Birth, life and survival of Tidal Dwarf Galaxies

Advances on the formation and survival of the so-called Tidal Dwarf Galaxies (TDGs) are reviewed. The understanding on how objects of the mass of dwarf galaxies may form in debris of galactic collisions has recently benefited from the coupling of multi-wavelength observations with numerical simulations of galaxy mergers. Nonetheless, no consensual scenario has yet emerged and as a matter of fact the very definition of TDGs remains elusive. Their real cosmological importance is also a matter of debate, their presence in our Local Group of galaxies as well. Identifying old, evolved, TDGs among the population of regular dwarf galaxies and satellites may not be straightforward. However a number of specific properties (location, dark matter and metal content) that objects of tidal origin should have are reminded here. Examples of newly discovered genuine old TDGs around a nearby elliptical galaxy are finally presented.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, invited talk at JENAM 2010 symposium on "Dwarf Galaxies", v2:reference and acknowledgements update

From Globular Clusters to Tidal Dwarfs: Structure Formation in the Tidal Tails of Merging Galaxies

Using V and I images obtained with WFPC2/HST, we investigate compact stellar structures within tidal tails. Six regions of tidal debris in the four classic ``Toomre Sequence'' mergers: NGC 4038/39 (``Antennae''), NGC 3256, NGC 3921, and NGC 7252 (``Atoms for Peace'') have been studied in order to explore how the star formation depends upon the local and global physical conditions. These mergers sample a range of stages in the evolutionary sequence and tails with and without embedded tidal dwarf galaxies. The six tails are found to contain a variety of stellar structures, with sizes ranging from those of globular clusters up to those of dwarf galaxies. From V and I WFPC2 images, we measure the luminosities and colors of the star clusters. NGC 3256 is found to have a large population of blue clusters (0.2 < V-I < 0.9), particularly in its Western tail, similar to those found in the inner region of the merger. In contrast, NGC 4038/39 has no clusters in the observed region of the tail, only less luminous point sources likely to be individual stars. A significant cluster population is clearly associated with the prominent tidal dwarf candidates in the eastern and western tails of NGC 7252. The cluster-rich Western tail of NGC 3256 is not distinguished from the others by its dynamical age or by its total HI mass. However, the mergers that have few clusters in the tail all have tidal dwarf galaxies, while NGC 3256 does not have prominent tidal dwarfs. We speculate that star formation in tidal tails may manifest itself either in small structures like clusters along the tail or in large structures such as dwarf galaxies, but not in both. Also, NGC 3256 has the highest star formation rate of the four mergers studied, which may contribute to the high number of star clusters in its tidal tails.Comment: Accepted to Astronomical Journal. 34 pages including 15 figures and 4 table

NGC 3256: Kinematic anatomy of a merger

We have used the Australia Telescope Compact Array to image the neutral hydrogen in the merging system NGC 3256, to test the idea that globular clusters (GC) form during the interactions and mergers of disk galaxies. We compare our observations with hydrodynamical numerical simulations, from the literature, to examine the hypothesis that the H I fragments with masses greater than 10^{7\pm1} \mo are sites of GC formation. We appear to have detected detached H I fragments in the vicinity of NGC 3256. These fragments, with masses ~10^7 solar masses, may have little dark matter content which is also a characteristic of globular clusters, and so our observations support the hypothesis that globular clusters form in the type of interaction that resulted in NGC 3256.Comment: Jpeg images; colour images are meant to only appear on monitors, not printout. 25 pages, 9 figures, and 2 tables. To be published in Astronomical Journal Mar. 200

Galaxy Collisions - Dawn of a New Era

The study of colliding galaxies has progressed rapidly in the last few years, driven by observations with powerful new ground and space-based instruments. These instruments have used for detailed studies of specific nearby systems, statistical studies of large samples of relatively nearby systems, and increasingly large samples of high redshift systems. Following a brief summary of the historical context, this review attempts to integrate these studies to address the following key issues. What role do collisions play in galaxy evolution, and how can recently discovered processes like downsizing resolve some apparently contradictory results of high redshift studies? What is the role of environment in galaxy collisions? How is star formation and nuclear activity orchestrated by the large scale dynamics, before and during merger? Are novel modes of star formation involved? What are we to make of the association of ultraluminous X-ray sources with colliding galaxies? To what do degree do mergers and feedback trigger long-term secular effects? How far can we push the archaeology of individual systems to determine the nature of precursor systems and the precise effect of the interaction? Tentative answers to many of these questions have been suggested, and the prospects for answering most of them in the next few decades are good.Comment: 44 pages, 9 figures, review article in press for Astrophysics Update Vol.

Star cluster formation and star formation: the role of environment and star-formation efficiencies

“The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com”. Copyright Springer. DOI: 10.1007/s10509-009-0088-5By analyzing global starburst properties in various kinds of starburst and post-starburst galaxies and relating them to the properties of the star cluster populations they form, I explore the conditions for the formation of massive, compact, long-lived star clusters. The aim is to determine whether the relative amount of star formation that goes into star cluster formation as opposed to field star formation, and into the formation of massive long-lived clusters in particular, is universal or scales with star-formation rate, burst strength, star-formation efficiency, galaxy or gas mass, and whether or not there are special conditions or some threshold for the formation of star clusters that merit to be called globular clusters a few billion years later.Peer reviewe

Star-formation in the HI bridge between M81 and M82

We present multi-wavelength observations of stellar features in the HI tidal bridge connecting M81 and M82 in the region called Arp's Loop. We identify eight young star-forming regions from Galaxy Evolution Explorer ultraviolet observations. Four of these objects are also detected at H\alpha. We determine the basic star formation history of Arp's Loop using F475W and F814W images obtained with the Advanced Camera for Surveys on board the Hubble Space Telescope. We find both a young (1 Gyr) stellar population with a similar spatial distribution and a metallicity Z~0.004. We suggest that the old stellar population was formed in the stellar disk of M82 and/or M81 and ejected into the intergalactic medium during a tidal passage (~ 200-300 Myr ago), whereas the young UV-bright stars have formed in the tidal debris. The UV luminosities of the eight objects are modest and typical of small clusters or OB associations. The tidal bridge between M81-M82 therefore appears to be intermediate between the very low levels of star formation seen in the Magellanic bridge and actively star-forming tidal tails associated with major galaxy mergers.Comment: Astronomical Journal accepte

Capillary Zone Electrophoresis–Electrospray Ionization-Tandem Mass Spectrometry for Top-Down Characterization of the <i>Mycobacterium marinum</i> Secretome

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) with an electrokinetically pumped sheath-flow nanospray interface was coupled with a high-resolution Q-Exactive mass spectrometer for the analysis of culture filtrates from <i>Mycobacterium marinum</i>. We confidently identified 22 gene products from the wildtype <i>M. marinum</i> secretome in a single CZE–tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) run. A total of 58 proteoforms were observed with post-translational modifications including signal peptide removal, N-terminal methionine excision, and acetylation. The conductivities of aqueous acetic acid and formic acid solutions were measured from 0.1% to 100% concentration (v/v). Acetic acid (70%) provided lower conductivity than 0.25% formic acid and was evaluated as low ionic-strength and a CZE–MS compatible sample buffer with good protein solubility

Capillary Zone Electrophoresis–Electrospray Ionization-Tandem Mass Spectrometry for Top-Down Characterization of the <i>Mycobacterium marinum</i> Secretome

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) with an electrokinetically pumped sheath-flow nanospray interface was coupled with a high-resolution Q-Exactive mass spectrometer for the analysis of culture filtrates from <i>Mycobacterium marinum</i>. We confidently identified 22 gene products from the wildtype <i>M. marinum</i> secretome in a single CZE–tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) run. A total of 58 proteoforms were observed with post-translational modifications including signal peptide removal, N-terminal methionine excision, and acetylation. The conductivities of aqueous acetic acid and formic acid solutions were measured from 0.1% to 100% concentration (v/v). Acetic acid (70%) provided lower conductivity than 0.25% formic acid and was evaluated as low ionic-strength and a CZE–MS compatible sample buffer with good protein solubility