Intracluster light at the Frontier: A2744

Journal Article · Mon Oct 20 04:00:00 EDT 2014 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/794/2/137· OSTI ID:22370406

Montes, Mireia; Trujillo, Ignacio ^[1]

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1. Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias,c/Vía Láctea s/n, E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain)

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 {sub *} ∼ 3 × 10{sup 10} M {sub ☉}) 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.

• OSTI ID: 22370406
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 794; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
COLOR
GALAXY CLUSTERS
MASS
METALLICITY
MILKY WAY
PHOTOMETRY
RED SHIFT
SPACE
STAR EVOLUTION
VISIBLE RADIATION