No Arabic abstract
Using V band photometry of the WINGS survey, we derive galaxy luminosity functions (LF) in nearby clusters. This sample is complete down to Mv=-15.15, and it is homogeneous, thus allowing the study of an unbiased sample of clusters with different characteristics. We constructed the photometric LF for 72 out of the original 76 WINGS clusters, excluding only those without a velocity dispersion estimate. For each cluster we obtained the LF for galaxies in a region of radius=0.5 x r200, and fitted them with single and double Schechters functions. We also derive the composite LF for the entire sample, and those pertaining to different morphological classes. Finally we derive the spectroscopic cumulative LF for 2009 galaxies that are cluster members. The double Schechter fit parameters are neither correlated with the cluster velocity dispersion, nor with the X-ray luminosity. Our median values of the Schechters fit slope are, on average, in agreement with measurements of nearby clusters, but are less steep that those derived from large surveys, such as the SDSS. Early--type galaxies outnumber late-types at all magnitudes, but both early and late types contribute equally to the faint end of the LF. Finally, the spectroscopic LF is in excellent agreement with the ones derived for A2199, A85 and Virgo, and with the photometric one at the bright magnitudes (where both are available). There is a large spread in the LF of different clusters. However, this spread is not caused by correlation of the LF shape with cluster characteristics such as X--ray luminosity or velocity dispersions. The faint end is flatter than what previously derived (alpha_f=-1.7) at odds with what predicted from numerical simulations.
The main goal of this study is to investigate the LF of a sample of 142 X-ray selected clusters, with spectroscopic redshift confirmation and a well defined selection function, spanning a wide redshift and mass range, and to test the LF dependence on cluster global properties, in a homogeneous and unbiased way. Our study is based on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey (CFHTLS) photometric galaxy catalogue,associated with photometric redshifts. We constructed LFs inside a scaled radius using a selection in photometric redshift around the cluster spectroscopic redshift in order to reduce projection effects. The width of the photometric redshift selection was carefully determined to avoid biasing the LF and depended on both the cluster redshift and the galaxy magnitudes. The purity was then enhanced by applying a precise background subtraction. We constructed composite luminosity functions (CLFs) by stacking the individual LFs and studied their evolution with redshift and richness, analysing separately the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) and non-BCG members. We fitted the dependences of the CLFs and BCG distributions parameters with redshift and richness conjointly in order to distinguish between these two effects. We find that the usual photometric redshift selection methods can bias the LF estimate if the redshift and magnitude dependence of the photometric redshift quality is not taken into account. Our main findings concerning the evolution of the galaxy luminosity distribution with redshift and richness are that, in the inner region of clusters and in the redshift-mass range we probe (about $0<z<1$ and $10^{13} M_{odot}<M_{500}<5times10^{14}M_{odot}$), the bright part of the LF (BCG excluded) does not depend much on mass or redshift except for its amplitude, whereas the BCG luminosity increases both with redshift and richness, and its scatter decreases with redshift.
We characterize the luminosity distribution, halo mass dependence, and redshift evolution of red galaxies in galaxy clusters using the SDSS Data Release 8 RedMaPPer cluster sample. We propose a simple prescription for the relationship between the luminosity of both central and satellite galaxies and the mass of their host halos, and show that this model is well-fit by the data. Using a larger galaxy cluster sample than previously employed in the literature, we find that the luminosities of central galaxies scale as $langle log L rangle propto A_L log (M_{200b})$, with $A_L=0.39pm0.04$, and that the scatter of the central--galaxy luminosity at fixed $M_{200b}$ ( $sigma_{log L|M}$) is $0.23 ^{+0.05}_{-0.04}$ dex, with the error bar including systematics due to miscentering of the cluster finder, photometry, and photometric redshift estimation. Our data prefers a positive correlation between the luminosity of central galaxies and the observed richness of clusters at a fixed halo mass, with an effective correlation coefficient $d_{rm{eff}}=0.36^{+0.17}_{-0.16}$. The characteristic luminosity of satellites becomes dimmer from $z=0.3$ to $z=0.1$ by $sim 20%$ after accounting for passive evolution. We estimate the fraction of galaxy clusters where the brightest galaxy is not the central to be $P_{rm{BNC}} sim 20%$. We discuss implications of these findings in the context of galaxy evolution and the galaxy--halo connection.
We study the color-magnitude red sequence and blue fraction of 72 X-ray selected galaxy clusters at z=0.04-0.07 from the WINGS survey, searching for correlations between the characteristics of the red sequence and the environment. We consider the slope and scatter of the red sequence, the number ratio of red luminous-to-faint galaxies, the blue fraction and the fractions of ellipticals, S0s and spirals that compose the red sequence. None of these quantities correlate with the cluster velocity dispersion, X-ray luminosity, number of cluster substructures, BCG prevalence over next brightest galaxies and spatial concentration of ellipticals. Instead, the properties of the red sequence depend strongly on local galaxy density. Higher density regions have a lower RS scatter, a higher luminous-to-faint ratio, a lower blue fraction, and a lower spiral fraction on the RS. Our results highlight the prominent effect of the local density in setting the epoch when galaxies become passive and join the red sequence, as opposed to the mass of the galaxy host structure.
[Abridged] To effectively investigate galaxy formation and evolution, it is of paramount importance to exploit homogeneous data for large samples of galaxies in different environments. The WINGS (WIde-field Nearby Galaxy-cluster Survey) project aim is to evaluate physical properties of galaxies in a complete sample of low redshift clusters to be used as reference sample for evolutionary studies. The WINGS survey is still ongoing and the original dataset will soon be enlarged with new observations. This paper presents the entire collection of WINGS measurements obtained so far. We decided to make use of the Virtual Observatory (VO) tools to share the WINGS database (that will be regularly updated) with the community. In the database each object has one unique identification (WINGSID). Each subset of estimated properties is accessible using a simple cone search (including wide-field images). We provide the scientific community the entire set of wide-field images. Furthermore, the published database contains photometry of 759,024 objects and surface brightness analysis for 42,275 and 41,463 galaxies in the V and B band, respectively. The completeness depends on the image quality, and on the cluster redshift, reaching on average 90% at V<= 21.7. Near infrared photometric catalogs for 26 (in K) and 19 (in J) clusters are part of the database and the number of sources is 962,344 in K and 628,813 in J. Here again the completeness depends on the data quality, but it is on average higher than 90% for J<=20.5 and K<=19.4. The IR subsample with a Sersic fit comprises 71,687 objects. A morphological classification is available for 39,923 galaxies. We publish spectroscopic data, including 6,132 redshifts, 5,299 star formation histories and 4,381 equivalent widths. Finally, a calculation of local density is presented and implemented in the VO catalogs for 66,164 galaxies.
We present the analysis of the emission line galaxies members of 46 low redshift (0.04 < z < 0.07) clusters observed by WINGS (WIde-field Nearby Galaxy cluster Survey, Fasano et al. 2006). Emission line galaxies were identified following criteria that are meant to minimize biases against non-star forming galaxies and classified employing diagnostic diagrams. We have examined the emission line properties and frequencies of star forming galaxies, transition objects and active galactic nuclei (AGNs: LINERs and Seyferts), unclassified galaxies with emission lines, and quiescent galaxies with no detectable line emission. A deficit of emission line galaxies in the cluster environment is indicated by both a lower frequency with respect to control samples, and by a systematically lower Balmer emission line equivalent width and luminosity (up to one order of magnitude in equivalent width with respect to control samples for transition objects) that implies a lower amount of ionised gas per unit mass and a lower star formation rate if the source is classified as Hii region. A sizable population of transition objects and of low-luminosity LINERs (approx. 10 - 20% of all emission line galaxies) is detected among WINGS cluster galaxies. With respect to Hii sources they are a factor of approx. 1.5 more frequent than (or at least as frequent as) in control samples. Transition objects and LINERs in cluster are most affected in terms of line equivalent width by the environment and appear predominantly consistent with retired galaxies. Shock heating can be a possible gas excitation mechanism able to account for observed line ratios. Specific to the cluster environment, we suggest interaction between atomic and molecular gas and the intracluster medium as a possible physical cause of line-emitting shocks.