Environmental Effects on Selected Virgo Cluster Spiral and Peculiar Galaxies

这项研究的目标是研究室女座星系团环境对螺旋星系和特殊星系的影响。利用深度成像、光谱数据和HI观测，研究人员将获得25个星系样本中恒星和气体的运动学和分布数据。然后，他们将生成星团间物质（ICM）模型的计算机模拟-星际物质剥离（ISM）， ICM压力诱导的恒星形成，HI吸积，低速和高速潮汐相互作用，低速合并和高速碰撞。他们将把他们的数据与这些模型进行比较，试图确定在室女座的特殊星系中是哪种相互作用在起作用。室女座星系团是离我们银河系最近的星系团之一。室女座星系团中的许多螺旋星系都是小星系，它们的恒星形成活动不如我们银河系中看到的活跃。这种减少的恒星形成似乎只发生在这些星系的外部部分，做这项研究的研究人员假设，这种恒星形成的减少是与星团内其他星系的接近有关的环境影响的结果。这项研究将进行几种类型的观察，并将其与计算机模拟进行比较，以试图确定哪种环境影响对抑制恒星形成是重要的。本项目由美国国家科学基金会星系外天文学和宇宙学项目（AST/EXC）资助

AST-0071251Kenney, Jeffrey D. P.The goal of this research is to study the effects of the Virgo cluster environment on spiral and peculiar galaxies. Using deep imaging, spectroscopic data, and HI observations, the investigators will obtain data on the kinematics and distributions of stars and gas in a sample of 25 galaxies. They will then generate computer simulations of models for intercluster material (ICM) - interstellar material stripping (ISM), ICM pressure-induced star formation, HI accretion, low and high speed tidal interactions, low velocity mergers, and high-speed collisions.They will compare their data with these models to try to determine which interaction processes are at work in peculiar galaxies in Virgo. The Virgo Cluster of galaxies is one of the closest clusters to our own galaxy. Many of the spiral galaxies in the Virgo Cluster are small galaxies with less active star formation than is seen in our own galaxy. This reduced star formation seems to occur only in the outer parts of these galaxies and the investigators doing this research hypothesize that this truncation of starformation is the result of environmental effects related to the proximity of other galaxies within the cluster. This research will conduct several types of observations and compare them with computer simulations to try and identify just which environmental effects are important for the inhibition of star formation. Funding for this project was provided by the NSF program for ExtragalacticAstronomy & Cosmology (AST/EXC).***