Authors
Karen A Knierman, Sarah C Gallagher, Jane C Charlton, Sally D Hunsberger, Bradley Whitmore, Arunav Kundu, JE Hibbard, Dennis Zaritsky
Publication date
2003/9/1
Journal
The Astronomical Journal
Volume
126
Issue
3
Pages
1227
Publisher
IOP Publishing
Description
Using V and I images obtained with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) of the Hubble Space Telescope, we investigate compact stellar structures within tidal tails. Six regions of tidal debris in the four classic" Toomre sequence" mergers: NGC 4038/39 (" Antennae"), NGC 3256, NGC 3921, and NGC 7252 (" Atoms for Peace") have been studied in order to explore how the star formation depends on the local and global physical conditions. These mergers sample a range of stages in the evolutionary sequence and tails with and without embedded tidal dwarf galaxies. The six tails are found to contain a variety of stellar structures, with sizes ranging from those of globular clusters up to those of dwarf galaxies. From V and I WFPC2 images, we measure the luminosities and colors of the star clusters. NGC 3256 is found to have a large population of blue clusters (0.2≲ V-I≲ 0.9), particularly in its western tail …
Total citations
200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024101241147104118174153131
Scholar articles