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Globular clusters provide a unique probe of galaxy formation and evolution. Here I briefly summarize the known observational properties of globular cluster systems. One re-occurring theme is that the globular cluster systems of spirals and…
The formation of early-type dwarf (dE) galaxies, the most numerous objects in clusters, is believed to be closely connected to the physical processes that drive galaxy cluster evolution, like galaxy harassment and ram-pressure stripping.…
To investigate the origin of elevated globular cluster abundances observed around Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies (UDGs), we simulate globular cluster populations hosted by UDGs formed through tidal heating. Specifically, globular cluster (GC)…
Dwarf spheroidal galaxies are the most dark matter dominated systems in the nearby Universe and their origin is one of the outstanding puzzles of how galaxies form. Dwarf spheroidals are poor in gas and stars, making them unusually faint,…
A local property of standard cosmology - growth of primordial perturbations - implies at least six different formation mechanisms of dwarf galaxies. A global property - the topology of the Universe - may enable direct observational study of…
The Ultra Compact Dwarf (UCD) galaxies recently discovered in the Fornax and Virgo clusters exhibit structural similarity to the dense nuclei of nucleated dEs indicating that the progenitor galaxy and its halo have been entirely tidally…
Ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs) were serendipitously discovered by spectroscopic surveys in the Fornax cluster twenty years ago. Nowadays, it is commonly accepted that many bright UCDs are the nuclei of galaxies that have been stripped.…
We study the formation of ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) using the cosmological hydrodynamical simulation TNG50 of the Illustris-TNG suite. We define UDGs as dwarf galaxies in the stellar mass range $\rm{7.5 \leq log (M_{\star} / M_{\odot})…
(Abridged) Objects with radii of 10 to 100 pc and masses in the range from 10^6 to 10^8 M_sun have been discovered during the past decade. These so-called ultra compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs) constitute a transition between classical star…
Clusters of galaxies are large gravitationally bound systems which consist of several observable components: hundreds of galaxies, hot gas between the galaxies and sometimes relativistic particles. These components are emitting in different…
Compact stellar systems such as Ultra-compact dwarfs (UCDs) and Globular Clusters (GCs) around galaxies are known to be the tracers of the merger events that have been forming these galaxies. Therefore, identifying such systems allows to…
Gas-rich dwarf and disk galaxies overlap in numerous physical quantities that make their classification subjective. We report the discovery of a separation between dwarfs and disks into two unique sequences in the mass (luminosity) versus…
The outskirts of galaxies have been studied from multiple perspectives for the past few decades. However, it is still unknown if all galaxies have clear-cut edges like everyday objects. We address this question by developing physically…
Star forming dwarf galaxies (SFDGs) have a high gas content and low metallicities, reminiscent of the basic entities in hierarchical galaxy formation scenarios. In the young universe they probably also played a major role in the cosmic…
We explore whether global observed properties, specifically half-light radii, mean surface brightness, and integrated stellar kinematics, suffice to unambiguously differentiate galaxies from star clusters, which presumably formed…
Young star clusters in interacting galaxies are often found in groups or clusters of star clusters containing up to 100 single clusters. In our project we study the future fate of these clusters of star clusters. We find that the star…
In recent years, multiple studies have reported substantial populations of large, low-surface-brightness galaxies in local galaxy clusters. Various theories that aim to explain the presence of such ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) have since…
We increase the sample of ultra diffuse galaxies (UDGs) in lower density environments with characterized globular cluster (GC) populations using new Hubble Space Telescope observations of nine UDGs in group environments. While the bulk of…
Advances on the formation and survival of the so-called Tidal Dwarf Galaxies (TDGs) are reviewed. The understanding on how objects of the mass of dwarf galaxies may form in debris of galactic collisions has recently benefited from the…
A new formation scenario for omega-Cen is presented, in which omega-Cen has formed from a star cluster complex (= super-cluster). The star-burst which has led to the formation of this cluster of star clusters was triggered by the infall and…