The Taffy galaxy pair: optical and radio characterization of an interacting system
Abstract
The Taffy galaxy pair UGC 12915/4 constitutes an excellent example of an ongoing major gas-rich merger. Evidence suggests that the two galaxies experienced a head-on collision 25-30 Myr ago that raised an atomic and molecular gas bridge connecting both galaxies. This system has been poorly studied in the optical and near-infrared. Therefore, we observe the whole Taffy system with Gemini-North in g', r', i', z', Hα, and HαC bands. We aim to characterise the optical counterparts of several Ultra Luminous X-ray sources (ULXs), detect star clusters, extragalactic star-forming regions, and identify low-mass galaxies of tidal origin. We expect that this additional information will help to better understand the physical processes involved in galaxy interactions.
- Publication:
-
Boletin de la Asociacion Argentina de Astronomia La Plata Argentina
- Pub Date:
- July 2022
- Bibcode:
- 2022BAAA...63..250S
- Keywords:
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- methods: observational;
- galaxies: individual (Taffy);
- galaxies: interactions