Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Dark galaxies – systems rich in neutral hydrogen (H I) gas but with no stars – are a common prediction of numerous theoretical models and cosmological simulations. However, the unequivocal identification of such sources in current H I surveys has proven challenging. In this work, we present interferometric follow-up observations with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) of a former dark galaxy candidate J0139+4328, originally detected with the single-dish FAST telescope. The improved spatial resolution of the VLA data allows us to identify a faint optical counterpart and characterize the galaxy. Located at a distance of about 31 Mpc, J0139+4328 has a stellar mass of 3 × 106 M⊙ and a relatively high gas richness of MHI/M* = 18. Despite its high ratio, the galaxy is consistent, within the scatter, with the stellar-to-H I mass relation of H I-selected samples in the literature and with the baryonic Tully–Fisher relation (BTFR), although its kinematic measurement is subject to large uncertainties. This case highlights the potential of modern high-sensitivity H I surveys for detecting low surface brightness and gas-rich galaxies, but underscores the need for careful interpretation of low-resolution H I data, with potentially large centroid errors, and for sufficiently deep optical imaging to ensure robust identification.
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: National Science Foundation, Smithsonian Institution, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, California Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, Space Telescope Science Institute, European Commission, Queen's University Belfast, Durham University, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Queen's University, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, National Central University, Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem, Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Science Mission Directorate, HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme, European Regional Development Fund, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Youth Innovation Promotion Association, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Planetary Science Division
Awards: G121809054, G1381791653, G1484095483, G1611532398, G1622782223, G2586010942, G2660406951, G2956311059, G3207356259, G3480869486, G3780957795, G3817602061, G382529515, G4426983848, G4474636675, G4535668772, G463062595, G496129201, G5894067328, G618131832, A NEO SEARCH PROGRAM USING THE PAN-STARRS PS1 TELESCOPETHE GOAL OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS TO USE T, G7084143925, G7187964967, G7546946110, Pan-STARRS1: Operations; Public Data Release; Education and Outreach, G833430883, G878044590, G896728979, G998665108
OpenAlex ID: W7128314757
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