Are Cluster Dwarfs Recycled Galaxies?

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 galaxy type and are particularly abundant in clusters. Recent observational results suggest that dwarfs in dense environments do not all form early in the universe, as expected from hierarchical structure formation models. Many of these systems appear to be younger and more metal rich than dwarfs in lower density areas, suggesting they are possibly created by a tidal process. Several general galaxy cluster observations, including steep luminosity functions and the origin of intracluster light, are natural outcomes of these processes.