Ionized gas in the circumgalactic vicinity of the M81 galaxy group

Abstract

The dynamics of the dust and gas in the tidal region of the M81 galaxy group have been analyzed, and the drift of the dust relative to the gas has been estimated, including the drift due to the action of radiation pressure from stars in M81. It is concluded that a large fraction of the gas in the tidal region is in the form of ionized hydrogen HII that shields the observedHI gas from the extragalactic Lyman continuum: the observed atomic gas could be only 10% of the total mass of gas. Only then it is possible to satisfactorily explain the excess dust abundance, which exceeds the Galactic value by a factor of six. By analogy, extended HI disks in galaxies with sizes appreciably larger than the stellar disks could be surrounded by HII envelopes with a comparable or greater mass. Such disks could play an important role in supporting prolonged star formation in galaxies with extended HI disks. Associated observational manifestations are discussed. Such HII envelopes outside HI disks could be detectable in absorption in Ly α and lines of ions of heavy elements.