Intracluster Light Study of the Distant Galaxy Cluster SPT2106-5844 at z=1.132 with Hubble Space Telescope Infrared Imaging Data

  • Published : 2019.10.14

Abstract

Intracluster stars are believed to be gravitationally bound to a galaxy cluster, however, not to individual cluster galaxies. Their presence is observed as diffuse light typically in the central region extended from the brightest cluster galaxy. The diffuse light, often referred to as intracluster light (ICL), is difficult to quantify in distant high-redshift galaxy clusters because of the significant surface brightness dimming although ICL observations in high-redshift clusters provide powerful constraints on the origin of intracluster stars. In this poster, we present ICL study of the distant galaxy cluster SPT2106-5844 at z=1.132 with Hubble Space Telescope IR imaging data. With careful control of systematics, we successfully quantify the total amount of the ICL, measure the color profile, and obtain its two-dimensional distribution. Our measurement of the high abundance of the intracluster stars in this young cluster favors the ICL formation scenario, wherein production of intracluster stars are predominantly associated with the BCG formation.

Keywords