC 6027
Mrk 297	16:05:12.9	+20:32:32	12.98	65.0	-21.1	0.076	NGC 6052
IZw147	16:23:12.0	+54:08:36	15.80R	75.0	-18.6	0.009	PGC 57975
IZw159	16:35:21.1	+52:12:53	15.70	38.0	-17.2	0.029	Mrk 1499
IZw166	16:48:24.1	+48:42:33	15.03	106.0	-20.1	0.016	Mrk 499
Mrk 893	17:15:02.2	+60:12:59	16.34	83.7	-18.3	0.021	1714+602r3
IZw191	17:40:24.8	+47:43:59	14.70R	81.0	-19.8	0.019	PGC 60671
IZw199	17:50:05.1	+56:40:27	14.82	74.0	-19.5	0.048	PGC 60950
IZw207	18:31:10.4	+55:16:32	15.31R	79.0	-19.2	0.042	PGC 61982
IIZw82	20:23:15.6	+00:39:52	13.46	56.0	-20.3	0.191	UGC 11546
IVZw67	21:02:18.8	+36:41:44	14.00N	38.0	-18.9	0.280	UGC 11668
IIZw172	22:14:45.9	+13:50:37	13.23	108.0	-21.9	0.065	NGC 7237
IVZw93	22:16:07.7	+22:56:33	15.44R	55.0	-18.3	0.069	PGC 68454
Mrk 303	22:16:26.8	+16:28:17	14.62	104.0	-20.5	0.051	NGC 7244
Zw2220	22:23:02.0	+30:55:29	13.52	93.0	-21.3	0.078	UGC 12011
Mrk 314	23:02:59.2	+16:36:19	13.45	31.0	-19.0	0.085	Mrk 314
IVZw142	23:20:03.1	+26:12:58	14.89	109.0	-20.3	0.086	Mrk 322
IVZw149	23:27:41.2	+23:35:21	12.66	80.0	-21.9	0.043	Mrk 325
Zw2335	23:37:39.6	+30:07:47	15.37	22.0	-16.3	0.093	Mrk 328

r1: Kinney et al. (1993); r2: Thuan & Martin (1981); r3: Thuan et al. (1999);
The other BCGs were selected from Gordon & Gottesman (1981).

In total our sample contains 97 blue compact galaxies, the general parameters of which are listed in Table 1. Column 1 lists the galaxy name following Haro (Haro 1956), Markarian (Mrk, Markarian et al. 1989), and Zwicky (Zw, Zwicky 1971). Columns 2 and 3 list the right ascension and declination at epoch 2000, taken from NED. Column 4 lists the apparent blue magnitude ( $m_B^{\rm c}$) corrected for instrumental effects, extinction, inclination, and doppler velocity. Most magnitudes were taken from Gordon & Gottesman (1981). The other galaxies were corrected for instrumental effects, extinction, inclination based on de Vaucouleurs et al. (1991, RC3) and NED, as indicated by "R'', "N''. Column 5 lists the distance (D) to the galaxy, in megaparsecs, assuming a Hubble constant of H₀=75 km s^-1 Mpc^-1 and q₀=0.5. Column 6 lists the absolute blue magnitude ( $M_B^{\rm c}$,), derived from Col. 4 and Col. 5 with $M_B^{\rm c} =m_B^{\rm c} - 5~{\log D} +5$. Column 7 lists the Galactic foreground reddening, E(B-V). The last Col. 8 lists other commonly used designations for the galaxies.

The spatial distribution of the 97 sample galaxies on the sky is show in Fig. 1. The absolute blue magnitude ( $M_B^{\rm c}$) distribution of the 97 sample galaxies is presented in Fig. 2.

Figure 1: The distribution of blue compact galaxies in the sky shown in equal-area projection, centered on Declination (latitude) 0, Right Ascension (longitude) 0.

Figure 2: The distribution of absolute blue magnitudes (MB) of the 97 blue compact galaxies in our sample, 83 have MB < -17 mag.

 

Table 2: The observation date and instrumental parameters.

Obs.	Observation date	Number	cw.	slit	arc	Spec.	Standard stars
No.		of nights	(Å)	( $^{\prime\prime}$)	lamp	num.
1	2002 Jan. 08-Jan. 12	5	5500	2.5	He/Ar	20	G191B2B Hilt600 Feige56 Feige25 HZ44
2	2001 Oct. 12	1	5500	2.5	He/Ar	4	Hilt600 HD192281 G191B2B BD174708
3	2001 Feb. 24-Mar. 01	4	5500	2.5	He/Ar	33	G191B2B Feige34 BD332642 HZ44
4	2000 Apr. 29-May. 01	3	6000	2.3	He/Ar	24	Feige34 BD332642 HZ44
5	2000 Feb. 25	1	6000	2.2	He/Ar	4	Hilt600 Feige34
6	2000 Jan. 01-Jan. 02	2	5500	3.0	He/Ar	17	G191B2B Hilt600 Feige34
7	1999 Aug. 03-Aug. 09	2	5500	2.0	He/Ar	4	BD284211 HD192281
8	1998 Aug. 14-Aug. 20	4	5500	2.5	He/Ar	15	BD284211 Kopff27 Feige15 BD332642
9	1998 Feb. 17	1	5500	2.0	He/Ar	2	Hilt600 Feige98
10	1997 Mar. 18-Mar. 20	3	6000	2.0	Fe/Ar	13	Feige34 Feige98 Sa29130