Tidal Dwarf Galaxies Around a Post-merger Galaxy, NGC 4922
Abstract
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 (TDG) 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 ultraviolet data played a critical role in the parameter (age and mass) estimation. Our stellar mass estimates of the TDG candidates are ~106-7 M sun, typical for dwarf galaxies.
- Publication:
-
The Astronomical Journal
- Pub Date:
- December 2009
- DOI:
- 10.1088/0004-6256/138/6/1911
- arXiv:
- arXiv:0910.2351
- Bibcode:
- 2009AJ....138.1911S
- Keywords:
-
- galaxies: dwarf;
- galaxies: individual: NGC 4922;
- galaxies: interactions;
- galaxies: starburst;
- ultraviolet: galaxies;
- Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics;
- Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies
- E-Print:
- 10 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables - Published in AJ