Tidal Tales of Minor Mergers: Star Formation in the Tidal Debris of
  Minor Mergers
  How does the tidal debris of minor galaxy mergers contribute to structures in
spiral galaxies or in the intergalactic medium? While major mergers are known
to create structures such as tidal dwarf galaxies and star clusters within
their tidal debris, less is known about minor mergers (mass ratios between a
dwarf galaxy and disk galaxy of less than one-third) and their tidal debris.
This work surveys 6 nearby minor mergers using optical broad-band and H-alpha
narrow-band imaging to characterize star formation in their tidal debris. Young
star clusters with ages less than the dynamical age of the tidal tails are
found in all 6 mergers, indicating that the star clusters formed in situ. Even
if minor mergers contribute less tidal debris per interaction than major
mergers, they are more common and possibly contribute structure to all types of
galaxies and to the intergalactic medium throughout the history of the
universe.
