Physics
Scientific paper
Jul 2004
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004hst..prop10131c&link_type=abstract
HST Proposal ID #10131
Physics
Hst Proposal Id #10131 Stellar Populations
Scientific paper
Intracluster stars constitute about 20% of the total stellar population of a typical galaxy cluster, and their existence provides a vital clue for our understanding of cluster formation and evolution. However, to exploit their probative value, we need to know their origins: are they the remnants of dwarf galaxies, long since destroyed by the cluster potential, or have the stars been harassed from their parent galaxies at recent epochs? To answer this question, we propose to use the Wide-Field Channel of ACS to make an I, {V-I} color-magnitude diagram of Virgo's intracluster stars. From the position and morphology of the population's red giant branch, we will be able to determine the metallicity distribution function of the stars, and thereby determine their likely origin and ejection mechanisms. Only HST with the ACS has the sensitivity and resolution to perform this fundamental measurement. This program has two options. Option one uses conventional methods of cluster photometry and requires 37 orbits of exposure time. Option two involves a novel analysis technique, which promises to achieve most of the same science in two-thirds the time {23 orbits}. We describe this alternative method of analysis and demonstrate its use via simulations.
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