Dynamics Group - Research - Intracluster Light/title>

Introduction Recent Results Publications MPE OPINAS Dynamics Group

Introduction

Diffuse intracluster light (ICL) has now been observed in nearby and in intermediate redshift clusters. Individual intracluster stars have been detected in the Virgo, Hydra, and Coma clusters (<see here>) and the first color-magnitude diagram (<see here>) and velocity measurements have been obtained (<more here>). Recent studies show that the ICL contains of the order of 10% and perhaps up to 30% of the mass in stars of the cluster, but in the cores of more dense and rich clusters like Coma, the local ICL fraction can be high as 40%-50%.

What can we learn from the ICL about the formation of galaxy clusters and the evolution of cluster galaxies? How and when did the ICL form? What are the dominant processes: tidal stripping, disruption, mergers? What is the connection to the central brightest cluster galaxy? Cosmological N-body and hydrodynamical simulations are now beginning to make predictions for the kinematics and origin of the ICL. The evolution of baryonic substructures in dense environments is traced by the ICL which can thus be used to constrain those aspects of cosmological simulations that are most uncertain, such as the modeling of star formation and the mass distribution of the baryonic component in galaxies.

The first conference dedicated to the ICL was the Joint Discussion 2 at the General Assembly of the IAU at Rio de Janeiro in August 2009. A link to the webpage with the scientific program and the summary article by the co-organizers can be found <here>. Separate pages summarize our recent work on the kinematics of intracluster stars and what can be learnt from them about galaxies in their cluster environments (<see here>). An introductory summary article can be found here in <English> or <German>.





Recent results

Castro-Rodriguéz, N., Arnaboldi, M., Aguerri, J. A. L., Gerhard, O., Okamura, S., Yasuda, N., et al. 2009, A&A, 507, 621.
Intracluster light in the Virgo cluster: large scale distribution. 2009A&A...507..621C

Doherty, M., Arnaboldi, M., Das, P., Gerhard, O., Aguerri, J. A. L., Ciardullo, R., et al. 2009, A&A, 502, 771.
The edge of the M 87 halo and the kinematics of the diffuse light in the Virgo cluster core. 2009A&A...502..771D

Arnaboldi, M., Doherty, M., Gerhard, O., Ciardullo, R., Aguerri, J. A. L., Feldmeier, J. J., et al. 2008, ApJ, 674, L17.
Expansion Velocities and Core Masses of Bright Planetary Nebulae in the Virgo Cluster. 2008ApJ...674L..17A

Ventimiglia, G., Arnaboldi, M., Gerhard, O. 2008, AN, 329, 1057.
Intracluster Planetary Nebulae in the Hydra I cluster. 2008AN....329.1057V

Gerhard, O., Arnaboldi, M., Freeman, K. C., Okamura, S., Kashikawa, N., Yasuda, N. 2007, A&A, 468, 815.
The kinematics of intracluster planetary nebulae and the on-going subcluster merger in the Coma cluster core. 2007A&A...468..815G

Murante, G., Giovalli, M., Gerhard, O., Arnaboldi, M., Borgani, S., Dolag, K. 2007, MNRAS, 377, 2.
The importance of mergers for the origin of intracluster stars in cosmological simulations of galaxy clusters. 2007MNRAS.377....2M

Arnaboldi, M., Gerhard, O., Okamura, S., Kashikawa, N., Yasuda, N., Freeman, K. C. 2007, PASJ, 59, 419.
Multi-Slit Imaging Spectroscopy Technique: Catalog of Intracluster Planetary Nebulae in the Coma Cluster. 2007PASJ...59..419A

Williams, B. F., Ciardullo, R., Durrell, P. R., Vinciguerra, M., Feldmeier, J. J., Jacoby, G. H., et al. 2007, ApJ, 656, 756.
The Metallicity Distribution of Intracluster Stars in Virgo. 2007ApJ...656..756W

Durrell, P. R., Williams, B. F., Ciardullo, R., Feldmeier, J. J., von Hippel, T., Sigurdsson, S., et al. 2007, ApJ, 656, 746.
The Resolved Stellar Populations of a Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy in the Virgo Cluster. 2007ApJ...656..746D

Williams, B. F., Ciardullo, R., Durrell, P. R., Feldmeier, J. J., Sigurdsson, S., Vinciguerra, M., et al. 2007, ApJ, 654, 835.
Virgo's Intracluster Globular Clusters as Seen by the Advanced Camera for Surveys. 2007ApJ...654..835W

Aguerri, J. A. L., Castro-Rodríguez, N., Napolitano, N., Arnaboldi, M., Gerhard, O. 2006, A&A, 457, 771.
Diffuse light in Hickson compact groups: the dynamically young system HCG 44. 2006A&A...457..771A

Aguerri, J. A. L., Gerhard, O. E., Arnaboldi, M., Napolitano, N. R., Castro-Rodriguez, N., Freeman, K. C. 2005, AJ, 129, 2585.
Intracluster Stars in the Virgo Cluster Core. 2005AJ....129.2585A

Gerhard, O., Arnaboldi, M., Freeman, K. C., Kashikawa, N., Okamura, S., Yasuda, N. 2005, ApJ, 621, L93.
Detection of Intracluster Planetary Nebulae in the Coma Cluster. 2005ApJ...621L..93G

Arnaboldi, M., Gerhard, O., Aguerri, J. A. L., Freeman, K. C., Napolitano, N. R., Okamura, S., et al. 2004, ApJ, 614, L33.
The Line-of-Sight Velocity Distributions of Intracluster Planetary Nebulae in the Virgo Cluster Core. 2004ApJ...614L..33A

Murante, G., Arnaboldi, M., Gerhard, O., Borgani, S., Cheng, L. M., Diaferio, A., et al. 2004, ApJ, 607, L83.
The Diffuse Light in Simulations of Galaxy Clusters. 2004ApJ...607L..83M