Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2001-04-09
AJ, v.122 p.55, 2001
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
21 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal
Scientific paper
10.1086/321134
We report the serendipitous discovery of a cluster of galaxies at z=0.369. Thirty-eight candidate members were identified based on rough broad-band photometric redshifts, and three members were confirmed spectroscopically. The brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) is exceptionally blue, with B-V=0.12 and V-I=1.02. The surface-brightness profile of the BCG follows an r^(1/4)-law profile out to 3" in all three bands. The effective radius is significantly smaller in bluer bandpasses, resulting in a blue core and a color gradient opposite to the metallicity-induced color gradient observed in typical elliptical galaxies. Beyond 3" an extended envelope of emission in excess of the r^(1/4)-law profile is observed, the position angle of which coincides with the major axis of the galaxy cluster. The spectrum of the BCG contains strong Balmer absorption, a minimal 4000 A break, and a broad Mg II emission line, suggesting that the galaxy has undergone recent star formation and may harbor a central AGN. The presence of numerous nearby bright stars makes this cluster an interesting target for next-generation adaptive optics using natural guide stars.
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