Spatial Correlation Between Dust and H$\alpha$ Emission in Dwarf
  Irregular Galaxies
  Using a sample of dwarf irregular galaxies selected from the ALFALFA blind
HI-survey and observed using the VIMOS IFU, we investigate the relationship
between H$\alpha$ emission and Balmer optical depth ($\tau_{\text{b}}$). We
find a positive correlation between H$\alpha$ luminosity surface density and
Balmer optical depth in 8 of 11 at $\geq$ 0.8$\sigma$ significance (6 of 11 at
$\geq$ 1.0$\sigma$) galaxies. Our spaxels have physical scales ranging from 30
to 80 pc, demonstrating that the correlation between these two variables
continues to hold down to spatial scales as low as 30 pc. Using the Spearman's
rank correlation coefficient to test for correlation between
$\Sigma_{\text{H}\alpha}$ and $\tau_{\text{b}}$ in all the galaxies combined,
we find $\rho = 0.39$, indicating a positive correlation at 4$\sigma$
significance. Our low stellar-mass galaxy results are in agreement with
observations of emission line regions in larger spiral galaxies, indicating
that this relationship is independent of the size of the galaxy hosting the
emission line region. The positive correlation between H$\alpha$ luminosity and
Balmer optical depth within spaxels is consistent with the hypothesis that
young star-forming regions are surrounded by dusty birth-clouds.
