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Issue A&A
Volume 444, Number 3, December IV 2005
Page(s) 803 - 812
Section Extragalactic astronomy
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20052670



A&A 444, 803-812 (2005)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20052670

Harassment origin for kinematic substructures in dwarf elliptical galaxies?

A. C. González-García, J. A. L. Aguerri and M. Balcells

Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, via Láctea s/n, 38200 La Laguna, Spain
    e-mail: [cglez;jalfonso;balcells]@iac.es

(Received 11 January 2005 / Accepted 25 August 2005 )

Abstract
We have run high resolution N-body models simulating the encounter of a dwarf galaxy with a bright elliptical galaxy. The dwarf absorbs orbital angular momentum and shows counter-rotating features in the external regions of the galaxy. To explain the core-envelope kinematic decoupling observed in some dwarf galaxies in high-density environments requires nearly head-on collisions and very little dark matter bound to the dwarf. These kinematic structures appear under rather restrictive conditions. As a consequence, in a cluster like Virgo ~1% of dwarf galaxies may present counter-rotation formed by harassment.


Key words: galaxies: dwarf -- galaxies: interactions -- galaxies: kinematics and dynamics -- galaxies: structure -- methods: N-body simulations

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© ESO 2005


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