Evidence for a Merger in the Peculiar Virgo Cluster SA Galaxy NGC 4424

Details Evidence for a Merger in the Peculiar Virgo Cluster SA Galaxy NGC 4424 Evidence for a Merger in the Peculiar Virgo Cluster SA Galaxy NGC 4424

Jan 1996

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1996aj....111..152k&link_type=abstract

Astronomical Journal v.111, p.152

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

25

Galaxies: Individual: Ngc 4424, Galaxies: Interactions, Galaxies: Elliptical And Lenticular, Galaxies: Clusters: Individual: Virgo

Scientific paper

We present R-band and Hα images and Hα long-slit spectroscopy of the peculiar Virgo cluster Sa galaxy NGC 4424. The broadband R image reveals banana-shaped isophotes, shell-like features, and other complex structure generally associated with mergers and significant accretion events. The only Hα emission arises from a few bright H II complexes located within 500 pc of the nucleus and inside the bulge- dominated region. Although the main stellar body of NGC 4424 is highly elongated in projection, and the outer part of the galaxy has a disk-like exponential light profile, gas velocities are remarkably low in the central kpc, indicating strong non-circular motions or complex geometry for the inner gas. The peculiar properties are consistent with an intermediate mass ratio (0.1-0.5) merger, making NGC 4424 one of the best cases among spiral galaxies in the nearby Virgo cluster for a significant and recent merger. The degree of morphological peculiarities suggest that the merger is recent, and we propose that the galaxy will become a small- bulge S0 within ~1 Gyr. We discuss the possibility that the banana-shaped stellar distribution is the result of a merger-induced bending instability.

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