Bibcode
den Brok, M.; Peletier, R. F.; Valentijn, E. A.; Balcells, M.; Carter, D.; Erwin, P.; Ferguson, H. C.; Goudfrooij, P.; Graham, A. W.; Hammer, D.; Lucey, J. R.; Trentham, N.; Guzmán, R.; Hoyos, C.; Verdoes Kleijn, G.; Jogee, S.; Karick, A. M.; Marinova, I.; Mouhcine, M.; Weinzirl, T.
Bibliographical reference
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 414, Issue 4, pp. 3052-3070.
Advertised on:
7
2011
Citations
37
Refereed citations
35
Description
Using deep, high-spatial-resolution imaging from the Hubble Space
Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys (HST/ACS) Coma Cluster Treasury
Survey, we determine colour profiles of early-type galaxies in the Coma
cluster. From 176 galaxies brighter than MF814W(AB)=-15 mag
that are either spectroscopically confirmed members of Coma or
identified by eye as likely members from their low surface brightness,
data are provided for 142 early-type galaxies. Typically, colour
profiles are linear against log (R), sometimes with a nuclear region of
distinct, often bluer colour associated with nuclear clusters. Colour
gradients are determined for the regions outside the nuclear components.
We find that almost all colour gradients are negative, both for
elliptical and for lenticular galaxies. Most likely, earlier studies
that report positive colour gradients in dwarf galaxies are affected by
the bluer colours of the nuclear clusters, underlining that
high-resolution data are essential to disentangle the colour properties
of the different morphological components in galaxies. Colour gradients
of dwarf galaxies form a continuous sequence with those of elliptical
galaxies, becoming shallower towards fainter magnitudes. Interpreting
the colours as metallicity tracers, our data suggest that dwarfs as well
as giant early-type galaxies in the Coma cluster are less metal rich in
their outer parts. We do not find evidence for environmental influence
on the gradients, although we note that most of our galaxies are found
in the central regions of the cluster. For a subset of galaxies with
known morphological types, S0 galaxies have less steep gradients than
elliptical galaxies.
Related projects
Traces of Galaxy Formation: Stellar populations, Dynamics and Morphology
We are a large, diverse, and very active research group aiming to provide a comprehensive picture for the formation of galaxies in the Universe. Rooted in detailed stellar population analysis, we are constantly exploring and developing new tools and ideas to understand how galaxies came to be what we now observe.
Ignacio
Martín Navarro