Bibcode
Montes, M.; Trujillo, I.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 794, Issue 2, article id. 137, 8 pp. (2014).
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10
2014
Journal
Citations
92
Refereed citations
86
Description
The ultra-deep multiwavelength Hubble Space Telescope Frontier Fields
coverage of the Abell Cluster 2744 is used to derive the stellar
population properties of its intracluster light (ICL). The restframe
colors of the ICL of this intermediate redshift (z = 0.3064) massive
cluster are bluer (g – r = 0.68 ± 0.04; i
– J = 0.56 ± 0.01) than those found in the stellar
populations of its main galaxy members (g – r = 0.83
± 0.01; i – J = 0.75 ± 0.01). Based on
these colors, we derive the following mean metallicity Z = 0.018
± 0.007 for the ICL. The ICL age is 6 ± 3 Gyr younger
than the average age of the most massive galaxies of the cluster. The
fraction of stellar mass in the ICL component comprises at least 6% of
the total stellar mass of the galaxy cluster. Our data are consistent
with a scenario where the bulk of the ICL of A2744 has been formed
relatively recently (z < 1). The stellar population properties of the
ICL suggest that this diffuse component is mainly the result of the
disruption of infalling galaxies with similar characteristics in mass (M
sstarf ~ 3 × 1010 M
☉) and metallicity than our own Milky Way. The
amount of ICL mass in the central part of the cluster (<400 kpc) is
equivalent to the disruption of 4-6 Milky-Way-type galaxies.
Related projects
Traces of Galaxy Formation: Stellar populations, Dynamics and Morphology
We are a large, diverse, and very active research group aiming to provide a comprehensive picture for the formation of galaxies in the Universe. Rooted in detailed stellar population analysis, we are constantly exploring and developing new tools and ideas to understand how galaxies came to be what we now observe.
Ignacio
Martín Navarro