AGC 322753: a Dark Galaxy Candidate detected by ALFALFA and FASHI

Abstract

We report the possible detection of a Dark Galaxy Candidate (DGC; AGC 322753), via the cross-matching of the Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (ALFALFA) and the FAST All Sky HI (FASHI) HI blind surveys. It is detected by both surveys at the same recessional velocity, with a comparable HI mass of $2\times10^{9}$ M$_\odot$, and with similar HI spectral features. The ALFALFA and FASHI spectra show a double-peaked profile, compatible with a disc-like ordered rotation, and an HI linewidth at 50 per cent of the peak ($W_{50}$) of $\sim$85 km s$^{-1}$. The common intersection of the two beams allows the source position to be constrained with much greater precision than in either survey individually. Being detected by both radio telescopes, a Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) origin is excluded. No evidence of an optical counterpart was found down to $\sim$27.5 mag arcsec$^{-2}$ in the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys, which leads to a stellar mass limit of $M_\star \lesssim 5\times10^{7}$ M$_\odot$. Given this stellar mass limit, AGC 322753 has $M_{\rm HI}/M_\star \gtrsim 40$. The HI mass is higher than expected for totally starless haloes; this could imply that AGC 322753 is not completely 'dark' but could host a luminous counterpart below the current optical detection limit.