2007A&A...463..503M -
Astronomy and Astrophysics, volume 463, 503-512 (2007/2-4)
The early-type dwarf galaxy population of the Fornax cluster.
MIESKE S., HILKER M., INFANTE L. and MENDES DE OLIVEIRA C.
Abstract (from CDS):
We analyse the photometric properties of the early-type Fornax cluster dwarf-galaxy population (MV>-17mag), based on a wide-field imaging study of the central cluster area in V and I bandpasses. We used the instrument/telescope combination IMACS/Magellan at Las Campanas Observatory, providing much larger light-collecting area and better image resolution than previous wide-field imaging surveys. We created a fiducial sample of Fornax cluster dwarf ellipticals (dEs) in the following three steps. (1) To verify cluster membership, we measured I-band surface brightness fluctuations (SBF) distances to candidate dEs known from previous surveys. (2) We re-assessed morphological classifications for those candidate dEs that are too faint for SBF detection. (3) We searched for new candidate dEs in the size-luminosity regime close to the resolution limit of previous surveys.(1) We confirm cluster membership for 28 candidate dEs in the range -16.6<MV←10.1mag by means of SBF measurement. We find no SBF background galaxy. (2) Of 51 other candidate dEs in the range -13.2<MV←8.6mag, 2/3 are confirmed as probable cluster members by morphological re-assessment, while 1/3 are re-classified as probable background objects. (3) We find 12 new dE candidates in the range -12.3<MV←8.8mag, two of which are directly confirmed via SBF measurement. The resulting fiducial dE sample follows a well-defined surface brightness-magnitude relation, showing that Fornax dEs are about 40% larger than Local Group dEs. The sample also defines a colour-magnitude relation that appears slightly shallower than that of Local Group dEs. The early-type dwarf galaxy luminosity function in Fornax has a very flat faint end slope α≃-1.1±0.1. We discuss these findings in the context of structure-formation theories.The SBF method is a very powerful tool to help constrain the faint end of the galaxy luminosity function in nearby galaxy clusters. For the Fornax cluster, morphological cluster memberships - if performed at sufficient resolution - are very reliable.
Abstract Copyright:
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Journal keyword(s):
galaxies: clusters: individual: Fornax cluster - galaxies: dwarf - galaxies: fundamental parameters - galaxies: luminosity function, mass function - techniques: photometric
VizieR on-line data:
<Available at CDS (J/A+A/463/503): table1.dat>
Nomenclature:
Table 1: [MHI2007] WFLSBNN-NN N=54, [MHI2007] IMN-N-LSBN, [MHI2007] IMN-N-N-LSBN, N=12.
Status at CDS
:
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Simbad objects:
44
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