The kinematics of cluster galaxies via velocity dispersion profiles

Bilton, Lawrence E.; Pimbblet, Kevin A.

Abstract

© 2018 The Author(s). We present an analysis of the kinematics of a sample of 14 galaxy clusters via velocity dispersion profiles (VDPs), compiled using cluster parameters defined within the X-Ray Galaxy Clusters Database (BAX) cross-matched with data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We determine the presence of substructure in the clusters from the sample as a proxy for recent core mergers, resulting in 4 merging and 10 non-merging clusters to allow for comparison between their respective dynamical states. We create VDPs for our samples and divide them by mass, colour, and morphology to assess how their kinematics respond to the environment. To improve the signal-to-noise ratio our galaxy clusters are normalized and co-added to a projected cluster radius at 0.0-2.5r200. We find merging cluster environments possess an abundance of a kinematically active (rising VDP) mix of red and blue elliptical galaxies, which is indicative of infalling substructures responsible for pre-processing galaxies. Comparatively, in non-merging cluster environments galaxies generally decline in kinematic activity as a function of increasing radius, with bluer galaxies possessing the highest velocities, likely as a result of fast infalling field galaxies. However, the variance in kinematic activity between blue and red cluster galaxies across merging and non-merging cluster environments suggests galaxies exhibit differing modes of galaxy accretion on to a cluster potential as a function of the presence of a core merger.

Citation

Bilton, L. E., & Pimbblet, K. A. (2018). The kinematics of cluster galaxies via velocity dispersion profiles. Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 481(2), 1507-1521. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/sty2379

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 29, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Aug 31, 2018
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2018
• Deposit Date: Oct 9, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 9, 2018
• Journal: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
• Print ISSN: 0035-8711
• Electronic ISSN: 1365-2966
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 481
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 1507-1521
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/sty2379
• Keywords: Space and Planetary Science; Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/1099169
• Publisher URL: https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/481/2/1507/5088362
• Contract Date: Oct 9, 2018