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Jellyfish galaxy candidates at low redshift
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Galaxies that are being stripped of their gas can sometimes be recognized from their optical appearance. Extreme examples of stripped galaxies are the so-called ``jellyfish galaxies'', that exhibit tentacles of debris material with a characteristic jellyfish morphology. We have conducted the first systematic search for galaxies that are being stripped of their gas at low-z (z=0.04-0.07) in different environments, selecting galaxies with varying degrees of morphological evidence for stripping. We have visually inspected B and V-band images and identified 344 candidates in 71 galaxy clusters of the OMEGAWINGS+WINGS sample and 75 candidates in groups and lower mass structures in the PM2GC sample. We present the atlas of stripping candidates and a first analysis of their environment and their basic properties, such as morphologies, star formation rates and galaxy stellar masses. Candidates are found in all clusters and at all clustercentric radii, and their number does not correlate with the cluster velocity dispersion sigma or X-ray luminosity L_X. Interestingly, convincing cases of candidates are also found in groups and lower mass haloes (10^{11}-10^{14} M_{sun}), although the physical mechanism at work needs to be securely identified. All the candidates are disky, have stellar masses ranging from log M/M_{sun} < 9 to > 11.5 and the majority of them form stars at a rate that is on average a factor of 2 higher (2.5 sigma) compared to non-stripped galaxies of similar mass. The few post-starburst and passive candidates have weak stripping evidence. We conclude that the stripping phenomenon is ubiquitous in clusters and could be present even in groups and low mass haloes. Further studies will reveal the physics of the gas stripping and clarify the mechanisms at work.
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Cited by 2 Pith papers
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Tidal pre-conditioning and ram-pressure stripping in NGC 1427A. Deep VLT/MUSE spectroscopy and FUV-to-radio observations trace a Fornax Cluster dwarf in transformation
Multi-phase observations of NGC 1427A indicate tidal torquing from a dwarf fly-by has pre-conditioned its gas for ram-pressure stripping by the Fornax intracluster medium, placing the galaxy at the onset of environmen...
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Tidal pre-conditioning and ram-pressure stripping in NGC 1427A. Deep VLT/MUSE spectroscopy and FUV-to-radio observations trace a Fornax Cluster dwarf in transformation
NGC 1427A exhibits ram-pressure stripping that has reached its ISM after tidal torquing by a nearby dwarf, marking the onset of cluster-driven gas loss and declining star formation.
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