| Abstract: |
The presence, infall and outflow of gas in galaxies regulates the formation of new stars, thus galaxy stellar history and evolution. Gas can be efficiently stripped when galaxies become part of a massive dark matter halo, due to the presence of a hot and dense intergalactic medium. The so-called ʺjellyfish galaxiesʺ are spectacular cases of gas stripping, in which tentacles of stars and gas can be observed up to several tens of kpc from the galaxy. I will present the results of a search for jellyfish galaxies in galaxy clusters and in the field at low redshift. Based on the largest sample of cluster jellyfishes obtained so far, comprising 〜240 galaxies in 42 clusters, I will discuss the environmental conditions that can lead to such phenomenon, and its effects on the star formation activity. Integral-field-unit studies will constrain the rich physics involved in this process, and clarify the complex interplay between gas stripping and star formation in galaxies in dense environments. |
