Since the Virgo cluster is the closest galaxy cluster in the northern hemisphere , galaxy interactions can be observed in it with a kpc resolution .
The spiral galaxy NGC 4388 underwent a ram pressure stripping event \sim 200 Myr ago caused by its highly eccentric orbit within the Virgo cluster .
This galaxy fulfills all diagnostic criteria for having undergone active ram pressure stripping in the recent past : a strongly truncated H i and H \alpha disk , an asymmetric ridge of polarized radio continuum emission , extended extraplanar gas toward the opposite side of the ridge of polarized radio continuum emission , and a recent ( a few 100 Myr ) quenching of the star formation activity in the outer , gas-free galactic disk .
We made dynamical simulations of the ram pressure stripping event to investigate the influence of galactic structure on the observed properties of NGC 4388 .
The combination of a deep optical spectrum of the outer gas-free region of the galactic disk together with deep H i , H \alpha , FUV , and polarized radio continuum data permits to constrain numerical simulations to derive the temporal ram pressure profile , the 3D velocity vector of the galaxy , and the time since peak ram pressure with a high level of confidence .
From the simulations an angle between the ram pressure wind and the galactic disk of 30 ^ { \circ } is derived .
The galaxy underwent peak ram pressure \sim 240 Myr ago .
The observed asymmetries in the disk of NGC 4388 are not caused by the present action of ram pressure , but by the resettling of gas that has been pushed out of the galactic disk during the ram pressure stripping event .
For the detailed reproduction of multi-wavelength observations of a spiral galaxy that undergoes or underwent a ram pressure stripping event , galactic structure , i.e .
spiral arms , has to be taken into account .