We present results from our Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) HI observations of the interacting pair Arp 202 (NGC 2719 and NGC 2719A). Earlier deep UV(GALEX) observations of this system revealed a tidal tail like extension with a diffuse object towards its end, proposed as a tidal dwarf galaxy (TDG) candidate. We detect HI emission from the Arp 202 system, including HI counterparts for the tidal tail and the TDG candidate. Our GMRT HI morphological and kinematic results clearly link the HI tidal tail and the HI TDG counterparts to the interaction between NGC 2719 and NGC 2719A, thus strengthening the case for the TDG. The Arp 202 TDG candidate belongs to a small group of TDG candidates with extremely blue colours. In order to gain a better understanding of this group we carried out a comparative study of their properties from the available data. We find that HI (and probably stellar) masses of this extremely blue group are similar to the lowest HI mass TDGs in the literature. However the number of such blue TDG candidates examined so far is too small to conclude whether or not their properties justify them to be considered as a subgroup of TDGs.
To search for Tidal Dwarf Galaxies (TDGs) and to study star formation in tidal features, we are conducting a large UV imaging survey of interacting galaxies selected from the Arp (1996) Atlas using the GALEX telescope. As part of that study, we present a GALEX UV and SDSS and SARA optical study of the gas-rich interacting galaxy pair Arp 305 (NGC 4016/7). The GALEX UV data reveal much extended diffuse UV emission and star formation outside the disks. This includes a luminous star forming region between the two galaxies, and a number of such regions in tidal tails. We have identified 45 young s…
Arp194 is a system of recently collided galaxies, where the southern galaxy (S) passed through the gaseous disc of the northern galaxy (N) which in turn consists of two close components. This system is of special interest due to the presence of regions of active star-formation in the bridge between galaxies, the brightest of which (the region A) has a size of at least 4 kpc. We obtained three spectral slices of the system for different slit positions at the 6-m telescope of SAO RAS. We estimated the radial distribution of line-of-sight velocity and velocity dispersion as well as the intensitie…
We present results from our Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) HI observations of the Arp 305 system. The system consists of two interacting spiral galaxies NGC 4016 and NGC 4017, a large amount of resultant tidal debris and a prominent tidal dwarf galaxy (TDG) candidate projected within the tidal bridge between the two principal galaxies. Our higher resolution GMRT HI mapping, compared to previous observations, allowed detailed study of smaller scale features. Our HI analysis supports the conclusion in Hancock et al. (2009) that the most recent encounter between the pair occurred $\sim$ 4…
We study three Arp' systems of peculiar galaxies: Arp 42 (NGC 5829), Arp 82 (NGC 2535/36) and Arp 58 (UGC 4457), using the long-slit spectral observations carried out at the 6m telescope BTA of Special Astrophysical Observatory. Arp 82 and Arp 58 are the M51-type systems. In the third system - Arp 42, there are two extremely luminous kpc-sized clumps observed at the ends of the bifurcated spiral arm, however the source of perturbations remains unknown. From the emission line measurements we analyzed the distribution of gas line-of-sight (LOS) velocity, velocity dispersion and gas-phase metalli…
Context: Pre-merger interactions between galaxies can induce significant changes in the morphologies and kinematics of the stellar and ISM components. Large amounts of gas and stars are often found to be disturbed or displaced as tidal debris. This debris then evolves, sometimes forming stars and occasionally tidal dwarf galaxies. Here we present results from our HI study of Arp 65, an interacting pair hosting extended HI tidal debris. Aims: In an effort to understand the evolution of tidal debris produced by interacting pairs of galaxies, including in situ star and tidal dwarf galaxy formatio…
We present results from our Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) HI, Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) Halpha, 1m Sampurnanand Telescope (ST) and 1.3m Devasthal Fast Optical Telescope (DFOT) deep optical observations of NGC 7805/6 (Arp 112) system to test KUG 2359+311's tidal dwarf galaxy (TDG) candidacy and explore the properties of the interacting system. Our GMRT HI map shows no HI detection associated with KUG 2359+311, nor any HI tail or bridge-like structure connecting KUG 2359+311 to the NGC 7805/6 system. Our HCT Halpha image on the other hand, shows strong detections in KUG 2359+311…
Tidal Dwarf Galaxies (TDG), concentrations of interstellar gas and stars in the tidal features of interacting galaxies, have been the subject of much scrutiny. The `smoking gun' that will prove the TDG hypothesis is the discovery of independent dwarf galaxies that are detached from other galaxies, but have clear tidal histories. As part of a search for TDGs we are using GALEX to conduct a large UV imaging survey of interacting galaxies selected from the Arp Atlas. As part of that study, we present a GALEX UV and SDSS and SARA optical study of the gas-rich interacting galaxy pair Arp 305. The G…
Dynamics of tidal dwarf galaxies in the system Arp 72
Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica（墨西哥国家天体物理学、光学和电子研究所）；Centro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón (CEFCA)（阿拉贡宇宙物理研究中心）；East Tennessee State University（东田纳西州立大学）；Centre for Space Research, North-West University（西北大学空间研究中心）；National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences (NITheCS)（国家理论与计算科学研究所）；Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna（拉帕鲁纳大学天体物理学系）；Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias（加那利群岛天体物理研究所）
Like massive galaxies, dwarf galaxies are expected to undergo major mergers with other dwarfs. However, the end state of these mergers and the role that merging plays in regulating dwarf star formation is uncertain. Using imaging from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic program, we construct a sample of dwarf-dwarf mergers and examine the star formation and host properties of the merging systems. These galaxies are selected via an automated detection algorithm from a sample of 6875 spectroscopically selected isolated dwarf galaxies at $z<0.12$ and $\log(M_\star/M_\odot)<9.6$ from the Galaxy…
We give a short review of the current results of studying of star formation sites observed beyond the main discs of galaxies in different interacting systems: Arp 270, Arp 194, Arp 305, NGC 4656 and NGC 90. The observations were carried out at the 6-meter telescope BTA in SAO RAS with the SCOPRPIO-2 spectrograph. The properties of star forming islands, their mass, dynamics, chemical abundances, their possible fate and the mechanisms inspiring star formation, appear to be different in different systems.
The tidal tails of globular clusters have been shown to be sensitive to the external tidal field. We investigate how Galactic globular clusters with observed tails are affected by satellite dwarf galaxies by simulating tails in galaxy models with and without dwarf galaxies. The simulations indicate that tidal tails can be subdivided into into three categories based on how they are affected by dwarf galaxies: 1) dwarf galaxies perturb the progenitor cluster's orbit (NGC 4590, Pal 1, Pal 5), 2) dwarf galaxies perturb the progenitor cluster's orbit and individual tail stars (NGC 362, NGC 1851, NG…
Ultra Compact Dwarf Galaxies (UCDs) and dwarf galaxy nuclei have many common properties, such as internal velocity dispersions and colour-magnitude trends, suggesting tidally stripped dwarf galaxies as a possible UCD origin. However, UCDs typically have sizes more than twice as large as nuclei at the same luminosity. We use a GPU-enabled version of the particle-mesh code \textsc{superbox} to study the possibility of turning nucleated dwarf galaxies into UCDs by tidally stripping them in a Virgo-like galaxy cluster. We find that motion in spherical potentials, where close passages happen many t…
We present detailed numerical simulations of the evolution of Tidal Dwarf Galaxies (TDGs) after they kinematically decouple from the rest of the tidal arm to investigate their survivability. Both the short-term (500 Myr) response of TDGs to the stellar feedback of different underlying stellar populations as well as the long-term evolution that is dominated by a time dependent tidal field is examined. All simulated TDGs survive until the end of the simulation time of up to 3 Gyr, despite their lack of a stabilising dark matter component.
A fraction of dwarf galaxies in the Virgo cluster contain disk features like bars and spiral arms. Using $N$-body simulations, we investigate the effects of tidal forces on the formation of such disk features in disk dwarf galaxies resembling VCC856. We consider 8 Cluster-Galaxy models in which disk dwarf galaxies with differing pericenter distance and spin orientation experience the tidal gravitational force of a Virgo-like NFW halo, and additional 8 Galaxy-Galaxy models in which two dwarf galaxies undergo tidal interactions with different strength. We find that the cluster tidal effect is mo…
We report discovery of a dwarf galaxy in the Leo Triplet. Analysis of the neutral hydrogen distribution shows that it rotates independently of the tidal tail of NGC 3628, with a radial velocity gradient of 35-40 km s$^{-1}$ over approximately 13 kpc. The galaxy has a very high neutral gas content, explaining large part of its total dynamic mass - suggesting small dark matter content. As it is located at the tip of the gaseous tail, this strongly suggests its tidal origin. Should it be the case, it would be one of the most confident and closest (to the Milky Way) detections of a tidal dwarf gal…
We present DEIMOS multi-object spectroscopy (MOS) of 22 star-forming dwarf galaxies located in four gas-rich groups, including six newly-discovered dwarfs. Two of the galaxies are strong tidal dwarf galaxy (TDG) candidates based on our luminosity-metallicity relation definition. We model the rotation curves of these galaxies. Our sample shows low mass-to-light ratios (M/L=0.73$\pm0.39M_\odot/L_\odot$) as expected for young, star-forming dwarfs. One of the galaxies in our sample has an apparently strongly-falling rotation curve, reaching zero rotational velocity outside the turnover radius of $…
We present BV photometry of four Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy globular clusters: Arp 2, NGC 5634, Palomar 12, and Terzan 8, obtained with the Danish telescope at ESO-La Silla. We measure the structural parameters of the clusters using a King profile fitting, obtaining the first reliable measurements of the tidal radius of Arp 2 and Terzan 8. These two clusters are remarkably extended and with low concentrations; with a concentration of only c = 0.41 +/- 0.02, Terzan 8 is less concentrated than any cluster in our Galaxy. Blue stragglers are identified in the four clusters, and their spat…
We study a gas rich merging dwarf system KUG 0200-096. Deep optical image reveals an optically faint tail with a length of 20 kpc, giving a visual impression of tidal antenna similar to NGC 4038/39. The interacting dwarf galaxies have B-band absolute magnitudes -18.06 and -16.63 mag. We identify a young stellar clump of stellar mass of 2$\times$10$^{7}$ M$_{\sun}$ at the tip of the antenna, possibly a Tidal Dwarf Galaxy (TDG). The putative TDG candidate is quite blue with $g-r$ color index of -0.07 mag, whereas the interacting dwarf galaxies have $g-r$ color indices 0.29 and 0.19 mag. The TDG …
The mass-metallicity relation shows that the galaxies with the lowest mass have the lowest metallicities. As most dwarf galaxies are in group environments, interaction effects such as tides could contribute to this trend. We perform a series of smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations of dwarf galaxies in external tidal fields to examine the effects of tides on their metallicities and metallicity gradients. In our simulated galaxies, gravitational instabilities drive gas inwards and produce centralized star formation and a significant metallicity gradient. Strong tides can contribute …
We investigate a sample of 3 dwarf elliptical galaxies in the Virgo Cluster which have significant reservoirs of HI. We present deep optical imaging (from CFHT and KPNO), HI spectra (Arecibo) and resolved HI imaging (VLA) of this sample. These observations confirm their HI content and optical morphologies, and indicate that the gas is unlikely to be recently accreted. The sample has more in common with dwarf transitionals, although dwarf transitionals are generally lower in stellar mass and gas fraction. VCC 190 has an HI tidal tail from a recent encounter with the massive spiral galaxy NGC 42…
The formation and evolution of tidal tails like those observed around some globular clusters and dwarf satellite galaxies is examined with an N-body simulation. In particular, we analyse in detail the evolving tidal features of a one-component satellite that is moving on a highly eccentric orbit in the external field of a host galaxy potential like our own. The results show that every time the satellite approaches apogalacticon, a fresh pair of tidal tails becomes notably prominent, and that eventually, the satellite possesses multiple tidal tails via repeating apocentre passages. Accordingly,…
Dwarf spheroidal galaxies of the Local Group obey a relationship between the line-of-sight velocity dispersion and half-light radius, although there are a number of dwarfs that lie beneath this relation with suppressed velocity dispersion. The most discrepant of these (in the Milky Way) is the `feeble giant' Crater II. Using analytic arguments supported by controlled numerical simulations of tidally-stripped flattened two-component dwarf galaxies, we investigate interpretations of Crater II within standard galaxy formation theory. Heavy tidal disruption is necessary to explain the velocity-dis…
We investigate the hypothesized tidal disruption of the Hercules ultra-faint dwarf galaxy (UFD). Previous tidal disruption studies of the Hercules UFD have been hindered by the high degree of foreground contamination in the direction of the dwarf. We bypass this issue by using RR Lyrae stars, which are standard candles with a very low field-volume density at the distance of Hercules. We use wide-field imaging from the Dark Energy Camera on CTIO to identify candidate RR Lyrae stars, supplemented with observations taken in coordination with the Beijing-Arizona Sky Survey on the Bok Telescope. Co…
The formation of globular clusters remains an open debate. Dwarf starburst galaxies are efficient at forming young massive clusters with similar masses as globular clusters and may hold the key to understanding their formation. We study star cluster formation in a tidal debris - including the vicinity of three tidal dwarf galaxies - in a massive gas dominated collisional ring around NGC~5291. These dwarfs have physical parameters which differ significantly from local starbursting dwarfs. They are gas-rich, highly turbulent, have a gas metallicity already enriched up to half-solar, and are expe…
Using N-body simulations we study the tidal evolution of initially disky dwarf galaxies orbiting a Milky Way-like host, a process known to lead to the formation of dwarf spheroidal galaxies. We focus on the effect of the orientation of the dwarf galaxy disk's angular momentum with respect to the orbital one and find very strong dependence of the evolution on this parameter. We consider four different orientations: the exactly prograde, the exactly retrograde and two intermediate ones. Tidal evolution is strongest for the exactly prograde and weakest for the exactly retrograde orbit. In the pro…
We model the dynamics of dwarf early-type galaxies in the Virgo cluster when subject to a variety of environmental processes. We focus on how these processes imprint trends in dynamical state (rotational vs. pressure support as measured by the $λ^*_{\rm Re/2}$ statistic) with projected distance from the cluster center, and compare these results to observational estimates. We find a large scatter in the gradient of $λ^*_{\rm Re/2}$ with projected radius. A statistical analysis shows that models with no environmental effects produce gradients as steep as those observed in none of the 100 cluster…
Nearby merging pairs are unique laboratories in which one can study the gravitational effects on the individual interacting components. In this manuscript, we report the characterization of selected HII regions along the peculiar galaxy NGC 2936, member of the galaxy pair Arp 142, an E+S interaction, known as "The Penguin". Using Gemini South spectroscopy we have derived a high enhancement of the global star formation rate SFR=35.9 Msun/yr probably stimulated by the interaction. Star-forming regions on this galaxy display oxygen abundances that are consistent with solar metallicities. The curr…
The formation of dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the Local Group from disky progenitors via tidal interaction with a bigger host is one of the most promising scenarios of their origin. Using N-body simulations we study the process by following the evolution of a disky dwarf orbiting a Milky Way-like host. We focus on the effect of the orientation of the dwarf galaxy disk's angular momentum with respect to the orbital one. We find a strong dependence of the efficiency of the transformation from a disk to a spheroid on the disk orientation. The effect is strongest for the exactly prograde and weake…
A conclusive model for the formation of dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies still remains elusive. Owing to their proximity to the massive spirals Milky Way (MW) and M31, various environmental processes have been invoked to explain their origin. In this context, the tidal stirring model postulates that interactions with MW-sized hosts can transform rotationally supported dwarfs, resembling present-day dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxies, into systems with the kinematic and structural properties of dSphs. Using N-body+SPH simulations, we investigate the dependence of this transformation mechanism on t…
We present a sample of dwarf galaxies that suffer ongoing disruption by the tidal force of nearby massive galaxies. Analysing structural and stellar population properties using the archival imaging and spectroscopic data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), we find that they are likely a `smoking gun' example of the formation of early-type dwarf galaxies (dEs) in the galaxy group environment through the tidal stirring. Inner cores of these galaxies are fairly intact and the observed light profiles are well fitted with the Sersic functions, while the tidally stretched stellar halos are pro…
In a series of papers, we present detailed chemo-dynamical simulations of tidal dwarf galaxies (TDGs). After the first paper, where we focused on the very early evolution, we present in this work simulations on the long-term evolution of TDGs, ranging from their formation to an age of 3 Gyr. Dark-matter free TDGs may constitute a significant component of the dwarf galaxy (DG) population. But it remains to be demonstrated that TDGs can survive their formation phase given stellar feedback processes, the time-variable tidal field of the post-encounter host galaxy and its dark matter halo and ram-…
We present high-resolution Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) HI observations and deep Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) optical imaging of two galaxy groups: NGC 4725/47 and NGC 3166/9. These data are part of a multi-wavelength unbiased survey of the gas-rich dwarf galaxy populations in three nearby interacting galaxy groups. The NGC 4725/47 group hosts two tidal knots and one dIrr. Both tidal knots are located within a prominent HI tidal tail, appear to have sufficient mass (M_gas~10^8 M_sol) to evolve into long-lived tidal dwarf galaxies (TDGs) and are fairly young in age. The NGC 3…
Spectral data cubes of the interacting pair of galaxies NGC 2535 and NGC 2536 (the Arp 82 system) targeting bright emission lines in the visible band, obtained with the imaging Fourier transform spectrometer (iFTS) SITELLE attached to the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), are presented. Analysis of H$\upalpha$ velocity maps reveals a bar in $\rm NGC\,2536$. In $\rm NGC\,2535$, we find strong non-circular motions outside the ocular ring, in the elliptical arc and tidal tails of $\rm NGC\,2535$ and a misalignment between the kinematic and photometric position angles. We detect 155 HII regio…
We have followed up two ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs), detected adjacent to stellar streams, with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging and HI mapping with the Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in order to investigate the possibility that they might have a tidal origin. With the HST F814W and F555W images we measure the globular cluster (GC) counts for NGC 2708-Dw1 and NGC 5631-Dw1 as $2^{+1}_{-1}$ and $5^{+1}_{-2}$, respectively. NGC 2708-Dw1 is undetected in HI down to a 3$σ$ limit of $\log (M_\mathrm{HI}/\mathrm{M_\odot}) = 7.3$, and there is no apparent HI associated with the nearby stellar str…
We present a case study of the tidal interaction between low mass, star-forming, galaxies initially found exploring the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) images and further analyzed with SDSS spectroscopy and UV GALEX photometry. With a luminosity of M$_{r}$ = $-$17.7 mag and exhibiting a prominent tidal filament, UGC 6741 appears as a scale down version of massive gas--rich interacting systems and mergers.The stellar disk of the smaller companion, UGC 6741_B, which is three times less massive, has likely been already destroyed. Both galaxies, which are connected by a 15 kpc long stellar bridge,…
Dwarf galaxies generally follow a mass-metallicity (MZ) relation, where more massive objects retain a larger fraction of heavy elements. Young tidal dwarf galaxies (TDGs), born in the tidal tails produced by interacting gas-rich galaxies, have been thought to not follow the MZ relation, because they inherit the metallicity of the more massive parent galaxies. We present chemical evolution models to investigate if TDGs that formed at very high redshifts, where the metallicity of their parent galaxy was very low, can produce the observed MZ relation. Assuming that galaxy interactions were more f…
Feeding and Feedback in Dwarf Galaxies (FeeD) -- I. Evidence of nuclear ultra-fast and galaxy-scale outflows in the dwarf galaxy Arp 151
Christ University（基督大学）；Indian Institute of Astrophysics（印度天体物理研究所）；Institute of Space Sciences (ICE, CSIC)（空间科学研究所（ICE，CSIC））；Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC)（加泰罗尼亚太空研究学院（IEEC））；Raman Research Institute（拉曼研究所）
In this investigation, we determined the Concentration (C) and Asymmetry (A) parameters in a sample of Tidal Dwarf Galaxies (TDG) or candidate galaxies. Most of the galaxies in the sample were found to be in a very precise region of the C-A plane, which clearly separates them from other galaxies. In addition, the stellar mass ($M_{star}$) and the star formation rate ($SFR$) in the sample were determined using optical images and GALEX observations. The main results are: the $M_{star}$ and the $SFR$ in the TDG sample do not follow a linear correlation with the $C$ and $A$ respectively, as observ…
The formation and evolution of gravitationally bound, star forming substructures in tidal tails of interacting galaxies, called tidal dwarf galaxies (TDG), has been studied, until now, only in idealised simulations of individual pairs of interacting galaxies for pre-determined orbits, mass ratios, and gas fractions. Here, we present the first identification of TDG candidates in fully cosmological simulations, specifically the high-resolution simulations of the EAGLE suite. The finite resolution of the simulation limits their ability to predict the exact formation rate and survival timescale of…
Dwarf galaxies are excellent cosmological probes, because their shallow potential wells make them very sensitive to the key processes that drive galaxy evolution, including baryonic feedback, tidal interactions, and ram pressure stripping. However, some of the key parameters of dwarf galaxies, which help trace the effects of these processes, are still debated, including the relationship between their sizes and masses. We re-examine the Fornax Cluster dwarf population from the point of view of isomass-radius--stellar mass relations (IRSMRs) using the Fornax Deep Survey Dwarf galaxy Catalogue, w…
We identify a $\sim$600 pc-wide region of active star formation located within a tidal streamer of M82 via $Hα$ emission ($F_{Hα}\sim 6.5\times10^{-14}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$), using a pathfinder instrument based on the Dragonfly Telephoto Array. The object is kinematically decoupled from the disk of M82 as confirmed via Keck / LRIS spectroscopy, and is spatially and kinematically coincident with an overdensity of HI and molecular hydrogen within the "northern HI streamer" induced by the passage of M81 several hundred Myr ago. From HI data, we estimate that $\sim5\times10^7$ M$_{\odot}$ of ga…
We measure the spatial density of F turnoff stars in the Sagittarius dwarf tidal stream, from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data, using statistical photometric parallax. We find a set of continuous, consistent parameters that describe the leading Sgr stream's position, direction, and width for 15 stripes in the North Galactic Cap, and 3 stripes in the South Galactic Cap. We produce a catalog of stars that has the density characteristics of the dominant leading Sgr tidal stream that can be compared with simulations. We find that the width of the leading (North) tidal tail is consistent with r…
In recent years, numerous active galactic nuclei have been discovered in ever smaller galaxies, questioning the paradigm that dwarf galaxies do not harbour central massive black holes. Even if such black holes exist, feeding them by gas streams is difficult, since star formation should be more efficient than AGN feeding in dwarf galaxies. In this paper, I investigate the possibility that tidal disruptions of stars are responsible for the observed AGN in dwarf galaxies. I show that the expected duty cycles of TDE-powered AGN, $f_{\rm AGN} \geq 0.5\%$, are consistent with observed AGN fractions …
One possible channel for the formation of dwarf galaxies involves birth in the tidal tails of interacting galaxies. We report the detection of a bright UV tidal tail and several young tidal dwarf galaxy candidates in the post-merger galaxy NGC 4922 in the Coma cluster. Based on a two-component population model (combining young and old stellar populations), we find that the light of tidal tail predominantly comes from young stars (a few Myr old). The Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) ultraviolet data played a critical role in the parameter (age and mass) estimation. Our stellar mass estimates o…
In recent years the Sloan Digital Sky Survey has unraveled a new population of ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (UFDs) in the vicinity of the Milky Way (MW) whose origin remains a puzzle. Using a suite of collisionless N-body simulations, we investigate the formation of UFDs in the context of the tidal stirring model for the formation of dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the Local Group (LG). Our simulations are designed to reproduce the tidal interactions between MW-sized host galaxies and rotationally supported dwarfs embedded in 10^9 M_sun dark matter (DM) halos. We explore a variety of inner density …
Most of dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the Local Group were probably formed via environmental processes like the tidal interaction with the Milky Way. We study this process via N-body simulations of dwarf galaxies evolving on seven different orbits around the Galaxy. The dwarf galaxy is initially composed of a rotating stellar disk and a dark matter halo. Due to the action of tidal forces it loses mass and the disk gradually transforms into a spheroid while stellar motions become increasingly random. We measure the characteristic scale-length of the dwarf, its maximum circular velocity, mass, sh…
Using high-resolution collisionless N-body simulations we study the properties of tidal tails formed in the immediate vicinity of a two-component dwarf galaxy evolving in a static potential of the Milky Way (MW). The stellar component of the dwarf is initially in the form of a disk and the galaxy is placed on an eccentric orbit motivated by CDM-based cosmological simulations. We measure the orientation, density and velocity distribution of the stars in the tails. Due to the geometry of the orbit, in the vicinity of the dwarf, where the tails are densest and therefore most likely to be detectab…
Using collisionless N-body simulations, we investigate the tidal evolution of late-type, rotationally supported dwarfs inside Milky Way-sized host galaxies. Our study focuses on a wide variety of dwarf orbital configurations and initial structures. During the evolution, the disky dwarfs undergo strong mass loss, the stellar disks are transformed into spheroids, and rotation is replaced by random motions of the stars. Thus, the late-type progenitors are transformed into early-type dwarfs as envisioned by the tidal stirring model for the formation of dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies in the Local…
Using N-body simulations we study the evolution of separate stellar populations in dwarf galaxies in the context of the tidal stirring scenario for the formation of dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies in the Local Group. The dwarf galaxies, initially composed of a stellar disk and a dark matter halo, are placed on seven different orbits around the Milky Way. The stars are divided into two populations, within and outside the half-light radius, and their positions are followed for 10 Gyr. We find that the populations retain different density distributions even over such long timescales. Some of the…
Using deep B band imaging down to mu_{B} = 26 mag arcsec^{-2}, we present evidence for tidal tails in the Antlia Dwarf galaxy, one of the most distant members of the Local Group. This elongation is in the direction of Antlia's nearest neighbor, the Magellanic-type NGC 3109. The tail is offset by less than 10 degrees from a vector linking the centers of the two galaxies, indicative of interactions between the pair. Combined with the warped disc previously identified in NGC 3109, Antlia and NGC 3109 must be at a small separation for tidal features to be present in Antlia. We calculate that Antli…
We present a phenomenological description of the properties of tidal tails forming around dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way. For this purpose we use collisionless N-body simulations of dwarfs initially composed of a disk embedded in an NFW dark matter halo. The dwarfs are placed on seven orbits around the Milky Way-like host, differing in size and eccentricity, and their evolution is followed for 10 Gyr. In addition to the well-studied morphological and dynamical transformation of the dwarf's main body, the tidal stripping causes them to lose a substantial fraction of mass both in dark mat…
(Abriged) We present analytic models for the formation and evolution of tidal tails and related structures following impulsive disturbances in galaxy collisions. Since the epicyclic approximation is not valid for large radial excursions, we use orbital equations of the form we call p-ellipses. These have been shown to provide accurate representations of orbits in power-law halo potentials. In the case of a purely tidal disturbance the resulting tidal tails have simple structure. Scalings for their maximum lengths and other characteristics as functions of the tidal amplitude and the exponent of…
It has recently been proposed that the dwarf spheroidal galaxies located in the Local Group disks of satellites (DoSs) may be tidal dwarf galaxies (TDGs) born in a major merger at least 5 Gyr ago. Whether TDGs can live that long is still poorly constrained by observations. As part of deep optical and HI surveys with the CFHT MegaCam camera and Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope made within the ATLAS3D project, and follow-up spectroscopic observations with the Gemini-North telescope, we have discovered old TDG candidates around several early-type galaxies. At least one of them has an oxygen a…
We present an analysis of the metallicity and star formation activities of HII regions in the interacting system Arp 86, based on the first scientific observation of the multi-object spectroscopy on the 2.16m Telescope at Xinglong Observatory. We find that the oxygen abundance gradient in Arp 86 is flatter than that in normal disk galaxies, which confirms that gas inflows caused by tidal forces during encounters can flatten the metallicity distributions in galaxies. The companion galaxy NGC 7752 is currently experiencing a galaxy-wide starburst with higher surface density of star formation rat…
We have derived nebular abundances for 10 dwarf galaxies belonging to the M81 Group, including several galaxies which do not have abundances previously reported in the literature. For each galaxy, multiple H \ii regions were observed with GMOS-N at the Gemini Observatory in order to determine abundances of several elements (oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, neon, and argon). For seven galaxies, at least one H \ii region had a detection of the temperature sensitive [OIII] $λ$4363 line, allowing a "direct" determination of the oxygen abundance. No abundance gradients were detected in the targeted galaxi…
Globular clusters (GCs) associated with the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy (Sgr dSph) have evolved under the gravitational potential of both Sgr dSph and the Milky Way. The effects of these potentials are most pronounced in the extra-tidal regions as compared to the central regions of the GCs.We aim to study the extra-tidal regions of the GCs that are possibly associated with Sgr dSph, namely Arp 2, Terzan 8, NGC 5634, NGC 6284, Terzan 7, NGC 2419, NGC 4147, M 54 and Pal 12, using data from the {\it Gaia} early data release 3. We selected the extra-tidal candidates based on their angular …
Collisional debris around interacting and post-interacting galaxies often display condensations of gas and young stars that can potentially form gravitationally bound objects: Tidal Dwarf Galaxies (TDGs). We summarise recent results on TDGs, which are originally published in Lelli et al. (2015, A&A). We study a sample of six TDGs around three different interacting systems, using high-resolution HI observations from the Very Large Array. We find that the HI emission associated to TDGs can be described by rotating disc models. These discs, however, would have undergone less than one orbit since …
