HI detection in E+A galaxies

At the moment, it is still not well understood how elliptical galaxies are formed. One of the possibilities is an unequal-mass merger of two spiral galaxies. The ensuining starburst depletes the total gas amount, effectively halting further star-formation. At the moment, E+A galaxies are the best candidates for post-starburst merger remnants turning into future elliptical galaxies. E+A galaxies are characterised optically by strong Balmer absorption lines, the absence of emission lines, and irregular morphologies. We propose to investigate their neutral gas content to help verify whether they are indeed early-type galaxies in the making.