Virgo Galaxies with Long One-sided H i Tails

Abstract

In a new HI imaging survey of Virgo galaxies (VIVA: VLA Imaging of Virgo galaxies in Atomic gas), we find 7 spiral galaxies with long HI tails. The morphology varies but all the tails are extended well beyond the optical radii on one side. These galaxies are found in intermediate-low density regions (0.6-1 Mpc in projection from M87). The tails are all pointing roughly away from M87, suggesting that these tails may have been created by a global cluster mechanism. While the tidal effects of the cluster potential are too small, a rough estimate suggests that simple ram-pressure stripping indeed could have formed the tails in all but two cases. At least three systems show HI truncation to within the stellar disk, providing evidence for a gas-gas interaction. Although most of these galaxies do not appear disturbed optically, some have close neighbors, suggesting that tidal interactions may have moved gas outwards making it more susceptible to the ICM ram-pressure or viscosity. Indeed, a simulation study of one of the tail galaxies, NGC 4654, suggests that the galaxy is most likely affected by the combined effect of a gravitational interaction and ram-pressure stripping. We conclude that these one-sided HI tail galaxies have recently arrived in the cluster, falling in on highly radial orbits. It appears that galaxies begin to lose their gas already at intermediate distances from the cluster center through ram-pressure or turbulent viscous stripping and tidal interactions with neighbours, or a combination of both.