Work

Starburst in the Intragroup Medium of Stephan's Quintet

Year: 1999

Type: article

Abstract: Based on new Infrared Space Observatory midinfrared observations and ground-based H α and near-infrared observations, we report the detection of a bright starburst in the intragroup medium (IGM) of the famous compact group of galaxies known as Stephan's Quintet (source A in Fig. 1). We demonstrate that this starburst is caused by a collision between a high-velocity (δ V ~1000 km s -1 ) intruder galaxy (NGC 7318b) and the IGM of the group. While this is the only starburst known today that is induced by a galaxy/cold intergalactic medium collision, it provides new constraints to the theory for interaction-induced starbursts and may hint at a new mechanism for the star formation excess seen in more distant clusters.

Source: The Astrophysical Journal

DOI: 10.1086/306771

Authors: Cong Xu, Jack W. Sulentic, Richard Tuffs

Institutions: California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, University of Alabama

Language: English

Topic: Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

OpenAlex ID: W1995598554

FWCI: 5.34

Cites: 27

Cited by: 80

Related to: 10