A Lack of Evidence for Global Ram-pressure Induced Star Formation in the
  Merging Cluster Abell 3266
  We have selected Abell 3266 to search for ram-pressure induced star formation
as a global property of a merging cluster. Abell 3266 (z = 0.0594) is a high
mass cluster that features a high velocity dispersion, an infalling subcluster
near to the line of sight, and a strong shock front. These phenomena should all
contribute to making Abell 3266 an optimum cluster to see the global effects of
RPS induced star formation. Using archival X-ray observations and published
optical data, we cross-correlate optical spectral properties ([OII, H$\beta$]),
indicative of starburst and post starburst, respectively with ram-pressure,
$\rho$v$^{2}$, calculated from the X-ray and optical data. We find that
post-starburst galaxies, classified as E+A, occur at a higher frequency in this
merging cluster than in the Coma cluster and at a comparable rate to
intermediate redshift clusters. This is consistent with increased star
formation due to the merger. However, both starburst and post-starburst
galaxies are equally likely to be in a low or high ram pressure environment.
From this result we infer that the duration of the starburst phase must be very
brief so that: (1) at any time only a small fraction of the galaxies in a high
ram pressure environment show this effect, and (2) most post-starburst galaxies
are in an environment of low ram pressure due too their continued orbital
motion in the cluster.
