Related papers: Optical Diffuse Light in Clusters of Galaxies
Cosmology, high-energy physics and astrophysics are converging on the study of large-scale magnetic fields. While the experimental evidence for the existence of large-scale magnetization in galaxies, clusters and superclusters is rather…
Observations of density profiles of galaxies and clusters constrain the properties of dark matter. Formation of stable halos by collisional fluids with very low mass particles appears as the most probable interpretation, while halos formed…
Recent work suggests that rich clusters of galaxies commonly have large populations of dwarf (i.e. low luminosity) members, that is their luminosity function (LF) turns up to a steep slope at the faint end. This population, or more…
We discuss implications of the fundamental plane parameters of clusters of galaxies derived from combined optical and X-ray data of a sample of 78 nearby clusters. In particular, we investigate the dependence of these parameters on the…
We are undertaking a program to measure the characteristics of the intracluster light (total flux, profile, color, and substructure) in a sample of 10 galaxy clusters with a range of cluster mass, morphology, and redshift. We present here…
We identify the largest known lensed images of a single spiral galaxy, lying close to the centre of the distant cluster MACS J1149.5+2223 ($z=0.544$). These images cover a total area of $\simeq 150 \Box\arcsec$ and are magnified $\simeq…
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 diffuse intracluster light (ICL) contains a significant fraction of the total stellar mass in clusters of galaxies, and contributes in roughly equal proportion as the hot intra-cluster medium (ICM) to the total baryon content of…
Although cluster dwarf galaxies are often neglected due to their faintness, recent observations demonstrate that they are critical for understanding the physical processes behind galaxy and cluster formation. Dwarfs are the most common…
The central regions of galaxies show the presence of super massive black holes and/or very dense stellar clusters. Both objects seem to follow similar host-galaxy correlations, suggesting that they are members of the same family of Compact…
Globular clusters are valuable fossil records of the formation and evolution of their host galaxies. The color distribution of elliptical galaxy globular cluster systems indicates an episodic formation history, consistent with a merger…
Galaxies are lighthouses that sit atop peaks in the density field. There is good observational evidence that these lighthouses do not provide a uniform description of the distribution of dark matter.
Growing evidence for the existence of two classes of ellipticals calls for a comparison of the properties of their globular cluster systems. I compiled information on the properties of over 50 globular cluster systems of faint and bright…
Large self-gravitating stellar systems share with correlated liquids in condensed matter physics a pattern of hierarchical density variations. While it takes the microscopic time resolution to discern the correlated dynamics of the critical…
The ensemble of all star clusters in a galaxy constitutes its star cluster system. In this review, the focus of the discussion is on the ability of star clusters, particularly the systems of old massive globular clusters (GCSs), to mark the…
The presence of dust in elliptical galaxies has recently been shown to be quite common. Deep optical multi-colour CCD imaging has revealed the presence of dust lanes and patches, and the technique of co-adding IRAS survey scans has led to…
We present preliminary results of the search for Ultra-compact dwarf galaxies in the central region of the Antlia cluster. This new kind of stellar system has brightness, mass and size between those observed in globular clusters and…
"Diffuse" gamma rays consist of several components: truly diffuse emission from the interstellar medium, the extragalactic background, whose origin is not firmly established yet, and the contribution from unresolved and faint Galactic point…
A review of the distribution of dark matter on sub-parsec scales at the centers of galaxies.
We describe the use of partially overlapping galaxies to provide direct measurements of the effective absorption in galaxy disks, independent of assumptions about internal disk structure. The non-overlapping parts of the galaxies and…