COMPACT GROUPS OF GALAXIES

1997/09/01 by Paul Hickson · 8 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Scientific Research and Discoveries #astro-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1146/annurev.astro.35.1.357

published as Ann.Rev.Astron.Astrophys. 35 (1997) 357-388 · 40 pages including 5 figures

openalex publication_date 1997/09/01 · arxiv created 1997/10/25 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

▪ Abstract Compact groups of galaxies have posed a number of challenging questions. Intensive observational and theoretical studies are now providing answers to many of these and, at the same time, are revealing unexpected new clues about the nature and role of these systems. Most compact groups contain a high fraction of galaxies having morphological or kinematical peculiarities, nuclear radio and infrared emission, and starburst or active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity. They contain large quantities of diffuse gas and are dynamically dominated by dark matter. They most likely form as subsystems within looser associations and evolve by gravitational processes. Strong galaxy interactions result and merging is expected to lead to the ultimate demise of the group. Compact groups are surprisingly numerous and may play a significant role in galaxy evolution.

Cited by

• The nature of the nearest compact group of galaxies from precise distance measurements
• Environment and Galaxy Evolution at Intermediate Redshift in the CNOC2 Survey
• A Catalog of Compact Groups of Galaxies in the SDSS Commissioning Data
• Seyfert galaxies in UZC-Compact Groups
• Dynamical analysis of strong-lensing galaxy groups at intermediate redshift
• On the Characteristic Isolation of Compact Subgroups within Loose Groups of Galaxies
• A multiple dry merger at z = 0.18: witnessing the assembly of a massive elliptical galaxy
• A binary system of tailed radio galaxies