Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Dec 2001
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001aas...19914202k&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, 199th AAS Meeting, #142.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 33, p.1521
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
3
Scientific paper
One of the most vital observational clues for unraveling the origin of Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCG) is the observed alignment of the BCGs with their host cluster and its surroundings. We have examined the BCG-cluster alignment effect, using clusters of galaxies detected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We find that the BCGs are preferentially aligned with the principal axis of their hosts, to a much higher redshift (z > 0.3) than probed by previous studies (z < 0.1). The alignment effect strongly depends on the magnitude difference of the BCG and the second and third brightest cluster members: we find a strong alignment effect for the dominant BCGs, while less dominant BCGs do not show any departure from random alignment with respect to the cluster. We therefore claim that the alignment process originates from the same process that makes the BCG grow dominant, be it direct mergers in the early stage of cluster formation, or a later process that resembles the galactic cannibalism scenario. We discuss ways in which we can distinguish between the viable scenarios.
Kim Rita S. J.
Sloan Digital Sky Survey Collaboration
No associations
LandOfFree
The Alignment Effect of Brightest Cluster Galaxies in the SDSS does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with The Alignment Effect of Brightest Cluster Galaxies in the SDSS, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The Alignment Effect of Brightest Cluster Galaxies in the SDSS will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1237360