| Abstract : | Dwarf galaxies are by far the most abundant systems in the universe. They are characterized by smaller sizes and shallower gravitational potentials compared to massive galaxies. These properties make it difficult for them to retain dense gas and form stars. Our study aims to characterize and compare the star formation in different types of star-forming dwarf galaxies (SFDG), comprising dwarf spirals, dwarf irregulars, and blue compact dwarfs (BCDs), using ultraviolet (UV) observations carried out with the UVIT. As the UVIT has a high spatial resolution (~1.2"), it is possible to do a detailed study of the star-forming complexes (SFCs) in nearby dwarf galaxies. In this project, we have extracted the SFCs and derived their sizes and FUV star formation rates using UVIT images for 16 SFDGs. The corresponding MIPS 24-micron images are used to correct for host galaxy extinction. Using Spitzer IRAC 3.6-micron images, we derived the mean stellar disk mass associated with each complex. We show how these properties vary with the galaxy radius for each type of SFDG. We also show that the SFCs follow a star-forming main sequence, which is similar to that followed by galaxies when their total star formation rates are considered. |
