OPTICAL COLORS OF INTRACLUSTER LIGHT IN THE VIRGO CLUSTER CORE

Journal Article · Wed Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/720/1/569· OSTI ID:21460100

Rudick, Craig S; Mihos, J Christopher; Harding, Paul; Morrison, Heather L ^[1]; Feldmeier, John J ^[2]; Janowiecki, Steven ^[3]

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1. Department of Astronomy, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106 (United States)
2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH 44555 (United States)
3. Department of Astronomy, Indiana University, 727 East 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47405 (United States)

We continue our deep optical imaging survey of the Virgo cluster using the CWRU Burrell Schmidt telescope by presenting B-band surface photometry of the core of the Virgo cluster in order to study the cluster's intracluster light (ICL). We find ICL features down to {mu}{sub B} {approx}29 mag arcsec{sup -2}, confirming the results of Mihos et al., who saw a vast web of low surface brightness streams, arcs, plumes, and diffuse light in the Virgo cluster core using V-band imaging. By combining these two data sets, we are able to measure the optical colors of many of the cluster's low surface brightness features. While much of our imaging area is contaminated by galactic cirrus, the cluster core near the cD galaxy, M87, is unobscured. We trace the color profile of M87 out to over 2000'', and find a blueing trend with radius, continuing out to the largest radii. Moreover, we have measured the colors of several ICL features which extend beyond M87's outermost reaches and find that they have similar colors to the M87's halo itself, B - V {approx}0.8. The common colors of these features suggest that the extended outer envelopes of cD galaxies, such as M87, may be formed from similar streams, created by tidal interactions within the cluster, that have since dissolved into a smooth background in the cluster potential.

• OSTI ID: 21460100
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 720; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
BRIGHTNESS
COLOR
GALAXIES
GALAXY CLUSTERS
INTERACTIONS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
ORGANOLEPTIC PROPERTIES
PHOTOMETRY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
TELESCOPES