Relative contributions of environmental mechanisms to dE evolution

Determine the relative contributions of ram-pressure stripping, tidal harassment, and starvation in shaping the stellar populations and structural features of early-type dwarf galaxies (dEs).

Background

Early-type dwarf galaxies (dEs) are predominantly found in dense environments such as clusters and groups, implicating environmental processes in their formation and quenching. Multiple mechanisms—ram-pressure stripping, tidal harassment, and starvation—can act to remove or deplete gas and reshape stellar components, yet their relative roles have not been conclusively established.

Clarifying the relative importance of these mechanisms is central to interpreting observed dE properties (morphologies, color profiles, stellar populations) across environments and remains a key uncertainty highlighted in the introduction of the paper.