Abstract
The detection and study of the intracluster light (ICL) in rich clusters of galaxies has been a longstanding challenge and key focus. Using the lowest-surface-brightness images of the Coma cluster of galaxies in the g and r bands, from the Halos and Environment of Nearby Galaxies (HERON) Coma Cluster Project we obtained the most extensive image of ICL in a single cluster to date, spreading over 1.5 Mpc from the cluster core. The unprecedented wealth of spectroscopic data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Early Data Release, along with a compilation from the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database and available data from the literature enabled the identification of 2,157 galaxy members within Coma; on this basis, 42 distinct groups were identified. The synergy between these high-quality data allowed us to : 1) calculate ICL fractions of $19.9±0.5$% and $19.6±0.6$% in the g and r bands, respectively, consistent with a dynamically active cluster; 2) unveil Coma's faintest tidal features; and 3) provide a comprehensive picture of the dynamics and interactions within this complex system . Our findings indicate that the ICL connects several of these groups in a filamentous network, from which we can infer ongoing dynamical processes. In particular, we identified a faint stellar bridge linking the core of Coma with the galaxy NGC 4839, providing compelling evidence that this galaxy has already traversed the central region of the cluster.
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