A search for massive UCDs in the Centaurus Galaxy Cluster

We recently initiated a search for ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs) in the Centaurus galaxy cluster (Mieske et al. 2007), resulting in the discovery of 27 compact objects with -12.2<M_V<-10.9 mag. Our overall survey completeness was 15-20% within 120 kpc projected clustercentric distance. In order to better constrain the luminosity distribution of the brightest UCDs in Centaurus, we continue our search by substantially improving our survey completeness specifically in the regime M_V<-12 mag (V_0<21.3 mag). Using VIMOS at the VLT, we obtain low-resolution spectra of 400 compact objects with 19.3<V_0<21.3 mag (-14<M_V<-12 mag at the Centaurus distance) in the central 25' of the Centaurus cluster, which corresponds to a projected radius of ~150 kpc. Our survey yields complete area coverage within ~120 kpc. For 94% of the sources included in the masks we successfully measure a redshift. Due to incompleteness in the slit assignment, our final completeness in the area surveyed is 52%. Among our targets we find three new UCDs in the magnitude range -12.2<M_V<-12 mag, hence at the faint limit of our survey. One of them is covered by archival HST WFPC2 imaging, yielding a size estimate of r_h <= 8-9 pc. At 95% confidence we can reject the hypothesis that in the area surveyed there are more than 2 massive UCDs with M_V<-12.2 mag and r_eff <=70 pc. Our survey hence confirms the extreme rareness of massive UCDs. We find that the radial distributions of Centaurus and Fornax UCDs with respect to their host clusters' centers agree within the 2 sigma level.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, accepted as Research Note for A&

The chemical composition of Ultracompact Dwarf Galaxies in the Virgo and Fornax Clusters

We present spectroscopic observations of ultra compact dwarf (UCD) galaxies in the Fornax and Virgo Clusters made to measure and compare their stellar populations. The spectra were obtained on the Gemini-North (Virgo) and Gemini-South (Fornax) Telescopes using the respective Gemini Multi-Object Spectrographs. We estimated the ages, metallicities and abundances of the objects from mea- surements of Lick line-strength indices in the spectra; we also estimated the ages and metallicities independently using a direct spectral fitting technique. Both methods re- vealed that the UCDs are old (mean age 10.8 \pm 0.7 Gyr) and (generally) metal-rich (mean [Fe/H] = -0.8 \pm 0.1). The alpha-element abundances of the objects measured from the Lick indices are super-Solar. We used these measurements to test the hypothesis that UCDs are formed by the tidal disruption of present-day nucleated dwarf elliptical galaxies. The data are not consistent with this hypothesis because both the ages and abundances are significantly higher than those of observed dwarf galaxy nuclei (this does not exclude disruption of an earlier generation of dwarf galaxies). They are more consistent with the properties of globular star clusters, although at higher mean metallicity. The UCDs display a very wide range of metallicity (-1.7 <[Fe/H]< 0.0), spanning the full range of both globular clusters and dwarf galaxy nuclei. We confirm previous reports that most UCDs have high metalliticities for their luminosities, lying significantly above the canonical metallicitiy-luminosity relation followed by early-type galaxies. In contrast to previous work we find that there is no significant difference in either the mean ages or the mean metallicities of the Virgo and Fornax UCD populations.Comment: 15 pages (including references and appendix), 8 figures (including appendix

Dynamical versus Stellar Masses of Ultracompact Dwarf Galaxies in the Fornax Cluster

The origin of ultracompact dwarf (UCD) galaxies, compact extragalactic stellar systems, is still a puzzle for present galaxy formation models. We present the comprehensive analysis of high resolution multi-object spectroscopic data for a sample of 24 Fornax cluster UCDs obtained with VLT FLAMES. It comprises previously published data for 19 objects (Mieske et al. 2008) which we re-analysed, including 13 with available HST photometric data. Using Virtual Observatory technologies we found archival HST images for two more UCDs and then determined their structural properties. For all objects we derived internal velocity dispersions, stellar population parameters, and stellar mass-to-light ratios (M/L)* by fitting individual simple stellar population (SSP) synthetic spectra convolved with a Gaussian against the observed spectra using the NBursts full spectral fitting technique. For 14 objects we estimated dynamical masses suggesting no dark matter (DM) in 12 of them and no more than 40 per cent DM mass fraction in the remaining two, in contrast to findings for several UCDs in the Virgo cluster. Some Fornax UCDs even have too high values of (M/L)* estimated using the Kroupa stellar initial mass function (IMF) resulting in negative formally computed DM mass fractions. The objects with too high (M/L)* ratios compared to the dynamical ones have relatively short dynamical relaxation timescales, close to the Hubble time or below. We therefore suggest that their lower dynamical ratios (M/L)dyn are caused by low-mass star depletion due to dynamical evolution. Overall, the observed UCD characteristics suggest at least two formation channels: tidal threshing of nucleated dwarf galaxies for massive UCDs (~10^8 M_sun), and a classical scenario of red globular cluster formation for lower-mass UCDs (< 10^7 M_sun).Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS; 13 pages, 9 figures, 2 table

A Potential Galaxy Threshing System in the Cosmos Field

We report on the discovery of a new potential galaxy threshing system in the COSMOS 2 square degree field using the prime-focus camera, Suprime-Cam, on the 8.2 m Subaru Telescope. This system consists of a giant elliptical galaxy with $M_V \approx -21.6$ and a tidally disrupted satellite galaxy with $M_V \approx -17.7$ at a photometric redshift of $z \approx 0.08$. This redshift is consistent with the spectroscopic redshift of 0.079 for the giant elliptical galaxy obtained from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) archive. The luminosity masses of the two galaxies are $3.7 \times 10^{12} \cal{M}_{\odot}$ and $3.1 \times 10^{9} \cal{M}_{\odot}$, respectively. The distance between the two galaxies is greater than 100 kpc. The two tidal tails emanating from the satellite galaxy extend over 150 kpc. This system would be the second well-defined galaxy threshing system found so far.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, accepted for the COSMOS special issue of ApJ

SDSSJ150634.27+013331.6: the second compact elliptical galaxy in the NGC5846 group

We report the discovery of the second compact elliptical (cE) galaxy SDSSJ150634.27+013331.6 in the nearby NGC5846 group by the Virtual Observatory (VO) workflow . This object (M_B = -15.98 mag, R_e = 0.24 kpc) becomes the fifth cE where the spatially-resolved kinematics and stellar populations can be obtained. We used archival HST WFPC2 images to demonstrate that its light profile has a two-component structure, and integrated photometry from GALEX, SDSS, UKIDSS, and Spitzer to build the multi-wavelength SED to constraint the star formation history (SFH). We observed this galaxy with the PMAS IFU spectrograph at the Calar-Alto 3.5m telescope and obtained two-dimensional maps of its kinematics and stellar population properties using the full-spectral fitting technique. Its structural, dynamical and stellar population properties suggest that it had a massive progenitor heavily tidally stripped by NGC5846.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure, 1 table. Accepted to MNRAS Letter

A search for molecules in damped Lyman-alpha absorbers occulting millimetre-loud quasars

We have used the SEST 15-metre and Onsala 20-metre telescopes to perform deep (r.m.s. >~ 30 mJy) integrations of various molecular rotational transitions towards damped Lyman-alpha absorption systems (DLAs) known to occult millimetre-loud quasars. We have observed 6 new systems and improved the existing limits for 11 transitions. These limits may be approaching the sensitivities required to detect new systems and we present a small number of candidate systems which we believe warrant further observation.Comment: 7 pages, 1 PS figure, 4 tables. Accepted by A&

Discovery of a new M32-like "Compact Elliptical" galaxy in the halo of the Abell 496 cD galaxy

Aims: ``Compact ellipticals'' are so rare that a search for M32 analogs is needed to ensure the very existence of this class. Methods: We report here the discovery of A496cE, a M32 twin in the cluster Abell 496, located in the halo of the central cD. Results: Based on CFHT and HST imaging we show that the light profile of A496cE requires a two component fit: a Sersic bulge and an exponential disc. The spectrum of A496cE obtained with the ESO-VLT FLAMES/Giraffe spectrograph can be fit by a stellar synthesis spectrum dominated by old stars, with high values of [Mg/Fe] and velocity dispersion. Conclusions: The capture of A496cE by the cD galaxy and tidal stripping of most of its disc are briefly discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in A&A Letter

A catalogue of damped Lyman alpha absorption systems and radio flux densities of the background quasars

We present a catalogue of the 322 damped Lyman alpha absorbers taken from the literature. All damped Lyman alpha absorbers are included, with no selection on redshift or quasar magnitude. Of these, 123 are candidates and await confirmation using high resolution spectroscopy. For all 322 objects we catalogue the radio properties of the background quasars, where known. Around 60 quasars have radio flux densities above 0.1 Jy and approximately half of these have optical magnitudes brighter than V = 18. This compilation should prove useful in several areas of extragalactic/cosmological research.Comment: 26 Pages, 12 PS tables, 1 embedded table. Accepted by PASA. Continuously updated online catalogue available at http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~sjc/dl

The CORALS Survey I: New Estimates of the Number Density and Gas Content of Damped Lyman Alpha Systems Free from Dust Bias

(Abridged) We present the first results from the Complete Optical and Radio Absorption Line System (CORALS) survey. We have compiled a homogeneous sample of radio-selected QSOs from the Parkes Catalogue and searched for damped Lyman alpha systems (DLAs) towards every target, irrespective of its optical magnitude. This approach circumvents selection effects -- particularly from intervening dust -- which have long been suspected to affect DLA surveys in optically-selected, magnitude-limited QSO samples. The CORALS data set consists of 66 z_em > 2.2 QSOs in which 22 DLAs with absorption redshifts 1.8 < z_abs < z_em have been identified over a total redshift interval Delta z = 55.46. In this first paper of the CORALS series we describe the sample, present intermediate resolution spectroscopy and determine the population statistics of DLAs. We deduce a value of the neutral gas mass density traced by DLAs (expressed as a fraction of the closure density) log Omega_DLA h = -2.59^{+0.17}_{-0.24}, and a number density of DLAs per unit redshift n(z) = 0.31^{+0.09}_{-0.08}, both at a mean redshift = 2.37. Taking into account the errors, we conclude that dust-induced bias in previous surveys may have led to an underestimate of these quantities by at most a factor of two and we have not uncovered a previously unrecognised population of high column density DLAs in front of faint QSOs.Comment: 25 pages, accepted for publication in A&

Stellar Population Constraints on the Dark Matter Content and Origin of Ultra-Compact Dwarf Galaxies

We analyse intermediate-resolution VLT FLAMES/Giraffe spectra of six ultra-compact dwarf (UCD) galaxies in the Fornax cluster. We obtained velocity dispersions and stellar population properties by full spectral fitting against PEGASE.HR models. Objects span a large range of metallicities (-0.95 to -0.23 dex), 4 of them are older than 8 Gyr. Comparison of the stellar and dynamical masses suggests that UCDs have little dark matter at best. For one object, UCD3, the Salpeter initial mass function (IMF) results in the stellar mass significantly exceeding the dynamical one, whereas for the Kroupa IMF the values coincide. Although, this object may have peculiar dynamics or/and stellar populations, the Kroupa IMF seems more realistic. We find that UCDs lie well above the metallicity-luminosity relation of early-type galaxies. The same behaviour is demonstrated by some of the massive Milky Way globular clusters, known to contain composite stellar populations. Our results support two following UCD formation scenarii: (1) tidal stripping of nucleated dwarf elliptical galaxies; (2) formation of tidal superclusters in galaxy mergers. We also discuss some of the alternative channels of the UCD formation binding them to globular clusters.Comment: accepted to MNRAS, 7 pages, 4 figures, 3 table