2015MNRAS.454.1000G

The Local Group starburst galaxy IC 10 is the closest example of a blue compact galaxy. Here, we use optical gi imaging from Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope/MegaCam and near infrared JHK imaging from United Kingdom Infrared Telescope/Wide Field Camera to conduct a comprehensive survey of the structure of IC 10. We examine the spatial distribution of its resolved young, intermediate and old stellar populations to large radius and low effective surface brightness levels. Akin to other dwarfs with multiple populations of different ages, stellar populations of decreasing average age are increasingly concentrated in this galaxy. We find that the young, starbursting population and the asymptotic giant branch population are both offset from the geometric centre of the older red giant branch (RGB) population by a few hundred parsecs, implying that the younger star formation occurred significantly away from the centre of the galaxy. The RGB population traces an extended structure that is typical of blue compact galaxies, with an effective radius of ∼ 5.75 arcmin ( ∼ 1.25 kpc). These measurements show that IC 10 is much more extended than has previously been realized, and this blue compact galaxy is one of the most extended dwarf galaxies in the Local Group. The outermost isophotes of this galaxy are very regular in shape and essentially circular in morphology. Based on this analysis, we do not find any evidence to suggest that IC 10 has undergone a recent, significant, interaction with an unknown companion.