MASS-TO-LIGHT VERSUS COLOR RELATIONS FOR DWARF IRREGULAR GALAXIES

Abstract

We have determined new relations between UBV colors and mass-to-light ratios (M/L) for dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxies, as well as for transformed g' - r'. These M/L to color relations (MLCRs) are based on stellar mass density profiles determined for 34 LITTLE THINGS dwarfs from spectral energy distribution fitting to multi-wavelength surface photometry in passbands from the FUV to the NIR. These relations can be used to determine stellar masses in dIrr galaxies for situations where other determinations of stellar mass are not possible. Our MLCRs are shallower than comparable MLCRs in the literature determined for spiral galaxies. We divided our dwarf data into four metallicity bins and found indications of a steepening of the MLCR with increased oxygen abundance, perhaps due to more line blanketing occurring at higher metallicity.