419 research outputs found
Galaxy threshing and the origin of intracluster stellar objects
We numerically investigate dynamical evolution of non-nucleated dwarf
elliptical/spiral galaxies (dE) and nucleated ones (dE,Ns) in clusters of
galaxies in order to understand the origin of intracluster stellar objects,
such as intracluster stars (ICSs), GCs (ICGCs), and ``ultra-compact dwarf''
(UCDs) recently discovered by all-object spectroscopic survey centred on the
Fornax cluster of galaxies. We find that the outer stellar components of a
nucleated dwarf are removed by the strong tidal field of the cluster, whereas
the nucleus manages to survive as a result of its initially compact nature. The
developed naked nucleus is found to have physical properties (e.g., size and
mass) similar to those observed for UCDs. We also find that the UCD formation
processes does depend on the radial density profile of the dark halo in the
sense that UCDs are less likely to be formed from dwarfs embedded in dark
matter halos with central `cuspy' density profiles. Our simulations also
suggest that very massive and compact stellar systems can be rapidly and
efficiently formed in the central regions of dwarfs through the merging of
smaller GCs. GCs initially in the outer part of dE and dE,Ns are found to be
stripped to form ICGCs.Comment: 6 pages and 3 figures (JPG file for Fig. 1), in the proceedings of
IAU 217 ``Recycling intergalactic and interstellar matter'
Variation of Molecular Cloud Properties across the Spiral Arm in M 51
We present the results of high-resolution 13CO(1-0) mapping observations with
the NRO 45m telescope of the area toward the southern bright arm region of M51,
including the galactic center. The obtained map shows the central depression of
the the circumnuclear ring and the spiral arm structure.The arm-to-interarm
ratio of the 13CO(1-0) integrated intensity is 2-4. We also have found a
feature different from that found in the 12CO results. The 12CO/13CO ratio
spatially varies, and shows high values (~20) for the interarm and the central
region, but low values(~10) for the arm. These indicate that there is a denser
gas in the spiral arm than in the interarm. The distribution of the 13CO shows
a better correspondence with that of the H\alpha emission than with the 12CO in
the disk region, except for the central region. We found that the 13CO emission
is located on the downstream side of the 12CO arm, namely there is an offset
between the 12CO and the 13CO as well as the H\alpha emission. This suggests
that there is a time delay between the accumulation of gas caused by the
density wave and dense gas formation, accordingly star formation. This time
delay is estimated to be ~10^7 yr based on the assumption of galactic rotation
derived by the rotation curve and the pattern speed of M51. It is similar to
the growth timescale of a gravitational instability in the spiral arm of M51,
suggesting that the gravitational instability plays an important role for dense
gas formation.Comment: 23 pages, 10 figures, PASJ Vol.54, No.2 (2002), in pres
Observations of Stripped Edge-on Virgo Cluster Galaxies
We present observations of highly inclined, HI deficient, Virgo cluster
spiral galaxies. Our high-resolution VLA HI observations of edge-on galaxies
allow us to distinguish extraplanar gas from disk gas. All of our galaxies have
truncated H-alpha disks, with little or no disk gas beyond a truncation radius.
While all the gas disks are truncated, the observations show evidence for a
continuum of stripping states: symmetric, undisturbed truncated gas disks
indicate galaxies that were stripped long ago, while more asymmetric disks
suggest ongoing or more recent stripping. We compare these timescale estimates
with results obtained from two-dimensional stellar spectroscopy of the outer
disks of galaxies in our sample. One of the galaxies in our sample, NGC 4522 is
a clear example of active ram-pressure stripping, with 40% of its detected HI
being extraplanar. As expected, the outer disk stellar populations of this
galaxy show clear signs of recent (and, in fact, ongoing) stripping. Somewhat
less expected, however, is the fact that the spectrum of the outer disk of this
galaxy, with very strong Balmer absorption and no observable emission, would be
classified as ``k+a'' if observed at higher redshift. Our observations of NGC
4522 and other galaxies at a range of cluster radii allow us to better
understand the role that clusters play in the structure and evolution of disk
galaxies.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the Island
Universes conference held in Terschelling, Netherlands, July 2005, ed. R. de
Jong, version with high resolution figures can be downloaded from
ftp://ftp.astro.yale.edu/pub/hugh/papers/iu_crowl_h.ps.g
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