Few objects from Vacca & Conti (1992) have only an upper limit
on broad HeII 4686 HeII 4686. For most of them independent observations are now
available. Otherwise these objects are retained as suspected WR galaxies.
In some studies of IUE spectra strong UV P-Cygni lines of N and C
(N V 1240, C IV
1550) have been interpreted as
signatures of WR stars in theses objects (e.g. Durret et al. 1985; Lamb
et al. 1990).
However, these lines are also strong in O stars and hence cannot be used
as a clear diagnostic for WR stars (cf. Leitherer et al. 1995).
Therefore, objects suspected on these grounds have not been included in
Table 4.
In rare cases, WR stars have also been suspected on indirect grounds (e.g. M100: Wozniak et al. 1998).
Interestingly, a broad WR bump is suggested to be present in the optical
spectrum of two distant central cluster galaxies with strong cooling flows
(Abell 1068 and 1835; Allen 1995). The recent study of Contini et al. (1998), however, casts serious doubt about the reality of a broad
feature in Abell 1835.
If true, these objects with redshifts 0.14 and 0.25 respectively,
represent the most distant objects known to date where WR stars have been
detected from (rest-frame) optical spectra.
High redshift galaxies (
3) may, however, also show WR signatures
(see Sect. 7).
Mrk 1087 --
While Vacca & Conti (1992) provide only an upper limit on HeII 4686 HeII 4686, a detection is provided
in the recent spectra of Vaceli et al. (1997). No information on
the width of this line is given.
Retained as suspected WR galaxy.
Mrk 1094 -- We have retained the criteria of Kunth & Joubert (1985) and hence included this object in Table 1. No new observations published.
0833+652 = IRAS 08339+6517 -- From their spectrum Veilleux et al. conclude that no WR features are present in this galaxy (=0833+652 in Conti 1991).
Tol 2 = Tol --
Same comment as for Mrk 1094.
Tol 9 = Tol --
Although no broad HeII 4686 HeII
4686 feature seems present in this object
(Kunth
& Schild 1986) we list in the category of suspected WR galaxies
based on the possible detection of other broad features shortward
of 5876 Å (Kunth & Schild 1986).
Other objects for which an upper limit on broad WR features is given or where a non-detection is signaled are found in publications issued from the systematic searches discussed in Sect. 2.
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