E+A Galaxy Candidates in and around the Virgo Cluster

Abstract

E+A galaxies are post-starburst galaxies that have recently undergone complete quenching of their star formation, making them a valuable source for studying the evolution of galaxies and their environments. Using the Extended Virgo Cluster Catalog, we manually identified 125 “green” and 24 “blue” E+A galaxy candidates within the Virgo Cluster based on their spectral shape, u − r color, lack of Hα emission, and hydrogen Balmer absorption. Interestingly, we found a higher density of E+A galaxy candidates in the Virgo Cluster than that of most other low-redshift clusters, and several regions of particularly high E+A density within the Virgo Cluster. The large number of E+As in and around the Virgo Cluster hints at the influence of a dense galaxy environment on the formation of E+A galaxies, and the potential value of E+A galaxies as a diagnostic tool to study the evolution of clusters.