1991/01/01 by Bradley C. Whitmore, Diane Gilmore · 82 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics #Brightest cluster galaxy #Elliptical galaxy #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Galaxy #Galaxy cluster #Galaxy group #Physics #Scientific Research and Discoveries #Spiral galaxy
paper · doi:10.1086/169602
published in The Astrophysical Journal 367, 64 (IOP Publishing)
openalex publication_date 1991/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
A reexamination of Dressler's sample of nearly 6000 galaxies in 55 clusters shows that galactic morphology correlates as well with the projected distance from the center of the cluster, Rclus_, as it does with the projected local density of the 10 nearest galaxies. Most of the variation occurs within 0.5 Mpc of the cluster center. The effect is strongest in the 34 clusters with D galaxies, with the percentage of ellipticals rising from 18 +/- 3% at Rclus_ = 0.6 Mpc to 65 +/- 7% at Rclus_ = 0.1 Mpc. Various correlations suggest that the physical mechanisms which result in the population gradients for the spiral and SO galaxies are different than the mechanism responsible for the preponderance of ellipticals near the cluster centers. Tentative evidence is also found that the fraction of SO galaxies declines sharply within 0.2 Mpc of the cluster center, especially around central D galaxies.