Intracluster Light Research Articles

On the phase-space structure of galaxy clusters from cosmological simulations

ABSTRACT Cosmological N-body simulations represent an excellent tool to study the formation and evolution of dark matter (DM) haloes and the mechanisms that have originated the universal profile at the largest mass scales in the Universe. In particular, the combination of the velocity dispersion σv with the density ρ can be used to define the pseudo-entropy $S(r)=\sigma _\mathrm{v}^2/\rho ^{\, 2/3}$, whose profile is well described by a simple power law $S\propto \, r^{\, \alpha }$. We analyse a set of cosmological hydrodynamical re-simulations of massive galaxy clusters and study the pseudo-entropy profiles as traced by different collisionless components in simulated galaxy clusters: DM, stars, and substructures. We analyse four sets of simulations, exploring different resolution and physics (N-body and full hydrodynamical simulations) to investigate convergence and the impact of baryons. We find that baryons significantly affect the inner region of pseudo-entropy profiles as traced by substructures, while DM particles profiles are characterized by an almost universal behaviour, thus suggesting that the level of pseudo-entropy could represent a potential low-scatter mass-proxy. We compare observed and simulated pseudo-entropy profiles and find good agreement in both normalization and slope. We demonstrate, however, that the method used to derive observed pseudo-entropy profiles could introduce biases and underestimate the impact of mergers. Finally, we investigate the pseudo-entropy traced by the stars focusing our interest in the dynamical distinction between intracluster light and the stars bound to the brightest cluster galaxy: the combination of these two pseudo-entropy profiles is well described by a single power law out to almost the entire cluster virial radius.

On the Mass Distribution of the Intracluster Light in Galaxy Groups and Clusters

Abstract We take advantage of a semianalytic model with a state-of-art implementation of the formation of the intracluster light (ICL) to study the mass distribution of the ICL in galaxy groups and clusters, at different redshifts. We assume the ICL to follow a Navarro–Frenk–White (NFW) profile with a different concentration, linked to that of the dark matter by the relation c ICL = γ c DM, where the parameter γ is set to reproduce the observed relation between the stellar mass in the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) and ICL in the innermost 100 kpc and the halo mass (M * 100 − M 500) at z = 0. The model is then tested against several theoretical and observational results, from the present time to z ∼ 1.5. Our analysis shows that the fraction of stellar mass in the BCG and ICL within the innermost 100 kpc is an increasing function of redshift, parameter γ, and a decreasing function of the halo mass. The value of γ required to match the observed M * 100 − M 500 is γ = 3 at z = 0, but there are indications that it might be a function of redshift and halo mass. This result indicates that the distribution of the ICL is more concentrated than the dark matter one, but less concentrated than previously found by other studies. We suggest that a modified version of the NFW is a good description of the distribution of the diffuse light in groups and clusters, which makes the ICL a reliable tracer of the dark matter, in good agreement with recent observational findings.

The baryon content of groups and clusters of galaxies in the FABLE simulations

ABSTRACT We study the gas and stellar mass content of galaxy groups and clusters in the fable suite of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, including the evolution of their central brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs), satellite galaxies, and intracluster light (ICL). The total gas and stellar mass of fable clusters are in good agreement with observations and show negligible redshift evolution at fixed halo mass for $M_{500} \gtrsim 3 \times 10^{14} \, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$ at z ≲ 1, in line with recent findings from Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (SZ)-selected cluster samples. Importantly, the simulations predict significant redshift evolution in these quantities in the low-mass ($M_{500} \sim 10^{14} \, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$) regime, which will be testable with upcoming SZ surveys such as SPT-3G. Whilst the stellar masses of fable BCGs are in reasonable agreement with observations, the total stellar mass in satellite galaxies is lower than observed and the total mass in ICL is somewhat higher. This may be caused by enhanced tidal stripping of satellite galaxies due to their large sizes. BCGs are characterized by moderate stellar mass growth at z < 1 coincident with a late-time development of the ICL. The level of BCG mass growth is in good agreement with recent observations; however, we caution that the inferred growth depends sensitively on the mass definition. We further show that in situ star formation contributes more than half the mass of a BCG over its lifetime, the bulk of which is gained at z > 1 where star formation rates are highest. The stellar mass profiles of the BCG+ICL component are similar to observed profiles out to ∼100 kpc at z ≈ 0 and follow a close to power law shape out to several hundred kpc. We further demonstrate that the inferred size growth of BCGs can be severely biased by the choice of parametric model and the outer radius of the fit.

GASP. XXI. Star Formation Rates in the Tails of Galaxies Undergoing Ram Pressure Stripping

Abstract Using MUSE observations from the GASP survey, we study 54 galaxies undergoing ram pressure stripping (RPS) and spanning a wide range in galaxy mass and host cluster mass. We use this rich sample to study how the star formation rate (SFR) in the tails of stripped gas depends on the properties of the galaxy and its host cluster. We show that the interplay between all the parameters involved is complex and that there is not a single, dominant one in shaping the observed amount of SFR. Hence, we develop a simple analytical approach to describe the mass fraction of stripped gas and the SFR in the tail, as a function of the cluster velocity dispersion, galaxy stellar mass, clustercentric distance, and speed in the intracluster medium. Our model provides a good description of the observed gas truncation radius and of the fraction of SFR observed in the stripped tails, once we take into account the fact that the star formation efficiency in the tails is a factor of ∼5 lower than in the galaxy disk, in agreement with GASP ongoing H i and CO observations. Finally, we estimate the contribution of RPS to the intracluster light (ICL) and find that the average SFR in the tails of ram pressure stripped gas is per cluster. By extrapolating this result to evaluate the contribution to the ICL at different epochs, we compute an integrated average value per cluster of ∼4 × 109 M ☉ of stars formed in the tails of RPS galaxies since z ∼ 1.

The Fornax Deep Survey with VST

Context. This work is based on deep multi-band (g, r, i) data from the Fornax Deep Survey with the VLT Survey Telescope (VST). We analyse the surface brightness profiles of the 19 bright early-type galaxies (ETGs; mB ≤ 15 mag) inside the virial radius of the Fornax cluster (Rvir ∼ 0.7 Mpc), in the mass range 8 × 108 ≤ M* ≤ 1.2 × 1011 M⊙. Aims. The main aim of this work is to identify signatures of accretion onto galaxies by studying the presence of outer stellar haloes and to understand their nature and occurrence. Our analysis also provides a new and accurate estimate of the intra-cluster light inside the virial radius of Fornax. Methods. We performed multi-component fits to the azimuthally averaged surface brightness profiles available for all sample galaxies. This allows us to quantify the relative weight of all components in the galaxy structure that contribute to the total light. In addition, we derived the average g − i colours in each component identified by the fit, as well as the azimuthally averaged g − i colour profiles, to correlate them with the stellar mass of each galaxy and the location inside the cluster. Results. We find that in the most massive (1010 ≤ M ≤ 1011 M⊙) and reddest ETGs the fraction of light in, probably accreted, haloes (50%–90%) is much larger than in the other galaxies. All of these are located in the high-density region of the cluster (≤0.4Rvir ∼ 0.3 Mpc), belonging to the north-south clump (NS clump). Less massive galaxies (109 ≤ M ≤ 1010 M⊙) have an accreted mass fraction that is lower than 30%, have bluer colours, and reside in the low-density regions of the cluster. The colour profiles of the ETGs with the largest accreted mass fraction tend to flatten in the outskirts of the galaxy, that is beyond the transition radius from the central in situ to the ex situ accreted component. Inside the virial radius of the cluster (∼0.7 Mpc), the total luminosity of the intra-cluster light, compared with the total luminosity of all cluster members (bright galaxies and dwarfs), is about 34%. Conclusions. Inside the Fornax cluster there is a clear correlation between the amount of accreted material in the stellar haloes of galaxies and the density of the environment in which those galaxies reside. By comparing this quantity with theoretical predictions and previous observational estimates, there is a clear indication that the driving factor for the accretion process is the total stellar mass of the galaxy, which agrees with the hierarchical accretion scenario. Massive galaxies in the NS clump, with the largest accreted mass fractions, went through pre-processing in a group environment before this group merged with the main cluster early on. At the present epoch of the Fornax assembly history, these galaxies are the major contribution to the stellar density in the core of the cluster.

Dynamical masses of brightest cluster galaxies I: stellar velocity anisotropy and mass-to-light ratios

ABSTRACT We investigate the stellar and dynamical mass profiles in the centres of 25 brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) at redshifts of 0.05 ≤ z ≤ 0.30. Our spectroscopy enables us to robustly measure the Gauss–Hermite higher order velocity moments h3 and h4, which we compare to measurements for massive early-type galaxies, and central group galaxies. We measure positive central values for h4 for all the BCGs. We derive the stellar mass-to-light ratio ($\Upsilon _{\star \rm DYN}$), and velocity anisotropy (β) based on a multi-Gaussian expansion (MGE) and axisymmetric Jeans Anisotropic Methods (cylindrically and spherically aligned). We explicitly include a dark matter halo mass component, which is constrained by weak gravitational lensing measurements for these clusters. We find a strong correlation between anisotropy and velocity dispersion profile slope, with rising velocity dispersion profiles corresponding to tangential anisotropy and decreasing velocity dispersion profiles corresponding to radial anisotropy. The rising velocity dispersion profiles can also indicate a significant contribution from the intracluster light (ICL) to the total light (in projection) in the centre of the galaxy. For a small number of BCGs with rising velocity dispersion profiles, a variable stellar mass-to-light ratio can also account for the profile shape, instead of tangential anisotropy or a significant ICL contribution. We note that, for some BCGs, a variable βz(r) (from radial to tangential anisotropy) can improve the model fit to the observed kinematic profiles. The observed diversity in these properties illustrates that BCGs are not the homogeneous class of objects they are often assumed to be.

Galaxy Cluster Contribution to the Diffuse Extragalactic Ultraviolet Background

Abstract The diffuse ultraviolet background radiation has been mapped over most of the sky with 2′ resolution using data from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer survey. We utilize this map to study the correlation between the UV background and clusters of galaxies discovered via the Sunyaev–Zeldovich effect in the Planck survey. We use only high Galactic latitude ( ) galaxy clusters to avoid contamination by Galactic foregrounds, and we only analyze clusters with a measured redshift. This leaves us with a sample of 142 clusters over the redshift range of 0.02 ≤ z ≤ 0.72, which we further subdivide into four redshift bins. In analyzing our stacked samples binned by redshift, we find evidence for a central excess of UV background light compared to local backgrounds for clusters with z < 0.3. We then stacked these z < 0.3 clusters to find a statistically significant excess of 12 ± 2.3 photon cm−2 s−1 sr−1 Å−1 over the median of ∼380 photon cm−2 s−1 sr−1 Å−1 measured around random blank fields. We measure the stacked radial profile of these clusters, and find that the excess UV radiation decays to the level of the background at a radius of ∼1 Mpc, roughly consistent with the maximum radial extent of the clusters. Analysis of possible physical processes contributing to the excess UV brightness indicates that non-thermal emission from relativistic electrons in the intracluster medium and faint, unresolved UV emission from cluster member galaxies and intracluster light are likely the dominant contributors.

Spectroscopic Constraints on the Buildup of Intracluster Light in the Coma Cluster

Abstract The stellar content of the intracluster light (ICL) provides unique insight into the hierarchical assembly process of galaxy clusters. We present optical spectra of three ICL regions (μ g ≈ 25.3–26.2 mag arcsec−2) in the Coma cluster, located between 100 and 180 kpc from their nearest brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs): NGC 4889 and NGC 4874. Integral-field unit (IFU) spectroscopy with 13.5 hr on-source integration was acquired in an ancillary program within the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-IV MaNGA survey. We stacked the 127 individual fiber spectra in each IFU to achieve a 1σ limiting surface brightness of 27.9 mag arcsec−2, corresponding to a mean signal-to-noise ratio in the optical of 21.7, 9.0, and 11.7 Å−1, for each ICL region. We apply stellar population models to the stacked spectra. Our results show that the velocity dispersions of ICL regions are very high (σ ∼ 630 km s−1), indicating the stars in these regions are tracing the gravitational potential of the cluster, instead of any individual galaxy. The line-of-sight velocities are different from each other by ∼700 km s−1, while the velocity of each region is similar to the closest BCG. This suggests that the ICL regions are associated with two distinct subclusters centered on NGC 4889 and NGC 4874. The stellar populations of these regions are old and metal-poor, with ages of , , and Gyr, and [Fe/H] of , , and . From the derived age and metallicity, the buildup of ICL in Coma is likely to be through the accretion of low-mass galaxies or the tidal stripping of the outskirts of massive galaxies that have ended their star formation early on, instead of directly from major mergers of massive galaxies.

From stellar haloes to intracluster light: the physics of the Intra-Halo Stellar Component in cosmological hydrodynamical simulations

ABSTRACT We study the Intra-Halo Stellar Component (IHSC) of Milky Way-mass systems up to galaxy clusters in the Horizon-AGN cosmological hydrodynamical simulation. We identify the IHSC using an improved phase-space galaxy finder algorithm which provides an adaptive, physically motivated, and shape-independent definition of this stellar component, that can be applied to haloes of arbitrary masses. We explore the IHSC mass fraction – total halo’s stellar mass, $f_{M_{*,\mathrm{IHSC}}} - M_{*}$, relation, and the physical drivers of its scatter. We find that on average, the $f_{M_{*,\mathrm{IHSC}}}$ increases with total stellar mass, with the scatter decreasing strongly with mass from 2 dex at $M_{*,\mathrm{tot}}\simeq 10^{11}\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$ to 0.3 dex at group masses. At high masses, $M_{*,\mathrm{tot}}\gt 10^{11.5}\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$, $f_{M_{*,\mathrm{IHSC}}}$ increases with the number of substructures, and with the mass ratio between the central galaxy and largest satellite, at fixed M*, tot. From mid-size groups and systems below $M_{*,\mathrm{tot}}\lt 10^{12}\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$, we find that the central galaxy’s stellar rotation-to-dispersion velocity ratio, V/σ, displays the strongest (anti)-correlation with $f_{M_{*,\mathrm{IHSC}}}$ at fixed M*, tot of all the galaxy and halo properties explored, transitioning from $f_{M_{*,\mathrm{IHSC}}}\lt 0.1$ per cent for high V/σ, to $f_{M_{*,\mathrm{IHSC}}}\approx 5$ per cent for low V/σ galaxies. By studying the $f_{M_{*,\mathrm{IHSC}}}$ temporal evolution, we find that, in the former, mergers not always take place, but if they did, they happened early (z > 1), while the high $f_{M_{*,\mathrm{IHSC}}}$ population displays a much more active merger history. In the case of massive groups and galaxy clusters, $M_{*,\mathrm{tot}}\gtrsim 10^{12}\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$, a fraction $f_{M_{*,\mathrm{IHSC}}}\approx 10-20$ per cent is reached at z ≈ 1 and then they evolve across lines of constant $f_{M_{*,\mathrm{IHSC}}}$ modulo some small perturbations. Because of the limited simulation’s volume, the latter is only tentative and requires a larger sample of simulated galaxy clusters to confirm.

The intracluster light as a tracer of the total matter density distribution: a view from simulations

ABSTRACT By using deep observations of clusters of galaxies, it has been recently found that the projected stellar mass density closely follows the projected total (dark and baryonic) mass density within the innermost ∼140 kpc. In this work, we aim to test these observations using the Cluster-EAGLE simulations, comparing the projected densities inferred directly from the simulations. We compare the iso-density contours using the procedure of Montes & Trujillo, and find that the shape of the stellar mass distribution follows that of the total matter even more closely than observed, although their radial profiles differ substantially. The ratio between stellar and total matter density profiles in circular apertures shows a slope close to −1, with a small dependence on the cluster’s total mass. We propose an indirect method to calculate the halo mass and mass density profile from the radial profile of the intracluster stellar mass density.

Structure of Brightest Cluster Galaxies and Intracluster Light

Observations of 170 local ($z\lesssim0.08$) galaxy clusters in the northern hemisphere have been obtained with the Wendelstein Telescope Wide Field Imager (WWFI). We correct for systematic effects such as point-spread function broadening, foreground star contamination, relative bias offsets, and charge persistence. Background inhomogeneities induced by scattered light are reduced down to $\Delta {\rm SB} > 31~g'$ mag arcsec$^{-2}$ by large dithering and subtraction of night-sky flats. Residual background inhomogeneities brighter than ${\rm SB}_{\sigma}< 27.6~g'$ mag arcsec$^{-2}$ caused by galactic cirrus are detected in front of 23% of the clusters. However, the large field of view allows discrimination between accretion signatures and galactic cirrus. We detect accretion signatures in the form of tidal streams in 22%, shells in 9.4%, and multiple nuclei in 47% of the Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) and find two BCGs in 7% of the clusters. We measure semimajor-axis surface brightness profiles of the BCGs and their surrounding Intracluster Light (ICL) down to a limiting surface brightness of ${\rm SB} = 30~g'$ mag arcsec$^{-2}$. The spatial resolution in the inner regions is increased by combining the WWFI light profiles with those that we measured from archival \textit{Hubble Space Telescope} images or deconvolved WWFI images. We find that 71% of the BCG+ICL systems have surface brightness (SB) profiles that are well described by a single S\'ersic (SS) function, whereas 29% require a double S\'ersic (DS) function to obtain a good fit. We find that BCGs have scaling relations that differ markedly from those of normal ellipticals, likely due to their indistinguishable embedding in the ICL.

The GALEX Ultraviolet Virgo Cluster Survey (GUViCS)

Aims. We present the first detection of diffuse dust in the intra-cluster medium of the Virgo cluster out to ∼0.4 virial radii, and study the radial variation of its properties on a radial scale of the virial radius. Methods. Analysing near-UV – i colours for a sample of ∼12 000 background galaxies with redshifts 0.02 &lt; z &lt; 0.8, we find significant colour reddening and relate it to variation in E(B − V) values. Results. The E(B − V) mean profile shows a dust component characterised by an average reddening E(B − V) ∼ 0.042 ± 0.004 mag within 1.5 degrees (∼0.3 rvir) from the cluster centre. Assuming a Large Magellanic Cloud extinction law, we derive an average visual extinction AV = 0.14 ± 0.01 for a total dust mass, Md = 2.5 ± 0.2 × 109 M⊙, hence a dust-to-gas mass ratio Md/Mg = 3.0 ± 0.3 × 10−4. Based on the upper limits on the flux density I250μm = 0.1 MJy sr−1 derived from Herschel data, we estimate an upper limit for the dust temperature of Td ∼ 10 K. However, similar densities can be obtained with dust at higher temperatures with lower emissivities. Conclusions. The Virgo cluster has diffuse dust in its intra-cluster medium characterised by different physical properties as those characterising the Milky Way dust. The diffuse dust in Virgo is transported into the cluster space through similar phenomena (stripping) as those building up the optical intra-cluster light, and it constitutes an additional cooling agent of the cluster gas.

The growth of brightest cluster galaxies and intracluster light over the past 10 billion years

ABSTRACT We constrain the evolution of the brightest cluster galaxy plus intracluster light (BCG + ICL) using an ensemble of 42 galaxy groups and clusters that span redshifts of z = 0.05−1.75 and masses of M500,c= 2 × 1013−1015 M⊙. Specifically, we measure the relationship between the BCG + ICL stellar mass M⋆ and M500,c at projected radii 10 &amp;lt; r &amp;lt; 100 kpc for three different epochs. At intermediate redshift ($\bar{z}=0.40$), where we have the best data, we find M⋆ ∝ M500,c0.48 ± 0.06. Fixing the exponent of this power law for all redshifts, we constrain the normalization of this relation to be 2.08 ± 0.21 times higher at $\bar{z}=0.40$ than at high redshift ($\bar{z}=1.55$). We find no change in the relation from intermediate to low redshift ($\bar{z}=0.10$). In other words, for fixed M500,c, M⋆ at 10 &amp;lt; r &amp;lt; 100 kpc increases from $\bar{z}=1.55$ to $\bar{z}=0.40$ and not significantly thereafter. Theoretical models predict that the physical mass growth of the cluster from z = 1.5 to z = 0 within r500,c is 1.4×, excluding evolution due to definition of r500,c. We find that M⋆ within the central 100 kpc increases by ∼3.8× over the same period. Thus, the growth of M⋆ in this central region is more than a factor of 2 greater than the physical mass growth of the cluster as a whole. Furthermore, the concentration of the BCG + ICL stellar mass, defined by the ratio of stellar mass within 10 kpc to the total stellar mass within 100 kpc, decreases with increasing M500,c at all z. We interpret this result as evidence for inside–out growth of the BCG + ICL over the past 10 Gyr, with stellar mass assembly occurring at larger radii at later times.

Clocking the formation of today’s largest galaxies: wide field integral spectroscopy of brightest cluster galaxies and their surroundings

ABSTRACT The formation and evolution of local brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) is investigated by determining the stellar populations and dynamics from the galaxy core, through the outskirts and into the intracluster light (ICL). Integral spectroscopy of 23 BCGs observed out to $4\, r_{e}$ is collected and high signal-to-noise regions are identified. Stellar population synthesis codes are used to determine the age, metallicity, velocity, and velocity dispersion of stars within each region. The ICL spectra are best modelled with populations that are younger and less metal-rich than those of the BCG cores. The average BCG core age of the sample is $\rm 13.3\pm 2.8\, Gyr$ and the average metallicity is $\rm [Fe/H] = 0.30\pm 0.09$, whereas for the ICL the average age is $\rm 9.2\pm 3.5\, Gyr$ and the average metallicity is $\rm [Fe/H] = 0.18\pm 0.16$. The velocity dispersion profile is seen to be rising or flat in most of the sample (17/23), and those with rising values reach the value of the host cluster’s velocity dispersion in several cases. The most extended BCGs are closest to the peak of the cluster’s X-ray luminosity. The results are consistent with the idea that the BCG cores and inner regions formed quickly and long ago, with the outer regions and ICL forming more recently, and continuing to assemble through minor merging. Any recent star formation in the BCGs is a minor component, and is associated with the cluster cool core status.

Searching for Highly Magnified Stars at Cosmological Distances: Discovery of a Redshift 0.94 Blue Supergiant in Archival Images of the Galaxy Cluster MACS J0416.1-2403

Abstract Individual highly magnified stars have been recently discovered at lookback times of more than half the age of the universe, in lensed galaxies that straddle the critical curves of massive galaxy clusters. Having established their detectability, it is now important to carry out systematic searches for them in order to establish their frequency, and in turn learn about the statistical properties of high-redshift stars and of the granularity of matter in the foreground deflector. Here we report the discovery of a highly magnified star at redshift z = 0.94 in a strongly lensed arc behind a Hubble Frontier Field (HFF) galaxy cluster, MACS J0416.1-2403, discovered as part of a systematic archival search. The bright transient (dubbed “Warhol”) was discovered in Hubble Space Telescope data taken on 2014 September 15 and 16. The point source faded over a period of two weeks, and observations taken on 2014 September 1 show that the duration of the microlensing event was at most four weeks in total. The magnified stellar image that exhibited the microlensing peak may also exhibit slow changes over a period of years at a level consistent with that expected for microlensing by the stars responsible for the intracluster light of the cluster. Optical and infrared observations taken near peak brightness can be fit by a stellar spectrum with moderate host-galaxy extinction. A blue supergiant matches the measured spectral energy distribution near peak, implying a temporary magnification of at least several thousand. The short timescale of the event and the estimated effective temperature indicate that the lensed source is an extremely magnified star. Finally, we detect the expected counterimage of the background lensed star at an offset by ∼0.″1 in a deep coaddition of HFF imaging.

The complex case of MACS J0717.5+3745 and its extended filament: intra-cluster light, galaxy luminosity function, and galaxy orientations

Context. The properties of galaxies are known to be affected by their environment, but although galaxies in clusters and groups have been quite thoroughly investigated, little is known about galaxies belonging to filaments of the cosmic web, or about the properties of the filaments themselves. Aims. Here we investigate the properties of the rich cluster MACS J0717.5+3745 and its extended filament by analyzing the distribution and fractions of intra-cluster light (ICL) in its core and by trying to detect intra-filament light (IFL) in the filament. We analyze the galaxy luminosity function (GLF) of the cluster core and of the filament. We also study the orientations of galaxies in the filament to better constrain the filament properties. Methods. This work is based on Hubble Space Telescope (HST) archive data, both from the Hubble Frontier Fields in the F435W, F606W, F814W, and F105W bands, and from a mosaic of images in the F606W and F814W bands. The spatial distribution of the ICL was determined with our new wavelet-based software, DAWIS. The GLFs were extracted in the F606W and F814W bands, with a statistical subtraction of the background, and fit with Schechter functions. The galaxy orientations in the filaments were estimated with SExtractor after correction for the point spread function. Results. We detect a large amount of ICL in the cluster core, but no IFL in the cosmic filament. The fraction of ICL in the core peaks in the F606W filter before decreasing with wavelength. Though relatively noisy, the GLFs in the filament are notably different from those of field galaxies, with a flatter faint end slope and an excess of bright galaxies. We do not detect a significant alignment of the galaxies in the filament region analyzed.

Next-generation telescopes with curved focal surface for ultralow surface brightness surveys

ABSTRACT In spite of major advances in both ground- and space-based instrumentation, the ultralow surface brightness Universe (ULSB) still remains a largely unexplored volume in observational parameter space. ULSB observations provide unique constraints on a wide variety of objects, from the Zodiacal light all the way to the optical cosmological background radiation, through dust cirri, mass-loss shells in giant stars, LSB galaxies and the intracluster light. These surface brightness levels (&gt;28–29 mag arcsec−2) are observed by maximizing the efficiency of the surveys and minimizing or removing the systematics arising in the measurement of surface brightness. Based on full-system photon Monte Carlo simulations, we present here the performance of a ground-based telescope aimed at carrying out ULSB observations, with a curved focal surface design. Its off-axis optical design maximizes the field of view while minimizing the focal ratio. No lenses are used, as their multiple internal scatterings increase the wings of the point spread function (PSF), and the usual requirement of a flat focal plane is relaxed through the use of curved CCD detectors. The telescope has only one unavoidable single refractive surface, the cryostat window, and yet it delivers a PSF with ultracompact wings, which allows the detection, for a given exposure time, of surface brightness levels nearly three orders of magnitude fainter than any other current telescope.

Dark Energy Survey Year 1 results: the effect of intracluster light on photometric redshifts for weak gravitational lensing

Abstract We study the effect of diffuse intracluster light on the critical surface mass density estimated from photometric redshifts of lensing source galaxies, and the resulting bias in a weak lensing measurement of galaxy cluster mass. Under conservative assumptions, we find the bias to be negligible for imaging surveys like the Dark Energy Survey with a recommended scale cut of ≥200 kpc distance from cluster centres. For significantly deeper lensing source galaxy catalogues from present and future surveys like the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope program, more conservative scale and source magnitude cuts or a correction of the effect may be necessary to achieve percent level lensing measurement accuracy, especially at the massive end of the cluster population.

Chandra Detection of Intracluster X-Ray Sources in Fornax

Abstract Based on archival Chandra observations with a total exposure of 1.3 Ms, we study X-ray point sources in the Fornax cluster of galaxies, with the primary aim of searching for intracluster X-ray source populations. We detect 1177 point sources out to a projected radius of ∼30 arcmin (∼180 kpc) from the cluster center and down to a limiting 0.5–8 keV luminosity of ∼3 × 1037 erg s−1. We construct the source surface density profile, after excluding sources associated with foreground stars, known globular clusters, ultra-compact dwarfs, and galactic nuclei. From this profile we statistically identify ∼183 excess sources that are not associated with the bulk stellar content of the individual member galaxies of Fornax, nor with the cosmic X-ray background. Taking into account Poisson error and cosmic variance, the cumulative significance of this excess is at the ≳2σ level (with a maximum of 3.6σ) outside three effective radii of the central giant elliptical, NGC 1399. The luminosity function of the excess sources is found to be significantly steeper than that of the GC-hosting sources (presumably low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs)), disfavoring the possibility that unidentified GCs are primarily responsible for the excess. We show that a large fraction of the excess can be related to the extended stellar halo of NGC 1399 and/or the diffuse intracluster light, thus providing strong evidence for the presence of intracluster X-ray sources in Fornax, the second unambiguous case for a galaxy cluster after Virgo. Other possible origins of the excess, including supernova-kicked LMXBs and stripped nucleated dwarf galaxies are discussed.

Dark Energy Survey Year 1 Results: Detection of Intracluster Light at Redshift ∼ 0.25

Abstract Using data collected by the Dark Energy Survey (DES), we report the detection of intracluster light (ICL) with ∼300 galaxy clusters in the redshift range of 0.2–0.3. We design methods to mask detected galaxies and stars in the images and stack the cluster light profiles, while accounting for several systematic effects (sky subtraction, instrumental point-spread function, cluster selection effects, and residual light in the ICL raw detection from background and cluster galaxies). The methods allow us to acquire high signal-to-noise measurements of the ICL and central galaxies (CGs), which we separate with radial cuts. The ICL appears as faint and diffuse light extending to at least 1 Mpc from the cluster center, reaching a surface brightness level of 30 mag arcsec−2. The ICL and the cluster CG contribute 44% ± 17% of the total cluster stellar luminosity within 1 Mpc. The ICL color is overall consistent with that of the cluster red sequence galaxies, but displays the trend of becoming bluer with increasing radius. The ICL demonstrates an interesting self-similarity feature—for clusters in different richness ranges, their ICL radial profiles are similar after scaling with cluster R 200m , and the ICL brightness appears to be a good tracer of the cluster radial mass distribution. These analyses are based on the DES redMaPPer cluster sample identified in the first year of observations.