The Spatial Distribution of Galaxies of Different Spectral Types in the Massive Intermediate-Redshift Cluster MACS J0717.5+3745
Abstract
We present the results of a wide-field spectroscopic analysis of the galaxy population of the massive cluster MACS J0717.5+3745 and the surrounding filamentary structure (z = 0.55), as part of our systematic study of the 12 most distant clusters in the MACS sample. Of 1368 galaxies spectroscopically observed in this field, 563 are identified as cluster members; of those, 203 are classified as emission-line galaxies, 260 as absorption-line galaxies, and 17 as E+A galaxies (defined by (H δ + H γ )/2 > 6 Å and no detection of [O II] and Hβ in emission). The variation of the fraction of emission- and absorption-line galaxies as a function of local projected galaxy density confirms the well-known morphology-density relation, and becomes flat at projected galaxy densities less than ~20 Mpc-2. Interestingly, 16 out of 17 E+A galaxies lie (in projection) within the ram-pressure stripping radius around the cluster core, which we take to be direct evidence that ram-pressure stripping is the primary mechanism that terminates star formation in the E+A population of galaxy clusters. This conclusion is supported by the rarity of E+A galaxies in the filament, which rules out galaxy mergers as the dominant driver of evolution for E+A galaxies in clusters. In addition, we find that the 42 e(a) and 27 e(b) member galaxies, i.e., the dusty-starburst and starburst galaxies respectively, are spread out across almost the entire study area. Their spatial distribution, which shows a strong preference for the filament region, suggests that starbursts are triggered in relatively low-density environments as galaxies are accreted from the field population.
Based in part on data collected at Subaru Telescope, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Based also in part on observations obtained with MegaPrime/MegaCam, a joint project of CFHT and CEA/DAPNIA, at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), which is operated by the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada, the Institute National des Sciences de l'Univers of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique of France, and the University of Hawaii. The spectroscopic data presented herein were obtained at the W.M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W.M. Keck Foundation.- Publication:
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The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- September 2008
- DOI:
- 10.1086/589991
- arXiv:
- arXiv:0805.2238
- Bibcode:
- 2008ApJ...684..160M
- Keywords:
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- galaxies: clusters: individual: MACS J0717.5+3745;
- galaxies: elliptical and lenticular;
- cD;
- galaxies: evolution;
- galaxies: starburst;
- large-scale structure of universe;
- techniques: spectroscopic;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 16 pages, 15 figures, accepted by ApJ