The surface brightness and colour–magnitude relations for Fornax cluster galaxies

We present BVI photometry of 190 galaxies in the central 4 ×3 deg² region of the Fornax cluster observed with the Michigan Curtis Schmidt Telescope. Results from the Fornax Cluster Spectroscopic Survey (FCSS) and the Flair-II Fornax Surveys have been used to confirm the membership status of galaxies in the Fornax Cluster Catalogue (FCC). In our catalogue of 213 member galaxies, 92 (43 per cent) have confirmed radial velocities.
In this paper, we investigate the surface brightness–magnitude relation for Fornax cluster galaxies. Particular attention is given to the sample of cluster dwarfs and the newly discovered ultracompact dwarf galaxies (UCDs) from the FCSS. We examine the reliability of the surface brightness–magnitude relation as a method for determining cluster membership and find that at surface brightnesses fainter than 22 mag arcsec⁻², it fails in its ability to distinguish between cluster members and barely resolved background galaxies. Cluster members exhibit a strong surface brightness–magnitude relation. Both elliptical (E) galaxies and dwarf elliptical (dE) galaxies increase in surface brightness as luminosity decreases. The UCDs lie off the locus of the relation.
  B − V   and   V − I   colours are determined for a sample of 113 cluster galaxies and the colour–magnitude relation is explored for each morphological type. The UCDs lie off the locus of the colour–magnitude relation. Their mean   V − I   colours (∼1.09) are similar to those of globular clusters associated with NGC 1399. The location of the UCDs on both surface brightness and colour–magnitude plots supports the 'galaxy threshing' model for infalling nucleated dwarf elliptical (dE, N) galaxies.     

Structure of the Cluster of Galaxies A 548

The hierarchical and dynamical structure of the bimodal cluster of galaxies A 548, consisting of the two components A 548E and A 548W, was investigated. An HTree cluster analysis was used for this purpose. Based on the results of the analysis, three main nuclei, five subgroups, and six triplets of galaxies were distinguished in the cluster. These subgroups lie in regions of local density maxima of the entire cluster. The average radial velocities of the subgroups coincide with local maxima in the V _r distribution of the entire cluster. The members of subgroups are 1.25 stellar magnitudes brighter, on the average, than other galaxies. Based both on the projected positions of the galaxies and on their radial velocities, the field of the cluster has a more uniform structure than does the entire system as a whole. Galaxies with different V _r are unevenly distributed in the cluster: radial velocity increases from the periphery toward the center.     

星系团的分层效应

对星系团各类分层效应的有关问题做了概要的评述,包括成员星系在位置空间和(或)速度空间中的形态分层、光度(质量)分层和元素丰度分层的表现形式和探测途径,分层效应可能的形成机制及其对星系和星系团的结构和演化的影响。     

Observational evidence for the evolution of cD galaxies

We consider current problems connected with the formation of cD galaxies. The subject of this paper is to compare internal properties of cD galaxies such as radial colour distribution, envelope luminosity, and peculiar velocity with mass segregation effects in their parent clusters. This consideration is a forthcoming attempt to find commonly valid essential correlations between peculiarities of brightest cluster members and global cluster properties. We find tight correlations between the discussed properties and conclude that merger processes seem to play an important roll in the formation process of cD galaxies.     

Influence of environment on the luminosity function of galaxies

The luminosity function (LF) of galaxies in different environments is studied. A method proposed by the author is used to determine the LF of galaxies. It is found that the luminosity functions of galaxies of different morphological types in single galaxies and small groups do not differ greatly. The luminosity functions of galactic clusters differ greatly from the analogous functions for other systems. A relatively large number of faint galaxies is observed in clusters. Groups with low dispersions in their radial velocities and with small average pairwise distances between the members contain relatively many faint galaxies and relatively few bright galaxies compared to groups with large dispersions in their radial velocities and large average pairwise distances between members. This applies to elliptical and lenticular galaxies, as well as to spiral and irregular galaxies.     

Keck spectroscopy of the faint dwarf elliptical galaxy population in the Perseus Cluster core: mixed stellar populations and a flat luminosity function

We present the result of a photometric and Keck low-resolution imaging spectrometer (LRIS) spectroscopic study of dwarf galaxies in the core of the Perseus Cluster, down to a magnitude of   M _B =−12.5  . Spectra were obtained for 23 dwarf-galaxy candidates, from which we measure radial velocities and stellar population characteristics from absorption line indices. From radial velocities obtained using these spectra, we confirm 12 systems as cluster members, with the remaining 11 as non-members. Using these newly confirmed cluster members, we are able to extend the confirmed colour–magnitude relation for the Perseus Cluster down to   M _B =−12.5  . We confirm an increase in the scatter about the colour–magnitude relationship below   M _B =−15.5  , but reject the hypothesis that very red dwarfs are cluster members. We measure the faint-end slope of the luminosity function between   M _B =−18  and −12.5, finding  α=−1.26 ± 0.06  , which is similar to that of the field. This implies that an overabundance of dwarf galaxies does not exist in the core of the Perseus Cluster. By comparing metal and Balmer absorption line indices with α-enhanced single stellar population models, we derive ages and metallicities for these newly confirmed cluster members. We find two distinct dwarf elliptical populations: an old, metal-poor population with ages ∼8 Gyr and metallicities  [Fe/H] < −0.33  , and a young, metal-rich population with ages <5 Gyr and metallicities  [Fe/H] > −0.33  . Dwarf galaxies in the Perseus Cluster are therefore not a simple homogeneous population, but rather exhibit a range in age and metallicity.     

Investigation of the galaxy distribution in a field at the boundary between Virgo and Serpens Caput

The number density distributions for further 13 cluster of galaxies are derived by counting galaxies on the red Palomar Sky Survey prints. For these clusters the radial number density distributions and the radial cumulative galaxy distribution are derived.     

Rotational mixing in early-type main-sequence stars

We present N -body simulations of galaxy groups embedded in a common halo of matter. We study the influence of the different initial conditions upon the evolution of the group and show that denser configurations evolve faster, as expected. We then concentrate on the influence of the initial radial density profile of the common halo and of the galaxy distribution. We select two kinds of density distributions, a singular profile (modelled by a Hernquist distribution) and a profile with a flat core (modelled by a Plummer sphere). In all cases we witness the formation of a central massive object owing to mergings of individual galaxies and to accretion of stripped material, but both its formation history and its properties depend heavily on the initial distribution. In Hernquist models the formation is caused by a 'burst' of mergings in the inner parts, owing to the large initial concentration of galaxies in the centre. The merging rate is much slower in the initial phases of the evolution of a Plummer distribution, where the contribution of accretion to the formation of the central object is much more important. The central objects formed within Plummer distributions have projected density profiles which are not in agreement with the radial profiles of observed brightest cluster members, unless the percentage of mass in the common halo is small. In contrast, the central object formed in initially cusped models has projected radial profiles in very good agreement with those of brightest cluster members, sometimes also showing luminosity excess over the r ^1/4 law in the outer parts, as is observed in cD galaxies.     

Density and Radial Velocity Strucutre of the Hydra I Cluster of Galaxies

The investigation of the distributions of number densities, radial velocities and morphological types in the Hydra I cluster led us to the conclusion that this cluster possesses dominant substructures. This result is in agreement with former conclusions of different authors that substructures are a typical phenomenon for a high percentage of all clusters of galaxies. The galaxies inside the radius 60 from the cluster centre giv ea mean cluster redshift 3332±102 km/s and a velocity dispersion 679 ± 87 km/s.     

List of groups of galaxies based on the CfA2 redshift survey

Groups of galaxies are identified on the basis of the CfA2 redshift survey and a method proposed by one of the authors. Of the 15577 galaxies that have redshifts of 1000-15000 km/s and lie at galactic latitudes |bII| ≥ 20° , 1971 groups with n ≥ 2 members were found, with a combined total number of 6787 members. The remaining 8790 (56.4%) galaxies constitute a sample of “single,” isolated galaxies. The dispersion in the radial velocities of the groups and their radii are found to depend weakly on the distance to the observer.     

Structure of the clusters of galaxies a 999, a 1016, and a 1142

The hierarchical structure of the clusters of galaxies A 999, A 1016, and A 1142, which are part of one supercluster, is investigated. The HTree method is used to determine that A 999 and A 1016 are a single, dynamically bound system consisting of two “cores” and a common field of galaxies. The composition of the “cores” includes almost all the E and S0 galaxies, the luminosity function of which is very nearly Gaussian. It is also established that the cluster A 1142 has a nonuniform structure, both in density distribution and in radial velocity distribution. The location of the maxima in density and in the radial velocity distribution correlates with the galaxies that are sources of radio and x-ray emission. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 45-54, January–March, 2000.     

Study of the Structure of the Coma Cluster Based on a Hierarchical Force Clustering Method

Six subclusters in the Coma cluster have been selected on the basis of a hierarchical clustering method that takes the gravitational interaction among galaxies into account. Of these, 3 central subclusters around the galaxies NGC 4889, NGC 4874, and NGC 4839 have been singled out. We have used the objective statistical criterion applied by Vennik and Anosova in studies of close groups of galaxies to evaluate each member included in a subcluster with a high probability. Galaxies with a significant deficit of hydrogen HI, including objects from the Bravo-Alfaro list, have been identified with members of the subclusters, with the greatest number of them in the subclusters around NGC 4874 and NGC 4839. A quantitative estimate of the hydrogen deficit using the HI index in the RCG3 catalog reveals a statistically significant excess value for those galaxies that are members of the subclusters compared to galaxies with a hydrogen deficit in the overall Coma cluster field. A substantial number of the spiral galaxies with a hydrogen deficit in the subclusters turned out to be radio galaxies as well. __________ Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 48, No. 4, pp. 515–528 (November 2005).     

Globular cluster systems in low-luminosity early-type galaxies near the Fornax cluster centre

We present a photometric study of the globular cluster systems (GCSs) of the Fornax cluster galaxies NGC 1374, NGC 1379 and NGC 1387. The data consist of images from the wide-field MOSAIC imager of the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) 4-m telescope, obtained with Washington C and Kron–Cousins R filters. The images cover a field of  36 × 36 arcmin²  , corresponding to  200 × 200 kpc²  at the Fornax distance. Two of the galaxies, NGC 1374 and NGC 1379, are low-luminosity ellipticals while NGC 1387 is a low-luminosity lenticular. Their cluster systems are still embedded in the cluster system of NGC 1399. Therefore, the use of a large field is crucial and some differences to previous work can be explained by this. The colour distributions of all GCSs are bimodal. NGC 1387 presents a particularly distinct separation between red and blue clusters and an overproportionally large population of red clusters. The radial distribution is different for blue and red clusters, red clusters being more concentrated towards the respective galaxies. The different colour and radial distributions point to the existence of two globular cluster subpopulations in these galaxies. Specific frequencies are in the range   S_N = 1.4–2.4  , smaller than the typical values for elliptical galaxies. These galaxies might have suffered tidal stripping of blue globular clusters by NGC 1399.     

Blueshifted galaxies in the virgo cluster

We examine a sample of 65 galaxies in the Virgo cluster with negative radial velocities relative to the Local Group. Some features of this sample are pointed out. All of these objects are positioned compactly within a virial zone of radius 6o in the cluster, but their centroid is displaced relative to the dynamic center of the cluster, M87, by 1o.1 to the northwest. The dwarf galaxies in this sample are clumped on a scale of ∼10' (50 kpc). The observed asymmetry in the distribution of the blueshifted galaxies may be caused by infall of a group of galaxies around M86 onto the main body of the cluster. We offer another attempt to explain this phenomenon, assuming a mutual tangential velocity of ∼300 km/s^-1 between the Local Group and the Virgo cluster owing to their being repelled from the local cosmological void.     

Luminosity Function of the Cluster of Galaxies Abell 566

We investigate the Luminosity Function(LF)of the cluster of galaxies Abell 566.The photometric data of 15 intermediate-bands are obtained from the Beijing-Arizona- Taiwan-Connecticut(BATC)photometric sky survey.For each of the 15 wavebands,the LF of cluster galaxies is well modelled by the Schechter function,with characteristic luminosi- ties from-18.0 to-21.9 magnitude,from the a- to the p-band.Morphological dependence of the LF is investigated by separating the cluster members into‘red’and‘blue’subsamples. It is clear that late type galaxies have a steeper shape of LF than the early type galaxies.We also divided the sample galaxies by their local environment.It was found that galaxies in the sparser region have steeper shape of LF than galaxies in the denser region.Combining the results of morphological and environmental dependence of LFs,we show that Abell 566 is a well relaxed cluster with positive evidence of galaxy interaction and merger,and excess number of bright early type galaxies located in its denser region.     

Atomic and molecular gas components in spiral galaxies of the Virgo cluster

Based on two models, we investigate the molecular-to-atomic gas ratio in Virgo cluster galaxies in comparison with field galaxies. We show that the enhanced metallicity for cluster members and the ram pressure stripping of atomic gas from the disk periphery cannot fully explain the observed gas component ratios. The additional environmental factors affecting the interstellar medium and leading to an increase in the molecular gas fraction should be taken into account for cluster galaxies.     

Evolution of globular cluster systems in three galaxies of the Fornax cluster

We studied and compared the radial profiles of globular clusters and of the stellar bulge component in three galaxies of the Fornax cluster observed with the WFPC2 of the Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ). The stars are more concentrated toward the galactic centres than globular clusters, in agreement with what has already been observed in many other galaxies: if the observed difference is the result of evolution of the globular cluster systems starting from initial profiles similar to those of the halo–bulge stellar components, a relevant fraction of their initial mass (74, 47 and 52 per cent for NGC 1379, 1399 and 1404, respectively) should have disappeared in the inner regions. This mass has probably contributed to the nuclear field population, local dynamics and high-energy phenomena in the primeval life of the galaxy. An indication in favour of the evolutionary interpretation of the difference between the globular cluster system and stellar bulge radial profiles is given by the positive correlation we found between the value of the mass lost from the globular cluster system and the central galactic black hole mass in the set of seven galaxies for which these data are available.     

Spectroscopy of globular cluster candidates in the Sculptor group galaxies NGC 253 and 55

We have obtained spectra for 103 published globular cluster candidates in the Sculptor group galaxies NGC 253 and 55. On the basis of radial velocities and digitized plate images, 14 globular clusters are identified in NGC 253 and one probable globular cluster is identified in NGC 55. The majority of the objects in the sample appear to be background galaxies. We have obtained and analysed COSMOS plate scans of NGC 253 and 55 and use these along with the spectroscopically identified clusters to define new samples of globular cluster candidates in the two galaxies which should have reduced contamination.     

Compact stellar systems around NGC 1399

We have obtained spectroscopic redshifts of colour-selected point sources in four wide area VLT-FLAMES (Very Large Telescope-Fibre Large Array Multi Element Spectrograph) fields around the Fornax cluster giant elliptical galaxy NGC 1399, identifying as cluster members 27 previously unknown faint     compact stellar systems (CSS), and improving redshift accuracy for 23 previously catalogued CSS.
By amalgamating our results with CSS from previous 2dF observations and excluding CSS dynamically associated with prominent (non-dwarf) galaxies surrounding NGC 1399, we have isolated 80 'unbound' systems that are either part of NGC  1399's globular cluster (GC) system or intracluster GCs. For these unbound systems, we find (i) they are mostly located off the main stellar locus in colour–colour space; (ii) their projected distribution about NGC  1399 is anisotropic, following the Fornax cluster galaxy distribution, and there is weak evidence for group rotation about NGC  1399; (iii) their completeness-adjusted radial surface density profile has a slope similar to that of NGC  1399's inner GC system; (iv) their mean heliocentric recessional velocity is between that of NGC  1399's inner GCs and that of the surrounding dwarf galaxies, but their velocity dispersion is significantly lower; (v) bright CSS  ( M _V < −11)  are slightly redder than the fainter systems, suggesting they have higher metallicity; (vi) CSS show no significant trend in   g '− i '  colour index with radial distance from NGC  1399.     

Keck imaging of the globular cluster systems in the early-type galaxies NGC 1052 and 7332

The presence of two globular cluster subpopulations in early-type galaxies is now the norm rather than the exception. Here we present two more examples for which the host galaxy appears to have undergone a recent merger. Using multi-colour Keck imaging of NGC 1052 and 7332 we find evidence for a bimodal globular cluster colour distribution in both galaxies, with roughly equal numbers of blue and red globular clusters. The blue ones have similar colours to those in the Milky Way halo and are thus probably very old and metal-poor. If the red globular cluster subpopulations are at least of solar metallicity, then stellar population models indicate young ages. We discuss the origin of globular clusters within the framework of formation models. We conclude that recent merger events in these two galaxies have had little effect on their overall globular cluster systems. We also derive globular cluster density profiles, global specific frequencies and, in the case of NGC 1052, radial colour gradients and azimuthal distribution. In general these globular cluster properties are normal for early-type galaxies.