H i in Virgo’s “Red and Dead” Dwarf Ellipticals—A Tidal Tail and Central Star Formation

Abstract

We investigate a sample of three dwarf elliptical galaxies in the Virgo Cluster that have significant reservoirs of H i . We present deep optical imaging (from CFHT and KPNO), H i spectra (Arecibo), and resolved H i imaging (VLA) of this sample. These observations confirm their H i content and optical morphologies, and indicate that the gas is unlikely to be recently accreted. The sample has more in common with dwarf transitionals, though dwarf transitionals are generally lower in stellar mass and gas fraction. VCC 190 has an H i tidal tail from a recent encounter with the massive spiral galaxy NGC 4224. In VCC 611, blue star-forming features are observed that were not seen by shallower SDSS imaging.