130 research outputs found
The Connection Between Diffuse Light and Intracluster Planetary Nebulae in the Virgo Cluster
We compare the distribution of diffuse intracluster light detected in the
Virgo Cluster via broadband imaging with that inferred from searches for
intracluster planetary nebulae (IPNe). We find a rough correspondence on large
scales (~ 100 kpc) between the two, but with very large scatter (~ 1.3
mag/arcsec^2). On smaller scales (1 -- 10 kpc), the presence or absence of
correlation is clearly dependent on the underlying surface brightness. On these
scales, we find a correlation in regions of higher surface brightness (mu_V <
~27) which are dominated by the halos of large galaxies such as M87, M86, and
M84. In those cases, we are likely tracing PNe associated with galaxies rather
than true IPNe. In true intracluster fields, at lower surface brightness, the
correlation between luminosity and IPN candidates is much weaker. While a
correlation between broadband light and IPNe is expected based on stellar
populations, a variety of statistical, physical, and methodological effects can
act to wash out this correlation and explain the lack of a strong correlation
at lower surface brightness found here. [abridged
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