Cluster Luminosity Function Research Articles

Deep spectroscopy in nearby galaxy clusters – V. The Perseus cluster

ABSTRACT Dwarfs are the largest population of galaxies in number in the nearby Universe. Deep spectroscopic data are still missing to obtain a better understanding of their formation and evolution processes. This study shows the results obtained from a spectroscopic campaign in the Perseus cluster. We have obtained 963 new galaxy spectra. We have measured the recessional velocity of the galaxies by using a cross-correlation technique. These data have been used to obtain the cluster membership, the dynamics of the galaxies, and the spectroscopic luminosity function (LF) of the cluster. The cluster membership was obtained by using the peak + gap technique, reporting a total of 403 galaxies as cluster members within 1.4r200. The mean velocity and velocity dispersion of the cluster galaxies are Vc = 5258 km s−1 and σc = 1040 km s−1, respectively. We obtained M200 = 1.2 × 1015 M⊙ and r200 = 2.2 Mpc for this cluster. The clusters members were classified blue and red according to their g − r stellar colour. The velocity dispersion of these two families of galaxies is different, indicating that the blue galaxies can be classified as recently accreted into the cluster. We present the spectroscopic galaxy LF of the cluster. This function turned to be flat: α = 0.99 ± 0.06. In addition, blue and red galaxies show similar densities in the faint end of the LF. This indicates that Perseus does not have a population of red dwarf galaxias as large as other nearby clusters. We have compared the LF of the Perseus cluster with other spectroscopic LFs of nearby clusters and those from cosmological simulations. This comparison shows that the spectroscopic LF of nearby galaxy cluster is far from universal.

Star formation in low-redshift cluster dwarf galaxies

ABSTRACT Evolution of galaxies in dense environments can be affected by close encounters with neighbouring galaxies and interactions with the intracluster medium. Dwarf galaxies (dGs) are important as their low mass makes them more susceptible to these effects than giant systems. Combined luminosity functions (LFs) in the r and u band of 15 galaxy clusters were constructed using archival data from the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope. LFs were measured as a function of clustercentric radius from stacked cluster data. Marginal evidence was found for an increase in the faint-end slope of the u-band LF relative to the r-band with increasing clustercentric radius. The dwarf-to-giant ratio (DGR) was found to increase toward the cluster outskirts, with the u-band DGR increasing faster with clustercentric radius compared to the r-band. The dG blue fraction was found to be ∼2 times larger than the giant galaxy blue fraction over all clustercentric distance (∼5σ level). The central concentration (C) was used as a proxy to distinguish nucleated versus non-nucleated dGs. The ratio of high-C to low-C dGs was found to be ∼2 times greater in the inner cluster region compared to the outskirts (2.8σ level). The faint-end slope of the r-band LF for the cluster outskirts (0.6 ≤ r/r200 < 1.0) is steeper than the Sloan Digital Sky Survey field LF, while the u-band LF is marginally steeper at the 2.5σ level. Decrease in the faint-end slope of the r- and u-band cluster LFs towards the cluster centre is consistent with quenching of star formation via ram pressure stripping and galaxy–galaxy interactions.

On the origin of dust in galaxy clusters at low-to-intermediate redshift

ABSTRACT Stacked analyses of galaxy clusters at low-to-intermediate redshift show signatures attributable to dust, but the origin of this dust is uncertain. We test the hypothesis that the bulk of cluster dust derives from galaxy ejecta. To do so, we employ dust abundances obtained from detailed chemical evolution models of galaxies. We integrate the dust abundances over cluster luminosity functions (one-slope and two-slope Schechter functions). We consider both a hierarchical scenario of galaxy formation and an independent evolution of the three main galactic morphologies: elliptical/S0, spiral and irregular. We separate the dust residing within galaxies from the dust ejected in the intracluster medium. To the latter, we apply thermal sputtering. The model results are compared to low-to-intermediate redshift observations of dust masses. We find that in any of the considered scenarios, elliptical/S0 galaxies contribute negligibly to the present-time intracluster dust, despite producing the majority of gas-phase metals in galaxy clusters. Spiral galaxies, instead, provide both the bulk of the spatially unresolved dust and of the dust ejected into the intracluster medium. The total dust-to-gas mass ratio in galaxy clusters amounts to 10−4, while the intracluster medium dust-to-gas mass ratio amounts to 10−6 at most. These dust abundances are consistent with the estimates of cluster observations at 0.2 < z < 1. We propose that galactic sources, spiral galaxies in particular, are the major contributors to the cluster dust budget.

The evolution of the UV luminosity function of globular clusters in the E-MOSAICS simulations

We present the evolution of the rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) properties of the globular cluster (GC) populations and their host galaxies formed in the E-MOSAICS suite of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. We compute the luminosities of all clusters associated with 25 simulated Milky Way-mass galaxies, discussed in previous works, in the rest-frame UV and optical bands by combining instantaneous cluster properties (age, mass, metallicity) with simple stellar population models, from redshifts $z=0$ to 10. Due to the rapid fading of young stellar populations in the UV, most of the simulated galaxies do not host GCs bright enough to be individually identified in deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations, even in highly magnified systems. The median age of the most UV-luminous GCs is $<10$ Myr (assuming no extinction), increasing to $\gtrsim 100$ Myr for red optical filters. We estimate that these GCs typically only contribute a few per cent of the total UV luminosity of their host galaxies at any epoch. We predict that the number density of UV-bright proto-GCs (or cluster clumps) will peak between redshifts $z=1-3$. In the main progenitors of Milky Way-mass galaxies, $10$-$20$ per cent of the galaxies at redshifts $1 \lesssim z \lesssim 3$ have clusters brighter than $M_{\rm UV} < -15$, and less than $10$ per cent at other epochs. The brightest cluster in the galaxy sample at $z>2$ is typically $M_{\rm UV} \sim -16$, consistent with the luminosities of observed compact, high-redshift sources.

The Massive and Distant Clusters of WISE Survey. VI. Stellar Mass Fractions of a Sample of High-redshift Infrared-selected Clusters

Abstract We present measurements of the stellar mass fractions ( f ⋆ ) for a sample of high-redshift (0.93 ≤ z ≤ 1.32) infrared-selected galaxy clusters from the Massive and Distant Clusters of WISE Survey (MaDCoWS) and compare them to the stellar mass fractions of Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (SZ) effect-selected clusters in a similar mass and redshift range from the South Pole Telescope (SPT)–SZ Survey. We do not find a significant difference in mean f ⋆ between the two selection methods; though, we do find an unexpectedly large range in f ⋆ for the SZ-selected clusters. In addition, we measure the luminosity function of the MaDCoWS clusters and find m * = 19.41 ± 0.07 , similar to other studies of clusters at or near our redshift range. Finally, we present SZ detections and masses for seven MaDCoWS clusters and new spectroscopic redshifts for five MaDCoWS clusters. One of these new clusters, MOO J1521+0452 at z = 1.31, is the most distant MaDCoWS cluster confirmed to date.

Discovery of a red ultra-diffuse galaxy in a nearby void based on its globular cluster luminosity function

Distance determinations of extremely-low-surface-brightness galaxies are expensive in terms of spectroscopic time. Because of this, their distances are often inferred by associating such galaxies with larger structures such as groups or clusters, leading to a systematic bias by selecting objects in high density environments. Here we report the discovery of a red ultra-diffuse galaxy (S82-DG-1: $r_{\mathrm{eff}}$ = 1.6 kpc; $<\mu _{g}>$ = 25.7 mag arcsec$^{-2}$; $g-i$ = 0.78 mag) located in a nearby cosmic void. We used multi-band luminosity functions of its globular clusters to obtain the distance to S82-DG-1, at 28.7$_{-3.6}^{+4.2}$ Mpc. Follow-up deep spectroscopy with the GTC telescope yields a redshift of 3353 $\pm$ 29 km s$^{-1}$, making its association with the NGC 1211 galaxy (one of the most isolated galaxies known) highly likely. Both galaxies have compatible distances and redshifts, share a high peculiar velocity ($\sim$1000 km s$^{-1}$) and lie within a void of radius 7 Mpc. The local surface density is $\Sigma_5 \sim 0.06$ Mpc$^{-2}$, an order of magnitude smaller than the field population and similar to the voids found in the GAMA survey. Our work shows: i) The high potential of using optical ground-based photometry of associated globular clusters to explore distances to ultra-diffuse galaxies and ii) the presence of red ultra-diffuse galaxies even in the most sparse environments, suggesting a wide range of formation mechanisms.

Young massive clusters in the interacting LIRG Arp 299: evidence for the dependence of star cluster formation and evolution on environment

Archival WFC3/UVIS imaging of Arp 299 (NGC 3690E + NGC 3690W) is retrieved to investigate the young massive cluster (YMC) population of this ongoing merger. We extract 2182 cluster candidates, including 1323 high confidence photometric sources. Multiband photometry is matched with Yggdrasil models to estimate the age, mass, and extinction of each cluster. A Schechter fit of the truncated cluster mass function results in a characteristic mass ${\rm M_{*} = 1.6 \times 10^6 M_{\odot}}$. Our results confirm that intensely star-forming galaxies such as Arp 299 host more massive clusters than quiescent dwarf and normal spirals. In the case of NGC 3690E, we find that the cluster masses decrease with an increasing galactocentric radius likely due to the gas density distribution. On the other hand, the fitted age distributions of a mass-limited sample suggest that YMCs of the western component undergo stronger disruption than those hosted by the eastern galaxy. This is in agreement with the properties of the underlying cluster luminosity functions: a clear truncation at high luminosities with slopes generally shallower by $\sim 0.3$ dex than the ones of the NGC 3690E. Finally, the derived cluster formation efficiency, $\Gamma \sim 19$ percent, indicates that Arp 299 has $\sim 3-5$ times more star formation happening in bound clusters compared to the cases of gas-poor spirals like NGC 2997 and NGC 4395. The merger generally follows the $\Gamma - $ star formation rate density relation from the literature. The YMC photometric study of Arp 299 thus reveals that both formation and disruption mechanisms of the star cluster population are most likely environment-dependent.

A Globular Cluster Luminosity Function Distance to NGC 4993 Hosting a Binary Neutron Star Merger GW170817/GRB 170817A

Abstract NGC 4993 hosts a binary neutron star merger, GW170817/GRB 170817A, emitting gravitational waves and electromagnetic waves. The distance to this galaxy is not well established. We select the globular cluster candidates from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/ACS F606W images of NGC 4993 in the archive, using the structural parameters of the detected sources. The radial number density distribution of these candidates shows a significant central concentration around the galaxy center at the galactocentric distance r &lt; 50″, showing that they are mostly the members of NGC 4993. Also, the luminosity function of these candidates is fit well by a Gaussian function. Therefore, the selected candidates at r &lt; 50″ are mostly considered to be globular clusters in NGC 4993. We derive an extinction-corrected turnover Vega magnitude in the luminosity function of the globular clusters at 20″ &lt; r &lt; 50″, F606W (max)0 = 25.36 ± 0.08 (V 0 = 25.52 ± 0.11) mag. Adopting the calibration of the turnover magnitudes of the globular clusters, M V (max) = −7.58 ± 0.11, we derive a distance to NGC 4993, d = 41.65 ± 3.00 Mpc ( ). The systematic error of this method can be as large as ±0.3 mag. This value is consistent with the previous distance estimates based on the fundamental plane relation and the gravitational wave method in the literature. The distance in this study can be used to constrain the values of the parameters including the inclination angle of the binary system in the models of gravitational wave analysis.

The Magellanic Bridge Cluster NGC 796: Deep Optical AO Imaging Reveals the Stellar Content and Initial Mass Function of a Massive Open Cluster

Abstract NGC 796 is a massive young cluster located 59 kpc from us in the diffuse intergalactic medium of the 1/5–1/10 Z ☉ Magellanic Bridge, allowing us to probe variations in star formation and stellar evolution processes as a function of metallicity in a resolved fashion, and providing a link between resolved studies of nearby solar-metallicity and unresolved distant metal-poor clusters located in high-redshift galaxies. In this paper, we present adaptive optics griHα imaging of NGC 796 (at 0.″5, which is ∼0.14 pc at the cluster distance) along with optical spectroscopy of two bright members to quantify the cluster properties. Our aim is to explore whether star formation and stellar evolution vary as a function of metallicity by comparing the properties of NGC 796 to higher-metallicity clusters. We find an age of 20 − 5 + 12 Myr from isochronal fitting of the cluster main sequence in the color–magnitude diagram. Based on the cluster luminosity function, we derive a top-heavy stellar initial mass function (IMF) with a slope α = 1.99 ± 0.2, hinting at a metallicity and/or environmental dependence of the IMF, which may lead to a top-heavy IMF in the early universe. Study of the Hα emission-line stars reveals that classical Be stars constitute a higher fraction of the total B-type stars when compared with similar clusters at greater metallicity, providing some support to the chemically homogeneous theory of stellar evolution. Overall, NGC 796 has a total estimated mass of 990 ± 200 M ⊙, and a core radius of 1.4 ± 0.3 pc, which classifies it as a massive young open cluster, unique in the diffuse interstellar medium of the Magellanic Bridge.

A 3.5 million Solar masses black hole in the centre of the ultracompact dwarf galaxy fornax UCD3

The origin of ultracompact dwarfs (UCDs), a class of compact stellar systems discovered two decades ago, still remains a matter of debate. Recent discoveries of central supermassive black holes in UCDs likely inherited from their massive progenitor galaxies provide support for the tidal stripping hypothesis. At the same time, on statistical grounds, some massive UCDs might be representatives of the high luminosity tail of the globular cluster luminosity function. Here we present a detection of a $3.3^{+1.4}_{-1.2}\times10^6\,M_{\odot}$ black hole ($1\sigma$ uncertainty) in the centre of the UCD3 galaxy in the Fornax cluster, that corresponds to 4 per cent of its stellar mass. We performed isotropic Jeans dynamical modelling of UCD3 using internal kinematics derived from adaptive optics assisted observations with the SINFONI spectrograph and seeing limited data collected with the FLAMES spectrograph at the ESO VLT. We rule out the zero black hole mass at the $3\sigma$ confidence level when adopting a mass-to-light ratio inferred from stellar populations. This is the fourth supermassive black hole found in a UCD and the first one in the Fornax cluster. Similarly to other known UCDs that harbour black holes, UCD3 hosts metal rich stars enhanced in $\alpha$-elements that supports the tidal stripping of a massive progenitor as its likely formation scenario. We estimate that up to 80 per cent of luminous UCDs in galaxy clusters host central black holes. This fraction should be lower for UCDs in groups, because their progenitors are more likely to be dwarf galaxies, which do not tend to host central black holes.

An Enigmatic Population of Luminous Globular Clusters in a Galaxy Lacking Dark Matter

Abstract We recently found an ultra diffuse galaxy (UDG) with a half-light radius of R e = 2.2 kpc and little or no dark matter. The total mass of NGC1052–DF2 was measured from the radial velocities of bright compact objects that are associated with the galaxy. Here, we analyze these objects using a combination of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging and Keck spectroscopy. Their average size is pc and their average ellipticity is . From a stacked Keck spectrum we derive an age of ≳9 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = −1.35 ± 0.12. Their properties are similar to ω Centauri, the brightest and largest globular cluster in the Milky Way, and our results demonstrate that the luminosity function of metal-poor globular clusters is not universal. The fraction of the total stellar mass that is in the globular cluster system is similar to that in other UDGs, and consistent with “failed galaxy” scenarios, where star formation terminated shortly after the clusters were formed. However, the galaxy is a factor of ∼1000 removed from the relation between globular cluster mass and total galaxy mass that has been found for other galaxies, including other UDGs. We infer that a dark matter halo is not a prerequisite for the formation of metal-poor globular cluster-like objects in high-redshift galaxies.

The NGC 7742 star cluster luminosity function: a population analysis revisited

We re-examine the properties of the star cluster population in the circumnuclear starburst ring in the face-on spiral galaxy NGC 7742, whose young cluster mass function has been reported to exhibit significant deviations from the canonical power law. We base our reassessment on the clusters’ luminosities (an observational quantity) rather than their masses (a derived quantity), and confirm conclusively that the galaxy’s starburst-ring clusters—and particularly the youngest subsample, —show evidence of a turnover in the cluster luminosity function well above the 90% completeness limit adopted to ensure the reliability of our results. This confirmation emphasizes the unique conundrum posed by this unusual cluster population.

Fossil group origins

Context. It is thought that fossil systems are relics of structure formation in the primitive Universe. They are galaxy aggregations that have assembled their mass at high redshift with few or no subsequent accretion. Observationally these systems are selected by large magnitude gaps between their 1st and 2nd ranked galaxies (Δm12). Nevertheless, there is still debate over whether or not this observational criterium selects dynamically evolved ancient systems. Aims. We have studied the properties of the nearby fossil group RX J075243.6+455653 in order to understand the mass assembly of this system. Methods. Deep spectroscopic observations allow us to construct the galaxy luminosity function (LF) of RX J075243.6+455653 down to Mr*+6. The analysis of the faint-end of the LF in groups and clusters provides valuable information about the mass assembly of the system. In addition, we have analyzed the nearby large-scale structure around this group. Results. We identified 26 group members within r200 ~ 0.96 Mpc. These galaxies are located at Vc = 15551 ± 65 km s-1 and have a velocity dispersion of σc = 333 ± 46 km s-1. The X-ray luminosity of the group is LX = 2.2 × 1043 h70-2 erg s-1, resulting in a mass of M = 4.2 × 1013 h70-1 within 0.5r200. The group has Δm12 = 2.1 within 0.5r200, confirming the fossil nature of this system. RX J075243.6+455653 has a central brightest group galaxy (BGG) with Mr = −22.67, one of the faintest BGGs observed in fossil systems. The LF of the group shows a flat faint-end slope (α = −1.08 ± 0.33). This low density of dwarf galaxies is confirmed by the low value of the dwarf-to-giant ratio (DGR = 0.99 ± 0.49) for this system. Both the lack of dwarf galaxies and the low luminosity of the BGG suggests that RX J075243.6+455653 still has to accrete mass from its nearby environment. This mass accretion will be achieved because it is the dominant structure of a rich environment formed by several groups of galaxies (15) within ~ 7 Mpc from the group center and with ± 1000 km s-1. Conclusions. RX J075243.6+455653 is a group of galaxies that has not yet completed the process of its mass assembly. This new mass accretion will change the fossil state of the group. This group is an example of a galaxy aggregation selected by a large magnitude gap but still in the process of the accretion of its mass.

The Electromagnetic Counterpart of the Binary Neutron Star Merger LIGO/Virgo GW170817. VII. Properties of the Host Galaxy and Constraints on the Merger Timescale

Abstract We present the properties of NGC 4993, the host galaxy of GW170817, the first gravitational-wave (GW) event from the merger of a binary neutron star (BNS) system and the first with an electromagnetic (EM) counterpart. We use both archival photometry and new optical/near-IR imaging and spectroscopy, together with stellar population synthesis models to infer the global properties of the host galaxy. We infer a star formation history peaked at ago, with subsequent exponential decline leading to a low current star formation rate of 0.01 yr−1, which we convert into a binary merger timescale probability distribution. We find a median merger timescale of Gyr, with a 90% confidence range of . This in turn indicates an initial binary separation of , comparable to the inferred values for Galactic BNS systems. We also use new and archival Hubble Space Telescope images to measure a projected offset of the optical counterpart of 2.1 kpc (0.64r e ) from the center of NGC 4993 and to place a limit of mag on any pre-existing emission, which rules out the brighter half of the globular cluster luminosity function. Finally, the age and offset of the system indicates it experienced a modest natal kick with an upper limit of ∼200 km s−1. Future GW–EM observations of BNS mergers will enable measurement of their population delay time distribution, which will directly inform their viability as the dominant source of r-process enrichment in the universe.

Studying the ICM in clusters of galaxies via surface brightness fluctuations of the cosmic X-ray background

We study the surface brightness fluctuations of the cosmic X-ray background (CXB) using Chandra data of XBOOTES. After masking out resolved sources we compute the power spectrum of fluctuations of the unresolved CXB for angular scales from ~2 arcsec to ~3 deg. The non-trivial large-scale structure (LSS) signal dominates over the shot-noise of unresolved point sources at all scales above ~1 arcmin and is produced mainly by the intracluster medium (ICM) of unresolved clusters and groups of galaxies, as shown in our previous publication. The shot-noise-subtracted power spectrum of CXB fluctuations has a power-law shape with the slope of $\Gamma = 0.96 \pm 0.06$. Its energy spectrum is well described by the redshifted emission spectrum of optically-thin plasma with the best-fit temperature of $T \approx 1.3$ keV and the best-fit redshift of $z \approx 0.40$. They are in good agreement with theoretical expectations based on the X-ray luminosity function and scaling relations of clusters. From these values we estimate the typical mass and luminosity of the objects responsible for CXB fluctuations, $M_{500} \sim 10^{13.6}\,{\rm M}_{\odot}/h$ and $L_{0.5-2.0\,{\rm keV}} \sim 10^{42.5}$ erg/s. On the other hand, the flux-weighted mean temperature and redshift of resolved clusters are $T \approx 2.4$ keV and $z \approx 0.23$, confirming that fluctuations of unresolved CXB are caused by cooler (i.e. less massive) and more distant clusters, as expected. We show that the power spectrum shape is sensitive to the ICM structure all the way to the outskirts, out to $\sim{\rm few}\times R_{500}$. We also look for possible contribution of the warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM) to the observed CXB fluctuations. Our results underline the significant diagnostics potential of the CXB fluctuation analysis in studying the ICM structure in clusters.

Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey with The Hubble Space Telescope: Stellar Cluster Catalogs and First Insights Into Cluster Formation and Evolution in NGC 628∗

Abstract We report the large effort that is producing comprehensive high-level young star cluster (YSC) catalogs for a significant fraction of galaxies observed with the Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey (LEGUS) Hubble treasury program. We present the methodology developed to extract cluster positions, verify their genuine nature, produce multiband photometry (from NUV to NIR), and derive their physical properties via spectral energy distribution fitting analyses. We use the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 628 as a test case for demonstrating the impact that LEGUS will have on our understanding of the formation and evolution of YSCs and compact stellar associations within their host galaxy. Our analysis of the cluster luminosity function from the UV to the NIR finds a steepening at the bright end and at all wavelengths suggesting a dearth of luminous clusters. The cluster mass function of NGC 628 is consistent with a power-law distribution of slopes and a truncation of a few times 105 . After their formation, YSCs and compact associations follow different evolutionary paths. YSCs survive for a longer time frame, confirming their being potentially bound systems. Associations disappear on timescales comparable to hierarchically organized star-forming regions, suggesting that they are expanding systems. We find mass-independent cluster disruption in the inner region of NGC 628, while in the outer part of the galaxy there is little or no disruption. We observe faster disruption rates for low mass (≤104 ) clusters, suggesting that a mass-dependent component is necessary to fully describe the YSC disruption process in NGC 628.

High Frequency Cluster Radio Galaxies: Luminosity Functions and Implications for SZE Selected Cluster Samples

We study the overdensity of point sources in the direction of X-ray-selected galaxy clusters from the Meta-Catalog of X-ray detected Clusters of galaxies (MCXC; $\langle z \rangle = 0.14$) at South Pole Telescope (SPT) and Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey (SUMSS) frequencies. Flux densities at 95, 150 and 220 GHz are extracted from the 2500 deg$^2$ SPT-SZ survey maps at the locations of SUMSS sources, producing a multi-frequency catalog of radio galaxies. In the direction of massive galaxy clusters, the radio galaxy flux densities at 95 and 150 GHz are biased low by the cluster Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect (SZE) signal, which is negative at these frequencies. We employ a cluster SZE model to remove the expected flux bias and then study these corrected source catalogs. We find that the high frequency radio galaxies are centrally concentrated within the clusters and that their luminosity functions (LFs) exhibit amplitudes that are characteristically an order of magnitude lower than the cluster LF at 843 MHz. We use the 150 GHz LF to estimate the impact of cluster radio galaxies on an SPT-SZ like survey. The radio galaxy flux typically produces a small bias on the SZE signal and has negligible impact on the observed scatter in the SZE mass-observable relation. If we assume there is no redshift evolution in the radio galaxy LF then $1.8\pm0.7$ percent of the clusters would be lost from the sample. Allowing for redshift evolution of the form $(1+z)^{2.5}$ increases the incompleteness to $5.6\pm1.0$ percent. Improved constraints on the evolution of the cluster radio galaxy LF require a larger cluster sample extending to higher redshift.

EVOLUTION OF THE MASS AND LUMINOSITY FUNCTIONS OF GLOBULAR STAR CLUSTERS

ABSTRACT We reexamine the dynamical evolution of the mass and luminosity functions of globular star clusters (GCMF and GCLF). Fall &amp; Zhang (2001, FZ01) showed that a power-law MF, as commonly seen among young cluster systems, would evolve by dynamical processes over a Hubble time into a peaked MF with a shape very similar to the observed GCMF in the Milky Way and other galaxies. To simplify the calculations, the semi-analytical FZ01 model adopted the “classical” theory of stellar escape from clusters, and neglected variations in the /L ratios of clusters. Kruijssen &amp; Portegies Zwart (2009, KPZ09) modified the FZ01 model to include “retarded” and mass-dependent stellar escape, the latter causing significant /L variations. KPZ09 asserted that their model was compatible with observations, whereas the FZ01 model was not. We show here that this claim is not correct; the FZ01 and KPZ09 models fit the observed Galactic GCLF equally well. We also show that there is no detectable correlation between /L and L for GCs in the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies, in contradiction with the KPZ09 model. Our comparisons of the FZ01 and KPZ09 models with observations can be explained most simply if stars escape at rates approaching the classical limit for high-mass clusters, as expected on theoretical grounds.

A large Hα survey of star formation in relaxed and merging galaxy cluster environments atz∼ 0.15–0.3

We present the first results from the largest H$\alpha$ survey of star formation and AGN activity in galaxy clusters. Using 9 different narrow band filters, we select $>3000$ H$\alpha$ emitters within $19$ clusters and their larger scale environment over a total volume of $1.3\times10^5$ Mpc$^3$. The sample includes both relaxed and merging clusters, covering the $0.15-0.31$ redshift range and spanning from $5\times10^{14}$ $M_{\odot}$ to $30\times10^{14}$ $M_{\odot}$. We find that the H$\alpha$ luminosity function (LF) for merging clusters has a higher characteristic density $\phi^*$ compared to relaxed clusters. $\phi^*$ drops from cluster core to cluster outskirts for both merging and relaxed clusters, with the merging cluster values $\sim0.3$ dex higher at each projected radius. The characteristic luminosity $L^*$ drops over the $0.5-2.0$ Mpc distance from the cluster centre for merging clusters and increases for relaxed objects. Among disturbed objects, clusters hosting large-scale shock waves (traced by radio relics) are overdense in H$\alpha$ emitters compared to those with turbulence in their intra-cluster medium (traced by radio haloes). We speculate that the increase in star formation activity in disturbed, young, massive galaxy clusters can be triggered by interactions between gas-rich galaxies, shocks and/or the intra-cluster medium, as well as accretion of filaments and galaxy groups. Our results indicate that disturbed clusters represent vastly different environments for galaxy evolution compared to relaxed clusters or average field environments.

Young star clusters in circumnuclear starburst rings

We analyse the cluster luminosity functions (CLFs) of the youngest star clusters in three galaxies exhibiting prominent circumnuclear starburst rings. We focus specifically on NGC 1512 and NGC 6951, for which we have access to H$\alpha$ data that allow us to unambiguously identify the youngest sample clusters. To place our results on a firm statistical footing, we first explore in detail a number of important technical issues affecting the process from converting the observational data into the spectral-energy distributions of the objects in our final catalogues. The CLFs of the young clusters in both galaxies exhibit approximate power-law behaviour down to the 90 per cent observational completeness limits, thus showing that star cluster formation in the violent environments of starburst rings appears to proceed similarly as that elsewhere in the local Universe. We discuss this result in the context of the density of the interstellar medium in our starburst-ring galaxies.