arXiv · astro-ph/0510065
Environmental Dependence of the Structure of Brightest Cluster Galaxies
Abstract
We measure the Petrosian structural properties of 33 brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) at redshifts z<0.1 in X-ray selected clusters with a wide range of X-ray luminosities. We find that some BCGs show distinct signatures in their Petrosian profiles, likely to be due to cD haloes. We also find that BCGs in high X-ray luminosity clusters have shallower surface brightness profiles than those in low X-ray luminosity clusters. This suggests that the BCGs in high X-ray luminosity clusters have undergone up to twice as many equal-mass mergers in their past as those in low X-ray luminosity clusters. This is qualitatively consistent with the predictions of hierarchical structure formation.
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S. Brough, C. Collins, D. Burke, P. Lynam, R. Mann. 2005-10-03. Environmental Dependence of the Structure of Brightest Cluster Galaxies. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.09679.x
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