On the galaxy luminosity function in the central regions of the coma cluster
Nov, 1994Citations per year
Abstract: (arXiv)
We have obtained new redshifts for 265 objects in the central 48~~25~arcmin region of the Coma cluster. When supplemented with literature data, our redshift sample is 95~\% complete up to a magnitude b=18.0 (the magnitudes are taken from the photometric sample of Godwin et al. 1983). Using redshift-confirmed membership for 205 galaxies, and the location in the colour-magnitude diagram for another 91 galaxies, we have built a sample of cluster members which is complete up to b=20.0. We show that the Coma cluster luminosity function cannot be adequately fitted by a single Schechter (1976) function, because of a dip in the magnitude distribution at b17. The superposition of an Erlang (or a Gauss) and a Schechter function provides a significantly better fit. We compare the luminosity function of Coma to those of other clusters, and of the field. Luminosity functions for rich clusters look similar, with a maximum at , while the Virgo and the field luminosity functions show a nearly monotonic behaviour. These differences may be produced by physical processes related to the environment which affect the luminosities of a certain class of cluster galaxies.References(42)
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