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Thomas Puzia

Publications and source records attributed to Thomas Puzia.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Exploring the stellar streams and satellites around the giant low surface brightness galaxy Malin 1

Context. Giant Low Surface Brightness galaxies, such as Malin 1, host extended discs exceeding 100 kpc. Their formation and evolution remain debated, with interactions with satellite galaxies and accretion streams proposed as key contributors. Malin 1 hosts satellites and exhibits two giant stellar streams, likely the result of past interactions. Aims. We investigate the orbital dynamics of Malin 1's satellites and their possible connections with observed stellar streams, testing their nature with different formation scenarios. Methods. We constructed gravitational potentials using optical and HI data, including stellar, gaseous, and dark matter components, and explored a wide parameter space while testing NFW and ISO halo profiles. Results. Some scenarios produced bound solutions. The ISO halo model ($M_{\text{Virial}} \approx 2.6 \times 10^{12}~M_{\odot}$) favours bound satellite orbits more than the NFW model ($M_{\text{Virial}} \approx 1.4 \times 10^{12}~M_{\odot}$). Giant stellar streams could be substructures of some satellite galaxies along their leading and trailing trajectories. The most distant Malin 1 satellite could have reached pericenter $\sim 1.6$ Gyr ago, while closer companions interacted as early as $\sim 100$ Myr ago. At the same time, one close companion displays both leading and trailing arms in radial and polar orbits. Furthermore, we also identify some unbound solutions linking satellites with streams. Conclusions. Satellites and stream alignment indicate that past interactions shaped Malin 1's morphology. Our modelling constrains progenitors and orbital histories, providing insights into the dynamical evolution of gLSBGs. Findings are consistent with recent studies using Malin 1 kinematic data.

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Exploring the stellar streams and satellites around the giant low surface brightness galaxy Malin 1

Giant Low Surface Brightness galaxies (gLSBGs), such as Malin 1, host extended stellar and gaseous discs exceeding $100~\mathrm{kpc}$ in radius. Their formation and evolution remain debated, with satellite interactions and accretion streams proposed as key drivers. Malin 1 exhibits multiple companions and two giant stellar streams extending up to $200~\mathrm{kpc}$. We investigate the orbital dynamics of Malin 1's satellites and their potential connection to these streams. Using optical and HI rotation curve data, we constructed gravitational potentials for Malin 1 incorporating stellar, gaseous, and dark matter components under both Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) and pseudo-isothermal (ISO) halo profiles. Several scenarios yield bound orbital solutions. The ISO model ($M_{\rm virial} \approx 2.6 \times 10^{12}~M_\odot$) favours bound satellite orbits more than the lower-mass NFW model ($M_{\rm virial} \approx 1.4 \times 10^{12}~M_\odot$). The giant stellar streams could be substructures located along the leading and trailing trajectories of satellite companions. Orbital modeling indicates that the distant satellite eM1 reached pericentre $\sim 1.6~\mathrm{Gyr}$ ago, whereas closer companions interacted as recently as $\sim 100~\mathrm{Myr}$ ago, with one companion currently experiencing strong interaction. Another close companion displays leading/trailing arms in a radial orbit, alongside a polar orbit solution. Unbound solutions linking satellites with streams are also identified. These alignments suggest past interactions shaped Malin 1's morphology, providing new constraints on gLSBG dynamical evolution consistent with recent kinematic studies.

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First Detection of Molecular Gas in the Giant Low Surface Brightness Galaxy Malin 1

After over three decades of unsuccessful attempts, we report the first detection of molecular gas emission in Malin 1, the largest spiral galaxy observed to date, and one of the most iconic giant low surface brightness galaxies. Using ALMA, we detect significant $^{12}$CO(J=1-0) emission in the galaxy's central region and tentatively identify CO emission across three regions on the disc. These observations allow for a better estimate of the H$_2$ mass and molecular gas mass surface density, both of which are remarkably low given the galaxy's scale. By integrating data on its HI mass, we derive a very low molecular-to-atomic gas mass ratio. Overall, our results highlight the minimal presence of molecular gas in Malin 1, contrasting sharply with its extensive, homogeneous atomic gas reservoir. For the first time, we position Malin 1 on the Kennicutt-Schmidt (K-S) diagram, where it falls below the main sequence for normal spirals, consistent with previous upper limits but now with more accurate figures. These findings are crucial for constraining our understanding of star formation processes in environments characterized by extremely low molecular gas densities and for refining models of galaxy formation, thereby improving predictions concerning the formation, evolution, and distribution of these giant, elusive galaxies.

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A MUSE View of the Core of the Giant Low Surface Brightness Galaxy Malin 1

Aims. The central region of the Giant Low Surface Brightness galaxy Malin 1 has long been known to have a complex morphology with evidence of a bulge, disc, and potentially a bar hosting asymmetric star formation. In this work, we use VLT/MUSE data to resolve the central region of Malin 1 in order to determine its structure. Methods. We use careful light profile fitting in every image slice of the datacube to create wavelength-dependent models of each morphological component, from which we could cleanly extract their spectra. We then used the kinematics and emission line properties from these spectra to better understand the nature of each component extracted from our model fit. Results. We report the detection of a pair of distinct sources at the centre of this galaxy with a separation of ~1.05", which corresponds to a separation on sky of ~1.9 kpc. The radial velocity data of each object confirms that they both lie in the kinematic core of the galaxy, and analysis of the emission lines reveals that the central compact source is more consistent with being ionized by star formation and/or a LINER, while the off-centre compact source lies closer to the separation between star-forming galaxies and AGN. Conclusions. This evidence suggests that the centre of Malin 1 hosts either a bar with asymmetric star formation or two distinct components in which the off-centre compact source could either be a star-forming clump containing one or more star clusters that is in the process of falling into the core of the galaxy and which will eventually merge with the central NSC, or a clump of gas infalling into the centre of the galaxy from either outside or from the disc and triggering star formation there.

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An evolutionary continuum from nucleated dwarf galaxies to star clusters

Systematic studies have revealed hundreds of ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs) in the nearby Universe. With half-light radii $r_h$ of approximately 10-100 parsecs and stellar masses $M_*$ $\approx$ $10^6-10^8$ solar masses, UCDs are among the densest known stellar systems. Although similar in appearance to massive globular clusters, the detection of extended stellar envelopes, complex star formation histories, elevated mass-to-light ratio, and supermassive black holes suggest that some UCDs are remnant nuclear star clusters of tidally-stripped dwarf galaxies, or even ancient compact galaxies. However, only a few objects have been found in the transient stage of tidal stripping, and this assumed evolutionary path has never been fully traced by observations. Here we show that 106 galaxies in the Virgo cluster have morphologies that are intermediate between normal, nucleated dwarf galaxies and single-component UCDs, revealing a continuum that fully maps this morphological transition, and fills the `size gap' between star clusters and galaxies. Their spatial distribution and redder color are also consistent with stripped satellite galaxies on their first few pericentric passages around massive galaxies. The `ultra-diffuse' tidal features around several of these galaxies directly show how UCDs are forming through tidal stripping, and that this evolutionary path can include an early phase as a nucleated ultra-diffuse galaxy (UDG). These UCDs represent substantial visible fossil remnants of ancient dwarf galaxies in galaxy clusters, and more low-mass remnants probably remain to be found.

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The giant low surface brightness galaxy Malin 1: new constraints for its molecular gas mass from GBT/ARGUS observations

We report on results from GBT/ARGUS $^{12}$CO(1-0) observations for the giant low surface brightness galaxy Malin 1, which allow us to determine an upper limit for its CO mass, and hence its molecular gas mass and molecular gas mass surface density $Σ_{H_2}$. Although we performed very deep observations through 17 hours on source integration time, reaching a noise level of $\sim 0.2$ mK (T$^{*}_{A}$) with a corresponding extended source CO limit (3$σ$) of 0.09 K km s$^{-1}$, 19 times more sensitive than previous works, we do not detect the $^{12}$CO(1-0) emission line. However, the observations allow us to estimate an upper limit (3$σ$) for the CO mass of about $7.4 \times 10^9$ M$_\odot$ for the extended emission, and $1.4 \times 10^8$ M$_\odot$ for the central part of the galaxy. With these figures we conclude that the molecular gas surface density is lower than 0.3 M$_\odot$ pc$^{-2}$, and the corresponding molecular to atomic gas mass ratio is lower than 0.13. The evidence suggests a quite different physical conditions for the interstellar medium in Malin 1 compared to that of normal, high surface brightness spirals. This, in one way to another, keeps an usual molecular gas tracer as CO hidden from our observations, in spite of the diverse stellar and structural properties of Malin 1 observed by several authors since more than 30 years.

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Globular Cluster UVIT legacy Survey (GlobUleS) III. Omega Centauri in Far-Ultraviolet

We present the first comprehensive study of the most massive globular cluster Omega Centauri in the far-ultraviolet (FUV) extending from the center to ~ 28% of the tidal radius using the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope aboard AstroSat. A comparison of the FUV-optical color-magnitude diagrams with available canonical models reveals that the horizontal branch (HB) stars bluer than the knee (hHBs) and the white dwarfs (WDs) are fainter in the FUV by ~ 0.5 mag than model predictions. They are also fainter than their counterparts in M13, another massive cluster. We simulated HB with at least five subpopulations, including three He-rich populations with a substantial He enrichment of Y up to 0.43 dex, to reproduce the observed FUV distribution. We find the He-rich younger subpopulations to be radially more segregated than the He-normal older ones, suggesting an in-situ enrichment from older generations. The Omega Cen hHBs span the same effective temperature range as their M13 counterparts, but some have smaller radii and lower luminosities. This may suggest that a fraction of Omega Cen hHBs are less massive than those of M13, similar to the result derived from earlier spectroscopic studies of outer extreme HB stars. The WDs in Omega Cen and M13 have similar luminosity-radius-effective temperature parameters, and 0.44 - 0.46 M$_\odot$ He-core WD model tracks evolving from progenitors with Y = 0.4 dex are found to fit the majority of these. This study provides constraints on the formation models of Omega Cen based on the estimated range in age, [Fe/H] and Y (in particular), for the HB stars.

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Gemini North Adaptive Optics (GNAO) facility overview and status updates

The Gemini North Adaptive Optics (GNAO) facility is the upcoming AO facility for Gemini North providing a state-of-the-art AO system for surveys and time domain science in the era of JWST and Rubin operations. GNAO will be optimized to feed the Gemini infrared Multi Object Spectrograph (GIRMOS). While GIRMOS is the primary science driver for defining the capabilities of GNAO, any instrument operating with an f/32 beam can be deployed using GNAO. The GNAO project includes the development of a new laser guide star facility which will consist of four side-launched laser beams supporting the two primary AO modes of GNAO: a wide-field mode providing an improved image quality over natural seeing for a 2-arcminute circular field-of-view and a narrow-field mode providing near diffraction-limited performance over a 20x20 arcsecond square field-of-view. The GNAO wide field mode will enable GIRMOS's multi-IFU configuration in which the science beam to each individual IFU will be additionally corrected using multi-object AO within GIRMOS. The GNAO narrow field mode will feed the GIRMOS tiled IFU configuration in which all IFUs are combined into a "super"-IFU in the center of the field. GNAO also includes the development of a new Real Time Controller, a new GNAO Facility System Controller and finally the development of a new AO Bench. We present in this paper an overview of the GNAO facility and provide a status update of each product.

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Globular Clusters UVIT Legacy Survey (GlobULeS) I. FUV-optical Color-Magnitude Diagrams for Eight Globular Clusters

We present the first results of eight Globular Clusters (GCs) from the AstroSat/UVIT Legacy Survey program GlobULeS based on the observations carried out in two FUV filters (F148W and F169M). The FUV-optical and FUV-FUV color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of GCs with the proper motion membership were constructed by combining the UVIT data with HST UV Globular Cluster Survey (HUGS) data for inner regions and Gaia Early Data Release (EDR3) for regions outside the HST's field. We detect sources as faint as F148W $\sim$ 23.5~mag which are classified based on their locations in CMDs by overlaying stellar evolutionary models. The CMDs of 8 GCs are combined with the previous UVIT studies of 3 GCs to create stacked FUV-optical CMDs to highlight the features/peculiarities found in the different evolutionary sequences. The FUV (F148W) detected stellar populations of 11 GCs comprises 2,816 Horizontal Branch (HB) stars (190 Extreme HB candidates), 46 post-HB (pHB), 221 Blue Straggler Stars (BSS), and 107 White Dwarf (WD) candidates. We note that the blue HB color extension obtained from F148W$-$G color and the number of FUV detected EHB candidates are strongly correlated with the maximum internal Helium (He) variation within each GC, suggesting that the FUV-optical plane is the most sensitive to He abundance variations in the HB. We discuss the potential science cases that will be addressed using these catalogues including HB morphologies, BSSs, pHB, and, WD stars.

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The Color Gradients of the Globular Cluster Systems in M87 and M49

Combining data from the ACS Virgo Cluster Survey (ACSVCS) and the Next Generation Virgo cluster Survey (NGVS), we extend previous studies of color gradients of the globular cluster (GC) systems of the two most massive galaxies in the Virgo cluster, M87 and M49, to radii of $\sim 15~R_e$ ($\sim 200$ kpc for M87 and $\sim 250$ kpc for M49). We find significant negative color gradients, i.e., becoming bluer with increasing distance, out to these large radii. The gradients are driven mainly by the outwards decrease of the ratio of red to blue GC numbers. The color gradients are also detected out to $\sim 15~R_e$ in the red and blue sub-populations of GCs taken separately. In addition, we find a negative color gradient when we consider the satellite low-mass elliptical galaxies as a system, i.e., the satellite galaxies closer to the center of the host galaxy usually have redder color indices, both for their stars and GCs. According to the "two phase" formation scenario of massive early-type galaxies, the host galaxy accretes stars and GCs from low-mass satellite galaxies in the second phase. So the accreted GC system naturally inherits the negative color gradient present in the satellite population. This can explain why the color gradient of the GC system can still be observed at large radii after multiple minor mergers.

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Near-UV Reddening Observed in the Reflectance Spectrum of High Inclination Centaur 2012 DR30

Centaurs with high orbital inclinations and perihelia (i > 60 degrees; q >= 15 au) are a small group of poorly understood minor planets that are predicted to enter the giant planet region of the Solar System from the inner Oort Cloud. As such they are one of the few samples of relatively unaltered Oort Cloud material that can currently be directly observed. Here we present two new reflectance spectra of one of the largest of these objects, 2012 DR30, in order to constrain its color and surface composition. Contrary to reports that 2012 DR30 has variable optical color, we find that consistent measurements of its spectral gradient from most new and published datasets at 0.55-0.8 micron agree with a spectral gradient of S ~ 10+/-1 %/0.1 micron within their uncertainties. The spectral variability of 2012 DR30 at Near-UV/blue and Near-Infrared wavelengths, however, is still relatively unconstrained; self-consistent rotationally resolved followup observations are needed to characterise any spectral variation in those regions. We tentatively confirm previous detections of water ice on the surface of 2012 DR30 , and also consistently observe a steady steepening of the gradient of its spectrum from wavelengths of around 0.6 micron towards Near-UV wavelengths. Plausible surface materials responsible for the observed reddening may include ferric oxides contained within phyllosilicates, and aromatic refractory organics.

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The Fornax Cluster VLT Spectroscopic Survey III -- Kinematical characterisation of globular clusters across the Fornax galaxy cluster

The Fornax cluster provides an unparalleled opportunity to investigate in detail the formation and evolution of early-type galaxies in a dense environment. We aim at kinematically characterizing photometrically detected globular cluster (GC) candidates in the core of the cluster. We used the VLT/VIMOS spectroscopic data from the FVSS survey in the Fornax cluster, covering one square degree around the central massive galaxy NGC 1399. We confirmed a total of 777 GCs, almost doubling the previously detected GCs, using the same dataset by Pota et al. (2018). Combined with previous literature radial velocity measurements of GCs in Fornax, we compiled the most extensive spectroscopic GC sample of 2341 objects in this environment. We found that red GCs are mostly concentrated around major galaxies, while blue GCs are kinematically irregular and are widely spread throughout the core region of the cluster. The velocity dispersion profiles of blue and red GCs show a quite distinct behaviour. Blue GCs exhibit a sharp increase in the velocity dispersion profile from 250 to 400km/s within 5 arcminutes (29 kpc/1 reff of NGC 1399) from the central galaxy. The velocity dispersion profile of red GCs follows a constant value in between 200-300km/s until 8 arcminutes (46 kpc/1.6reff), and then rises to 350km/s at 10 arcminutes (58 kpc/2 reff). Beyond 10 arcminutes and out to 40 arcminutes (230 kpc/8 reff), blue and red GCs show a constant velocity dispersion of 300+/-50km/s, indicating that both GC populations are tracing the cluster potential. We have kinematically confirmed and characterized the previously photometrically discovered overdensities of intra-cluster GCs. We found that those substructured intra-cluster regions in Fornax are dominated mostly by blue GCs.

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Extending the evolution of the stellar mass-size relation at $z \leq 2$ to low stellar mass galaxies from HFF and CANDELS

We reliably extend the stellar mass-size relation over $0.2\leq z \leq2$ to low stellar mass galaxies by combining the depth of Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) with the large volume covered by CANDELS. Galaxies are simultaneously modelled in multiple bands using the tools developed by the MegaMorph project, allowing robust size (i.e., half-light radius) estimates even for small, faint, and high redshift galaxies. We show that above 10$^7$M$_\odot$, star-forming galaxies are well represented by a single power law on the mass-size plane over our entire redshift range. Conversely, the stellar mass-size relation is steep for quiescent galaxies with stellar masses $\geq 10^{10.3}$M$_\odot$ and flattens at lower masses, regardless of whether quiescence is selected based on star-formation activity, rest-frame colours, or structural characteristics. This flattening occurs at sizes of $\sim1$kpc at $z\leq1$. As a result, a double power law is preferred for the stellar mass-size relation of quiescent galaxies, at least above 10$^7$M$_\odot$. We find no strong redshift dependence in the slope of the relation of star-forming galaxies as well as of high mass quiescent galaxies. We also show that star-forming galaxies with stellar masses $\geq$10$^{9.5}$M$_\odot$ and quiescent galaxies with stellar masses $\geq10^{10.3}$M$_\odot$ have undergone significant size growth since $z\sim2$, as expected; however, low mass galaxies have not. Finally, we supplement our data with predominantly quiescent dwarf galaxies from the core of the Fornax cluster, showing that the stellar mass-size relation is continuous below 10$^7$M$_\odot$, but a more complicated functional form is necessary to describe the relation.

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The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey. XXXIV. Ultra-Compact Dwarf (UCD) Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster

We present a study of ultra compact dwarf (UCD) galaxies in the Virgo cluster based mainly on imaging from the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS). Using $\sim$100 deg$^{2}$ of $u^*giz$ imaging, we have identified more than 600 candidate UCDs, from the core of Virgo out to its virial radius. Candidates have been selected through a combination of magnitudes, ellipticities, colors, surface brightnesses, half-light radii and, when available, radial velocities. Candidates were also visually validated from deep NGVS images. Subsamples of varying completeness and purity have been defined to explore the properties of UCDs and compare to those of globular clusters and the nuclei of dwarf galaxies with the aim of delineating the nature and origins of UCDs. From a surface density map, we find the UCDs to be mostly concentrated within Virgo's main subclusters, around its brightest galaxies. We identify several subsamples of UCDs -- i.e., the brightest, largest, and those with the most pronounced and/or asymmetric envelopes -- that could hold clues to the origin of UCDs and possible evolutionary links with dwarf nuclei. We find some evidence for such a connection from the existence of diffuse envelopes around some UCDs, and comparisons of radial distributions of UCDs and nucleated galaxies within the cluster.

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Astroinformatics based search for globular clusters in the Fornax Deep Survey

In the last years, Astroinformatics has become a well defined paradigm for many fields of Astronomy. In this work we demonstrate the potential of a multidisciplinary approach to identify globular clusters (GCs) in the Fornax cluster of galaxies taking advantage of multi-band photometry produced by the VLT Survey Telescope using automatic self-adaptive methodologies. The data analyzed in this work consist of deep, multi-band, partially overlapping images centered on the core of the Fornax cluster. In this work we use a Neural-Gas model, a pure clustering machine learning methodology, to approach the GC detection, while a novel feature selection method ($Φ$LAB) is exploited to perform the parameter space analysis and optimization. We demonstrate that the use of an Astroinformatics based methodology is able to provide GC samples that are comparable, in terms of purity and completeness with those obtained using single band HST data (Brescia et al. 2012) and two approaches based respectively on a morpho-photometric (Cantiello et al. 2018b) and a PCA analysis (D'Abrusco et al. 2015) using the same data discussed in this work.

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Intra-cluster GC-LMXB in the Fornax galaxy cluster

The formation of Low mass X-ray binaries (LMXB) is favored within dense stellar systems such as Globular Clusters (GCs). The connection between LMXB and Globular Clusters has been extensively studied in the literature, but these studies have always been restricted to the innermost regions of galaxies. We present a study of LMXB in GCs within the central 1.5 deg^2 of the Fornax cluster with the aim of confirming the existence of a population of LMXB in intra-cluster GCs and understand if their properties are related to the host GCs, to the environment or/and to different formation channels.

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The Next Generation Fornax Survey (NGFS): V. Discovery of a dwarf-dwarf galaxy pair at z=0.30 and its characterization using deep VLT/MUSE observations

We report the detection of a pair of dwarf galaxies at $z\!=\!0.30$ which may be in the early stages of an interaction. Both galaxies have stellar masses of $<10^{9}M_\odot$, and display a projected separation of $\sim\!29$kpc and a physical separation of $\sim\!240$kpc. Evidence of ongoing star formation has been found in both galaxies, with neither one showing an enhanced star-formation rate that would be expected if they were already interacting. One galaxy displays a disturbed morphology but shows ordered gas rotation, which may reflect a previous minor merger event in the recent history of that system. The nearest spectroscopically confirmed neighbour lies at a distance of 38Mpc. These results indicate that these dwarf galaxies have no neighbouring massive galaxies, however with the data available we have been unable to determine whether these galaxies are isolated in the field or belong to a group of low-mass galaxies. As a detection of a rare dwarf-dwarf pair beyond the Local Universe, this system provides an uncommon opportunity to explore the properties of galaxy groups in the low-galaxy mass regime as a function of redshift.

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Dark Matter in Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster from their Globular Cluster Populations

We present Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopy of globular clusters (GCs) around the ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) VLSB-B, VLSB-D, and VCC615 located in the central regions of the Virgo cluster. We spectroscopically identify 4, 12, and 7 GC satellites of these UDGs, respectively. We find that the three UDGs have systemic velocities ($V_{sys}$) consistent with being in the Virgo cluster, and that they span a wide range of velocity dispersions, from $\sim 16$ to $\sim 47$ km/s, and high dynamical mass-to-light ratios within the radius that contains half the number of GCs ($ 407^{+916}_{-407}$, $21^{+15}_{-11}$, $60^{+65}_{-38}$, respectively). VLSB-D shows possible evidence for rotation along the stellar major axis and its $V_{sys}$ is consistent with that of the massive galaxy M84 and the center of the Virgo cluster itself. These findings, in addition to having a dynamically and spatially ($\sim 1$ kpc) off-centered nucleus and being extremely elongated, suggest that VLSB-D could be tidally perturbed. On the contrary, VLSB-B and VCC615 show no signals of tidal deformation. Whereas the dynamics of VLSB-D suggest that it has a less massive dark matter halo than expected for its stellar mass, VLSB-B and VCC615 are consistent with a $\sim 10^{12}$ M$_{\odot}$ dark matter halo. Although our samples of galaxies and GCs are small, these results suggest that UDGs may be a diverse population, with their low surface brightnesses being the result of very early formation, tidal disruption, or a combination of the two.

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