1,833 research outputs found
Inter-cluster Filaments of Galaxies Programme: Abundance and Distribution of Filaments in the 2dFGRS Catalogue
Filaments of galaxies are known to stretch between galaxy clusters at all
redshifts in a complex manner. In this Letter, we present an analysis of the
frequency and distribution of inter-cluster galaxy filaments selected from the
2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey. Out of 805 cluster-cluster pairs, we find at least
40 per cent have bone-fide filaments. We introduce a filament classification
scheme and cast the filaments into several types according to their visual
morphology: straight (lying on the cluster-cluster axis; 37 per cent), warped
or curved (lying off the cluster-cluster axis; 33 per cent), sheets (planar
configurations of galaxies; 3 per cent), uniform (1 per cent) and irregular (26
per cent). We find that straight filaments are more likely to reside between
close cluster pairs and they become more curved with increasing cluster
separation. This curving is toward a larger mass concentration in general. We
also show that the more massive a cluster is, the more likely it is to have a
larger number of filaments. Our results are found to be consistent with a
Lambda cold dark matter cosmology.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS letter
2MASS Galaxies in the Fornax Cluster Spectroscopic Survey
The Fornax Cluster Spectroscopic Survey (FCSS) is an all-object survey of a
region around the Fornax Cluster of galaxies undertaken using the 2dF
multi-object spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope. Its aim was to
obtain spectra for a complete sample of all objects with 16.5 < b_j < 19.7
irrespective of their morphology (i.e. including `stars', `galaxies' and
`merged' images). We explore the extent to which (nearby) cluster galaxies are
present in 2MASS. We consider the reasons for the omission of 2MASS galaxies
from the FCSS and vice versa. We consider the intersection (2.9 square degrees
on the sky) of our data set with the infra-red 2 Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS),
using both the 2MASS Extended Source Catalogue (XSC) and the Point Source
Catalogue (PSC). We match all the XSC objects to FCSS counterparts by position
and also extract a sample of galaxies, selected by their FCSS redshifts, from
the PSC. We confirm that all 114 XSC objects in the overlap sample are
galaxies, on the basis of their FCSS velocities. A total of 23 Fornax Cluster
galaxies appear in the matched data, while, as expected, the remainder of the
sample lie at redshifts out to z = 0.2 (the spectra show that 61% are early
type galaxies, 18% are intermediate types and 21% are strongly star
forming).The PSC sample turns out to contain twice as many galaxies as does the
XSC. However, only one of these 225 galaxies is a (dwarf) cluster member. On
the other hand, galaxies which are unresolved in the 2MASS data (though almost
all are resolved in the optical) amount to 71% of the non-cluster galaxies with
2MASS detections and have redshifts out to z=0.32.Comment: 5 pages, accepted by A&A, resubmitted due to missing reference
Galaxy threshing and the formation of ultra-compact dwarf galaxies
Recent spectroscopic and morphological observational studies of galaxies
around NGC 1399 in the Fornax Cluster (Drinkwater et al. 2000b) have discovered
several `ultra-compact dwarf' galaxies with intrinsic sizes of 100 pc
and absolute band magnitudes ranging from -13 to -11 mag. In order to
elucidate the origin of these enigmatic objects, we perform numerical
simulations on the dynamical evolution of nucleated dwarf galaxies orbiting NGC
1399 and suffering from its strong tidal gravitational field. Adopting a
plausible scaling relation for dwarf galaxies, we find that the outer stellar
components of a nucleated dwarf are totally removed. This is due to them being
tidally stripped over the course of several passages past the central region of
NGC 1399. The nucleus, however, manages to survive. We also find that the size
and luminosity of the remnant are similar to those observed for ultra-compact
dwarf galaxies, if the simulated precursor nucleated dwarf has a mass of
. These results suggest that ultra-compact dwarf galaxies
could have previously been more luminous dwarf spheroidal or elliptical
galaxies with rather compact nuclei.Comment: 9 pages 4 figures,2001, ApJL, 552, 10
Fornax compact object survey FCOS: On the nature of Ultra Compact Dwarf galaxies
The results of the Fornax Compact Object Survey (FCOS) are presented. The
FCOS aims at investigating the nature of the Ultra Compact Dwarf galaxies
(UCDs) recently discovered in the center of the Fornax cluster (Drinkwater et
al. 2000). 280 unresolved objects in the magnitude space covering UCDs and
bright globular clusters (18<V<21 mag) were observed spectroscopically. 54 new
Fornax members were discovered, plus five of the seven already known UCDs.
Their distribution in radial velocity, colour, magnitude and space was
investigated. It is found that bright compact objects (V<20 or M_V<-11.4 mag),
including the UCDs, have a higher mean velocity than faint compact objects
(V>20 mag) at 96% confidence. The mean velocity of the bright compact objects
is consistent with that of the dwarf galaxy population in Fornax, but
inconsistent with that of NGC 1399's globular cluster system at 93.5%
confidence. The compact objects follow a colour magnitude relation with a slope
very similar to that of normal dEs, but shifted about 0.2 mag redwards. The
magnitude distribution of compact objects shows a fluent transition between
UCDs and GCs with an overpopulation of 8 +/- 4 objects for V<20 mag with
respect to the extrapolation of NGC 1399's GC luminosity function. The spatial
distribution of bright compact objects is in comparison to the faint ones more
extended at 88% confidence. All our findings are consistent with the threshing
scenario (Bekki et al. 2003), suggesting that a substantial fraction of compact
Fornax members brighter than V~20 mag could be created by threshing dE,Ns.
Fainter than V~20 mag, the majority of the objects seem to be genuine GCs. Our
results are also consistent with merged stellar super-clusters (Fellhauer &
Kroupa 2002) as an alternative explanation for the bright compact objects.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in A&
The Fornax Spectroscopic Survey --- Low Surface Brightness Galaxies in Fornax
The Fornax Spectroscopic Survey is a large optical spectroscopic survey of
ALL 14,000 objects with 16.5<Bj<19.7 in a 12 sq.deg area of sky centered on the
Fornax Cluster. We are using the 400-fibre Two Degree Field spectrograph on the
Anglo-Australian Telescope: the multiplex advantage of this system allows us to
observe objects conventionally classified as `stars' as well as `galaxies'.
This is the only way to minimise selection effects caused by image
classification or assessing cluster membership.
In this paper we present the first measurements of low surface brightness
(LSB) galaxies we have detected both in the Fornax Cluster and among the
background field galaxies. The new cluster members include some very low
luminosity (M_B approx -11.5 mag) dwarf ellipticals, whereas the background LSB
galaxies are luminous (-19.6<M_B<-17.0 mag) disk-like galaxies.Comment: To appear in "The Low Surface Brightness Universe", IAU Coll 171,
eds. J.I. Davies et al., A.S.P. Conference Series. 8 pages, LaTex, 6
encapsulated ps-figures, requires paspconf.st
UCD Candidates in the Hydra Cluster
NGC 3311, the giant cD galaxy in the Hydra cluster (A1060), has one of the
largest globular cluster systems known. We describe new Gemini GMOS (g',i')
photometry of the NGC 3311 field which reveals that the red, metal-rich side of
its globular cluster population extends smoothly upward into the mass range
associated with the new class of Ultra-Compact Dwarfs (UCDs). We identify 29
UCD candidates with estimated masses > 6x10^6 solar masses and discuss their
characteristics. This UCD-like sequence is the most well defined one yet seen,
and reinforces current ideas that the high-mass end of the globular cluster
sequence merges continuously into the UCD sequence, which connects in turn to
the E galaxy structural sequence.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
Trees
The intention behind my work is to draw the viewer\u27s attention to the intimate, beautiful details found in nature. For example, I am awed and inspired by the unique qualities found in every tree whose varieties are seemingly infinite. The basic concept of my work is to portray the images of trees close to the viewer\u27s eye to instill a sense of nature\u27s grandness
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