Related papers: Constraining Galaxy Formation Models with Dwarf El…
Dwarf elliptical (dE) galaxies, with blue absolute magnitudes typically fainter than $M_B = -16$, are the most numerous type of galaxy in the nearby universe. Tremendous advances have been made over the past several years in delineating the…
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.…
Although cluster dwarf galaxies are often neglected due to their faintness, recent observations demonstrate that they are critical for understanding the physical processes behind galaxy and cluster formation. Dwarfs are the most common…
We present preliminary results of an extensive study of the fundamental properties of dwarf elliptical galaxies (dEs) in the Coma cluster. Our study will combine HST surface photometry with ground-based UBRIJK photometry and optical…
Globular clusters (GCs) provide one way of determining when the most important periods of star formation in dwarf elliptical (dE) galaxies occurred. Thus, they are also useful for comparing the star formation histories of dwarf and giant…
Dwarf elliptical galaxies (dEs) are the dominant population in galaxy clusters and serve as ideal probes for studying the environmental impact on galactic evolution. A substantial fraction of dEs are known to harbor central nuclei, which…
Early-type dwarf galaxies are the most common type of galaxies observed in the Universe. The origin of this kind of systems is still not well understood. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether the different locations of dwarf…
The formation of tidal dwarf galaxies (TDGs) is triggered by the encounters of already existing galaxies. Their existence is predicted from numerical calculations of encountering galaxies and is also well documented with observations. The…
In the light of the question whether most early-type dwarf (dE) galaxies in clusters formed through infall and transformation of late-type progenitors, we search for an imprint of such an infall history in the oldest, most centrally…
Dwarf galaxies, as the most numerous type of galaxy, offer the potential to study galaxy formation and evolution in detail in the nearby Universe. Although they seem to be simple systems at first view, they remain poorly understood. In an…
Dwarf ellipticals have the lowest stellar densities of any galaxies, but paradoxically are most common in the densest regions of the universe, and are especially frequent in rich clusters of galaxies. Simple estimates suggest that low…
Growing evidence has been accumulated for that some gas-rich dwarf galaxies are formed from material liberated by galaxy collisions and/or mergers. Also, gas-poor dwarf elliptical galaxies are often found in the central regions of clusters…
The near orthogonal distributions of dwarf elliptical (dE) and giant elliptical (E) galaxies in the mu_e-Mag and mu_e-log(R_e) diagrams have been interpreted as evidence for two distinct galaxy formation processes. However, continuous,…
A brief overview of the properties of massive star clusters in early-type galaxies is given. All ellipticals (with only one known exception) host massive star clusters in the form of globular clusters, suggesting that their formation is…
This thesis presents observational studies of evolution of dwarf elliptical galaxies. dE's are numerically dominant population in clusters of galaxies, but their origin and evolution is a matter of debate. Several scenarios of gas removal…
A model is proposed for the formation of gas-rich dwarf irregular galaxies and gas-poor, rotating dwarf elliptical galaxies following the interaction between two giant galaxies as a function of space density. The formation of dwarf galaxies…
In the last decades, extended old stellar clusters have been observed. These extended objects cover a large range in masses, from extended clusters or faint fuzzies to ultra compact dwarf galaxies. It has been demonstrated that these…
Galaxies can be classified in two broad sequences which are likely to reflect their formation mechanism. The `main sequence', consisting of spirals, irregulars and all dwarf galaxies, is probably produced by gas settling within dark matter…
We present the results of a Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 F555W and F814W survey of 69 dwarf elliptical galaxies (dEs) in the Virgo and Fornax Clusters and Leo Group. The $V-I$ colors of the dE globular clusters, nuclei, and underlying field…
In models of galaxy formation in a hierarchical Universe, elliptical galaxies form through the merging of smaller disk systems. These models yield a number of testable predictions if reliable techniques for determining the relative ages and…