HST FUV Observations of Brightest Cluster Galaxies: The Role of Star Formation in Cooling Flows and BCG Evolution

TL;DR

This study uses HST FUV imaging to investigate star formation in brightest cluster galaxies with cooling flows, revealing active star formation, associated nebulae, and implications for galaxy evolution and AGN feedback.

Contribution

First FUV imaging of BCGs with cooling flows linking star formation, nebulae, and AGN activity, providing new insights into BCG evolution.

Findings

BCGs are actively forming stars with extended FUV and Ly-alpha emission.

Star formation rates from FUV are lower than IR estimates, indicating high extinction regions.

Archival data show compact radio sources and asymmetric X-ray emission, suggesting AGN feedback influences star formation.

Abstract

Quillen et al. and O'Dea et al. carried out a Spitzer study of a sample of 62 brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) from the ROSAT Brightest Cluster Sample chosen based on their elevated H-alpha flux. We present Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) far ultraviolet (FUV) images of the Ly-alpha and continuum emission of the luminous emission-line nebulae in 7 BCGs found to have an infrared excess. We confirm that the BCGs are actively forming stars suggesting that the IR excess seen in these BCGs is indeed associated with star formation. The FUV continuum emission extends over a region of ~7-28 kpc (largest linear size) and even larger in Ly-alpha. The young stellar population required by the FUV observations would produce a significant fraction of the ionizing photons required to power the emission line nebulae. Star formation rates estimated from the FUV continuum range from ~3 to ~14 times lower than those estimated from the IR, however both the Balmer decrement in the central few arcseconds and detection of CO in most of these galaxies imply that there are regions of high extinction that could have absorbed much of the FUV continuum. Analysis of archival VLA observations reveals compact radio sources in all 7 BCGs and kpc scale jets in Abell 1835 and RXJ 2129+00. The four galaxies with archival deep Chandra observations exhibit asymmetric X-ray emission, the peaks of which are offset from the center of the BCGs by ~10 kpc on average. A low feedback state for the AGN could allow increased condensation of the hot gas into the center of the galaxy and the feeding of star formation.