Reconstructing the history of star formation in rich cluster cores

Abstract

We address the current crucial issues on the formation and evolution of cluster galaxies: ie., connection between the Butcher-Oemler effect, assembly of cluster galaxies, truncation of star formation, and the origin of S0 galaxies. We construct the field corrected colour-magnitude (CM) diagrams for 7 CNOC clusters (0.23<z<0.43) and Coma, and illustrate the evolution of the complete cluster population down to the present-day based on the model in which star formation is truncated when the galaxies infall from the surrounding field. We show that the blue galaxies are incorporated into the present-day tight CM relation as they fade and become redder after the truncation, which is possibly responsible for producing faint S0's (>M*+1). Truncation of star formation is, however, found to be relatively milder (with a time scale of 1 Gyr) than suggested by the viorent processes such as ram-pressure stripping and/or mergers/harassment. The BO effect is after all found to be a combination of three effects, namely, increasing field star formation activity, increasing galaxy infall rate, and the truncatin of star formation after the accretion. Our approach naturally leads to the history of galaxy assembly and `global' star foramtion for `cluster' galaxies.