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Integrated optical/NIR colors with SEMs tracks with (left panel) and without (right panel) nebular emission. From top to bottom in both panels the plotted data points are the total colors over the entire area of the galaxy, the estimated burst colors, the colors of the µ B ∼ 24 − 26 mag arcsec −2 region, and the colors of the µ B ∼ 26 − 28 mag arcsec −2 region. The data are corrected for Galactic extinction. The errorbars include different uncertainties depending on the case (see § 12.3 for details). The number of targets in the plots is not equal since the burst/host separation fails completely for a number of objects with irregular morphology. The tracks in the left panel include nebular emission and assume an instantaneous burst, with metallicities Z = 0.0004 (dotted), Z = 0.004 (dash-dotted), Z = 0.008 (dashed), and Z = 0.02 (line). The ages of 10 Myr (open square), 1 Gyr (open circle), and 14 Gyrs (open triangle) are marked for convenience. In the right panel the tracks are for a pure stellar population with a Salpeter IMF, M min = 0.08M ⊙ , Mmax = 120M ⊙ , an e-folding time of 10 9 yr, and with metallicity Z = 0.001 (dotted), Z = 0.004 (dash-dotted), and Z = 0.02 (line). The ages of 1 (open circle), 3 (open left triangle), 5 (open square), and 14 Gyrs (open triangle) are marked for convenience.

Integrated optical/NIR colors with SEMs tracks with (left panel) and without (right panel) nebular emission. From top to bottom in both panels the plotted data points are the total colors over the entire area of the galaxy, the estimated burst colors, the colors of the µ B ∼ 24 − 26 mag arcsec −2 region, and the colors of the µ B ∼ 26 − 28 mag arcsec −2 region. The data are corrected for Galactic extinction. The errorbars include different uncertainties depending on the case (see § 12.3 for details). The number of targets in the plots is not equal since the burst/host separation fails completely for a number of objects with irregular morphology. The tracks in the left panel include nebular emission and assume an instantaneous burst, with metallicities Z = 0.0004 (dotted), Z = 0.004 (dash-dotted), Z = 0.008 (dashed), and Z = 0.02 (line). The ages of 10 Myr (open square), 1 Gyr (open circle), and 14 Gyrs (open triangle) are marked for convenience. In the right panel the tracks are for a pure stellar population with a Salpeter IMF, M min = 0.08M ⊙ , Mmax = 120M ⊙ , an e-folding time of 10 9 yr, and with metallicity Z = 0.001 (dotted), Z = 0.004 (dash-dotted), and Z = 0.02 (line). The ages of 1 (open circle), 3 (open left triangle), 5 (open square), and 14 Gyrs (open triangle) are marked for convenience.

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[Abridged] We present deep optical and near-infrared UBVRIHKs imaging data for 24 blue compact galaxies (BCGs). The sample contains luminous dwarf and intermediate-mass BCGs which are predominantly metal-poor, although a few have near-solar metallicities. We have analyzed isophotal and elliptical integration surface brightness and color profiles, e...

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