A blind H i survey in the Ursa Major region★

A groundbreaking blind Hi survey, conducted using the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory, uncovered 166 previously uncatalogued gas-rich objects in the Ursa Major region. This first-of-its-kind survey covered 480 square degrees and a velocity range from 300 to 1900 km/s, identifying Hi masses ranging from 10^7 to 10^10.5 solar masses. Notably, 10 of these detections were new, with optical counterparts identified for 99% of the sources. The study also highlighted a rare Hi source without an optical counterpart, confirmed through follow-up observations using the Green Bank Telescope. This research sheds light on the distribution and properties of gas-rich objects in the nearby spiral-rich Ursa Major region, providing insights into galaxy interactions and tidal dynamics.

Wolfinger, K., Kilborn, V. A., Koribalski, B. S., Minchin, R. F., Boyce, P. J., Disney, M. J., Lang, R. H., & Jordan, C. A. (2012). A blind H i survey in the Ursa Major region★. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 428(2), 1790–1817. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/sts160