THE HI CONTENT OF THE LOCAL GROUP DWARF (SPHEROIDAL OR IRREGULAR QUESTIONABLE) GALAXY PHOENIX

Neutral hydrogen was detected in the Local Group dwarf galaxy Phoenix. The 21 cm H I line emission, observed at a heliocentric radial velocity of 56 km s-1, is clearly separated from a much larger scale component at approximately 140 km s-1 which was previously associated with the Magellanic Stream. The profile width DELTA-V50 congruent-to 21 km s-1, combined with the high inclination of the system, suggests that not much rotation is present in this system which would then be mainly supported by turbulent motions. Using a newly determined distance estimate, the integrated profile gives a total H I mass of congruent-to 1.0 x 10(5) M. for an M(H) l/L(V) congruent-to 0.07 M./L.. Most of the known properties of Phoenix imply that it is intermediate between typical dwarf irregular and dwarf spheroidal galaxies. It is suggested that, in fact, the two types of galaxies may belong to the same class of objects having a different history of star formation.