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