Related papers: Brightest Cluster Galaxies: the centre can(not?) h…
Using new and published data, we construct a sample of 160 brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) spanning the redshift interval 0.03 < z < 1.63. We use this sample, which covers 70% of the history of the universe, to measure the growth in the…
Rich and massive clusters of galaxies at intermediate redshift are capable of magnifying and distorting the images of background galaxies. A comparison of different mass estimators among these clusters can provide useful information about…
We investigate the dependence of several galaxy properties on the environment and cluster identification techniques. We select clusters of galaxies from two catalogues based on the SDSS: the ROSAT-SDSS Galaxy Cluster Survey, and the MaxBCG…
We present deep, large area B and r' imaging for a sample of 49 brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs). The clusters were selected by their x-ray luminosity and redshift to form two volume limited samples, one with mean redshift ~ 0.07 and one…
Globular cluster systems exhibit a bewildering variety of characteristics. No single scenario appears to be able to account for the wide range of specific globular cluster frequencies that are observed in galaxies of various types. The…
We compare the apparent axial ratio distributions of Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) and normal ellipticals (Es) in our sample of 75 galaxy clusters from the WINGS survey. Most BCGs in our clusters (69%) are classified as cD galaxies. The…
Models of Cold Dark Matter predict that the distribution of dark matter in galaxy clusters should be cuspy, centrally concentrated. Constant density cores would be strong evidence for beyond-CDM physics, such as Self-Interacting Dark Matter…
A large sample of Abell clusters of galaxies, selected for the likely presence of a dominant galaxy, is used to study the dynamical properties of brightest cluster members (BCMs). From visual inspection of Digitized Sky Survey images…
Merging galaxy clusters have been touted as one of the best probes for constraining self-interacting dark matter, but few simulations exist to back up this claim. We simulate equal mass mergers of 10$^{15}$ M$_\odot$ halos, like the El…
A striking signal of dark matter beyond the standard model is the existence of cores in the centre of galaxy clusters. Recent simulations predict that a Brightest Cluster Galaxy (BCG) inside a cored galaxy cluster will exhibit residual…
We search for ongoing major dry-mergers in a well selected sample of local Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) from the C4 cluster catalogue. 18 out of 515 early-type BCGs with redshift between 0.03 and 0.12 are found to be in major…
I discuss and review recent studies of the signatures of activity in brightest cluster galaxies. Mid-IR spectra appear to show indications of star formation in a sample of 9 BCGs from de Messieres et al. (2009). Other processes like cosmic…
We study the luminosity gap, dm12, between the first and second ranked galaxies in a sample of 59 massive galaxy clusters, using data from the Hale Telescope, HST, Chandra, and Spitzer. We find that the dm12 distribution, p(dm12), is a…
Determining the positions of halo centres in large-scale structure surveys is crucial for many cosmological studies. A common assumption is that halo centres correspond to the location of their brightest member galaxies. In this paper, we…
We investigate the photometric properties of the early type Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) using a carefully selected sample of 85 BCGs from the C4 cluster catalogue with redshift less than 0.1. We perform accurate background…
Assembly bias, which is the variation in halo clustering at fixed mass driven by formation history, has long been predicted by numerical simulations but remains difficult to confirm observationally. Previous studies have reported evidence…
Understanding the formation history of brightest cluster galaxies is an important topic in galaxy formation. Utilizing the Planck Sunyaev-Zel'dovich cluster catalog, and applying the Ansatz that the most massive halos at one redshift remain…
Formation theories for central dominant galaxies in clusters require them to be located at the minimum of the cluster gravitational potential. However, 32\% (8 out of 25) of the clusters with more than 50 measured redshifts have central…
We investigate the stellar and dynamical mass profiles in the centres of 25 brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) at redshifts of 0.05 $\leq z \leq$ 0.30. Our spectroscopy enables us to robustly measure the Gauss-Hermite higher order velocity…
It is generally assumed that the central galaxy in a dark matter halo, that is, the galaxy with the lowest specific potential energy, is also the brightest halo galaxy (BHG), and that it resides at rest at the centre of the dark matter…