# Discovery of ram-pressure stripped gas around an elliptical galaxy in Abell 2670

## TL;DR

This study reports the discovery of an elliptical galaxy in Abell 2670 exhibiting ram-pressure stripping, with optical evidence of gas tails and star-forming blobs likely resulting from a past merger and ongoing interaction with the intracluster medium.

## Contribution

First observation of ram-pressure stripped gas around an elliptical galaxy, revealing complex merger history and environmental effects in galaxy evolution.

## Key findings

- Elliptical galaxy shows long ionized gas tails and star-forming blobs.
- Gas likely acquired during a past wet merger.
- Evidence of ongoing ram-pressure stripping from intracluster medium.

## Abstract

Studies of cluster galaxies are increasingly finding galaxies with spectacular one-sided tails of gas and young stars, suggestive of intense ram-pressure stripping. These so-called "jellyfish" galaxies typically have late-type morphology. In this paper, we present MUSE observations of an elliptical galaxy in Abell 2670 with long tails of material visible in the optical spectra, as well as blobs with tadpole-like morphology. The spectra in the central part of the galaxy reveals a stellar component as well as ionized gas. The stellar component does not have significant rotation, while the ionized gas defines a clear star-forming gas disk. We argue, based on deep optical images of the galaxy, that the gas was most likely acquired during a past wet merger. It is possible that the star-forming blobs are also remnants of the merger. In addition, the direction and kinematics of the one-sided ionized tails, combined with the tadpole morphology of the star-forming blobs, strongly suggests that the system is undergoing ram pressure from the intracluster medium. In summary, this paper presents the discovery of a post-merger elliptical galaxy undergoing ram pressure stripping.