COS Views of Local Galaxies Approaching Primeval Conditions
Abstract
We will use COS G160M+G185M to observe the cosmollogically important lines C IV 1548+1551 A, He II 1640 A, O III] 1661+1666 A, and C III] 1907+1909 A in the three closest most metal-poor blue compact dwarf galaxies known. These galaxies approach primeval insterstellar and stellar conditions. One of the galaxies has no existing spectroscopic coverage in the UV. Available spectroscopy of the most metal-poor galaxies in the local universe are scarce, inhomogeneous, mostly low spectral-resolution, and are either noisy in main UV lines or lack their coverage. The proposed spectral resolution of about 20 km/s represents an order of magnitude improvement over existing HST data and allows us to disentangle stellar, nebular, and/or shock components to the lines. The high-quality constraints obtained in the framework of this proposal will make it possible to assess the relative likelihood of new spectral models of star-forming galaxies from different groups, in the best possible way achievable with current instrumentation. This will ensure that the best possible studies of early chemical enrichment of the universe can be achieved. The proposed observations are necessary to minimize large existing systematic uncertainties in the determination of high-redshift galaxy properties that JWST was in large part designed to measure.