Using wide-field $BVR_cI$ imaging for a sample of 16 intermediate redshift ($0.17 < z < 0.55$) galaxy clusters from the Canadian Network for Observational Cosmology (CNOC1) Survey, we investigate the dependence of cluster galaxy populations and their
evolution on environment. Galaxy photometric redshifts are estimated using an empirical photometric redshift technique and galaxy groups are identified using a modified friends-of-friends algorithm in photometric redshift space.We utilize the red galaxy fraction (fred) to infer the evolutionary status of galaxies in clusters, using both individual galaxies and galaxies in groups. We apply the local galaxy density, sig5, derived using the fifth nearest-neighbor distance, as a measure of local environment, and the cluster-centric radius, rCL, as a proxy for global cluster environment. Our cluster sample exhibits a Butcher-Oemler effect in both luminosity-selected and stellar-mass-selected samples. We find that fred depends strongly on sig5 and rCL, and the Butcher-Oemler effect is observed in all sig5 and rCL bins. However, when the cluster galaxies are separated into rCL bins, or into group and non-group subsamples, the dependence on local galaxy density becomes much weaker. This suggests that the properties of the dark matter halo in which the galaxy resides have a dominant effect on its galaxy population and evolutionary history. We find that our data are consistent with the scenario that cluster galaxies situated in successively richer groups (i.e., more massive dark matter halos) reach a high fred value at earlier redshifts. Associated with this, we observe a clear signature of `pre-processing, in which ... <and more>
We present the evolution of the color-magnitude distribution of galaxy clusters from z = 0.45 to z = 0.9 using a homogeneously selected sample of ~1000 clusters drawn from the Red-Sequence Cluster Survey (RCS). The red fraction of galaxies decreases
as a function of increasing redshift for all cluster-centric radii, consistent with the Butcher-Oemler effect, and suggesting that the cluster blue population may be identified with newly infalling galaxies. We also find that the red fraction at the core has a shallower evolution compared with that at the cluster outskirts. Detailed examination of the color distribution of blue galaxies suggests that they have colors consistent with normal spirals and may redden slightly with time. Galaxies of starburst spectral type contribute less than 5% of the increase in the blue population at high redshift, implying that the observed Butcher-Oemler effect is not caused by a unobscured starbursts, but is more consistent with a normal coeval field population.
