Galaxy Evolution in Dense Environments: Properties of Interacting Galaxies in the A901/02 Supercluster

TL;DR

This study investigates galaxy properties in the Abell 901/902 supercluster at z~0.165, focusing on the effects of interactions and environment on galaxy morphology, star formation, and dark matter distribution.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of distorted and normal galaxies within a supercluster, linking morphological features to environmental factors and dark matter.

Findings

Distorted galaxies are more common in dense regions.

Galaxy interactions correlate with increased star formation.

Distribution of distorted galaxies aligns with dark matter structures.

Abstract

We present a study of galaxies in the STAGES survey of the Abell 901/902 supercluster at z~0.165, based on HST ACS F606W, COMBO-17, Spitzer 24um, XMM-Newton X-ray, and gravitational lensing maps. We characterize galaxies with strong, externally-triggered morphological distortions and normal, relatively undisturbed galaxies, using visual classification and quantitative CAS parameters. We compare normal and distorted galaxies in terms of their frequency, distribution within the cluster, star formation properties, and relationship to dark matter (DM) or surface mass density, and intra-cluster medium (ICM) density. We report here our preliminary results.