This paper focuses on NGC 1533 and the pair IC 2038 and IC 2039 in Dorado a nearby, clumpy, still un-virialized group. We obtained their surface photometry from deep OmegaCAM@ESO-VST images in g and r bands. For NGC 1533, we map the surface brightness down to μ g  ≃ 30.11 mag arcsec−2 and μ r  ≃ 28.87 mag arcsec−2 and out to about 4 R e . At such faint levels, the structure of NGC 1533 appears amazingly disturbed with clear structural asymmetry between inner and outer isophotes in the northeast direction. We detect new spiral arm-like tails in the outskirts, which might likely be the signature of a past interaction/merging event. Similarly, IC 2038 and IC 2039 show tails and distortions indicative of their ongoing interaction. Taking advantage of deep images, we are able to detect the optical counterpart to the H i gas. The analysis of the new deep data suggests that NGC 1533 had a complex history made of several interactions with low-mass satellites that generated the star-forming spiral-like structure in the inner regions and are shaping the stellar envelope. In addition, the VST observations also show that the two less luminous galaxies, IC 2038 and IC 2039, are probably interacting each other and IC 2038 could have also interacted with NGC 1533 in the past, which stripped away gas and stars from its outskirts. The new picture emerging from this study is that of an interacting triplet, where the brightest galaxy, NGC 1533, has ongoing mass assembly in the outskirts.

Context. This paper is based on the multi-band VST Early-type GAlaxy Survey (VEGAS) with the VLT Survey Telescope (VST). We present new deep photometry of the IC 1459 group in g and r band. Aims. The main goal of this work is to investigate the photometric properties of the IC 1459 group, and to compare our results with those obtained for other galaxy groups studied in VEGAS, in order to provide an initial view of the variation of their properties as a function of the evolution of the system. Methods. For all galaxies in the IC 1459 group, we fit isophotes and extract the azimuthally averaged surface-brightness profiles, the position angle, and ellipticity profiles as a function of the semi-major axis. We also extract the average colour profile. In each band, we estimate the total magnitude, effective radius, mean colour, and total stellar mass for each galaxy in the group. We then look at the structure of the brightest galaxies and the faint features in their outskirts, considering also the intragroup component. Results. The wide field of view, long integration time, high angular resolution, and arcsec-level seeing of OmegaCAM at VST allow us to map the light distribution of IC 1459 down to a surface brightness level of 29.26 mag arcsec−2 in g band and 28.85 mag arcsec−2 in r band, and out to 7−10Re, and to detect the optical counterpart of HI gas around IC 1459. We also carry out an in-depth exploration of three low-density environments and provide information to understand how galaxy and group properties change with the group evolution stage. Conclusions. Good agreement is found between our results and predictions of numerical simulations regarding the structural properties of the brightest galaxies of the groups. We suggest that the structure of the outer envelope of he brightest cluster galaxies (i.e. the signatures of past mergers and tidal interactions), the intra-group light, and the HI amount and distribution may be used as indicators of the evolutionary stage and mass assembly of galaxy groups.

Context. Dorado is a nearby, rich and clumpy galaxy group that extends for several degrees in the southern hemisphere. Although several studies have been dedicated to defining its members, their kinematics, and the hot and cold gas content, in particular H I, their present star formation activity remains unknown. Aims. For the first time, we map the Hα distribution as a possible indicator of the star formation activity of Dorado members, a large fraction of which show interaction and merging signatures independently of their morphological type. Methods. With the 2.5 m du Pont and the 1m Swope telescopes, we obtained narrow-band calibrated images of 14 galaxies that form the backbone of the group, mapping Hα+[N II] down to a few 10−17 erg cm−2 s−1 arcsec−2. We estimated the galaxy star formation rate from the Hα fluxes and corrected for Galaxy foreground extinction and [N II] contamination. Results. We detected Hα+[N II] emission in all galaxies. H II regions clearly emerge in late-type galaxies, while in early-type galaxies the Hα+[N II] emission is dominated by [N II], especially in the central regions. However, H II complexes are revealed in four early-type galaxies. Even in the compact group SGC 0414-5559, in the projected centre of Dorado, H II regions are found both throughout the late-type galaxies and in the very outskirts of early-type members. Considering the Dorado group as a whole, we notice that the Hα+[N II] equivalent width, a measure of the specific star formation, increases with morphological type from early- to late-type members, although it remains lower than that observed in similar surveys of spiral galaxies. The star formation rate of the spiral members is in the range of what is observed in similar galaxies surveys (James et al., 2004). However, in three spiral galaxies, NGC 1536, PGC 75125, and IC 2058, the star formation rate is well below the median for their morphological classes. Conversely, the star formation rate of some early-type members tends to be higher than the average derived from Hα+[N II] surveys of this morphological family. Conclusions. We detected Hα+[N II] in all the early-type galaxies observed and half of them show H II regions in well-shaped rings as well as in their outskirts. These findings suggest that early-type galaxies in this group are not dead galaxies: their star formation has not yet shut down. Mechanisms such as gas stripping and gas accretion through galaxy–galaxy interaction seem relevant in modifying star formation in this evolutionary phase of Dorado.

We aim to refine the sample of isolated early‐type galaxies in the Analysis of the interstellar Medium of Isolated Galaxies (AMIGA) catalog via high‐resolution imaging. Here, we report the result from a pilot study investigating two candidates, KIG 685 and KIG 895, in K‐band with the laser guide star and wavefront sensing facility ARGOS using the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). Observations, obtained during the commissioning time, achieved a point spread function (PSF) of ≈0.25″. We present the data reduction and the PSF analysis from the best closed‐loop exposures to investigate the galaxies' morphological structure, including their nuclear region. We used PROFILER for the decomposition of the azimuthal 1D light distribution and GALFIT for the 2D analysis, accounting for ARGOS's PSF. KIG 685 was found to be a S0 galaxy and has been modeled with two Sérsic components representing a pseudobulge (n1D = 2.87 ± 0.21, n2D = 2.29 ± 0.10) and a disk (n1D = 0.95 ± 0.16, n2D = 0.78 ± 0.10). Nearly symmetric ring‐/shell‐like structures emerge after subtracting the GALFIT model from the image. KIG 895 shows a clear irregular arm‐like structure, in which the northern outer arm is reminiscent of a tail. The galaxy body is a disk, best fitted by a single Sérsic profile (n1D = 1.22 ± 0.1; n2D = 1.32 ± 0.12), that is, KIG 895 is a bulge‐less, very late‐type spiral. ARGOS high‐resolution images clearly showed interaction signatures in KIG 895. We suggest that the ring‐/shell‐like residuals in KIG 685, a bona fide early‐type galaxy, point toward a past accretion event.

Narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s) are a subclass of active galactic nuclei (AGN). It is often believed that these AGN have small black hole mass, which is responsible for the narrowness of the permitted lines. They are also characterised by a high accretion rate, typically closer to the Eddington limit. Nevertheless, narrow permitted lines might also be caused by a disk-like broadline region (BLR) viewed pole-on. This class of objects presents strong X-ray emission, which is characterised by a very steep spectral index described by a single power law. In particular, some of them exhibit particular features around the iron K-shell energy at 6-8 keV. Recently, this different spectral behaviour was attributed to inclination. In this work we are going to analyse optical spectra to measure in different ways the width of Hβ , which is another potential inclination indicator. Our aim is to search for a correlation between the high-energy spectral complexity and FWHM of Hβ , in order to verify whether or not the broad-line region could be flattened.