Triggering and Feedback: The Relation between the H I Gas and the Starburst in the Dwarf Galaxy NGC 1569

As part of our study on the impact of violent star formation on the interstellar medium (ISM) of dwarf galaxies, we report observations of neutral atomic hydrogen (H I) in the starburst dwarf galaxy NGC 1569. High-resolution measurements with the Very Large Array (B, C, and D configuration) are aimed at identifying morphological and kinematical signatures in H I caused by the starburst. Our kinematical data suggest a huge hole in the H I distribution, probably due to the large number of supernovae explosions in the center of the galaxy over the past 20 Myr. Investigating the large-scale H I structure, we confirm the existence of a possible H I companion and a so-called H I bridge east of NGC 1569. Furthermore, we report the detection of additional low-intensity H I halo emission, which leads us to suggest a revised halo structure. On the basis of our new picture, we discuss the origin of the halo gas and possible implications for the evolution of the starburst in NGC 1569.