The Relative Distance between the Clusters of Galaxies A2634 and Coma

Abstract

The Tully-Fisher and Fundamental Plane relations are used to obtain two independent estimates of the relative distance between the clusters A2634 and Coma. Previously published studies of A2634 showed a large discrepancy between the distance estimates obtained with the TF and the Dn-sigma relations, questioning the reliability of redshift-independent distances obtained using these relations. Because of the importance of this issue, we have obtained new distance estimates for A2634, based on much larger samples than previously used, and selected according to rigorous membership criteria. New I band CCD photometry for 175 galaxies, new 21 cm observations of 11 galaxies, and new velocity dispersion measurements for 62 galaxies are used together with previously published data in building these samples. After the appropriate corrections for sample incompleteness have been taken into account, we find the TF and FP distance estimates to be in good agreement, both indicating that A2634 has a negligibly small peculiar velocity with respect to the Cosmic Microwave Background reference frame. Because of the high accuracy with which the two distance estimates have been obtained, their agreement strongly supports the universality of the TF and FP relations, and therefore their reliability for the estimate of redshift-independent distances.