2006/08/30 by C. Moss · 5 citations
Environmental Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics #Brightest cluster galaxy #Cluster (spacecraft) #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Galaxy #Galaxy cluster #Galaxy merger #Physics #Population #Redshift #Remote Sensing in Agriculture #Velocity dispersion #Virial theorem #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.11000.x
published as Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc.373:167-178,2006 · Accepted for publication in MNRAS; 14 pages with 13 figures
arxiv created 2006/08/30 · openalex publication_date 2006/10/11 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
An ensemble cluster has been formed from a data set comprising a complete magnitude-limited sample of 680 giant galaxies (M0B≲−19) in eight low-redshift clusters, normalized by the velocity dispersions and virial radii for the early-type cluster populations. Distinct galaxy populations have been identified, including an infall population. A majority (50–70 per cent or greater) of the infall population are found to be in interacting or merging systems characterized by slow gravitational encounters. The observed enhancement of galaxy–galaxy encounters in the infall population compared to the field can be explained by gravitational shocking. It is shown that disc galaxy mergers in the infall population integrated over the estimated lifetime of the cluster (∼10 Gyr) can readily account for the present cluster S0 population.