Presentation #215.01D in the session “Galaxies and Environment”.
In the hierarchical framework of galaxy evolution, galaxy groups bridge the field environment to the cluster environment, as galaxies in the field form groups before aggregating into clusters. Environmental mechanisms (e.g. galaxy-galaxy interactions) can be more efficient in groups than clusters due to the lower relative speeds of the galaxies, which can alter the properties of galaxies before they enter the cluster environment. This is known as preprocessing. Whilst cluster and field galaxies have been well studied, the extent to which group galaxies become preprocessed is still unclear. To address this, we exploit the deep images from the Fornax Deep Survey (FDS) to study the galaxies in the Fornax cluster and infalling Fornax A group. Specifically, we conduct structural decompositions (up to multiple components) as well as measure non-parametric morphological indices to quantify the structures of the galaxies. In this talk we will present a comparison of the properties of galaxies in the two environments, as well as compare the structural complexity of the galaxies to the Virgo cluster and galaxies in the field. Furthermore, we will discuss the role of environmental mechanisms in transforming galaxies in the Fornax A group and Fornax cluster.