Palomar/Las Campanas Imaging Atlas of Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxies: I. Images and Integrated Photometry

We present B, R, and H images for a total of 114 nearby galaxies (vhelio<4000 km s −1) that, with exception of 9 objects, are classied as Blue Compact Dwarfs (BCDs). BR integrated magnitudes, H fluxes and H equivalent widths for all the objects in the sample are presented. A new set of quantitative, observational criteria for a galaxy to be classied as a BCD is proposed. These criteria include a limit on the K-band luminosity (i.e: stellar mass; MK>−21 mag), peak surface brightness (B;peak<22 mag/arcsec2), and color at the peak surface brightness (B;peak−R;peak<1). H emission is detected in all but three sample galaxies. Typical color, absolute magnitude, and H luminosity are (B − R)=0.70.3 mag, MB=−16.11.4 mag, and log(LH)=40.00.6 (erg s−1). Galaxies morphologically classied as nE and iE BCDs within our sample show lower H equivalent widths and redder colors, on average, than the iI and i0-type BCDs. For most of the galaxies the presence of an evolved stellar population is required to explain their observed properties; only the most metal-poor BCDs (e.g: I Zw 18, Tol 65) are still compatible with a pure, young burst. The flux-calibrated and WCS-compliant images in this Atlas are individually available through the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED) image server and collectively through a dedicated web page a