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Fossil group origins : VII. Galaxy substructures in fossil systems

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Date
01/02/2016
Author
Zarattini, S.
Girardi, M.
Aguerri, J. A L
Boschin, W.
Barrena, R.
del Burgo, C.
Castro-Rodriguez, N.
Corsini, E. M.
D'Onghia, E.
Kundert, A.
Méndez-Abreu, J.
Sánchez-Janssen, R.
Keywords
Galaxies: clusters: general
Galaxies: groups: general
QB Astronomy
QC Physics
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science
NDAS
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Abstract
Context. Fossil groups (FG) are expected to be the final product of galaxy merging within galaxy groups. In simulations, they are predicted to assemble their mass at high redshift. This early formation allows for the innermost M galaxies to merge into a massive central galaxy. Then, they are expected to maintain their fossil status because of the few interactions with the large-scale structure. In this context, the magnitude gap between the two brightest galaxies of the system is considered a good indicator of its dynamical status. As a consequence, the systems with the largest gaps should be dynamically relaxed. Aims. In order to examine the dynamical status of these systems, we systematically analyze, for the first time, the presence of galaxy substructures in a sample of 12 spectroscopically-confirmed fossil systems with redshift z 0:25. Methods. We apply a number of tests to investigate the substructure in fossil systems in the two-dimensional space of projected positions out to R200. Moreover, for a subsample of five systems with at least 30 spectroscopically-confirmed members we also analyze the substructure in the velocity and in the three-dimensional velocity-position spaces. Additionally, we look for signs of recent mergers in the regions around the central galaxies. Results. We find that an important fraction of fossil systems show substructure. The fraction depends critically on the adopted test, since each test is more sensitive to a particular type of substructure. Conclusions. Our interpretation of the results is that fossil systems are not, in general, as relaxed as expected from simulations. Our sample of 12 spectroscopically-confirmed fossil systems need to be extended to compute an accurate fraction, but our conclusion is that this fraction is similar to the fraction of substructure detected in nonfossil clusters. This result points out that the magnitude gap alone is not a good indicator of the dynamical status of a system. However, the subsample of five FGs for which we were able to use velocities as a probe for substructures is dominated by high-mass FGs. These massive systems could have a different evolution compared to low-mass FGs, since they are expected to form via the merging of a fossil group with another group of galaxies. This merger would lengthen the relaxation time and it could be responsible for the substructure detected in present-time massive FGs. If this is the case, only low-mass FGs are expected to be dynamically old and relaxed.
Citation
Zarattini , S , Girardi , M , Aguerri , J A L , Boschin , W , Barrena , R , del Burgo , C , Castro-Rodriguez , N , Corsini , E M , D'Onghia , E , Kundert , A , Méndez-Abreu , J & Sánchez-Janssen , R 2016 , ' Fossil group origins : VII. Galaxy substructures in fossil systems ' , Astronomy & Astrophysics , vol. 586 , A63 , pp. 1-14 . https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201527175
Publication
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Status
Peer reviewed
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201527175
ISSN
0004-6361
Type
Journal article
Rights
© ESO 2016. This work is made available online in accordance with the publisher’s policies. This is the final published version of the work, which was originally published at https://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201527175
Description
This work has been partially funded by the MINECO (grant AIA2013-43188-P). M.G. acknowledges financial support from MIUR PRIN2010-2011 (J91J12000450001). Funding for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and SDSS-II has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Participating Institutions, the National Science Foundation, the US Department of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Japanese Monbukagakusho, and the Max Planck Society, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
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  • University of St Andrews Research
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/8258

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