1 research outputs found
Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies
Dwarf elliptical (dE) galaxies, with blue absolute magnitudes typically
fainter than , are the most numerous type of galaxy in the nearby
universe. Tremendous advances have been made over the past several years in
delineating the properties of both Local Group satellite dE's and the large dE
populations of nearby clusters. We review some of these advances, with
particular attention to how well currently available data can constrain 1)
models for the formation of dE's, 2) the physical and evolutionary connections
between different types of galaxies (nucleated and nonnucleated dE's, compact
E's, irregulars, and blue compact dwarfs) that overlap in the same portion of
the mass-spectrum of galaxies, 3) the contribution of dE's to the galaxy
luminosity functions in clusters and the field, 4) the star-forming histories
of dE's and their possible contribution to faint galaxy counts, and 5) the
clustering properties of dE's. In addressing these issues, we highlight the
extent to which selection effects temper these constraints, and outline areas
where new data would be particularly valuable.Comment: 63p, uuencoded compressed postscript, 2/8 figs included, A&A Review
in press, request paper copies from [email protected], STScI 86