BLUE LOW SURFACE-BRIGHTNESS GALAXIES .1. SURFACE PHOTOMETRY

As a part of an effort to find young galaxies and unevolved disk galaxies in the nearby universe, Ne have undertaken a photometric study of 29 blue low surface-brightness galaxies. The objects were selected from the ESO-Uppsala Surface Photometry Catalogue on basis of photometric criteria characterizing metal-poor and/or young galaxies with a homogeneous stellar content. Here we present BVi surface photometry and discuss the results in relation to properties of normal galaxies. The sample is dominated by late type disks (70%) and irregulars with exponential luminosity profiles. The dust content appears to be low. The mean blue disk central surface-brightness of the sample is 23.5+/-0.2 mag. arcsec(-2), being fainter 1.9+/-0.3 mag. arcsec(-2) than the canonical Value for normal disk galaxies. The mean B-V is 0.(m)39+/-0.(m)02. This is similar to 0.(m)15 bluer than normally found for galaxies of comparable morphology.