The HST/ACS Coma Cluster Survey - V. Compact stellar systems in the Coma Cluster

J. Price; S. Phillipps; A. Huxor; N. Trentham; H. C. Ferguson; R. O. Marzke; A. Hornschemeier; P. Goudfrooij; D. Hammer; R. B. Tully; K. Chiboucas; R. J. Smith; D. Carter; D. Merritt; M. Balcells; P. Erwin; T. H. Puzia

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15122.x

The HST/ACS Coma Cluster Survey - V. Compact stellar systems in the Coma Cluster

J. Price^*, S. Phillipps, A. Huxor, N. Trentham, H. C. Ferguson, R. O. Marzke, A. Hornschemeier, P. Goudfrooij, D. Hammer, R. B. Tully, K. Chiboucas, R. J. Smith, D. Carter, D. Merritt, M. Balcells, P. Erwin, T. H. Puzia

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Abstract

The Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys (HST/ACS) Coma Cluster Treasury Survey is a deep two-passband imaging survey of the nearest very rich cluster of galaxies, covering a range of galaxy density environments. The imaging is complemented by a recent wide field redshift survey of the cluster conducted with Hectospec on the 6.5-m Monolithic Mirror Telescope (MMT). Among the many scientific applications for these data is the search for compact galaxies. In this paper, we present the discovery of seven compact (but quite luminous) stellar systems, ranging from M32-like galaxies down to ultra-compact dwarfs (UCDs)/dwarf to globular transition objects (DGTOs).

We find that all seven compact galaxies require a two-component fit to their light profile and have measured velocity dispersions that exceed those expected for typical early-type galaxies at their luminosity. From our structural parameter analysis, we conclude that three of the samples should be classified as compact ellipticals or M32-like galaxies, and the remaining four being less extreme systems. The three compact ellipticals are all found to have old luminosity weighted ages (greater than or similar to 12 Gyr), intermediate metallicities (-0.6 <[Fe/H] <-0.1) and high [Mg/Fe] (greater than or similar to 0.25).

Our findings support a tidal stripping scenario as the formation mode of compact galaxies covering the luminosity range studied here. We speculate that at least two early-type morphologies may serve as the progenitor of compact galaxies in clusters.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1816-1835
Number of pages	20
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	397
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15122.x
Publication status	Published - 21 Aug 2009
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

surveys
galaxies: clusters: individual: Coma
galaxies: dwarf
galaxies: structure
EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES
ULTRACOMPACT DWARF GALAXIES
TO-LIGHT RATIO
DISK-DOMINATED GALAXIES
MASSIVE STAR-CLUSTERS
ELLIPTIC GALAXIES
VIRGO-CLUSTER
FORNAX CLUSTER
FUNDAMENTAL PLANE
GLOBULAR-CLUSTERS

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Price, J., Phillipps, S., Huxor, A., Trentham, N., Ferguson, H. C., Marzke, R. O., Hornschemeier, A., Goudfrooij, P., Hammer, D., Tully, R. B., Chiboucas, K., Smith, R. J., Carter, D., Merritt, D., Balcells, M., Erwin, P., & Puzia, T. H. (2009). The HST/ACS Coma Cluster Survey - V. Compact stellar systems in the Coma Cluster. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 397(4), 1816-1835. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15122.x

@article{a3129147608b4a4488927cc6c59241c9,

title = "The HST/ACS Coma Cluster Survey - V. Compact stellar systems in the Coma Cluster",

abstract = "The Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys (HST/ACS) Coma Cluster Treasury Survey is a deep two-passband imaging survey of the nearest very rich cluster of galaxies, covering a range of galaxy density environments. The imaging is complemented by a recent wide field redshift survey of the cluster conducted with Hectospec on the 6.5-m Monolithic Mirror Telescope (MMT). Among the many scientific applications for these data is the search for compact galaxies. In this paper, we present the discovery of seven compact (but quite luminous) stellar systems, ranging from M32-like galaxies down to ultra-compact dwarfs (UCDs)/dwarf to globular transition objects (DGTOs).We find that all seven compact galaxies require a two-component fit to their light profile and have measured velocity dispersions that exceed those expected for typical early-type galaxies at their luminosity. From our structural parameter analysis, we conclude that three of the samples should be classified as compact ellipticals or M32-like galaxies, and the remaining four being less extreme systems. The three compact ellipticals are all found to have old luminosity weighted ages (greater than or similar to 12 Gyr), intermediate metallicities (-0.6 <[Fe/H] <-0.1) and high [Mg/Fe] (greater than or similar to 0.25).Our findings support a tidal stripping scenario as the formation mode of compact galaxies covering the luminosity range studied here. We speculate that at least two early-type morphologies may serve as the progenitor of compact galaxies in clusters.",

keywords = "surveys, galaxies: clusters: individual: Coma, galaxies: dwarf, galaxies: structure, EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES, ULTRACOMPACT DWARF GALAXIES, TO-LIGHT RATIO, DISK-DOMINATED GALAXIES, MASSIVE STAR-CLUSTERS, ELLIPTIC GALAXIES, VIRGO-CLUSTER, FORNAX CLUSTER, FUNDAMENTAL PLANE, GLOBULAR-CLUSTERS",

author = "J. Price and S. Phillipps and A. Huxor and N. Trentham and Ferguson, {H. C.} and Marzke, {R. O.} and A. Hornschemeier and P. Goudfrooij and D. Hammer and Tully, {R. B.} and K. Chiboucas and Smith, {R. J.} and D. Carter and D. Merritt and M. Balcells and P. Erwin and Puzia, {T. H.}",

year = "2009",

month = aug,

day = "21",

doi = "10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15122.x",

language = "English",

volume = "397",

pages = "1816--1835",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

issn = "0035-8711",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

number = "4",

}

Price, J, Phillipps, S, Huxor, A, Trentham, N, Ferguson, HC, Marzke, RO, Hornschemeier, A, Goudfrooij, P, Hammer, D, Tully, RB, Chiboucas, K, Smith, RJ, Carter, D, Merritt, D, Balcells, M, Erwin, P & Puzia, TH 2009, 'The HST/ACS Coma Cluster Survey - V. Compact stellar systems in the Coma Cluster', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 397, no. 4, pp. 1816-1835. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15122.x

TY - JOUR

T1 - The HST/ACS Coma Cluster Survey - V. Compact stellar systems in the Coma Cluster

AU - Price, J.

AU - Phillipps, S.

AU - Huxor, A.

AU - Trentham, N.

AU - Ferguson, H. C.

AU - Marzke, R. O.

AU - Hornschemeier, A.

AU - Goudfrooij, P.

AU - Hammer, D.

AU - Tully, R. B.

AU - Chiboucas, K.

AU - Smith, R. J.

AU - Carter, D.

AU - Merritt, D.

AU - Balcells, M.

AU - Erwin, P.

AU - Puzia, T. H.

PY - 2009/8/21

Y1 - 2009/8/21

N2 - The Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys (HST/ACS) Coma Cluster Treasury Survey is a deep two-passband imaging survey of the nearest very rich cluster of galaxies, covering a range of galaxy density environments. The imaging is complemented by a recent wide field redshift survey of the cluster conducted with Hectospec on the 6.5-m Monolithic Mirror Telescope (MMT). Among the many scientific applications for these data is the search for compact galaxies. In this paper, we present the discovery of seven compact (but quite luminous) stellar systems, ranging from M32-like galaxies down to ultra-compact dwarfs (UCDs)/dwarf to globular transition objects (DGTOs).We find that all seven compact galaxies require a two-component fit to their light profile and have measured velocity dispersions that exceed those expected for typical early-type galaxies at their luminosity. From our structural parameter analysis, we conclude that three of the samples should be classified as compact ellipticals or M32-like galaxies, and the remaining four being less extreme systems. The three compact ellipticals are all found to have old luminosity weighted ages (greater than or similar to 12 Gyr), intermediate metallicities (-0.6 <[Fe/H] <-0.1) and high [Mg/Fe] (greater than or similar to 0.25).Our findings support a tidal stripping scenario as the formation mode of compact galaxies covering the luminosity range studied here. We speculate that at least two early-type morphologies may serve as the progenitor of compact galaxies in clusters.

AB - The Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys (HST/ACS) Coma Cluster Treasury Survey is a deep two-passband imaging survey of the nearest very rich cluster of galaxies, covering a range of galaxy density environments. The imaging is complemented by a recent wide field redshift survey of the cluster conducted with Hectospec on the 6.5-m Monolithic Mirror Telescope (MMT). Among the many scientific applications for these data is the search for compact galaxies. In this paper, we present the discovery of seven compact (but quite luminous) stellar systems, ranging from M32-like galaxies down to ultra-compact dwarfs (UCDs)/dwarf to globular transition objects (DGTOs).We find that all seven compact galaxies require a two-component fit to their light profile and have measured velocity dispersions that exceed those expected for typical early-type galaxies at their luminosity. From our structural parameter analysis, we conclude that three of the samples should be classified as compact ellipticals or M32-like galaxies, and the remaining four being less extreme systems. The three compact ellipticals are all found to have old luminosity weighted ages (greater than or similar to 12 Gyr), intermediate metallicities (-0.6 <[Fe/H] <-0.1) and high [Mg/Fe] (greater than or similar to 0.25).Our findings support a tidal stripping scenario as the formation mode of compact galaxies covering the luminosity range studied here. We speculate that at least two early-type morphologies may serve as the progenitor of compact galaxies in clusters.

KW - surveys

KW - galaxies: clusters: individual: Coma

KW - galaxies: dwarf

KW - galaxies: structure

KW - EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES

KW - ULTRACOMPACT DWARF GALAXIES

KW - TO-LIGHT RATIO

KW - DISK-DOMINATED GALAXIES

KW - MASSIVE STAR-CLUSTERS

KW - ELLIPTIC GALAXIES

KW - VIRGO-CLUSTER

KW - FORNAX CLUSTER

KW - FUNDAMENTAL PLANE

KW - GLOBULAR-CLUSTERS

U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15122.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15122.x

M3 - Review article

VL - 397

SP - 1816

EP - 1835

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

SN - 0035-8711

IS - 4

ER -

The HST/ACS Coma Cluster Survey - V. Compact stellar systems in the Coma Cluster

Abstract

Keywords

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