The Butcher-Oemler effect at moderate redshift

Anne J. Metevier; A. Kathy Römer; M. P. Ulmer

doi:10.1086/301251

The Butcher-Oemler effect at moderate redshift

Anne J. Metevier^*, A. Kathy Römer, M. P. Ulmer

^*Corresponding author for this work

Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present the results of Butcher-Oemler-style analysis of three moderate-redshift (0.1 < z < 0.2) clusters that have bimodal X-ray surface brightness profiles. We find that at least two of these clusters exhibit unusually high fractions of blue galaxies (f_b's) as compared with clusters at comparable redshifts studied by Butcher & Oemler. This implies that star formation is occurring in a high fraction of the galaxies in the two clusters. Our results are consistent with hierarchical clustering models in which subcluster-subcluster mergers create shocks in the intracluster medium. The shocks, in turn, induce simultaneous starbursts in a large fraction of cluster galaxies. Our study therefore lends weight to the hypothesis that the Butcher-Oemler effect is an environmental, as well as evolutionary, phenomenon.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1090-1099
Number of pages	10
Journal	Astronomical Journal
Volume	119
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/301251
State	Published - Mar 2000

Keywords

Galaxies: clusters: individual (Abell 98, Abell 115, Abell 2356)
Galaxies: evolution
Galaxies: photometry

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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title = "The Butcher-Oemler effect at moderate redshift",

abstract = "We present the results of Butcher-Oemler-style analysis of three moderate-redshift (0.1 < z < 0.2) clusters that have bimodal X-ray surface brightness profiles. We find that at least two of these clusters exhibit unusually high fractions of blue galaxies (fb's) as compared with clusters at comparable redshifts studied by Butcher & Oemler. This implies that star formation is occurring in a high fraction of the galaxies in the two clusters. Our results are consistent with hierarchical clustering models in which subcluster-subcluster mergers create shocks in the intracluster medium. The shocks, in turn, induce simultaneous starbursts in a large fraction of cluster galaxies. Our study therefore lends weight to the hypothesis that the Butcher-Oemler effect is an environmental, as well as evolutionary, phenomenon.",

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T1 - The Butcher-Oemler effect at moderate redshift

AU - Metevier, Anne J.

AU - Römer, A. Kathy

AU - Ulmer, M. P.

PY - 2000/3

Y1 - 2000/3

N2 - We present the results of Butcher-Oemler-style analysis of three moderate-redshift (0.1 < z < 0.2) clusters that have bimodal X-ray surface brightness profiles. We find that at least two of these clusters exhibit unusually high fractions of blue galaxies (fb's) as compared with clusters at comparable redshifts studied by Butcher & Oemler. This implies that star formation is occurring in a high fraction of the galaxies in the two clusters. Our results are consistent with hierarchical clustering models in which subcluster-subcluster mergers create shocks in the intracluster medium. The shocks, in turn, induce simultaneous starbursts in a large fraction of cluster galaxies. Our study therefore lends weight to the hypothesis that the Butcher-Oemler effect is an environmental, as well as evolutionary, phenomenon.

AB - We present the results of Butcher-Oemler-style analysis of three moderate-redshift (0.1 < z < 0.2) clusters that have bimodal X-ray surface brightness profiles. We find that at least two of these clusters exhibit unusually high fractions of blue galaxies (fb's) as compared with clusters at comparable redshifts studied by Butcher & Oemler. This implies that star formation is occurring in a high fraction of the galaxies in the two clusters. Our results are consistent with hierarchical clustering models in which subcluster-subcluster mergers create shocks in the intracluster medium. The shocks, in turn, induce simultaneous starbursts in a large fraction of cluster galaxies. Our study therefore lends weight to the hypothesis that the Butcher-Oemler effect is an environmental, as well as evolutionary, phenomenon.

KW - Galaxies: clusters: individual (Abell 98, Abell 115, Abell 2356)

KW - Galaxies: evolution

KW - Galaxies: photometry

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The Butcher-Oemler effect at moderate redshift

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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