Effects of environment on neutral hydrogen distribution for disk galaxies in the Virgo cluster area
A statistical analysis is carried out on H I observations of galaxies, which include mapping with the Arecibo beam (reported in previous papers), both inside and outside the direction of the Virgo cluster core (radius 5/sup 0/ or 6/sup 0/). The galaxies were classified both according to the revised Hubble (RH) scheme and the RDDO scheme suggested by van den Bergh. SO galaxies on the RH scheme have a larger detection probability outside than inside; ''true SO'' galaxies on the RDDO scheme have a small detection probability everywhere; ''anemics'' have a larger detection probability and are more common outside the cluster core. Anemic and spiral galaxies of all types have an average H I mass content M/sub H/ which is smaller inside the Virgo cluster core by a factor of about 2 to 2.5 than galaxies of the same type outside the core. This result agrees with that obtained by Chamaraux et al., using different methods, and seems now firmly established. H I diameters D/sub H/, defined in terms of a scale length, are also smaller inside the core than outside so that the surface density sigma/sub H/proportionalM/sub H//D/sub H//sup 2/ is almost the same inside and outside (always comparing galaxies of the same morphological type). Ram pressure stripping of an outer galactic disk by intracluster gas predicts just such results. By contrast, ''anemics'' have almost the same D/sub H/ as a ''true spirals'' (or even larger) but smaller sigma/sub H/, suggesting they lost hydrogen gas by some means other than stripping.
- Research Organization:
- Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Firenze, Italy
- OSTI ID:
- 5915037
- Journal Information:
- Astrophys. J.; (United States), Vol. 267:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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