Dwarf Detachment and Globular Cluster Formation in Arp 305

Abstract

Tidal Dwarf Galaxies (TDG), concentrations of interstellar gas and stars in the tidal features of interacting galaxies, have been the subject of much scrutiny. The `smoking gun' that will prove the TDG hypothesis is the discovery of independent dwarf galaxies that are detached from other galaxies, but have clear tidal histories. As part of a search for TDGs we are using GALEX to conduct a large UV imaging survey of interacting galaxies selected from the Arp Atlas. As part of that study, we present a GALEX UV and SDSS and SARA optical study of the gas-rich interacting galaxy pair Arp 305. The GALEX UV data reveal much extended diffuse UV emission and star formation outside the disks including a candidate TDG between the two galaxies. We have used a smooth particle hydrodynamics code to model the interaction and determine the fate of the candidate TDG.