High-resolution Observations of “Dark” Neutral Hydrogen Clouds in the Virgo Cluster with the Very Large Array

Abstract We have observed six “dark” neutral hydrogen (H i ) clouds discovered in the Virgo Cluster by the Arecibo Galaxy Environment Survey (AGES) with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), giving higher angular and velocity resolution than the original AGES observations. We detected compact H i emission in two of the sources, AGESVC1 231 and AGESVC1 274, allowing us to firmly associate them with faint ( m g > 18.5), blue ( g − i < 0.1) optical counterparts with high M H I / L g ratios. In a further two sources, we detected low-column-density extended H i emission, consistent with these being dispersing clouds from ram pressure stripping or tidal interactions. The final two sources were not detected with the VLA, allowing us to set low column-density limits on the H i detected by AGES that are consistent with these clouds also being formed from H i that is dispersing into the intracluster medium. The four H i sources not associated with optical counterparts thus appear likely to be relatively short-lived objects. No evidence was found for either pressure-supported turbulent spheres or stable dark galaxies.