• 천문학회보
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• 제44권1호
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• pp.39.1-39.1
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• 2019

Not all stars in the Universe are gravitationally bounded to galaxies. Since first discovered in 1951, observations have revealed that a significant fraction of stars fills the space between galaxies in local (low-redshift) galaxy clusters, observed as diffuse intracluster light (ICL). Theoretical models provide mechanisms for the production of intracluster stars as tidally stripped material or debris generated through numerous galaxy interactions during the hierarchical growth of the galaxy cluster. These mechanisms predict that most intracluster stars in local galaxy clusters are long-accumulated material since z~1. However, there is no observational evidence to verify this prediction. Here we report observations of abundant ICL for a massive (above $10^{14}$ solar masses) galaxy cluster at a redshift of z=1.24, when the Universe was 5 billion years old. We found that more than 10 per cent of the total light of the cluster is contributed by the diffuse ICL out to 110 kpc from the center of the cluster, comparable to 5-20 per cent in local, massive galaxy cluster. Furthermore, we found that the colour of the brightest cluster galaxy located in the core of the cluster is consistent with that of the ICL out to 200 kpc. Our results demonstrate that the majority of the intracluster stars present in the local Universe, contrary to most previous theoretical and observational studies, were built up during a short period and early (z>1) in the history of the Virgo-like massive galaxy cluster formation, and might be concurrent with the formation of the brightest cluster galaxy.

• 한국지구과학회지
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• 제36권5호
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• pp.427-436
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• 2015

We classified Abell clusters using the magnitude differences between two or three bright member galaxies and investigated how such classification was correlated with the properties of brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs). S-type BCGs being clearly brighter than the rest of the member galaxies were likely to be red, luminous, and evolved as early type galaxies. On the other hand, T-type BCGs being not dominant at all were less luminous than early type galaxies. A small fraction of BCGs was currently forming stars, and all of the star-forming BCGs were T-type BCGs. Active galactic nuclei were most frequent for S-type BCGs. Through these quantitative analyses of the BCG properties, we discussed the possible scenario of BCG formation and the differences between S-type and T-type of BCGs.

• 천문학회보
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• 제44권2호
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• pp.76.3-76.3
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• 2019

Intracluster stars are believed to be gravitationally bound to a galaxy cluster, however, not to individual cluster galaxies. Their presence is observed as diffuse light typically in the central region extended from the brightest cluster galaxy. The diffuse light, often referred to as intracluster light (ICL), is difficult to quantify in distant high-redshift galaxy clusters because of the significant surface brightness dimming although ICL observations in high-redshift clusters provide powerful constraints on the origin of intracluster stars. In this poster, we present ICL study of the distant galaxy cluster SPT2106-5844 at z=1.132 with Hubble Space Telescope IR imaging data. With careful control of systematics, we successfully quantify the total amount of the ICL, measure the color profile, and obtain its two-dimensional distribution. Our measurement of the high abundance of the intracluster stars in this young cluster favors the ICL formation scenario, wherein production of intracluster stars are predominantly associated with the BCG formation.

• 천문학회지
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• 제29권spc1호
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• pp.61-62
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• 1996

The photometry is reported for galaxies in two clusters A1983, 2065 with redshifts 0.046, 0.072 respectively. The luminosity segregation is observed only within a magnitude from the brightest galaxy. The alignment of the galaxy major axis is observed in the Corona Borealis cluster. The intermediate distance clusters (0.05 < z < 0.15) will be studied by CCD mounted on 125cm RCh and 70cm meniscus type telescopes.

• 천문학회보
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• 제46권2호
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• pp.67.4-68
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• 2021

In studying the dynamical evolution of galaxy clusters, one intriguing approach is to compare the spatial distributions of various components, such as the dark matter, the member galaxies, the gas, and the intracluster light (ICL; the diffuse light from stars, which are not bound any individual cluster galaxy). If we find a visible component whose spatial distribution coincides with the dark matter distribution, then we could draw a dark matter map without requiring laborious weak lensing analysis. Furthermore, if the component traces the dark matter distribution better for more relaxed galaxy cluster, we could use the similarity as a dynamical stage estimator of the galaxy cluster. We present a novel new methodology to quantify the similarity of two or more 2-dimensional spatial distributions. We apply the method to a sample of galaxy clusters at different dynamical stages simulated within N-cluster Run, which is an N-body simulation using the galaxy replacement technique. Among the various components (stellar particles, galaxies, ICL), the velocity defined ICL+ brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) component traces the dark matter best. Between the sample galaxy clusters, the relaxed clusters show stronger similarity of the spatial distribution between the dark matter and ICL+BCG than the dynamically young clusters.

• 천문학회지
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• 제38권3호
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• pp.345-355
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• 2005

We present a photometric study of the star cluster system in the merging galaxy NGC 1487, based on the BI photometry obtained from the F450W and F814W images in the HST /WFPC2 archive data. We have found about 560 star cluster candidates in NGC 1487, using the morphological parameters of the objects. We have investigated several photometric characteristics of the clusters: color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs), color distribution, spatial distribution, age, size and luminosity function. The CMD of the bright clusters with 18.5 < B < 24 mag in NGC 1487 shows three major populations of clusters: a blue cluster population with $(B-I){\le}0.45$, an intermediate-color cluster population with $0.45<(B-I){\le}1.55$, and a red cluster population with (B - I) > 1.55. The intermediate-color population is the most dominant among the three populations. The brightest clusters in the blue and intermediate- color populations are as bright as $B{\approx}18mag$ ($M_B{\approx}-12mag$), which are three magnitudes brighter than those in the red population. The blue and intermediate-color clusters are strongly concentrated on the bright condensations, while the red clusters are relatively more scattered over the galaxy. The CMD of these clusters is found to be remarkably similar to that of the clusters in the famous interacting system M51. From this we suggest that the intermediate-color clusters were, probably, formed during the merging process which occurred about 500 Myrs ago.

• 천문학회보
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• 제39권2호
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• pp.67.1-67.1
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• 2014

Abell 2537 has been regarded as one of relaxed galaxy clusters because the X-ray emission is regular and symmetric, while there is also evidence to the contrary that the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) is offset from the velocity center. To investigate the dynamical state of A2537 we obtain the redshift information of cluster galaxy candidates using Hectospec mounted on the MMT 6.5 m and compile those in the literature. The velocity distribution of member galaxies appears bimodal, with the main peak including the BCG and a secondary peak at velocity difference ~2000 km s-1. Based on the three-dimensional analysis and statistical tests we conclude that A2537 has at least two substructures and is not fully relaxed from a merger near the line-of-sight. We discuss more about the dynamical state of A2537 based on the color-magnitude diagram and X-ray scaling relation.

• 천문학회보
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• 제43권2호
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• pp.33.3-34
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• 2018

Galaxy clusters contain a diffuse component of stars outside galaxies, that is observed as intracluster light (ICL). Since the ICL abundance increases during various dynamical exchanges of galaxies, the amount of ICL can act as a measurement tool for the dynamical stage of galaxy clusters. There are two prominent ICL formation scenarios; one is related to the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) major mergers, and the other to the tidal stripping of galaxies. However, it is still under debate as to which is the main ICL formation mechanism. In this study we improve on earlier observational constraints of the ICL origin, by investigating it in a massive fossil cluster at z~0.47. Fossil clusters are believed to be dynamically matured galaxy clusters which have dominant BCGs. Recent simulation studies imply that, BCGs have assembled 85~90% of their mass by z~0.4 (e.g., Contini et al. 2014). Thus our target is an optimal test bed to examine the BCG-related scenario. Our deep images and Multi-Object Spectroscopic observations of the target fossil cluster (Gemini North 2018A) allow us to extract the ICL distribution, ICL color map and ICL fraction to cluster light. We will present a possible constraint of the ICL origin and discuss its connection to the BCG and the host galaxy cluster.

• 천문학회보
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• 제42권1호
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• pp.52.1-52.1
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• 2017

Galaxy clusters are the most massive gravitationally bound systems and thus probably the most recent objects to form. One of promising routes to understand the assembly history of galaxy clusters is to measure observable quantities of components in clusters that are sensitive to the evolutionary state of the cluster. Recent deep observations on the nearby clusters show distinct diffuse intracluster light (ICL), that the light from stars are not bound any individual cluster galaxy, however until now this component has not been well studied due to its faint nature, with typical brightness of ~100 times fainter than the sky background. As shown in galaxy cluster simulation studies, the ICL abundance increases during various dynamical exchanges of galaxies such as the disruption of dwarf galaxies, major mergers between galaxies and the tidal stripping of galaxies. Thus, the ICL is an effective tool to measure the evolutionary stage of galaxy clusters. Moreover, the investigation of the ICL evolution mechanism will allow us understand the galaxy evolution process therein. In this pilot study, we target the Coma cluster, where the existing ICL studies are limited only in the central region. With large and uniform deep optical images from the Subaru telescope, available only recently (Okabe et al. 2014), we are developing a robust ICL measurement technique, extracting the ICL surface brightness and color profiles, which will allow us to study the origin of the ICL and its connection to the evolutionary history of the Coma cluster. For the next phase, we plan to utilize the plenty of spectroscopy data from the MMT telescope to compare ICL properties with the star formation history of the brightest cluster galaxies (BCG), and discuss the ICL formation mechanism of the Coma cluster by comparing the distribution of cluster galaxies with the distribution of diffuse light inside the Coma cluster.

• 천문학회보
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• 제40권1호
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• pp.46.3-46.3
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• 2015

As theoretical and empirical studies have pointed out, galaxy mergers play a pivotal role in galaxy mass assembly histories. Its contribution is considered to be more significant in more massive galaxies. In order to quantitatively understand the origin of stellar components in galaxies, we investigated stellar mass assembly histories as a function of galaxy and halo mass using semi-analytic approaches. In this study, we found that the most massive galaxies (log $M/M_{\odot}$ ~ 11.75 at z = 0), which are mostly the brightest cluster galaxies, obtain roughly 70% of their stellar components via mergers. The role of mergers monotonically declines with galaxy mass: less than 20% for log $M/M_{\odot}$ = 10.75 at z = 0. The contribution of galaxy mergers to stellar mass growth decays more slowly than that of in-situ star formation. Therefore, merger accretion becomes a dominant channel for stellar mass growth of the most massive group since z~2. However, when it comes to central galaxies in haloes less massive than $10^{13}_{\odot}$, star formation is always dominant.