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Integral Field Spectroscopy of Local LCBGs: NGC 7673, a case study. Physical properties of star-forming regions

Physical properties of the star-forming regions in the local Luminous Compact Blue Galaxy NGC 7673 are studied in detail using 3D spectroscopic data taken with the PPAK IFU at the 3.5-m telescope in CAHA. We derive integrated and spatially resolved properties such as extinction, star formation rate and metallicity for this galaxy. Our data show an extinction map with maximum values located at the position of the main clumps of star formation showing small spatial variations (E(B-V)_{t}=0.12-0.21 mag). We derive a Hα-based SFR for this galaxy of 6.2 \pm 0.8 M_{\odot}/yr in agreement with the SFR derived from infrared and radio continuum fluxes. The star formation is located mainly in clumps A, B, C and F. Different properties measured in clump B makes this region peculiar. We find the highest Hαluminosity with a SFR surface density of 0.5 M_{\odot}yr^{-1}kpc^{-2} in this clump. In our previous work, the kinematic analysis for this galaxy shows an asymmetrical ionized gas velocity field with a kinematic decoupled component located at the position of clump B. This region shows the absence of strong absorption features and the presence of a Wolf-Rayet stellar population indicating this is a young burst of massive stars. Furthermore, we estimate a gas metallicity of 12+log(O/H)=8.20\pm0.15 for the integrated galaxy using the R23 index. The values derived for the different clumps with this method show small metallicity variations in this galaxy, with values in the range 8.12 (for clump A) - 8.23 (for clump B) for 12+log(O/H). The analysis of the emission line ratios discards the presence of any AGN activity or shocks as the ionization source in this galaxy. Between the possible mechanisms to explain the starburst activity in this galaxy, our 3D spectroscopic data support the scenario of an on-going interaction with the possibility for clump B to be the dwarf satellite galaxy.