Related papers: Brightest Cluster Galaxies and the Intracluster Li…
Using the extended J, H and K magnitudes provided by the 2MASS data archive, we consider the position of brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) in the observed relations between inferred supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass and the host galaxy…
We study the dominant central giant elliptical galaxies in ``Fossil groups'' using deep optical (R-band) and near infrared (Ks-band) photometry. These galaxies are as luminous as the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs), raising immediate…
The intracluster light (ICL) is a faint diffuse stellar component in clusters made of stars not bound to individual galaxies. We have carried out a large scale study of this component in the nearby Virgo cluster. The diffuse light is traced…
Their ubiquity and extreme densities make star clusters probes of prime importance of galaxy evolution. Old globular clusters keep imprints of the physical conditions of their assembly in the early Universe, and younger stellar objects,…
The vast majority of stars in galaxy groups are contained within their constituent galaxies. Some small fraction of stars is expected, however, to follow the global dark matter potential of the group. In compact groups, interactions between…
Galaxy clusters are the largest structures in Universe. They are very important as both cosmological probes and astrophysical laboratories. Several methods have been developed to detect galaxy clusters with different techniques (optical,…
We analyse the K-band Hubble diagram for a sample of brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) in the redshift range 0<z<1. In good agreement with earlier studies, we confirm that the scatter in the absolute magnitudes of the galaxies is small (0.3…
Using the redMaPPer cluster catalogue based on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) photometry, we investigate the importance of major mergers in the stellar mass build-up of brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) between $0.08 \leq z \leq 0.50$.…
In about 40% of the Local Group galaxies star clusters have been detected so far, but the census is still incomplete. The properties of these clusters are briefly reviewed, and the impact of galaxy environment on the evolution and survival…
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…
The X-ray cluster C0337-2522 at redshift $z=0.59$ hosts in its core a group of five elliptical galaxies. Using N-body simulations we show that a multiple merging event among the five galaxies is expected to take place in the next few Gyrs,…
We describe the results of observations of galaxy clusters conducted with ISOCAM on-board the Infrared Space Observatory. Our research is aimed at understanding the processes driving galaxy evolution in dense environments, free from the…
I shall review the latest results for the presence of diffuse light in nearby clusters, and the evidence of ongoing star formation in an intracluster Virgo field. I shall discuss how intracluster planetary nebulae can be used as excellent…
Clusters of galaxies generally form by the gravitational merger of smaller clusters and groups. Major cluster mergers are the most energetic events in the Universe since the Big Bang. The basic properties of cluster mergers and their…
Gravitational lensing is brightening of background objects due to deflection of light by foreground sources. Rich clusters of galaxies are very effective lenses because they are centrally concentrated. Such natural Gravitational Telescopes…
Merging of galaxy clusters are some of the most energetic events in the Universe, and they provide a unique environment to study galaxy evolution. We use a sample of 84 merging and relaxed SPT galaxy clusters candidates, observed with the…
Using N-body simulations, we have modeled the production and evolution of substructures in the intracluster light (ICL) of a simulated galaxy cluster. We use a density-based definition of ICL, where ICL consists of luminous particles which…
Rich clusters of galaxies are the most massive virialized systems known. Even though they contain only a small fraction of all galaxies, rich clusters provide a powerful tool for the study of galaxy formation, dark matter, large-scale…
The main component of the intracluster medium (ICM) in clusters of galaxies is represented by the X-ray emitting thermal plasma. In addition, the presence of relativistic electrons and large-scale magnetic fields in a fraction of galaxy…
Deep surface photometry reveals a faint, diffuse baryonic component in a significant fraction of galaxy groups, permeating the intragroup space. This intragroup light (IGL) is primarily formed by stars removed from their host galaxies…