1. Pre- and post-processing of cluster galaxies out to 5 × R200: the extreme case of A2670.
- Author
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Piraino-Cerda, Franco, Jaffé, Yara L, Lourenço, Ana C, Crossett, Jacob P, Salinas, Vicente, Kim, Duho, Sheen, Yun-Kyeong, Kelkar, Kshitija, Pallero, Diego, and Bravo-Alfaro, Hector
- Subjects
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GRAVITATIONAL interactions , *OPTICAL images , *GALAXY clusters , *MERGERS & acquisitions , *CLUSTER sampling , *GALACTIC evolution - Abstract
We study galaxy interactions in the large-scale environment around A2670, a massive (M 200 = |$8.5 \pm 1.2~\times 10^{14} \, \mathrm{{M}_{\odot }}$|) and interacting galaxy cluster at z = 0.0763. We first characterize the environment of the cluster out to 5× R 200 and find a wealth of substructures, including the main cluster core, a large infalling group, and several other substructures. To study the impact of these substructures (pre-processing) and their accretion into the main cluster (post-processing) on the member galaxies, we visually examined optical images to look for signatures indicative of gravitational or hydrodynamical interactions. We find that ∼21 per cent of the cluster galaxies have clear signs of disturbances, with most of those (∼60 per cent) likely being disturbed by ram pressure. The number of ram-pressure stripping candidates found (101) in A2670 is the largest to date for a single system, and while they are more common in the cluster core, they can be found even at >4 × R 200, confirming cluster influence out to large radii. In support of a pre-processing scenario, most of the disturbed galaxies follow the substructures found, with the richest structures having more disturbed galaxies. Post-processing also seems plausible, as many galaxy–galaxy mergers are seen near the cluster core, which is not expected in relaxed clusters. In addition, there is a comparable fraction of disturbed galaxies in and outside substructures. Overall, our results highlight the complex interplay of gas stripping and gravitational interactions in actively assembling clusters up to 5 × R 200, motivating wide-area studies in larger cluster samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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