Abstract Details

Name: Kshitija Kelkar
Affiliation: Raman Research Insitute
Conference ID: ASI2020_136
Title : Passive spirals and shock-induced star formation in merging cluster Abell 3376
Authors and Co-Authors : Kshitija Kelkar, K. S. Dwarakanath, Bianca M. Poggianti, Alessia Moretti, Rogerio Monteiro-Oliveira, Rubens Machado, Gastao Lima-Neto, Jacopo Fritz, Benedetta Vulcani, Giovanni Fasano, Marco Gullieuszik, Daniela Bettoni, Narendranath Patra
Abstract Type : Oral
Abstract Category : Extragalactic Astronomy
Abstract : Merging galaxy clusters are unique laboratories wherein the large-scale powerful merging activity is recently found to impact galaxies in addition to the environmental effects the galaxies experience throughout their evolution as cluster galaxies. With very few studies till date, conflicting results have rendered identifying the precise merger-specific mechanisms difficult and in need of a more systematic study of galaxy populations within these clusters. We present a first ever multi-wavelength study targeting different galaxy populations in a particularly young nearby cluster-merger system Abell 3376 located at z~0.046. We demonstrate through the use of optical spectroscopic derivatives and photometric information that a segregation of pre-merger and post-merger effects (with a merger timeline of ~0.6 Gyr) is observed in the existence of passive spiral galaxies, and massive star-forming spirals located within the region of maximum influence of the outgoing merger shock ~0.6 Gyr ago. Moreover, we also observe moderate enhancement of star formation in spiral galaxies of A3376 when compared to spirals from other relaxed non-merging systems at similar epoch. Our results thus attempt to bridge the contradictory observations of previous studies and thus support the plausibility of a merger-driven ICM-related mechanism capable of sustaining and modestly triggering, at the very least, star formation in spiral galaxies located in cluster mergers displaying post-merger shock. We further present early results of our ongoing analysis of introducing gas content information and current star formation in A3376 utilising radio continuum, and spectral line observations.