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Ultra-compact dwarf galaxies: a new component of galaxy clusters and groups

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 November 2005

M.J. Drinkwater ,
E. Evstigneeva ,
M.D. Gregg ,
J.B. Jones ,
S. Phillipps  and
R. Jurek
M.J. Drinkwater
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia email: mjd@physics.uq.edu.au, katya@physics.uq.edu.au, jurek@physics.uq.edu.au
E. Evstigneeva
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia email: mjd@physics.uq.edu.au, katya@physics.uq.edu.au, jurek@physics.uq.edu.au
M.D. Gregg
Affiliation:
Physics Dept., U.C. Davis, and IGPP, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, L-413, Livermore, CA 94550, USA email: gregg@igpp.ucllnl.org
J.B. Jones
Affiliation:
Astronomy Unit, School of Mathematical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom email: bryn.jones@qmul.ac.uk
S. Phillipps
Affiliation:
H. H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK email: S.Phillipps@bristol.ac.uk
R. Jurek
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia email: mjd@physics.uq.edu.au, katya@physics.uq.edu.au, jurek@physics.uq.edu.au
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Abstract

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We recently reported the discovery of a new galaxy type, ultra-compact dwarf (UCD) galaxies, in both the Fornax and Virgo clusters. Here we present new detections of a larger population of UCDs in the Fornax Cluster, as well as the first detections of UCDs in two galaxy groups. We extended our original survey of the Fornax Cluster 1 magnitude fainter, finding a further 46 new compact objects. This means that UCDs outnumber normal galaxies in the central region of the Fornax Cluster. We used this large UCD sample to test the tidal stripping model: simulations indicate that only about half of the UCD population may have formed by disruption of the observed population of nucleated dwarf galaxies. As the UCDs are strongly clustered towards the cluster centre, we conclude that the remaining UCDs must be associated with the much earlier assembly of the central galaxy.

Keywords

globular clusters: generalgalaxies: star clustersgalaxies: dwarfgalaxies: formation
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 1 , Colloquium C198: Near-Field Cosmology with Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies , March 2005 , pp. 398 - 403
Copyright
© 2005 International Astronomical Union