The Local Volume HI Survey (LVHIS)

Project description

``The Local Volume HI Survey'' (LVHIS, Koribalski et al. 2018) comprises deep HI line and 20-cm radio continuum observations for all nearby, gas-rich galaxies, supplemented by multi-wavelength data. The LVHIS Galaxy Atlas is also available in the MNRAS supplementary data.

Our sample consists of all galaxies with vLG < 550 km/s or D < 10 Mpc that are detected in the `HI Parkes All-Sky Survey' (HIPASS). A declination limit of approx. DEC < -30 deg was chosen for observations with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). Single pixel HIPASS spectra can be explored here: HIPASS release.

Most LVHIS galaxies are in the "HIPASS Bright Galaxy Catalog" (HIPASS BGC) by Koribalski et al. (2004).

The LVHIS database and LVHIS Galaxy Atlas ... are back alive !! Thanks, Andrew :) More ATNF project are listed here.

Optical images from the SkyMapper (UVGIRZ) survey can be explored via the Southern Sky Viewer and from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) - including models and residuals - via the Legacysurvey Viewer. The CASDA Skymap is useful to overlay ASKAP radio catalogs. Other great survey science tools are AladinLite, Chromoscope, and ESA Sky, which allows for multi-wavelength exploration.

LVHIS - a step towards WALLABY

LVHIS is a significant step towards the ASKAP HI All-Sky Survey (known as WALLABY, Koribalski 2012; Koribalski et al. 2020), as it delivers similar spectral line sensitivity and resolution. WALLABY is a large survey project (approx. two years; 16h per pointing) exploring 3/4 of the sky out to a moderate redshift. 

Our aims

Our aim is to study the formation and evolution of galaxies in the Local Universe. HI spectral line (21-cm) observations allow us to trace the overall matter distribution in galaxies, measure their velocity fields and deduce their gas dynamics and morphology. The gaseous envelopes of galaxies typically extend far beyond their stellar disks. Locations of star formation can usually be identified by high density HI clumps in the outer disks. HI is also found between galaxies (e.g. in groups and clusters), high-lighting their tidal interactions as well as ram pressure stripping.

ATCA observations

We have obtained full 12-h synthesis observations of the sample galaxies with three ATCA configurations (EW352/367-m, 750-m, and 1.5-km). For galaxies with very large HI envelopes we also obtained HI mosaics in the H75 array, the most compact ATCA configuration. These data were then used to make detailed maps of the HI distribution & mean HI velocity fields of the Local Volume galaxies as well as their star formation properties on all scales. Our data is complemented by deep AAT H-band images, as well as BVRI-, Halpha-, GALEX uv- and Spitzer mid-infrared images.

Other HI observations

For LV galaxies with DEC > +20 degrees with used the Westerbork Radio Synthesis Telescope, see the WSRT-LVHIS project. Similar projects were also carried out with the VLA and the GMRT, listed below.

Related projects

FIGGS: PI = Ayesha Begum, THINGS: PI = Fabian Walter; Little THINGS: PI = Deidre Hunter; VLA-ANGST: PI = Jürgen Ott), WHISP, WSRT-LVHIS: PI = Eva Manthey.

Complementary multi-wavelength projects include: ANGST, SINGG-SUNGG, GALEX, Spitzer LVL, 11HUGS, etc.

Galaxy Symposium

An international conference on "Galaxies in the Local Volume" was held in Sydney, 8-13 July 2007. The resulting Book, editors B.S. Koribalski and H. Jerjen, can be purchased.