Probing Virgo's Diffuse Intracluster Light

星系团中弥漫的星系团内星光已经成为研究星系团及其成员星系演化的有力工具。这项被提议的工作是利用凯斯西储大学的伯勒尔·施密特望远镜（Burrell Schmidt telescope）在之前的室女座星系团的星系团内星光地图的基础上进行绘制，该望远镜最近被优化用于对星系和星系团周围微弱的漫射光进行深、宽视场成像。首席研究员将扩大他对处女座的调查，覆盖近20平方度的星团，直到28.5等/arcsec2的极限表面亮度。对于单个星系有大量的补充数据，如详细的光学成像和光谱数据，21厘米和射电连续体，以及红外（斯皮策）和紫外线（星系）数据。整个星团的x射线数据也存在，将漫射星光与室女座炽热的星团内介质中的子结构联系起来。所有这些数据可以与深度光学成像相结合，提供室女座星系团内部进化过程的非常详细的图像。星团内星光的光度分布、颜色、金属丰度和运动学都包含了星团的聚集历史及其动态状态的信息，从而可以区分引力相互作用与冲压压力剥离之间的竞争情况。该项目将涉及本科生。一个基于网络的电子实验室“JavaLab”将继续为公众提供各种天文和计算工具。

AbstractAST-0607526 MihosThe diffuse intracluster starlight that permeates galaxy clusters has become a powerful tool for studying the evolution of clusters and their member galaxies. The proposed work is to build on a previous mapping of intracluster starlight in the nearby Virgo Cluster, using the Case Western Reserve University's Burrell Schmidt telescope, which has been recently optimized for deep, wide-field imaging of faint diffuse light around galaxies and clusters. The Principal Investigator will expand his survey of Virgo to cover nearly 20 square degrees of the cluster down to a limiting surface brightness of 28.5 mag/arcsec2. A large amount of supplementary data is available for individual galaxies, such as detailed optical imaging and spectroscopic data, 21-cm and radio continuum, as well as infrared (Spitzer) and ultraviolet (Galex) data. X-ray data also exists for the cluster as a whole, to connect the diffuse starlight to substructure within Virgo's hot intracluster medium. All these data can be combined with the deep optical imaging to provide a very detailed picture of evolutionary processes within the Virgo cluster. The luminosity distribution, color, metallicity, and kinematics of the intracluster starlight all contain information about the assembly history of the cluster and its dynamical state, allowing for a discrimination between competing scenarios involving gravitational interactions versus ram pressure stripping. The project will involve undergraduate students. A web-based electronic laboratory "JavaLab" will continue to provide the general public a variety of astronomical and computational tools.