The Faint End of the Luminosity Function in the Core of the Coma Cluster

2006/10/18 by Margaret Milne, M. L. Milne, C. J. Pritchet +10 · 34 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics #COSMIC cancer database #Coma (optics) #Coma Cluster #Cosmic variance #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Galaxy #Galaxy cluster #Hubble space telescope #Limiting #Luminosity #Luminosity function #Physics #Redshift #Reionization #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/509733

published in The Astronomical Journal 133(1), 177-185 (Institute of Physics) · 10 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables. Accpeted to the Astronomical Journal

arxiv created 2006/10/18 · openalex publication_date 2006/12/08 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/08

Abstract

We present optical measurements of the faint end of the luminosity function in the core of the Coma Cluster. Dwarf galaxies are detected down to a limiting magnitude of R ∼ 25.75 in images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope . This represents the faintest determination of the Coma luminosity function to date. With the assumption that errors due to cosmic variance are small, evidence is found for a steep faint-end slope with α ≲ -2. Such a value is expected in theories in which reionization and other feedback processes are dependent on density.

Citations

• Dissecting the luminosity function of the Coma cluster of galaxies using CFHT wide field images
• The dwarf LSB galaxy population of the Virgo cluster -- I. The faint-end slope of the luminosity function
• Core condensation in heavy halos: a two-stage theory for galaxy formation and clustering
• Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster
• A Photometric and Spectroscopic Study of Dwarf and Giant Galaxies in the Coma Cluster. IV. The Luminosity Function
• The Globular Cluster Systems in the Coma Ellipticals. I. The Luminosity Function in NGC 4874 and Implications for Hubble’s Constant
• The Ursa Major cluster of galaxies -- III. Optical observations of dwarf galaxies and the luminosity function down to MR = -211
• The Luminosity Distribution of Local Group Galaxies
• Structure and stellar content of dwarf galaxies
• Faint dwarf spheroidals in the Fornax Cluster

Cited by

• The galaxy luminosity function in groups and clusters: the faint-end upturn and the connection to the field luminosity function