IC 3418: STAR FORMATION IN A TURBULENT WAKE

Journal Article · Thu Jun 10 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/716/1/L14· OSTI ID:21450840

Hester, Janice A; Neill, James D; Wyder, Ted K; Martin, D Christopher ^[1]; Seibert, Mark; Madore, Barry F ^[2]; Gil de Paz, Armando ^[3]; Schiminovich, David ^[4]

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1. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)
2. Observatories of the Carnegie Institute of Washington, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States)
3. Dpto. de Astrofisica, Universidad Computense de Madrid, Madrid 28040 (Spain)
4. Department of Astronomy, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 (United States)

Galaxy Evolution Explorer observations of IC 3418, a low surface brightness galaxy in the Virgo Cluster, revealed a striking 17 kpc UV tail of bright knots and diffuse emission. H{alpha} imaging confirms that star formation is ongoing in the tail. IC 3418 was likely recently ram pressure stripped on its first pass through Virgo. We suggest that star formation is occurring in molecular clouds that formed in IC 3418's turbulent stripped wake. Tides and ram pressure stripping (RPS) of molecular clouds are both disfavored as tail formation mechanisms. The tail is similar to the few other observed star-forming tails, all of which likely formed during RPS. The tails' morphologies reflect the forces present during their formation and can be used to test for dynamical coupling between molecular and diffuse gas, thereby probing the origin of the star-forming molecular gas.

• OSTI ID: 21450840
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 716, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/716/1/L14; ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
BRIGHTNESS
EMISSION
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
GALAXIES
GALAXY CLUSTERS
STARS
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EVOLUTION
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS