MeerKAT HI commissioning observations of MHONGOOSE galaxy ESO 302-G014
  We present the results of three commissioning HI observations obtained with
the MeerKAT radio telescope. These observations make up part of the preparation
for the forthcoming MHONGOOSE nearby galaxy survey, which is a MeerKAT large
survey project that will study the accretion of gas in galaxies and the link
between gas and star formation. We used the available HI data sets, along with
ancillary data at other wavelengths, to study the morphology of the MHONGOOSE
sample galaxy, ESO 302-G014, which is a nearby gas-rich dwarf galaxy. We find
that ESO 302-G014 has a lopsided, asymmetric outer disc with a low column
density. In addition, we find a tail or filament of HI clouds extending away
from the galaxy, as well as an isolated HI cloud some 20 kpc to the south of
the galaxy. We suggest that these features indicate a minor interaction with a
low-mass galaxy. Optical imaging shows a possible dwarf galaxy near the tail,
but based on the current data, we cannot confirm any association with ESO
302-G014. Nonetheless, an interaction scenario with some kind of low-mass
companion is still supported by the presence of a significant amount of
molecular gas, which is almost equal to the stellar mass, and a number of
prominent stellar clusters, which suggest recently triggered star formation.
These data show that MeerKAT produces exquisite imaging data. The forthcoming
full-depth survey observations of ESO 302-G014 and other sample galaxies will,
therefore, offer insights into the fate of neutral gas as it moves from the
intergalactic medium onto galaxies.
