Chemical effects on the development of the colour-magnitude relation of cluster galaxies
Abstract
We investigate the development of the colour-magnitude relation (CMR) of cluster galaxies by using a combination of cosmological N-body simu- lations of galaxy clusters, and a semi-analytic model of galaxy formation, widening the dynamical range of the study by Jiménez et al. (2009). Our results reinforce the previous conclusions. We compare both simulated and observed CMRs in different bands, finding a very good agreement in all cases. This indicates that the physical processes included in the semi- analytic model and the adequate tuning of the free parameters involved help reproduce fairly well the main properties of galaxies for further use in our study. In the present work, we perform a statistical analysis of the relative contribution to the stellar mass and metallicity of galaxies along the CMR by the different processes involved in their formation and evolution. The results that emerge from this analysis are found for all simulated clusters, supporting the idea of the universality of the CMR in agreement with ob- servational results.
- Publication:
-
Boletin de la Asociacion Argentina de Astronomia La Plata Argentina
- Pub Date:
- 2010
- Bibcode:
- 2010BAAA...53...31J