Events at Physics |
Starburst dwarfs in the nearby Universe represent our best analogues to high-z star-forming galaxies. We find that the inner rotation curves of starburst dwarfs rise more steeply than those of typical dwarf irregulars, pointing to a close link between intense star formation and galaxy dynamics (distribution of baryons and dark matter).
Tidal dwarf galaxies (TDGs) are recycled objects that form within the tidal debris around interacting and merging galaxies. TDGs may represent a new, unexplored channel for the formation of dwarf galaxies. We find that putative TDGs are associated with rotating gas disks and seem to be nearly devoid of dark matter, as predicted by numerical simulations in a LCDM context. I will discuss the implications of these results for the formation and evolution of dwarf galaxies.