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A class of compact dwarf galaxies from disruptive processes in galaxy clusters

Nature volume 423, pages 519–521 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Dwarf galaxies have attracted increased attention in recent years, because of their susceptibility to galaxy transformation processes within rich galaxy clusters1,2,3. Direct evidence for these processes, however, has been difficult to obtain, with a small number of diffuse light trails4 and intra-cluster stars5,6 being the only signs of galaxy disruption. Furthermore, our current knowledge of dwarf galaxy populations may be very incomplete, because traditional galaxy surveys are insensitive to extremely diffuse or compact galaxies7. Aware of these concerns, we recently undertook an all-object survey of the Fornax galaxy cluster8. This revealed a new population of compact members9,10, overlooked in previous conventional surveys. Here we demonstrate that these ‘ultra-compact’ dwarf galaxies are structurally and dynamically distinct from both globular star clusters and known types of dwarf galaxy, and thus represent a new class of dwarf galaxy. Our data are consistent with the interpretation that these are the remnant nuclei of disrupted dwarf galaxies, making them an easily observed tracer of galaxy disruption.

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Figure 1: Comparison of the morphology of UCD galaxies with normal dE,N galaxies in the Fornax cluster.
Figure 2: Comparison of Hubble Space Telescope images of the UCD galaxies with a normal nucleated dwarf galaxy (FCC303; ref.
Figure 3: Comparison of the internal dynamics of the UCDs with normal galaxies and globular star clusters.

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Acknowledgements

This paper is based on observations made with the HST, the European Southern Observatory VLT, the W.M. Keck Telescope, and the Las Campanas Observatory 100-inch du Pont Telescope. This work is supported by the Australian Research Council and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. M.D.G. acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation and from the Space Telescope Science Institute and NASA which is operated by AURA, Inc. Part of this work was performed under the auspices of the US Department of Energy by University of California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of Queensland, Queensland, 4072, Australia

    M. J. Drinkwater

  2. Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA

    M. D. Gregg

  3. Institute for Geophysics and Planetary Physics, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, L-413, Livermore, California, 94550, USA

    M. D. Gregg

  4. Sternwarte der Universität Bonn, Auf dem Hügel 71, 53121, Bonn, Germany

    M. Hilker

  5. School of Physics, University of New South Wales, 2052, Sydney, Australia

    K. Bekki & W. J. Couch

  6. Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, Maryland, 21218, USA

    H. C. Ferguson

  7. School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK

    J. B. Jones

  8. Astrophysics Group, Department of Physics, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, BS8 1TL, Bristol, UK

    S. Phillipps

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Correspondence to M. J. Drinkwater.

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Drinkwater, M., Gregg, M., Hilker, M. et al. A class of compact dwarf galaxies from disruptive processes in galaxy clusters. Nature 423, 519–521 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01666

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