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Title: HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE FAR-ULTRAVIOLET OBSERVATIONS OF BRIGHTEST CLUSTER GALAXIES: THE ROLE OF STAR FORMATION IN COOLING FLOWS AND BCG EVOLUTION

Abstract

Quillen et al. and O'Dea et al. carried out a Spitzer study of a sample of 62 brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) from the ROSAT brightest cluster sample, which were chosen based on their elevated H{alpha} flux. We present Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys far-ultraviolet (FUV) images of the Ly{alpha} and continuum emission of the luminous emission-line nebulae in seven BCGs found to have an infrared (IR) excess. We confirm that the BCGs are actively forming stars which suggests that the IR excess seen in these BCGs is indeed associated with star formation. Our observations are consistent with a scenario in which gas that cools from the intracluster medium fuels the star formation. The FUV continuum emission extends over a region {approx}7-28 kpc (largest linear size) and even larger in Ly{alpha}. The young stellar population required by the FUV observations would produce a significant fraction of the ionizing photons required to power the emission-line nebulae. Star formation rates estimated from the FUV continuum range from {approx}3 to {approx}14 times lower than those estimated from the IR, however, both the Balmer decrements in the central few arcseconds and detection of CO in most of these galaxies imply that there aremore » regions of high extinction that could have absorbed much of the FUV continuum. Analysis of archival Very Large Array observations reveals compact radio sources in all seven BCGs and kpc scale jets in A-1835 and RXJ 2129+00. The four galaxies with archival deep Chandra observations exhibit asymmetric X-ray emission, the peaks of which are offset from the center of the BCG by {approx}10 kpc on average. A low feedback state for the active galactic nucleus could allow increased condensation of the hot gas into the center of the galaxy and the feeding of star formation.« less

Authors:
;  [1]; ; ; ; ; ;  [2];  [3]; ;  [4]
  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627 (United States)
  2. Rochester Institute of Technology, 84 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623 (United States)
  3. Department of Physics, Institute for Computational Cosmology, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom)
  4. Physics and Astronomy Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21457070
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 719; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/719/2/1619; Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ASYMMETRY; FAR ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION; GALACTIC EVOLUTION; GALAXIES; GALAXY CLUSTERS; NEBULAE; PHOTON EMISSION; STARS; TELESCOPES; X RADIATION; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; EMISSION; EVOLUTION; IONIZING RADIATIONS; RADIATIONS; ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION

Citation Formats

O'Dea, Kieran P, Quillen, Alice C, O'Dea, Christopher P, Tremblay, Grant R, Snios, Bradford T, Baum, Stefi A, Christiansen, Kevin, Noel-Storr, Jacob, Edge, Alastair C, Donahue, Megan, and Voit, G Mark. HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE FAR-ULTRAVIOLET OBSERVATIONS OF BRIGHTEST CLUSTER GALAXIES: THE ROLE OF STAR FORMATION IN COOLING FLOWS AND BCG EVOLUTION. United States: N. p., 2010. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/719/2/1619.
O'Dea, Kieran P, Quillen, Alice C, O'Dea, Christopher P, Tremblay, Grant R, Snios, Bradford T, Baum, Stefi A, Christiansen, Kevin, Noel-Storr, Jacob, Edge, Alastair C, Donahue, Megan, & Voit, G Mark. HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE FAR-ULTRAVIOLET OBSERVATIONS OF BRIGHTEST CLUSTER GALAXIES: THE ROLE OF STAR FORMATION IN COOLING FLOWS AND BCG EVOLUTION. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/719/2/1619
O'Dea, Kieran P, Quillen, Alice C, O'Dea, Christopher P, Tremblay, Grant R, Snios, Bradford T, Baum, Stefi A, Christiansen, Kevin, Noel-Storr, Jacob, Edge, Alastair C, Donahue, Megan, and Voit, G Mark. 2010. "HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE FAR-ULTRAVIOLET OBSERVATIONS OF BRIGHTEST CLUSTER GALAXIES: THE ROLE OF STAR FORMATION IN COOLING FLOWS AND BCG EVOLUTION". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/719/2/1619.
@article{osti_21457070,
title = {HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE FAR-ULTRAVIOLET OBSERVATIONS OF BRIGHTEST CLUSTER GALAXIES: THE ROLE OF STAR FORMATION IN COOLING FLOWS AND BCG EVOLUTION},
author = {O'Dea, Kieran P and Quillen, Alice C and O'Dea, Christopher P and Tremblay, Grant R and Snios, Bradford T and Baum, Stefi A and Christiansen, Kevin and Noel-Storr, Jacob and Edge, Alastair C and Donahue, Megan and Voit, G Mark},
abstractNote = {Quillen et al. and O'Dea et al. carried out a Spitzer study of a sample of 62 brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) from the ROSAT brightest cluster sample, which were chosen based on their elevated H{alpha} flux. We present Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys far-ultraviolet (FUV) images of the Ly{alpha} and continuum emission of the luminous emission-line nebulae in seven BCGs found to have an infrared (IR) excess. We confirm that the BCGs are actively forming stars which suggests that the IR excess seen in these BCGs is indeed associated with star formation. Our observations are consistent with a scenario in which gas that cools from the intracluster medium fuels the star formation. The FUV continuum emission extends over a region {approx}7-28 kpc (largest linear size) and even larger in Ly{alpha}. The young stellar population required by the FUV observations would produce a significant fraction of the ionizing photons required to power the emission-line nebulae. Star formation rates estimated from the FUV continuum range from {approx}3 to {approx}14 times lower than those estimated from the IR, however, both the Balmer decrements in the central few arcseconds and detection of CO in most of these galaxies imply that there are regions of high extinction that could have absorbed much of the FUV continuum. Analysis of archival Very Large Array observations reveals compact radio sources in all seven BCGs and kpc scale jets in A-1835 and RXJ 2129+00. The four galaxies with archival deep Chandra observations exhibit asymmetric X-ray emission, the peaks of which are offset from the center of the BCG by {approx}10 kpc on average. A low feedback state for the active galactic nucleus could allow increased condensation of the hot gas into the center of the galaxy and the feeding of star formation.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/719/2/1619},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21457070}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 2,
volume = 719,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Aug 20 00:00:00 EDT 2010},
month = {Fri Aug 20 00:00:00 EDT 2010}
}