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# Program information file
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PROGRAM_ID           2024B076
PROGRAM_TITLE        Probing the mid-infrared spectra of rare broad-line blue compact dwarf galaxies
PROGRAM_INV1         Igor Chilingarian
PROGRAM_INV2         Franz Bauer
PROGRAM_INV3         Kirill Grishin
PROGRAM_INV4         Evgenii Rubtsov
PROGRAM_INV5          
PROGRAM_SCICAT       extra-galactic
PROGRAM_ABSTRACT_BEG
Local analogs of so-called 'Little Red Dots', compact sources discovered by the JWST at high redshifts, which have broad permitted emission lines, and strong UV and IR excess in their spectra may hold important clues about the mechanisms responsible for seeding and fueling SMBHs in the early universe, particularly in low-mass environments. We argue that broad-line blue compact dwarfs [BL-BCDs] are such analogs and propose to acquire near-to-mid-infrared K/L-band for a sample of four BL-BCDs using IRTF SpeX. Our observations will target the 3.3um PAH complex and several permitted hydrogen and forbidden metal lines and, hence, will better elucidate the contributions from the AGN and stellar population and potentially provide critical input on a number of uncertain properties of both BL-BCDs, and by extension, BL-LRDs. Being a challenging project for ground-based facilities [K=15.0-15.5 mag], this is an essential step towards understanding the physics of these mysterious sources and paving the path for future studies with JWST in the mid-IR.
PROGRAM_ABSTRACT_END