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# 1 Introduction

## 1 Introduction

Interest in X-ray emission in starburst galaxies (SBGs) stems from their diverse radiative activity which is powered by an abundant population of massive, young stars. The enhanced star formation rate in these gas and dust rich galaxies leads to intense far-infrared (FIR) radiation from warm interstellar dust heated by the massive stars. The large number of X-ray binaries and supernova (SN) remnants, as well as hot winds driven by SN shocks, imply that X-ray emission from a SBG is more intense than from a normal spiral (Bookbinder et al. 1980). Moreover, since SN remnants are prime sites for shock-acceleration of particles to high energies, Compton scattering of relativistic electrons by the local radiation fields will enhance X-ray emission in a SBG. This expectation is heightened by the fact that in a SBG the energy density of the FIR radiation field can be much higher than that of the cosmic microwave background radiation (Schaaf et al. 1989, Rephaeli et al. 1991).

The SB phase may occur in various types of galaxies (triggered, perhaps, by galactic mergers). As in other active galaxies, a SBG may also have an active, compact nucleus, and one of the primary issues in the study of SBGs is the possible connection between low-luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) and SB activities. Since both phenomena may occur in at least some active galaxies, it is important to determine some of their observational manifestations in order to better characterize SBGs. This obviously is a prerequisite in the assessment of the significance of the SB phase in galactic evolution, and its cosmological ramifications, such as the enrichment of the intergalactic medium by metal-rich gas ejected during the SB phase, and the contributions of SBGs to the X-ray background (e.g., Rephaeli et al. 1995).

High energy phenomena are triggered by the massive star formation activity, and because of the obscuration of optical emission and considerable re-processing of IR emission, X-rays allow a more direct and penetrating view of the inner regions of SBGs. Detailed X-ray spatial and spectral information is very valuable for determining the basic properties of SBGs. However, considerable knowledge on the emission mechanisms and environments may be gained from good quality spectral data alone, particularly so if these include temporal information.

M82 and NGC 253 are the closest SBGs. These ‘archetypical’ SBGs have been observed with all the major X-ray satellites (e.g., Fabbiano 1988a, Tsuru et al. 1990, Ohashi et al. 1990, Boller et al. 1992, Matsumoto & Tsuru 1999, Cappi et al. 1999, Pietsch et al. 2001). Their X-ray emission is quite substantial, in the range $`10^{40}10^{41}`$ erg/s; reported best-fit spectra include both thermal (Cappi et al. 1999) and power-law forms (e.g. Weaver et al. 2000). Both galaxies have already been observed also with Chandra (Strickland et al. 2000, Matsumoto et al. 2001, Kaaret et al. 2001). At low X-ray energies, emission from these galaxies extends well beyond their optical disks, so the SB activity is not manifested only in the central nuclear SB region ($`1`$ kpc). However, even in these nearby galaxies the characteristics of the emission have not yet been determined in much detail. It is important to determine the relative contributions of the SB-powered versus nuclear-powered emission, and the respective significance of thermal and nonthermal processes.

To better establish the X-ray properties of M82 and NGC 253, we have initiated observations with the Proportional Counter Array (PCA) and the High Energy X-ray Timing Experiment (HEXTE) aboard the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) satellite. Our main motivation has been to use the good temporal and wide-energy capabilities of the RXTE in order to assess the possible role of an AGN-like variable emission, and the level of contribution of Compton scattering to the integrated emission in SBGs. These RXTE observations and the results of the spectral and temporal analysis are reported here.

## 2 Instrumentation and Observations

The RXTE was inserted into low earth orbit on 1995 Dec 31. The PCA was described by Jahoda et al. (1996) and the HEXTE by Rothschild et al. (1998). The PCA has energy resolution of 16% at 6 keV and a useful energy range of 2.5 keV to about 25 keV, limited at the high end by uncertainties of determining the internal background. The HEXTE has resolution of 15% at 60 keV and an energy range from 15 to 250 keV. For the present observations the errors of background determination with HEXTE were negligible. For both instruments calibration of energy response has been extensive and is accurate to better than 2%. The instrumental time resolution of microseconds was not needed, but the very flexible RXTE scheduling of observations was exploited to permit sampling on all time scales from one orbit (90 minutes) to ten months. Both the PCA and HEXTE are non-imaging with field-of-view (FOV) one degree.

Over the period February - November 1997, thirty one-orbit observations each were made of M82 and NGC 253. To sample possible variability as well as temporal changes through the entire campaign, a somewhat intricate plan (Table 1) was devised consisting of four observing sequences. Eight of the orbits were spaced over one day, seven orbits over one week, another seven over eight weeks, and the remaining eight over 42 weeks. The spacing of observations in each sequence was not uniform but moderately irregular: each sequence was divided into 15 equal segments, and observations were placed in either seven or eight of these segments in patterns based on the cyclic difference set of size 15 (Baumert 1971). Such patterns allow uniform sensitivity to variability on a somewhat broader range of time scales or frequencies than with evenly spaced samples. With the two longest sequences the corresponding M82 and NGC 253 observations occurred within a day of each other. Three PCA detectors were employed for all observations.

Analysis of M82 was complicated by variability and by the presence of another known source with appreciable X-ray emission, M81, in the FOV. The separation of M81 by $`34^{}`$ from M82 resulted in a transmission of about 38% for M81 in the RXTE fields. Although the RXTE field rotated considerably during the 10-month campaign, the PCA FOV, nominally a hexagonal pyramid, is sufficiently conical that the area presented to M81 varied by not more than 10%. We have also analyzed contemporaneous archival ASCA and ROSAT data to provide limits to the M81 contribution.

### 2.1 Data Reduction and Background Considerations

The FITS data were reduced with standard FTOOLS into one-orbit light curves and average spectra. Net counting rates for the three PCA detectors averaged $`21`$ s-1 and $`0.65`$ s-1 for M82 and NGC 253, respectively. The NGC 253 counting rate is not very large compared to the background estimation error of $`0.3`$ s-1 RMS for the three detectors, using the latest weak-source background model for the PCA. An initial display of the PCA spectrum of NGC 253 showed a steep spectrum below 12 keV and above this energy a fairly flat spectrum with weak lines at 25, 30, and 50 keV. This upper portion was clearly identifiable with the activation-induced internal background spectrum at about 2% of the average background level. This spurious component was removed with a 1.9% correction to the background level. The resulting net spectrum showed no evidence for a statistically significant flux above 12 keV either with PCA or HEXTE. The HEXTE internal background was monitored continuously by beam switching every 16 seconds during the observation and required no special treatment.

Field-to-field confusion noise from fluctuations of the diffuse X-ray background (e.g. Shafer 1983) has been calculated (Gruber et al. 1996) to have an RMS of 8% of the background flux, and we calculate this level to be 0.4 c/s for three PCA detectors. This estimated fluctuation level is comparable to the NGC 253 counting rate. The 2–10 keV spectrum of the fluctuations, however, has been shown (Butcher et al. 1997) to have an index of 1.8 $`\pm `$ 0.02, which is much flatter than what is observed here for either M82 or NGC 253. From spectral fitting we determined that the 90% upper limit to the fraction of the observed 2-10 keV flux which could come from a background fluctuation is 16% for NGC 253 and less than 1% for M82. Net flux in the FOV of M82 extends up to $`50`$ keV.

### 2.2 Temporal Analysis

We obtained light curves for the M82 and NGC 253 monitoring observations by fitting each $`3000`$ s observation to a Raymond-Smith (R-S) plasma spectral model, then integrating the model flux to obtain 2-10 keV flux. The PCA data do not cover the interval 2-2.5 keV, but the 2-10 keV measure should still be quite reliable, given the small gap and lack of noticeable spectral variability.

The thirty NGC 253 one-orbit observations had an average counting rate below 10 keV of 0.65 $`\pm `$ 0.03 c/s, with reduced chi-square of about unity, and the RMS of 0.16 c/s is clearly dominated by counting statistics. No variability is evident, and a 90% limit to random (white) variability at the source is 0.145 c/s, or 22%.

The light curve of M82, Fig. 1, on the other hand, shows clear evidence for variability on a variety of time scales. Most notably, it appears to be dominated by a single event which doubles the flux late in the monitoring period. We indicate in Fig. 1 the maximum and minimum contributions of M81 to the observed flux, based on occasional contemporaneous monitoring of M81 with ASCA (Iyomoto & Makishima 1999) and ROSAT (Immler & Wang 2001). The three ASCA and four ROSAT fluxes shown in Fig. 1 were determined from archival data using the standard ftools XSELECT and XSPEC. Obviously, these observed levels do not necessarily sample the full variability of the M81 flux but clearly they show that a large increase was extremely unlikely. M82, however, was not monitored with ASCA or ROSAT during the period of RXTE observations. Three ASCA observations just before the RXTE monitoring show both sizeable variability and general consistency with the RXTE fluxes. A BeppoSAX observation of M82 on December 6-7 1997, about two weeks after the last RXTE observation segment, shows the flux level of the earlier RXTE observations, indicating the end of the elevated flux level. If an example of flaring, this event, with a pattern of fast rise followed by steady emission then fast decay is unusual for X-ray transients, which commonly show a fast rise and slow decay. Abrupt state changes of X-ray emission are seen, however, in the microquasar sources, such as J1655-40 and 1915-05 (Belloni 1998, and references therein), which are generally regarded as black hole candidates. Thus a very interesting possibility is that of an outburst from such a source. Using earlier ASCA data Matsumoto & Tsuru (1999) and Ptak & Griffiths (1999) have already inferred the existence of a single strong variable black hole source in M82. The most obvious explanation, then, is a sudden outburst from a single very luminous source or, much less likely, coincident outbursts from more than one source. One should note, however, that the early data before this event had variability of 10% RMS above counting statistics.

In addition to the single-outburst scenario, we analyzed whether the observed power density spectrum resembles that of known variable sources. In particular, we tested the observed power density for a power-law decline of spectral density with increasing frequency, i.e. a “red” spectrum such as seen in the stellar-size black hole Cyg X-1 (Nolan et al. 1981), in several AGNs (Markowitz & Edelson 2001), and in HMXRBs generally (Belloni & Hasinger 1990).

In treating the observed M82 variability as a red noise process, the measured flux was assumed to be a stochastic variable with power over a broad range of frequencies, increasing with decreasing frequency. Although a fine-grained frequency analysis was not possible because of the modest number of samples and marginal statistics, the design of the observing schedule nevertheless permitted a particularly simple analysis: for each of the four sets of observations (specified in the beginning of this section) an average flux for the seven or eight samples was calculated. Values of $`\chi ^2`$ were then computed based solely on counting statistics, which resulted in formal values that were unacceptably large, indicating extra variance. Then it was assumed that for each set the flux was intrinsically variable with stationary mean and some variance, or – more conveniently – RMS. We adjusted this assumed RMS and determined the values at which the $`\chi ^2`$ probability assumed the values 0.05, 0.155, 0.5, 0.745 and 0.95, thus determining the best fit value for the RMS and the 68% and 90% confidence bounds. The best fit value and standard error for the RMS were normalized to the average flux level to obtain a fractional measure of variability. Finally, an average frequency and frequency range were assigned to each variability estimate, thus producing the values in Table 2 and Fig. 2.

The RMS clearly decreases strongly with frequency. Fitting to a power-law dependence we obtain an excellent fit with a correlation coefficient of -0.98 and an index of $`0.50\pm 0.02`$. This corresponds to an index of unity for the power spectrum, or what is sometimes called a flicker noise spectrum. These observations, then, are consistent with a mildly red noise process extending without flattening to the lowest frequency of about $`0.1\mu `$Hz. Such a determination contradicts the initial assumption of a stationary process, but not strongly (see Deeter 1984).

Alternatively analyzing the M82 light curve as having two levels, early (first 26 samples) and late (last 4), we assume that the higher emission at late times represents an addition to the average flux observed at earlier times. We first examine the early emission. Versus time, there is a fitted rise by 20% from February to July which is formally significant to 3$`\sigma `$, but has a correlation coefficient of only 0.52. Therefore we consider the trend to be an incidental effect of more rapid source variability. Assuming a stationary process, we determine a fractional RMS of $`0.106\pm 0.014`$, or a 90% confidence region \[0.083, 0.130\]. We estimate the limit to the transition time between the two levels of flux to be about 25 days.

Standard power spectral analysis was used to test whether the observed RXTE 2–10 keV fluxes were more consistent with a step function change in time or with the flicker noise spectrum suggested by Fig. 1. Since the sampling was very uneven, this was done by constructing a comparison time series in which the low and high state data points were each replaced with their respective averages. Power spectra were calculated and the resulting power estimates averaged over four broad bands approximating those in Fig. 1 in order to suppress sampling noise. Within errors of about 25% per average, the two processes, step change and flicker noise, cannot be distinguished.

We then tried to determine if the four late samples have a pattern of variability distinct from the 26 earlier samples. We find for the last four samples that the fractional RMS is 0.098, about the same as for the early data. Analyzing versus frequency as above, we compute a best-fit index of 0.29, which is, however, not significantly different from zero (P=0.19) or from 0.5 (P=0.30). From temporal analysis alone it cannot be determined if the noise process governing the late emission is the same as, or rather different from that of the earlier emission.

In summary, from analysis of the noise properties, we find that the M82 variability determined from the entire sample is broadly consistent with a power density spectrum of power law form with index 1. An effort to determine if the late high emission had distinct temporal properties, which could indicate a distinct origin, failed because of the small sample of only four observations.

### 2.3 Spectral Analysis

Spectral analysis was done with the use of XSPEC and additional statistical tools. Latest versions of the PCA and HEXTE response matrices were used, and a $`1\%`$ systematic error was assumed in order to allow for errors in the calibration of the PCA response matrix. PCA data above 25 keV were excluded to avoid errors in background modeling. Nevertheless, 3% negative residuals at 4-5 keV, which is the peak of the background spectrum, were attributed to background estimation errors and modeled specially in the fitting. PCA data below 2.5 keV were ignored due to uncertainty of the response matrix in the first few channels. These data are thus insensitive to the 0.7 keV thermal component reported by Cappi et al. (1999), Weaver, Heckman & Dahlem (2000), and Dahlem et al. (2000), and we ignore this component. HEXTE data above 50 keV were felt to add only noise in the fits and were not used for the results reported here.

NGC 253

NGC 253, observed at an average flux level of 2.4$`\times `$ 10-12 erg cm-2 s-1 in the $`210`$ keV band (or $`0.1`$ milliCrab), was significantly detected only by the PCA. Thus HEXTE data were not used for spectral fitting. Since no variability could be determined for this source, data from all thirty $``$3000 s samples were coadded, as well as the background estimates, to produce a mean spectrum. Net detection was at about 20$`\sigma `$ significance, which was strong enough for simple spectral modeling. We tried power-law and thermal models. For the thermal case we tested the PCA data below 25 keV with both an R-S thermal model and thermal bremsstrahlung with iron line. Both thermal models yielded a temperature of 3.8 $`\pm `$ 0.3 keV. The best-fit Fe abundance in solar units, $`Z_{\mathrm{Fe}}`$, with R-S was 0.16 $`\pm `$ 0.08, and with bremsstrahlung the equivalent width was 160 $`\pm `$ 130 eV. In neither thermal case was an absorbing column required by the data. Values of $`\chi ^2`$ are close to 34 for 50 degrees of freedom; although the reduced $`\chi ^2`$ is low, it is not sufficiently low to indicate a serious overestimate of errors. An unabsorbed power law model gave a best-fit number index of 2.7 $`\pm `$ 0.1, and iron equivalent width of 340 $`\pm `$300 eV. (The R-S fit, which tests for several iron lines plus an edge, is more constraining than a fit for a single line.) Although the power law was formally a good fit, with $`\chi ^241.2`$ for 50 degrees of freedom, the residuals show correlated departures which indicate that the acceptable $`\chi ^2`$ is an artifact of the oversampling in energy. No such correlations are seen in the residuals to the thermal fits. Relative likelihoods from Poisson statistics were calculated from the data and fits, and either thermal form is about 1000 times more likely than the unabsorbed power law. An absorbing column of $`N_\mathrm{H}=2.8\times 10^{22}`$ cm-2, however, brings the goodness-of-fit close to the thermal fits. In this case the best-fit index steepens to 3.1 $`\pm `$ 0.2. The fitting was performed on the interval 2 – 22 keV, which includes many channels above 12 keV, where the source is no longer visible. However, the best fit parameters and their errors are very insensitive to a variation of the upper cutoff energy, even when it is lowered to 10 keV.

Because of the faintness of NGC 253, the best-fit spectral parameters show a moderate dependence on the background subtraction. The value of $`\chi ^2`$ changes significantly when the background level is adjusted by $`\pm `$0.5%, for which we obtain corresponding changes for best-fit temperature of 0.7 keV, $`Z_{\mathrm{Fe}}0.05`$ for abundance, and 0.15 for spectral index. These systematic errors resulting from the uncertainty of background subtraction are less than twice the formal statistical errors from counting statistics. Somewhat smaller errors can be associated with a fluctuation of the X-ray background. At the 90% upper limit of 16% of the net 2–10 keV flux attributable to such a fluctuation, the best-fit temperature is then smaller by 0.4 keV and $`Z_{\mathrm{Fe}}`$ is larger by 0.03.

M82

Spectral analysis of M82 includes consideration of the maximum and minimum possible contribution from the confusing source M81. From these limiting cases we show that the spectral analysis is not seriously compromised by M81. It was particularly interesting to observe the difference between the late high-flux emission and the earlier low emission (Fig. 1), with no allowance being made yet for any contribution from M81. This lower flux averaged 2.9$`\times `$10-11 erg cm-2 s-1 in the 2-10 keV band, or $`1.3`$ milliCrab, and the average for the four high samples was almost exactly double this level. We analyzed spectra summed over the whole campaign, the 26 (low) earlier observations, the last 4 (high) observations, and finally obtained a difference spectrum. The early, late and difference spectra all show an overwhelming preference for an exponential shape over an unabsorbed power law – the reduced $`\chi ^2`$ using the power law form lies in the range 3–4. Even a small power-law component results quickly in significantly increased $`\chi ^2`$: a 15% contribution increases $`\chi ^2`$ by 12 in all but the low-flux spectra. A comparison of Tables 3, 4, & 5 below shows the rapid worsening of $`\chi ^2`$ with increasing power law fraction as represented by the power-law M81 contribution.

Results for the best-fit thermal unabsorbed and absorbed models for the total emission in the FOV of M82, i.e. without allowance for an M81 contribution, are presented in Table 3. To represent thermal emission we employed both a Raymond-Smith plasma model and a thin thermal bremsstrahlung with a separate single iron line. Empirically, we find little difference between the two forms: values of $`\chi ^2`$ were almost identical, as were the best-fit values of kT, and the iron line centroid floated to values near 6.7 keV. In the ‘quiescent’ low-brightness phase, $`kT=7.35\pm 0.07`$ keV, and the Fe line strength is represented by an equivalent width of 120 $`\pm `$ 30 eV, or with the R-S model by of $`Z_{\mathrm{Fe}}=0.10\pm 0.01`$. The “outburst”, or difference emission (high-low) is best-fit by an absorbed thermal spectrum with $`kT=4.72\pm 0.17`$ keV, but has a very weak iron line of equivalent width 50 $`\pm `$ 70 eV, or in the R-S model $`Z_{\mathrm{Fe}}=0.02\pm 0.02`$.

The above analysis was then repeated assuming maximal contribution from M81, given its variability. The long term 2-10 keV flux of M81 (as measured by six X-ray satellites) seems to have varied by a factor of $`3`$ during the last twenty years (see Fig. 2 in Pellegrini et al. 2000). In 1997, when the RXTE observations were made, ASCA measured a flux which varied in the range $`(2.43.4)\times 10^{11}`$ erg cm-2 s-1 in this energy band (Iyomoto & Makishima 1999). This is also the largest variation observed over a single year. A slightly higher flux, $`3.8\times 10^{11}`$ erg cm-2 s-1, was measured by BeppoSAX in June 1998 (Pellegrini et al. 2000); their best-fit continuum spectrum was determined to be a power-law with photon index $`\alpha =1.86`$. The flux range measured by ASCA implies – with the 38% transmission – that the M81 emission constitutes $`31\%44\%`$ of the counting rate in the low samples, and $`16\%22\%`$ of the high average. The results of repeating the fits of Table 3 in the presence of the highest ASCA-measured flux from M81, assuming a power-law spectrum with index 1.8, are collected in Table 4. A comparison of Tables 3 and 4 indicates that the best-fit spectral parameters do not depend strongly on the uncertain contribution of M81. The best-fit thermal R-S model (Fig. 3) to the low-state emission has kT reduced by 10% from 7.3 keV (without explicit accounting for emission from M81) to 6.7 (with maximal M81 flux), and has a somewhat higher value for Fe abundance, $`Z_{\mathrm{Fe}}=0.14\pm 0.01`$. This value of the temperature is appreciably lower than the best-fit value deduced from the BeppoSAX measurements of Cappi et al. (1999), $`kT=8.20\pm 0.59`$ keV; their value for the $`Z_{\mathrm{Fe}}`$, $`0.07\pm 0.02`$, is very low and formally inconsistent with these RXTE results.

We tried also a composite thermal plus power law spectrum to simulate an average Galactic binary X-ray spectrum (White et al. 1983), which has recently been used to model the contribution of binaries to X-ray emission in SBGs (Persic & Rephaeli 2002). A full representation of such a model requires specifying various components with a range of parameter values (including cutoff energies), most of which are poorly known. Clearly, only simple spectral modeling is warranted with our RXTE measurements; indeed, even with the more constraining spatially-resolved spectral analysis afforded by the joint ROSAT and ASCA datasets, only a simple combination of thermal plus power-law components was used to characterize the integrated emission of massive binary systems in SBGs (Dahlem et al. 1998, Dahlem et al. 2000, Weaver et al. 2000). Adding a cut-off power-law spectrum with a photon index of 1.5 (Dahlem et al. 1998) we found that any amount of such emission increased $`\chi ^2`$ from the pure thermal case, and we obtained a 90% confidence limit of 2.4% of 2–10 keV flux in this component. This result is not very sensitive to the assumed level of M81 emission.

We consider also absorbed thermal and power law spectral forms for the extra emission in the late four samples (Tables 3, 4 and 5). The only acceptable $`\chi ^2`$ was obtained with an absorbed thermal model (Fig. 4) with kT = 3.80 $`\pm `$ 0.15 keV, $`Z_{\mathrm{Fe}}=0.04`$, and column $`N_\mathrm{H}=4.3\times 10^{22}`$ cm-2. The best-fit power law to the residual emission was steep, index greater than 3. Qualitatively similar results were obtained whether the fits were performed after subtraction of the lower M81 ASCA flux, or the higher BeppoSAX fluxes. As can be seen in the middle panel of Fig. 4, residuals to a fit which neglects absorption leave a pattern of correlated residuals over the entire span of 3 – 20 keV.

The best-fit thermal forms for the late extra emission have temperatures that are modestly but significantly lower than for the earlier emission. If the entire data set samples a single source and process, then this process must generate somewhat softer spectra at higher emission levels. We note that whether the extra emission is assumed to have a thermal or a power law form, the addition of an absorbing column results in a significant improvement in $`\chi ^2`$, dramatically so for the power law form. The appearance of an extra column with increased flux levels may not be unphysical even if the high and low levels result from a single process, but it is simpler to interpret the need for absorption as an indication of an obscured source. Thus, based on this spectral analysis it would appear that the origin of the extra late emission is in a source, most likely a single source, which did not emit the earlier lower flux.

A similar high-low analysis has been performed by Matsumoto & Tsuru (1999) and by Ptak & Griffiths (1999), both using essentially the same ASCA data collected from 1993 to 1996. Matsumoto & Tsuru give the more useful summary of spectral fitting of the high-low flux: a thermal form with best-fit $`kT=11.7\pm 2.5`$ keV, fits slightly better than a power law with best-fit number index 1.8. Both forms require strong absorption with column near $`1.4\times 10^{22}`$ cm-2. These RXTE results, with much better high energy sensitivity, strongly favor a thermal form over power law, but the best fit values for column and kT, $`2.7\times 10^{22}`$ and 4.7 keV, respectively, each differ from the corresponding ASCA value by a factor of two. Differences of this scale probably cannot be dismissed as intercalibration errors: ASCA and RXTE saw something rather different. If the same single source was seen, it varies on the scale of roughly a year in both column and general spectral shape. Much of the absorbing column must lie near to the source.

## 3 Discussion

Given the varied nature of X-ray emitting environments in SBGs, significant thermal emission is clearly expected from the relatively high abundance of various stellar sources such as X-ray binaries, hot gas in SNRs, and SN-driven winds in the IS space and inner halo. The main issues that can be addressed based directly on our spectral analysis have been briefly discussed in the previous section. Here we elaborate further on the implications of these results.

A detailed comparison between the results of the RXTE and BeppoSAX observation is complicated, given that the PCA has a larger FOV than that of the MECS experiment. Also, no temporal comparison is possible because the observations were made over non-overlapping periods, and due to the fact that BeppoSAX observed M82 over only two days. It is nonetheless of considerable interest that BeppoSAX measurements do show some flux variability in the central region of M82. This is a clear indication that at least part of the variability seen in the PCA data is intrinsic to M82, and is not fully attributable to the variable (Seyfert 1) galaxy M81, which is in the FOV of the PCA but not in that of the MECS. Some, seemingly periodic, variability of the M81 emission on a timescale of up to $`2`$ days, has been seen recently by BeppoSAX (Pellegrini et al. 2000). If this is characteristic of M81, then it is clear that the stronger variability detected by the RXTE over a longer timescale has a different origin. We also note – from this general comparative point of view – that there is no indication of a second, low-temperature component in the RXTE data, whose lower threshold energy at $`3.5`$ keV makes RXTE insensitive to it.

An important result of our analysis is the large secular variation in the flux of M82 during the last four observation segments in July 1997. Such a large temporal change of galactic-scale emission is commonly attributed to the characteristics of the accretion process onto a massive black hole. These include also power law noise spectra which have been observed for several AGN sources (e.g., Edelson & Nandra 1999) with spectral indices of 1.5 – 1.7, only mildly inconsistent with the present case of 1.0 $`\pm `$ 0.4. The variable emission would then be expected to have an AGN-like power law energy spectrum with very significant photoelectric absorption. Indeed, our spectral analysis yields evidence for the presence of such a component in the variable emission from M82. The deduced values of $`N_\mathrm{H}`$ are rather high, $`(320)\times 10^{22}`$ cm-2 (about an order of magnitude higher than column densities in Seyfert I galaxies such as M81), perhaps indicative of a Seyfert II nucleus (e.g., Risaliti et al. 1999). However, the best-fit power law index, $`\alpha 3.9`$, is much higher than the more typical value of $`1.8`$. The thermal fit of the residual emission with the high absorption yields a very low iron abundance, perhaps too low to be acceptable.

Alternatively, the flux increase in July 1997 may possibly be due to variable emission from an X-ray binary system. If in M82, the high level of emission ($`L4\times 10^{40}`$ erg-s-1 in the 2-10 keV band) would make this unusually luminous when compared with the more common luminosity range ($`10^{36}10^{38}`$ erg-s-1) of binaries. Although rare, a few such X-ray luminous binaries are known (e.g., in the spiral galaxies NGC3628 and NGC4631 - Fabbiano 1988b). The spectral shapes of these sources are usually fit with power-law indices $`<2`$, or $`kT`$ values of a few keV. Arguing against a binary origin for the extra emission is the very low upper limit of 15 eV for the equivalent width of an Fe K$`\alpha `$ line. The 320 eV equivalent width of Hercules X-1 Fe K$`\alpha `$ line (Gruber et al. 2001) reasonably typical of Galactic accreting binaries, is a factor $`20`$ higher.

¿From ASCA monitoring in 1993 and 1999 it was concluded (Matsumoto & Tsuru 1999, Ptak & Griffiths 1999) that the M82 flux varied by a factor $`4`$ over this period. They argue that the varying emission originates from within a central 10” region, and that if due to accretion onto a massive black hole, the implied mass is $`460M_{}`$. A compact source in the nucleus with the deduced level of luminosity, $`4.9\times 10^{40}`$ erg/s in the 2-10 keV band (based on a distance of 3.6 Mpc), would imply that M82 is a low luminosity AGN. However, we consider the identification of the source of flux variability with an AGN in M82 to be insecure. Continued monitoring of the central emission in M82 is needed in order to better establish its temporal, spectral, and spatial properties. More recently, high-resolution observations of the central 1’ region of M82 with the Chandra satellite revealed 4 sources whose flux exhibits significant temporal variability (Matsumoto et al. 2001, Kaaret et al. 2001). In particular, the 0.5–10 keV flux of one of these sources (CXOM82 J095550.2+694047) varied by a factor of $`7.2`$ (during the period October 1999 – January 2000). Matsumoto et al. (2001) suggest that this source is the origin of the variability detected by ASCA. In its high flux state, the emission from this source is comparable to the high-low flux we deduce from the RXTE measurements.

Irrespective of the origin of the variable spectral component in M82, it is important to note that about half of the measured emission is at most weakly varying. Even though the superposed emission from many variable sources is non-varying, given the thermal (unabsorbed) character of the non-varying emission, and previous evidence for its spatial extent, it is reasonable to conclude that this emission is powered by starburst activity.

Cappi et al. (1999) have suggested that the main high-temperature spectral components, which account for most of the observed 2-10 keV emission in both NGC 253 and M82, are largely due to emission from hot galactic winds. While we do expect the intense star formation activity to drive hot galactic winds, it is clear that thermal emission in SBGs is a superposition of emissions from a population of X-ray binaries, SN remnants, and galactic winds. The determination of the exact origin of the main high-temperature spectral component will be possible only when more sensitive spectral and imaging measurements are made of NGC 253 and M82.

Both BeppoSAX and RXTE find no evidence for variability in the emission from NGC 253, so this galaxy is not dominated by an AGN. The best-fit temperature derived from the BeppoSAX measurements (Cappi et al. 1999), $`5.75\pm 0.52`$ keV (90% confidence), is roughly consistent with our best-fit value of $`4.2\pm 0.4`$ (68% confidence), when the uncertainty in the background subtraction is included. Even though the value of the iron abundance we determine here is lower than that deduced from the BeppoSAX measurements, both are substantially uncertain and (therefore) in rough agreement.

Power law and thermal models were previously found to provide acceptable fits to the emission observed by ASCA from both M82 & NGC 253 (Ptak et al. 1997.) In fact, Moran & Lehnert (1997), who analyzed 1993 ASCA observations, concluded that the main component of the emission in M82 is nonthermal, and based on the similar values of the X-ray and radio power law indices, they suggested that the emission is from Compton scattering of relativistic electrons by the local radiation fields. Indeed, the low iron abundances we deduce here are puzzling given the intense star formation activity, and the associated processing of metal enriched interstellar gas in these galaxies. Higher abundances are obtained not only when the dominant spectral component of the continuum emission is a power law, but in any case where nonthermal emission contributes appreciably to the overall emission. For example, if the 2-10 keV flux in the power law component is taken to be 25% of the thermal component, then the iron abundance in M82 increases from its best-fit value $`0.14`$ (Table 4) to 0.23.

It has previously been shown by Goldshmidt & Rephaeli (1995) that Compton scattering of radio producing relativistic electrons by the far infrared radiation field can account for the substantial high energy ($`50150`$ keV) emission detected by OSSE (aboard CGRO) from NGC 253 (Bhattacharya et al. 1994). The similarities in radio properties of M82 and NGC 253 and their common starburst nature are sufficiently strong indications that Compton scattering may play an appreciable role also in M82. However, neither the BeppoSAX PDS nor the HEXTE observations were sufficiently sensitive to clearly detect this component at high energies where it can dominate the emission.

We acknowledge useful comments by the referee on an earlier version of the paper. This work was supported by NASA Grant NAS5-4623 at UCSD. Archival data analysis reported in this paper was aided by tools provided by NASA/HEASARC.

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text:
# Spectrophotometric Observations of Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxies: Mrk 370

## 1 Introduction

Blue Compact Dwarf galaxies (BCD) are low-luminosity (M$`{}_{B}{}^{}18`$ mag), compact (starburst diameter $`1`$ kpc) objects, which have optical spectra similar to those presented by H II regions in spiral galaxies (Sargent & Searle 1970; Thuan & Martin 1981). They are metal deficient galaxies — the metallicities of their ionized gas ranging between Z$`{}_{}{}^{}/50`$ and Z$`{}_{}{}^{}/2`$ — that form stars at high rates, able to exhaust their available gas content in a time much smaller than the age of the Universe. This fact implies that either these galaxies are young systems, experiencing their first burst of star formation, or that star formation occurs in short bursts separated by long quiescent periods (Sargent & Searle 1970). Nowadays, the latter explanation is the more widely accepted, at least for the majority of BCDs (Thuan 1991).

In the recent years BCDs have attracted a great deal of interest, and have become key objects for understanding fundamental astrophysical problems. Much effort has been devoted to the study of these galaxies, driven by the following fundamental questions: 1) what is the mechanism that triggers the starburst activity and is there a unique one in all BCD subtypes? 2) what are the properties of the underlying stellar population (age, metallicity, dynamical status)? Answering the above questions would allow to form a general view of dwarf galaxy formation and evolution, and in particular to test those evolutionary scenarios linking the different classes of dwarf galaxies, namely, dwarf irregulars (dIs), dwarf ellipticals (dEs) and BCDs (Thuan 1985; Davies & Phillipps 1988; Papaderos et al. 1996b; Marlowe et al. 1997; Marlowe, Meurer, & Heckman 1999), or the different morphological classes of BCDs (Noeske et al. 2000). However, most of the work carried out so far has focused on a statistical analysis of BCD samples by means of surface photometry (Papaderos et al. 1996a; Telles 1995; Doublier et al. 1997; Doublier, Caulet, & Comte 1999; Östlin 1998), and has rather demonstrated the complexity of the topic than given firm answers.

Prompted by this lack of conclusive results, we started an extensive study of a large sample of BCDs. The first step was the analysis of broadband observations in $`B`$, $`V`$, $`R`$ and $`I`$ for a sample of 28 BCDs. In Cairós et al. (2001a, hereafter Paper I) we presented deep contour maps in the $`B`$ band, and surface brightness and color profiles, which were used to examine and discuss their morphology and structure. In Cairós et al. (2001b, hereafter Paper II) we enlarged the dataset by including $`U`$ and H$`\alpha `$ observations; we provided integrated photometry of the galaxies and produced an atlas of detailed color and H$`\alpha `$ maps. The quality of the data allowed us to identify the different star-forming regions, and discriminate them from the regions where the star formation has already ceased.

One of our main conclusions was that optical broad-band photometry alone does not allow to disentangle the distinct stellar components in BCDs and derive their evolutionary status. The measured broad-band colors are strongly affected by interstellar reddening and gaseous emission; besides, we need to separate the light coming from young stars from the emission of those born in previous star-formation episodes — a methodological aspect often overlooked. Spectroscopic information is required in order to correct for interstellar reddening and emission line contamination, and $`U`$-band and H$`\alpha `$ measurements are fundamental, since they are much more sensitive to the star-formation properties. Nevertheless, such kind of analysis is scarce in the literature, mainly because it requires a lot of observing time. In particular, not enough effort has been devoted so far to the characterization of the stellar population hosting the actual burst, indeed a challenging task.

For these reasons, we decided to perform a more detailed study of a number of individual galaxies, based on a new strategy that combines broad- and narrow-band photometry with long-slit and 2-D spectroscopy. The objects were selected among those presented in Papers I and II, so as to form a sample including the different subtypes of objects classified as BCDs — a not so well defined class which spans a wide range of luminosities, metallicities and morphologies (Kunth & Östlin 2000; Cairós 2000; Cairós et al. 2001b).

This paper is the first in a series which present the results obtained from the use of this technique to analyze the selected galaxies. Here we describe the technique and its application to the galaxy Mrk 370, a luminous BCD, with $`M_B=17.20`$ (Paper II), located at a distance of 12.9 Mpc (Thuan & Martin 1981)111For consistency with Papers I and II, we use here the distance from Thuan & Martin (1981), which is based on the radial velocity with respect to the Local Group and $`H_0=75`$ km sec-1 Mpc-1; applying the correction for LG infall into Virgo would give $`D=10.9`$ Mpc, and total luminosities, absolute magnitudes and sizes would change accordingly..

We have chosen this galaxy in order to study a prototype of the group of BCDs populating the higher luminosity and metallicity range within the most common BCD morphological subclass, the iE type (Loose & Thuan 1986, hereafter LT86). This type is characterized by an underlying, low brightness elliptical component which hosts numerous star-forming regions.

In Mrk 370, the brighter knots of star-formation are located in the inner part of the galaxy, from where smaller star-forming knots emerge and form a structure resembling spiral arms (see Papers I and II). The choice of Mrk 370 rests also on the fact that the comparison of the properties of its many individual starburst knots provides valuable information on the mechanisms that trigger the star formation, allowing to study how it propagates within the galaxy, and is a possible test of the stochastic self-propagating star formation mechanism (Gerola, Seiden, & Schulman 1980), which has been suggested to explain how the star-formation process in dwarfs is maintained (Coziol 1996).

In addition, Mrk 370 may be seen as a prototype of the BCDs classified as multiple nucleus starburst galaxies. The presence of two central star-forming knots led Mazzarella & Boroson (1993) to label this galaxy as a ”double nucleus” BCD, prompting further suggestions of its merger origin. As we will show in this work, the kinematic and spectrophotometric results obtained cast serious doubts on the merger scenario.

A complete collection of color and H$`\alpha `$ maps of this galaxy can be found at the following Web page: http://www.iac.es/proyect/GEFE/BCDs. The basic data of Mrk 370 are shown in Table 1.

## 2 Observations and Data Reduction

### 2.1 Long-slit spectra

Long-slit spectroscopy of Mrk 370 was obtained in September 1998, with the Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) at the Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos (ORM, La Palma). The data were taken using the Intermediate Dispersion Spectrograph (IDS), equipped with a CCD. A slit $`3\stackrel{}{\mathrm{.}}8`$ long and $`1\stackrel{}{\mathrm{.}}2`$ wide was used. The position angle of the slit was set to $`125\mathrm{°}`$, so as to pass through the two brightest central knots. The spectral sampling was 1.85 Å per pixel, the wavelength range $`36007300`$ Å, and the spectral resolution $`5.5`$ Å (FWHM); the spatial sampling was 0.39 arcsec per pixel. The seeing was about $`1\stackrel{}{\mathrm{.}}5`$. The log of the observation is shown in Table 2.

Data reduction was performed using IRAF standard tasks: after subtracting the bias and flat-fielding the spectra, they were calibrated in wavelength. The sky spectrum was derived by averaging the signal in two windows 30–40 pixel wide outside the region where the object is still detectable, and subtracted out. The spectra were then corrected for atmospheric extinction and calibrated in flux by means of observations of spectrophotometric standards.

### 2.2 Two-dimensional spectroscopy

The 4.2m William Herschel Telescope (WHT, at the ORM, La Palma), equipped with the fiber system INTEGRAL (Arribas et al. 1998) and the WYFFOS spectrograph (Bingham et al. 1994), was used to observe the central region of Mrk 370.

INTEGRAL currently has three fiber bundles with different spatial configurations on the focal plane. These three bundles can be interchanged during the observations depending on the scientific program or the seeing conditions. On the focal plane, the fibers of each bundle are arranged in two groups: one forms a rectangle which maps the object, the other forms an outer ring which samples the sky-background. Mrk 370 observations were done with the standard bundle 2 (hereafter SB2). It consists of 219 fibers, each $`0\stackrel{}{\mathrm{.}}9`$ in diameter; the central rectangle is formed by 189 fibers covering an area of $`16^{\prime \prime }\times 12\stackrel{}{\mathrm{.}}3`$, while the other 30 fibers are evenly spaced on a ring $`90^{\prime \prime }`$ in diameter. Figure 1 shows the actual distribution of those fibers in the focal plane. At the entrance of the WYFFOS spectrograph, the fibers are aligned so as to form a pseudo-slit.

We observed Mrk 370 on August 22 1999, with a seeing of $`1\stackrel{}{\mathrm{.}}3`$. The spectrograph was equipped with a grating of 600 groove/mm, and a Tek6 CCD array of 1124x1124 24-micron pixels. The spectral range coverage was $`44007150`$ Å, with a spectral resolution of about 6 Å; it includes the H$`\beta `$, \[O III\], H$`\alpha `$, \[N II\], and \[S II\] emission lines (see Appendix A).

Data reduction was performed within the IRAF environment, and includes bias and scattered light subtraction, fiber extraction, fiber throughput correction, wavelength calibration, rejection of cosmic ray events, and correction from differential atmospheric refraction effects (for details on reduction of fiber data see e.g. García-Lorenzo, Mediavilla, & Arribas 1999, and references therein).

In Appendix A we present the nuclear spectrum of Mrk 370 in the full wavelength range observed with the fiber system. We also show the individual spectra corresponding to each of the 189 observed positions (fibers) in a selected spectral interval which includes the most important emission lines.

### 2.3 H$`\alpha `$ imaging

Narrow-band images centered on the H$`\alpha `$ line and on the adjacent continuum were taken in 1997 December at the 2.2-m telescope of the German-Spanish Astronomical Observatory on Calar Alto (Almería, Spain). The instrumentation consisted of the Calar Alto Faint Object Spectrograph, CAFOS, and a $`2048\times 2048`$ SiTe CCD chip. With a pixel size of 0.53 arcsec, it provides a field 16 arcmin wide; however, due to the physical size of the available filters, only the central round area of about 11 arcmin is free from vignetting. The average seeing was 1.5 arcsec.

The image reduction was carried out using IRAF. Each image was corrected for bias, using an average bias frame, and was flattened by dividing by a mean twilight flatfield image. The frames were then registered (for each filter we took a set of dithered exposures) and combined to obtain the final frame, with cosmic ray events removed and bad pixels cleaned out. The average sky level was estimated by computing the mean value within several boxes surrounding the object, and subtracted out as a constant. Flux calibration was done through the observation of spectrophotometric stars from the lists in Oke (1990).

The complete log of the observations is shown in Table 2.

### 2.4 Broadband Imaging

UBVRI imaging of Mrk 370 was carried out in October 1998 at the 1-m Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope, JKT (ORM, La Palma). We collected CCD images at the f/15 Cassegrain focus, using a Tek $`1024\times 1024`$ pixel chip, yielding a pixel size of 0.33 arcsec and a field of view of $`5.6\times 5.6`$ arcmin. The average seeing was $`1\stackrel{}{\mathrm{.}}5`$.

A log of the observations is given in Table 2. The image processing was performed using standard procedures available in IRAF. Flux calibration was done through the observation of photometric stars from Landolt (1992) throughout the night.

## 3 Spectroscopic Analysis

### 3.1 Long-slit spectroscopy

The position of the slit we used is shown in Figure 2, overplotted on a contour map of the continuum-subtracted H$`\alpha `$ image. (The meaning of the labels is explained in Section 4). The spatial run of the intensity of the brightest emission lines (H$`\alpha `$, H$`\beta `$, \[O III\]) has been used as a base for defining the regions from where the one-dimensional spectra of each knot were extracted by integrating the signal within them. Two distinct starburst regions have been identified, marked a and b in Figure 2.

Figure 3 shows the summed spectra of the two knots, and the spectrum integrated over the whole galaxy (which we shall refer to as s). The spectrum of region a shows a high continuum level. Absorption wings are resolved in H$`\beta `$ and H$`\gamma `$, H$`\delta `$ being visible in absorption only. The Balmer discontinuity, together with these absorption features, can be interpreted as the product of a substantial population of older stars, with ages considerably larger than 10 million years. Region b shows an almost flat spectrum, characteristic of a dominant OB population, with no evident absorption features. The integrated spectrum, s, is similar to that of region a.

Fluxes and equivalent widths of the emission lines were measured using the gaussian profile fitting option in the iraf task splot (a direct integration of the flux inside each line gave very similar results). It is known that these measurements are an underestimate of the real flux of the Balmer lines, because of the underlying absorption component. In the present spectra we could not deblend the two components. To correct for the underlying stellar absorption, some authors (McCall, Rybski & Shields 1985; Skillman & Kennicutt 1993) adopt a constant equivalent width ($`1.52`$ Å) for all the hydrogen absorption lines. However, the actual value of their equivalent width is uncertain and depends on the age of the star formation burst (Díaz 1988; Cananzi, Augarde, & Lequeux 1993; Olofsson 1995). Thus we preferred to leave it as a free parameter, which was determined as follows.

We assume that the equivalent width, $`W_{\mathrm{abs}}`$, of the absorption line is the same for all the Balmer lines, but can vary from knot to knot. We then start with an initial guess for $`W_{\mathrm{abs}}`$, correct the measured fluxes, and determine the extinction coefficient at $`\lambda =4861`$ Å, $`C(\text{H}\beta )`$, and its uncertainty, $`\mathrm{\Delta }C(\text{H}\beta )`$, through a fit to the Balmer decrement, given by the equation:

$$\frac{F(\lambda )}{F(H\beta )}=\frac{I(\lambda )}{I(H\beta )}\times 10^{C(H\beta )\times f(\lambda )}$$
(1)
where $`\frac{F(\lambda )}{F(H\beta )}`$ is the line flux corrected for absorption and normalized to H$`\beta `$; $`\frac{I(\lambda )}{I(H\beta )}`$ is the theoretical value for case B recombination, from Brocklehurst (1971), and $`f(\lambda )`$ is the reddening curve normalized to H$`\beta `$ which we took from Whitford (1958).

We then search, for each knot, the value of $`W_{\mathrm{abs}}`$ that provides the best match — that is, the lowest $`\mathrm{\Delta }C(\text{H}\beta )`$ — between the corrected and the theoretical line ratios.

Reddening-corrected intensity ratios and equivalent widths are quoted in Table 3.

The \[O III\] $`\lambda \mathrm{\hspace{0.33em}4363}`$ line could not be detected in the spectra, so the oxygen abundance for the different regions of Mrk 370 was derived using the empirical 12+log O/H vs $`R_{23}`$ relation, first derived by Pagel et al. (1979). We have used the $`R_{23}`$ calibration according to McGaugh (1991). The ratio \[N II\]/\[O II\] was used to break the degeneracy in the calibration in order to select either the upper or the lower branch (McGaugh 1991). Since the values of \[N II\]/\[O II\] for the three spectra analyzed are always above the 0.1 threshold ($`\mathrm{log}\lambda 6584/\lambda 3727=0.59`$, $`0.81`$, $`0.75`$ for regions a, b and s), the upper branch of the calibration has been used for the determination of the abundance. We have derived the following values: $`12+\mathrm{log}O/H=8.7`$, 8.6 and 8.7 for the spectra of regions a, b and s respectively, for which the corresponding values for the logarithm of electron density are 2.07, 2.2 and 2.3.

The average value for the nitrogen to oxygen ratio is $`\mathrm{log}N/O=1.1`$. The derived average oxygen abundance is approximately $`Z_{}`$/2. The abundances are equal for regions a and b, within the uncertainties.

### 3.2 Two-dimensional spectroscopy

Two-dimensional spectroscopy with optical fibers allows to collect simultaneously the spectra of many different regions of an extended object, combining photometry and spectroscopy in the same dataset.

From the individual measurements (line fluxes and ratios, continuum level, radial velocity, etc.) obtained at each fiber, we can build 2-D maps by using a two-dimensional interpolation technique, such as the Renka & Cline algorithm (implemented in the E01SAF and E01SBF routines in the NAG Fortran Library). This requires a precise knowledge of the exact location of each fiber, which is determined by a metrology machine. In this way we built up images of $`95\times 95`$ pixels with a scale $`0\stackrel{}{\mathrm{.}}2`$ pixel-1. While the spatial sampling (that is, the fiber diameter) of INTEGRAL (STD2) is 0.9 arcsec, the centroid of any peak in our maps can be measured with an accuracy of around 0.2 arcsec (that is $`1/5`$ of the fiber diameter; see for instance Mediavilla et al. 1998)

#### 3.2.1 Continuum and Line-Intensity Maps

Because of non-photometric conditions during INTEGRAL observations, we could not flux-calibrate directly our spectra. The flux calibration was done by using the long-slit data as a reference. We integrated the signal in our 2-D spectra within two regions matching regions a and b in the long-slit spectra. Comparing the fluxes of different lines, we could compute the conversion factor with an accuracy of about 20%. This is the error associated to the fluxes derived from INTEGRAL data using this calibration.

Figure 4(a) shows a continuum map (within a spectral region where no emission lines are present) of Mrk 370 from INTEGRAL spectra. We also present in Figure 4(b) a $`V`$ band image of the galaxy, in order to evidence the excellent agreement between the continuum map and the broad-band images.

The INTEGRAL data show that the position of the peak in the continuum maps does not depend on what spectral range was used to build them. Therefore, we can safely define this point as the ”optical nucleus” of the galaxy, and we set it as the origin of the coordinate system in all our spectral maps.

By fitting a single-gaussian to each emission line in our spectra, we have obtained emission line flux maps. Figure 4 (c) shows the H$`\alpha `$ emission map. We also fitted an absorption component to Balmer lines in those spatial positions where the absorption wings were clear. For comparison, an H$`\alpha `$ narrow band filter image of Mrk 370 is displayed in Figure 4 (d). The area covered by INTEGRAL includes four of the many star-forming knots present in the galaxy. The optical nucleus does not coincide with any of them.

Figure 4 (e) is the map of the \[O III\]/H$`\beta `$ ratio, which is commonly used as an indicator of the excitation. The morphology of the \[O III\]/H$`\beta `$ map is similar to the emission lines intensity maps. The regions with the highest ionization coincide with the knot peaks, and the level of excitation is normal for star-forming regions. Figure 4 (f) is the map of the extinction coefficient $`C(\text{H}\beta )`$ computed from the observed H$`\alpha `$/H$`\beta `$ ratio.

The peaks in the extinction coefficient map are close to, but not coincident with, the peaks of the H$`\alpha `$ knots. The average offset for the four knots in our observed area is $`0.26\pm 0.11`$ arcsec. While this displacement is small — in fact, it is at our detection limit —, it may suggest a real spatial shift between the center of the HII regions and the holes in the C(H$`\alpha `$) distribution. A similar case has been reported before by Maíz-Apellaniz et al. (1998) for the starburst knots of the galaxy NGC 4214. They find the dust to be concentrated at the boundaries of the ionized regions. The explanation that they propose is that stellar winds have contributed to diffuse the dust into the inter-cluster medium.

#### 3.2.2 Kinematical Pattern

The kinematic analysis is limited to the emission features, as absorption lines are too weak to be of some utility.

Individual Radial Velocities

Radial velocities were obtained by fitting a single gaussian to each emission line present in our spectra. Although the spectral resolution of the Integral Field Spectroscopy is $`275`$ km/s, the centroid of the emission features could be measured with an accuracy of $`\pm 10`$ km/s, as indicated by the scatter among the radial velocities obtained from different lines. The final radial velocities of the ionized gas were obtained by averaging the results derived from individual emission lines. We compared the results for the two different individual exposures of Mrk 370. The mean difference among the individual values was $`0\pm 12`$ km/s. Therefore, by adding the error on the wavelength calibration ($`7`$ km/s), we estimate that the final uncertainties on the velocity measurements are $`20`$ km/s.

The Mean Ionized Gas Velocity Field

Figure 5 shows that the velocity field appears to be regular and similar to that of a rotating disk. The west region is receding, the east part is approaching. In order to determine the location of the kinematic center (k hereafter), we computed the ”differential” of the velocity field, averaging the absolute differences between one point and its nearest neighbors. This procedure emphasizes regions in which the velocity is changing rapidly. The position derived in this way is placed $`2\stackrel{}{\mathrm{.}}4`$ SE ($`2\stackrel{}{\mathrm{.}}36`$, $`0\stackrel{}{\mathrm{.}}37`$) of the optical nucleus. k is located between regions a and b, in an apparently non-significant location in the galaxy, and has a velocity value of 766$`\pm 20`$ km/s, consistent with the systemic velocity of the galaxy, 783$`\pm 16`$ km/s, reported by Falco et al. (2000).

k is nearly coinciding with the geometrical center of the external isophotes, obtained from our broad band images. This fact might suggest that the star-forming knots in the central region of Mrk 370 could share the same velocity field of the main body.

Velocity Field Parameters

To quantify the relevant parameters of the ionized gas velocity field, we adopted a simple kinematic model (Mihalas & Binney 1981):

$$V_\mathrm{r}(R,\theta )=V_{\mathrm{sys}}+Z(R)\mathrm{cos}i+\mathrm{\Omega }(R)\mathrm{cos}[\theta \delta (R)]\mathrm{sin}i$$
(2)
where Vsys is the systemic velocity, $`\mathrm{\Omega }(R)`$ is the strength of the velocity field projection onto the galactic plane, and $`\delta (R)`$ is the PA of the major kinematic axis. R and $`\theta `$ are the galactocentric polar coordinates in the plane of the galaxy.

We fit this model to the data, keeping fixed the position of the center at k, and assuming an initial estimate of the position angle of the kinematical major axis $`\delta _090^{}`$, and an inclination of the galaxy $`i40^{}`$ (Nordgren et al. 1995). The results do not depend on $`\delta _0`$, and are rather insensitive to reasonable changes in i. In Figure 6 we present the dependence on galactocentric distance of the parameters resulting from the fit. The systemic velocity we derived is 761 km/s, with an internal error of $`\pm 2`$ km/s.

## 4 Photometric Analysis

### 4.1 H$`\alpha `$ photometry of the starburst knots

The left panel of Figure 7 shows a grey-scale H$`\alpha `$ image of Mrk 370. The galaxy reveals a complex structure consisting of several resolved knots located atop an extended low surface brightness (LSB) component having regular appearance (see the R band map in Figure 7, right panel) and substantially redder colors (Paper I and Paper II).

In the central part of the galaxy are two large star-forming regions (labeled 11 and 12 in Figure 2), $`7`$ arcsec (450 pc) apart, which appear to be connected by a faint bridge-like structure; these two star-forming regions have been previously cataloged as ”double nucleus” by Mazzarella & Boroson (1993). Smaller star-forming knots extend out in the north-east and south-west directions, to approximately 40 arcsec (2.5 kpc) from the optical center (i.e., the center of the outer isophotes). The star-formation activity is concentrated along this direction, with the exception of region 11).

We have used the focas package to identify and analyze the different knots in the continuum-subtracted H$`\alpha `$ images. The focas task looks for local maxima and minima in the adu counts of each pixel in the image. We have adopted the criteria that, for a knot to be detected, its area must be larger than 12 pixels (corresponding to an equivalent diameter of 2 arcsec or 125 pc), to ensure that the diameter of the knot is larger than the psf, and the counts of each of its pixels must be higher than 3 times the standard deviation of the sky background. Using these criteria, a total of 16 knots were detected; they are labeled in Figure 2.222The Integral continuum maps show another fainter knot, not detected by Focas as it does not satisfy these criteria.

Data on the H$`\alpha `$ flux, luminosity, number of ionizing photons, ionized hydrogen mass and equivalent width of each knot were calculated; these results are presented in Table 4. The number of ionizing photons and the ionized hydrogen mass were calculated following Kennicutt (1988). The electron temperature and density needed to calculate the mass of the hydrogen ionized gas and the number of ionizing photons were obtained from the long-slit spectra.

The resulting parameters have been corrected for interstellar extinction and for the contribution of the \[N II\] lines. For the Knots 11 and 12, we used the spectroscopic parameters derived for the subregions b and a (see Figure 2). We used the bi-dimensional data to correct knots inside the integral field. For those knots outside the region covered by our 2-D spectra, the above corrections have been applied by using averaged values derived from the central region.

The luminosity of the brightest knots (11 and 12) are comparable to those of individual giant H II regions (typically 1039–1040 erg sec-1; Kennicutt 1991). The range in luminosities is similar to that found for the H II regions cataloged in the Magellanic Irregular NGC 4449 (Fuentes-Masip et al. 2000).

The equivalent width $`W(\text{H}\alpha )`$ was computed as:

$$W(\text{H}\alpha )=C_{\text{H}\alpha }/C_{\mathrm{cont}}\times \mathrm{\Delta }W_{\text{H}\alpha }$$
(3)
where $`C_{\text{H}\alpha }`$ is the total number of net counts of the knot, $`C_{\mathrm{cont}}`$ is the corresponding total number of counts in the rescaled continuum image, and $`\mathrm{\Delta }W_{\text{H}\alpha }`$ is the width of the H$`\alpha `$ filter transmission curve.

The H$`\alpha `$ equivalent width has been corrected for the contribution of the underlying stellar emission to the continuum level; it means that $`C_{\mathrm{cont}}`$ are the total counts measured in the continuum band after subtracting the counts due to the emission of the older stars. In order to estimate this latter contribution, we assumed that the underlying population can be described by an exponential model (this procedure is explained in the next section). As the exposures in the continuum narrow-band filter were not deep enough to derive the properties of the underlying disk, the structural parameters derived in $`R`$ band have been used. The continuum flux map through the H$`\alpha `$ filter has been derived from the $`R`$ frame after the latter has been rescaled so as to match the continuum in the former. We followed the same procedure, based on field stars, commonly employed to match H$`\alpha `$ and its adjacent continuum (see Paper II for a description of this technique).

In Table 4 we show the values of W(H$`\alpha `$) of the different star-forming regions in Mrk 370; we have listed the values before and after applying the correction for the contribution of the older stars, to provide a direct estimation of the importance of such contribution. We found the difference to be significant in most cases.

### 4.2 Broad-band Photometry

#### 4.2.1 The Starburst

The young starburst regions have been isolated in each broad-band filter image. Using focas, we built a mask where the emission regions delimited in the H$`\alpha `$ frame have the constant value one and the rest are set to zero. Each broad-band image is then multiplied by this mask. Finally we perform aperture photometry on these images, to derive magnitudes and colors of each knot.

Table 5 shows the broad-band photometry of the sixteen knots detected in Mrk 370; the measurements have been corrected from Galactic extinction using the data published by Burstein & Heiles (1984). The extinction coefficient in the other bands were related to the B value following Rieke & Lebofsky (1985).

In order to characterize the stellar population of the individual regions, we compare their integrated properties with the predictions of evolutionary synthesis models. This task is especially difficult in this case, because at least three different contributors are producing the observed light: the young stars, the gaseous nebula surrounding them, and the older stars underlying the ongoing burst. Broad-band colors must be corrected from the contribution of these different factors before they can be compared with the model predictions. In order to derive the ”true” colors of the starburst, we proceeded in the following way.

First, colors were corrected for interstellar reddening, using the value of $`C(\text{H}\beta )`$ derived from our long slit spectra. For those knots lacking spectroscopic data, we used the $`C(\text{H}\beta )`$ averaged over the whole long-slit spectrum (which is probably our best possible guess).

Second, we have corrected for the contribution of emission lines. In gas rich objects, like BCDs, the presence of strong emission lines in the spectra can severely affect broad-band colors; the exact amount of the contribution of the lines to the flux observed in a given filter depends on the equivalent width of the line and on its precise location under the filter transmission profile. We used our spectroscopic information to compute the fraction of flux in the observed broad-band filters accounted for by each emission line, by using the task calcphot in the synphot package of STSDAS.

Last, we subtracted the emission of the underlying population of stars. We assumed that the galaxy is composed of the starburst regions delimited by the focas task, and of an underlying low surface brightness component, which is described by an exponential function (see next section).

The integrated magnitude of a knot, in a given band, $`\lambda `$, is given by:

$$m_\lambda =2.5\times \mathrm{log}\left(C_\lambda ^{SB}+C_\lambda ^D\right)+K_\lambda $$
(4)
where $`C_\lambda ^{SB}`$ is the number of counts in the knot coming from the starburst; $`C_\lambda ^D`$ is the contribution of the underlying disk within the knot region, and $`K_\lambda `$ is the corresponding calibration constant (which incorporates exposure time, airmass, etc.).

$`C_\lambda ^D`$ is easily computed from the central surface brightness and scale length of the best-fit exponential model, and subtracted out in the previous formula, yielding the corrected magnitude of each knot:

$$m_\lambda (SB)=2.5\times \mathrm{log}\left(C_\lambda ^{SB}\right)+K_\lambda $$
(5)
This process has been applied to the $`B`$, $`V`$, $`R`$ and $`I`$ bands. The images in $`U`$ were not deep enough to allow a reliable fit to the light profiles; however, by using typical values of U B for an evolved stellar population (Bruzual 1993; Vazdekis et al. 1996), we have estimated the contribution of the host galaxy in the $`U`$ band. We found that, in this pass-band, the older component accounts for only $`1\%`$ of the knot flux, so we can neglect this correction. The resulting corrected colors are listed in Table 5.

We would like to stress that uncorrected and corrected knot colors differ significantly. In the case of the Mrk 370, while emission lines do not change much the broad band colors (shifts in B V are $`0.05`$ or less), the internal extinction may change B V by up to 0.25 mag, and the effect of the contribution of the LSB stellar component is equally important. The final color shift is clearly function of the position in the galaxy; this means that it is dangerous to interpret color gradients as genuine variations of the knot properties (for instance their age) if the above corrections have not been applied.

#### 4.2.2 The Underlying Stellar Population

Surface brightness profiles (SBP) in $`BVRI`$, as well as color profiles of Mrk 370, have been presented in Paper I. The SBP of the galaxy was used to decompose the galaxy in two components: the starburst, H$`\alpha `$ emitting regions, plus an older LSB stellar host. By fitting an exponential function to the faint, outer parts of the galaxy light profile (where we expect no or only negligible contribution from the starburst), we determined the structural parameters (scale length $`\alpha `$ and central surface brightness $`\mu _0`$) of the LSB host. These parameters were used to calculate its total magnitudes in the different bands.

The structural parameters in the different bands, together with the total luminosities of the starburst and of the old stellar component, are given in Table 6.

Colors of the underlying component were derived from the best-fit exponential model; we found $`(\mathrm{B V})_{\mathrm{host}}=0.80`$, $`(\mathrm{V R})_{\mathrm{host}}=0.50`$ and $`(VI)_{\mathrm{host}}=1.46`$.

## 5 Evolutionary properties of Mrk 370

### 5.1 The Starburst

In order to constrain the properties of the individual H II regions, we compare their observed properties with the predictions of evolutionary population synthesis models. These models assume that stars are born with masses distributed according to the initial mass function (imf), with a star formation rate (sfr). The stars are evolved according to theoretical evolutionary tracks and finally, using empirical or theoretical calibrations, the predicted colors or spectra of the composite population are obtained. In the last years, people have been doing a lot of work in evolutionary synthesis models, see for instance Leitherer et al. (1996). Depending on the hypothesis on which the different models are based, the predicted values for the observables can be slightly different (for example, theoretical modeling of the evolution of massive star is still undergoing significant changes, Maeder & Conti 1994; and revision of these models often leads to new generations of synthesis calculations). This means that it is important to examine the characteristics of the available models and select the one most suitable to each specific case.

We have compared the derived observables of the starburst with the predictions of Leitherer et al. (1999, hereafter SB99) evolutionary synthesis models, known as Starburst99. These models provide a wide set of predictions for the spectrophotometric properties of star-forming galaxies. They are an improved version of the ones previously published by Leitherer & Heckman (1995): the latest set implements the stellar evolution models of the Geneva group, as well as the model atmosphere grid compiled by Lejeune, Cuisinier, & Buser (1997).

For each of the sixteen delimited knots, we searched for the model which best matches the observed parameters: W(H$`\alpha `$), U B, B V, V R and $`VI`$. In order to break the age and metallicity degeneration, we set the metallicity equal to that derived from the emission line fluxes (which is a reasonable approximation to the metallicity of a young population).

We found that, for all the knots, we can reproduce the observed quantities with an instantaneous burst (IB) of star formation and the Salpeter imf with an upper mass limit of 100 $`M_{}`$. No restriction can be put on the lower mass, given its poor sensitivity to the young burst evolution, which is dominated by the contribution of massive stars ($`M>8M_{}`$). The derived ages from U B and H$`\alpha `$ are quoted in Table 7; both observables give usually ages consistent with each other.

The ages derived using B V, V R and $`VI`$ are slightly larger, but in general compatible with the former. We notice that these colors are not very sensitive to the evolution of the young stars, as they vary by about 0.3 to 0.4 mag when the age increases from 0 to 100 Myr (SB99). Also, these colors are strongly contaminated by the different factors described in Section 4.2.1 (reddening, contribution of emission lines and emission of the older stars).

Although we have attempted to correct for such factors, the results might be imprecise due to the various hypotheses we made to work them out. First, we adopted a constant $`C(\text{H}\beta )`$ in those zone having no spectral information, while there may be spatial variations in the dust distribution, and $`C(\text{H}\beta )`$ can vary from knot to knot. That this is likely the case is shown by the results we obtained for the two central knots: $`C(\text{H}\beta )_\mathrm{A}=0.31`$ and $`C(\text{H}\beta )_\mathrm{B}=0.39`$, which translates into $`E(BV)_\mathrm{A}=0.22`$, and $`E(BV)_\mathrm{B}=0.27`$, and $`E(VI)_\mathrm{A}=0.34`$ and $`E(VI)_\mathrm{B}=0.43`$. If such variations are detected in two knots so close to each other, we can expect larger differences for the more peripheral knots. The same result is obtained from 2D spectroscopy: the 2D distribution of $`C(\text{H}\beta )`$ do not present an homogeneous morphology (see Figure 4), but larger $`C(\text{H}\beta )`$ close to the center of the star-forming knots.

The same applies to the contribution of emission lines, though, as mentioned earlier, they play a secondary role.

Furthermore, the uncertainties in the structural parameters obtained by the exponential fit of the LSB component also translate into uncertainties in the resultant colors.

All in all, the combined errors on the knot colors due to the various factors here discussed can be easily as large as $`0.20.3`$ mag; this fact, together with their low sensitivity to the starburst properties, imply that B V, V R and $`VI`$ alone can not constrain the properties of the young stellar population.

On the other hand, U B and H$`\alpha `$ are much more sensitive to the evolution of the young stars. They drastically change during the first million years of the stars life (see Figures 55, 56, 83 and 84 in SB99), which converts them in reliable indicators of the properties of star-forming regions.

We remark that none of the observable parameters will constrain accurately the properties of a star-forming region, unless we correct properly for the factors described above. The parameters measured directly (i.e.without correction) usually do not fit the models, and, if they do, they tend to give much older ages. This point is illustrated in Figures 8 and 9.

### 5.2 Age of the older stars

The $`VI`$ color appears to be much too red to be compatible with a normal older stellar population. The data in the $`I`$ band are not as good and deep as in the other bands, and the large uncertainties on the $`I`$-band structural parameters may be responsible for this discrepancy. Thus, the final ages have been derived by using the B V and V R colors. These colors have not been corrected from interstellar extinction, because the extinction coefficients we derived were based on the gas emission lines, and they may not apply to the regions outside the area occupied by the starburst. We have assumed that the metallicity of the stellar population is lower than the metallicity derived for the gas.

We have compared the B V and V R colors derived for the LSB component with the predictions of two different groups of evolutionary synthesis models:

The Galaxy Isochrone Synthesis Spectral Evolutionary Library, GISSEL 96 (Leitherer et al. 1996; Bruzual & Charlot 1993), which include simple stellar populations (SSP) or IB with different metallicities from $`Z=0.0004`$ to $`Z=0.10`$. The age varies from 0 to 20 Gyr, and Salpeter and Scalo imfs are considered. We have also used the previous version of the models (GISSEL 95) in order to include a constant star forming rate (CSFR) — only available for solar metallicity.

The Spectrophotometric Population Synthesis Library for Old Stellar Systems (Vazdekis et al. 1996), a set of stellar population synthesis models designed to study old stellar systems. They synthesize SSP or follow the galaxy through its evolution from an initial gas cloud to the present time, assuming an analytical functional form for the SFR (see Section 3.1 in Vazdekis et al. 1996), and including the chemical evolution. Two different imfs are considered: a unimodal imf, with a power law form whose slope is a free parameter, and a bimodal imf, equal to the unimodal imf for stars with masses above 0.6 $`M_{}`$, but with a reduced influence of the stars with lower masses.

When comparing with the predictions of the IB approximation, both models give ages of $`5`$ Gyr for the older stellar component of Mrk 370.

However, when changing the star forming history, we obtained different results. the B V and V R colors could not be reproduced by GISSEL95 with a CSFR. Next, we applied Vazdekis et al. (1996) models, which include chemical evolution. We considered Salpeter imf, and the different $`\nu `$ ($`\nu `$ is a constant fixing the timescale of star formation, see Sect 3.1 in Vazdekis et al. 1996), provided by the models. We found the following results: when $`\nu =1`$ the observed colors are inconsistent with the predictions of the models; with $`\nu =5`$ colors agree with ages between 9 and 11 Gyr; and in the rest of the cases ($`\nu =10,20`$ and $`50`$) colors are consistent with ages between 4 and 7 Gyrs.

Optical colors are not very sensitive to the evolution of the older stars; for instance, B V increase by $``$ 0.1 mag when ages varies from 5 to 17 Gyr and the same applies to V R. Such variations are of the order of the uncertainties in our measured colors. Although no firm constraints could be put on the age of the underlying stellar population, the above comparison with models point to a minimum age of 5 Gyrs; but it is clear that in order to better constrain the age of the LSB host, it is indispensable to include near-infrared colors in the analysis.

## 6 Discussion

It turns out from the above results that the kind of spectrophotometric study we have carried out is fundamental in order to disentangle the stellar populations in BCDs and derive their star forming histories. However, as we have already pointed out in the introduction, most of the work carried out so far has focused on statistical analysis of BCDs samples, while only a few papers have been devoted to examining in detail the characteristic of individual objects:

The two extremely compact and low-metallicity BCDs, SBS 0335-052 and Tololo 65, both classified as i0 (LT86), have been the subject of recent spectrophotometric studies by Papaderos et al. (1998, 1999). They found in both cases that the properties of the underlying component are consistent with those of a stellar population not older than one Gyr.

Noeske et al. (2000) report on results from a spectrophotometric analysis of two iI,C (”Cometary BCDs”, LT86) Mrk 59 and Mrk 71. Spectral population synthesis models, in combination with color magnitudes diagrams and color profiles, yield a most probable formation age of $``$ 2 Gyr for the old stars in both galaxies. Two other cometary BCDs have been studied by Fricke et al. (2001) — Tololo 1214-277 — and Guseva et al. (2001) — SBS0940+544. In the latter case, no compelling evidences favor either a young or an old age.

Despite the fact that nE/iEs are the most common type of BCD, there are very few studies, with the same quality, of objects belonging to this class. Steel et al. (1996) and Méndez et al. (1999) have performed spectrophotometric observations of the iE BCDs Haro 3 and II Zw 33 respectively. Although in both cases an underlying component of older stars was detected, their data did not permit to determine its properties, and both studies limited the analysis to the young starburst. The ages and star-forming scenarios they found for these two objects are consistent with our findings. They also found metallicities comparable to the metallicity we have derived for Mrk 370. More recently, a comprehensive analysis of the iE BCD galaxy Mrk 86 has been published by Gil de Paz et al. (2000) and Gil de Paz, Zamorano, & Gallego (2000). They studied the properties of 46 individual star-forming knots as well as the underlying population of older stars. By applying evolutionary synthesis models, they found that three well defined stellar populations are present in Mrk 86: the star-forming regions, with ages between 5 and 13 Myr, and no significant age or metallicity gradient, a central starburst with an intermediate age of 30 Myr, and an underlying population of stars, with a surface brightness profile that can be described by an exponential, with no color gradients and an age between 5 and 13 Gyrs.

In all the above studies the star-forming knots present a similar range of ages, consistent with our findings for Mrk 370. However, the galaxies appear to be different with respect to the properties of their underlying population of stars: while i0 and cometary BCDs seem to be less evolved systems, the structural properties and ages derived for the LSB of Mrk 370 are quite similar to those presented by the iE BCD Mrk 86. This fact may imply that BCDs are objects which have in common the presence of an active starburst, which dominates their optical properties but, when the characteristics of the underlying stellar component are taken into account, they form a more heterogeneous class. This picture could naturally explain the different evolutionary stages derived for the galaxies.

We argue that considering BCD as a class might be then inappropriate. Therefore, looking for absolute unifying scenarios — for instance, trying to link the whole BCD class with the different types of dwarf galaxies (when only a fraction of them could be actually connected) — may be speculative at this time.

On the other hand, Noeske et al. (2000) suggested that an evolutionary sequence might exist connecting the different BCD subtypes, the iI,C galaxies being a possible link between the extremely young galaxy candidates (iO class) and the more evolved iE/nE BCDs.

The information available at the present time does not permit to discard any of these hypothesis. Comprehensive studies of larger samples of BCDs are required in order to find out which scenario is the correct one.

Our kinematic results suggest ordered motion around the north-south axis of Mrk 370, the kinematic center being located close to the center of the external isophotes; this could imply that the gas is rotating coupled with the main body of the galaxy (the underlying population hosting the starburst). However, we should take into account that, because of our limited spectral resolution, more complex gas motions could escape detection. In fact, Östlin et al. (1999, 2001), analyzing high-resolution (velocity sampling $`5`$ km sec-1) Fabry-Perot observations of BCD galaxies, found that, in general, the velocity fields of the studied galaxies are irregular and distorted. Spectroscopic observations of Mrk 370 with high velocity resolution are needed to better trace its gas kinematics.

Besides, Mrk 370 present some other puzzling peculiarities: the peak in the continuum map does not coincide with the kinematic center, nor with the center of the outer isophotes, nor with one of the knots; and the position angle of the outer regions, seen in the $`R`$-band grey-scale map, differs by about 30 degrees from the position angle displayed by the H$`\alpha `$ map.

## 7 Summary and Conclusions

Broad- and narrow- band images of the BCD Mrk 370, together with long-slit and two-dimensional spectra, have been analyzed in order to derive the properties of the different components of the galaxy and to constrain its evolutionary status. Our results can be summarized as follow:

* Two different stellar components are clearly distinguished in the galaxy: the present starburst and an underlying older population. The current star formation activity takes place in numerous knots, aligned in a north-east south-west direction. An extended LSB component, with regular appearance, hosts this star-forming area.
* The oxygen abundance derived from the spectra is $`ZZ_{}/2`$, a value relatively high for the BCD class; the high blue continuum, the absorption wings in the Balmer lines and the pronounced Balmer discontinuity in its spectrum are clear indicators of the presence of an evolved stellar population.
* The starburst region is resolved into small and compact star-forming regions. We identified a total of sixteen knots, and derived their individual properties. The brightest knots have luminosities similar to those of giant H II regions in M33 and in the LMC.

The photometric parameters of the individual star-forming knots were corrected from the contribution of emission lines, internal extinction and emission from the underlying LSB component. The colors before and after the corrections are significantly different. In Mrk 370 the internal extinction and the contribution of older stars are more important than emission lines in shifting the observed broad-band colors of the knots The color shifts are function of the position of the knot in the galaxy, and we strongly caution against interpreting observed color gradients as age gradients before applying such corrections.

We found that we can reproduce the colors of all the knots with an IB of star formation and the Salpeter initial mass function (imf) with an upper mass limit of 100 M. The ages of the knots range between 3 and 6 Myrs.
* The age of the underlying stellar population has been estimated by comparing its optical colors with two different groups of evolutionary synthesis models. Colors are consistent with ages larger than 5 Gyr.
* The inner, brightest star forming-regions, previously cataloged as double nucleus, are normal H II regions. We would like to stress that the ”multiple nuclei” often seen in broad-band images of BCD galaxies may be just the superposition of off-center luminous H II regions. If Mrk 370 is not a double-nucleus galaxy, then there may be no compelling evidence that it has experienced recent interactions. Indeed, there are no other signs of interactions; the regularity of the velocity field, and the fact that the central knots share the same kinematics of the main body point against a recent merger or interaction event. Also, Noeske et al. (2001) report that Mrk 370 is an isolated galaxy.
* We obtained the mean ionized gas velocity field in the central part of the galaxy. The velocity field seems to be regular and similar to that of a rotating disk (west region approaching, east region receding).

All in all, spectrophotometric studies of BCDs are of paramount importance in order to derive their evolutionary status. These analyses must include, in addition to the whole optical dataset, near-infrared photometry (NIR) — colors in the NIR better trace the properties of the older stellar component — as well as deep optical spectrophotometry of the host galaxy. Besides, high resolution spectroscopy of BCDs will help trace the kinematics of the galaxy and provide valuable information on the mechanisms triggering the star formation.

Based on observations with the JKT, INT and WHT, operated on the island of La Palma by the Royal Greenwich Observatory in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias. Based also on observations taken at the German-Spanish Astronomical Center, Calar Alto, Spain, operated by the Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie (MPIA), Heidelberg, jointly with the spanish ”Comision Nacional de Astronomia”. We thank the staff of both observatories. This research has made use of the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED), which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. We thank J. Iglesias-Páramo and J.N. González-Pérez for their help in the initial stages of this project. We thank A. Vazdekis, P. Papaderos and K. Noeske for valuable comments and discussions. We also acknowledge the anonymous referee for his/her helpful comments which helped us improve this paper. This work has been partially funded by the spanish “Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologia” (grants AYA2001-3939 and PB97-0158). L.M. Cairós acknowledges support by the EC grant HPMF-CT-2000-00774.

## 8 APPENDIX A

### 8.1 Atlas of Spectra

The nuclear spectrum of Mrk 370 derived from the INTEGRAL data is shown in figure 10, in the whole wavelength range observed. We can easily recognize several emission lines. Here we only plot some of selected emission as spectrum diagrams (figures 11 through 14). Spectrum diagrams represent line profiles from individual spectra at each point in the observed region and in a small spectral range. The spectra at each location are normalized by the local peak so as to better display the profile shape (lines nearer to the bright knots are brighter than those farther out).