  We calculate the torque on galaxies in clusters due to gravity and to
dynamical friction forces in order to study the possible origin of small-scale
alignment effects as the result of interactions with their environment. The
equation of motion for the position angle of a galaxy is derived by using a ple
model. We find that weak radial alignment effects can be produced by this
mechanism involving only the most massive galaxies. We also introduce a
dependence on the cluster eccentricity to our equations in order to explore the
alignment of galaxies with the cluster's major axis. We find that in the inner
regions of high eccentricity clusters, alignments of massive galaxies with the
cluster's major axis dominate over the radial ones. This mechanism could
account for the observed alignment effects of the most massive galaxies with
the major axis of their host cluster. Our results suggest that dynamical
friction is a viable generator of alignment only for the most massive cluster
galaxies. For the observed alignments of normal galaxies a primordial origin
has to be explored.
