Evolution of the brightest cluster galaxies: the influence of morphology, stellar mass and environment
Using a sample of 425 nearby brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) from von der Linden et al., we study the relationship between their internal properties (stellar masses, structural parameters and morphologies) and their environment. More massive BCGs tend to inhabit denser regions and more massive clu...
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| Format: | Article |
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Oxford University Press
2015
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42048/ |
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| author | Zhao, Dongyao Aragón-Salamanca, Alfonso Conselice, Christopher J. |
| author_facet | Zhao, Dongyao Aragón-Salamanca, Alfonso Conselice, Christopher J. |
| author_sort | Zhao, Dongyao |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Using a sample of 425 nearby brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) from von der Linden et al., we study the relationship between their internal properties (stellar masses, structural parameters and morphologies) and their environment. More massive BCGs tend to inhabit denser regions and more massive clusters than lower mass BCGs. Furthermore, cDs, which are BCGs with particularly extended envelopes, seem to prefer marginally denser regions and tend to be hosted by more massive haloes than elliptical BCGs. cD and elliptical BCGs show parallel positive correlations between their stellar masses and environmental densities. However, at a fixed environmental density, cDs are, on average,∼ 40 per cent more massive. Our results, together with the findings of previous studies, suggest an evolutionary link between elliptical and cD BCGs. We suggest that most present-day cDs started their life as ellipticals, which subsequently grew in stellar mass and size due to mergers. In this process, the cD envelope developed. The large scatter in the stellar masses and sizes of the cDs reflects their different merger histories. The growth of the BCGs in mass and size seems to be linked to the hierarchical growth of the structures they inhabit: as the groups and clusters became denser and more massive, the BCGs at their centres also grew. This process is nearing completion since the majority (∼60 per cent)of the BCGs in the local Universe have cD morphology. However, the presence of galaxies with intermediate morphological classes (between ellipticals and cDs) suggests that the growth and morphological transformation of some BCGs is still ongoing. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:47:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-42048 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:47:28Z |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publisher | Oxford University Press |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-420482020-05-04T17:18:19Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42048/ Evolution of the brightest cluster galaxies: the influence of morphology, stellar mass and environment Zhao, Dongyao Aragón-Salamanca, Alfonso Conselice, Christopher J. Using a sample of 425 nearby brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) from von der Linden et al., we study the relationship between their internal properties (stellar masses, structural parameters and morphologies) and their environment. More massive BCGs tend to inhabit denser regions and more massive clusters than lower mass BCGs. Furthermore, cDs, which are BCGs with particularly extended envelopes, seem to prefer marginally denser regions and tend to be hosted by more massive haloes than elliptical BCGs. cD and elliptical BCGs show parallel positive correlations between their stellar masses and environmental densities. However, at a fixed environmental density, cDs are, on average,∼ 40 per cent more massive. Our results, together with the findings of previous studies, suggest an evolutionary link between elliptical and cD BCGs. We suggest that most present-day cDs started their life as ellipticals, which subsequently grew in stellar mass and size due to mergers. In this process, the cD envelope developed. The large scatter in the stellar masses and sizes of the cDs reflects their different merger histories. The growth of the BCGs in mass and size seems to be linked to the hierarchical growth of the structures they inhabit: as the groups and clusters became denser and more massive, the BCGs at their centres also grew. This process is nearing completion since the majority (∼60 per cent)of the BCGs in the local Universe have cD morphology. However, the presence of galaxies with intermediate morphological classes (between ellipticals and cDs) suggests that the growth and morphological transformation of some BCGs is still ongoing. Oxford University Press 2015-11-01 Article PeerReviewed Zhao, Dongyao, Aragón-Salamanca, Alfonso and Conselice, Christopher J. (2015) Evolution of the brightest cluster galaxies: the influence of morphology, stellar mass and environment. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 453 (4). pp. 4445-4456. ISSN 0035-8711 galaxies ; clusters ; general – galaxies: elliptical and lenticular ; cD – galaxies: evolution ; galaxies: formation https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/mnras/stv1940 doi:10.1093/mnras/stv1940 doi:10.1093/mnras/stv1940 |
| spellingShingle | galaxies ; clusters ; general – galaxies: elliptical and lenticular ; cD – galaxies: evolution ; galaxies: formation Zhao, Dongyao Aragón-Salamanca, Alfonso Conselice, Christopher J. Evolution of the brightest cluster galaxies: the influence of morphology, stellar mass and environment |
| title | Evolution of the brightest cluster galaxies: the influence of morphology, stellar mass and environment |
| title_full | Evolution of the brightest cluster galaxies: the influence of morphology, stellar mass and environment |
| title_fullStr | Evolution of the brightest cluster galaxies: the influence of morphology, stellar mass and environment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evolution of the brightest cluster galaxies: the influence of morphology, stellar mass and environment |
| title_short | Evolution of the brightest cluster galaxies: the influence of morphology, stellar mass and environment |
| title_sort | evolution of the brightest cluster galaxies: the influence of morphology, stellar mass and environment |
| topic | galaxies ; clusters ; general – galaxies: elliptical and lenticular ; cD – galaxies: evolution ; galaxies: formation |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42048/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42048/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42048/ |