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Galaxy Preprocessing in a Starbrusting Group Infalling into Abell1367

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2006

L. Cortese
Affiliation:
School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UK
G. Gavazzi
Affiliation:
Universitá degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 3, 20126 Milano, Italy
A. Boselli
Affiliation:
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, Traverse du Siphon, Marseille, France
P. Franzetti
Affiliation:
IASF-INAF, Sezione di Milano, Via E. Bassini 15, I-20133 Milano, Italy
R. C. Kennicutt
Affiliation:
Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge. CB3 0HA, UK
K. O'Neil
Affiliation:
NRAO, P.O. Box 2, Green Bank, WV 24944
S. Sakai
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1562
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Abstract

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We present a multiwavelength analysis of a compact group infalling at high speed (~1700 km s−1) into the dynamically young cluster Abell 1367. Peculiar morphologies and unusually high Halpha emission are associated with two giant galaxies and at least ten dwarfs/extragalactic HII regions, making this group the region with the highest density of star formation activity ever observed in the local clusters. Moreover Halpha imaging observations reveal extraordinary complex trails of ionized gas behind the galaxies, with projected lengths exceeding 100 kpc. These unique cometary trails mark the gaseous trajectory of galaxies, witnessing their dive into the hot cluster intergalactic medium. Under the combined action of tidal forces among group members and the ram-pressure by the cluster ambient medium, the group galaxies were fragmented and the ionized gas was blown out. The properties of this group suggest that environmental effects within infalling groups may have represented a preprocessing step of the galaxy evolution during the high redshift cluster assembly phase.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2007