arXiv subjects

Steven Janowiecki

Publications and source records attributed to Steven Janowiecki.

56 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2010

Diffuse Tidal Structures in the Halos of Virgo Ellipticals

We use deep V-band surface photometry of five of the brightest elliptical galaxies in the Virgo cluster to search for diffuse tidal streams, shells, and plumes in their outer halos (r > 50 kpc). We fit and subtract elliptical isophotal models from the galaxy images to reveal a variety of substructure, with surface brightnesses in the range mu_V= 26-29 mag/arcsec^2. M49 possesses an extended, interleaved shell system reminiscent of the radial accretion of a satellite companion, while M89's complex system of shells and plumes suggests a more complicated accretion history involving either multiple events or a major merger. M87 has a set of long streamers as might be expected from stripping of low luminosity dwarfs on radial orbits in Virgo. M86 also displays a number of small streams indicative of stripping of dwarf companions, but these comprise much less luminosity than those of M87. Only M84 lacks significant tidal features. We quantify the photometric properties of these structures, and discuss their origins in the context of each galaxy's environment and kinematics within the Virgo cluster.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

The Connection Between Diffuse Light and Intracluster Planetary Nebulae in the Virgo Cluster

We compare the distribution of diffuse intracluster light detected in the Virgo Cluster via broadband imaging with that inferred from searches for intracluster planetary nebulae (IPNe). We find a rough correspondence on large scales (~ 100 kpc) between the two, but with very large scatter (~ 1.3 mag/arcsec^2). On smaller scales (1 -- 10 kpc), the presence or absence of correlation is clearly dependent on the underlying surface brightness. On these scales, we find a correlation in regions of higher surface brightness (mu_V < ~27) which are dominated by the halos of large galaxies such as M87, M86, and M84. In those cases, we are likely tracing PNe associated with galaxies rather than true IPNe. In true intracluster fields, at lower surface brightness, the correlation between luminosity and IPN candidates is much weaker. While a correlation between broadband light and IPNe is expected based on stellar populations, a variety of statistical, physical, and methodological effects can act to wash out this correlation and explain the lack of a strong correlation at lower surface brightness found here. [abridged]

astro-ph.CO↗