Ram pressure and dusty red galaxies - key factors in the evolution of the multiple cluster system Abell 901/902

TL;DR

This study investigates how ram pressure and galaxy interactions influence galaxy evolution in the Abell 901/902 cluster system, revealing significant effects on galaxy kinematics and morphology due to the cluster environment.

Contribution

It provides new spectroscopic evidence of ram-pressure stripping and tidal interactions affecting galaxy kinematics and morphology in a young, non-virialized cluster system.

Findings

75% higher kinematic distortions in cluster galaxies

Dusty red galaxies show strong ram-pressure effects

Cluster environment alters gas-to-stellar scale length ratio

Abstract

We present spectroscopic observations of 182 disk galaxies (96 in the cluster and 86 in the field environment) in the region of the Abell 901/902 multiple cluster system, which is located at a redshift of $z\sim 0.165$. The presence of substructures and non-Gaussian redshift distributions indicate that the cluster system is dynamically young and not in a virialized state. We find evidence for two important galaxy populations. \textit{Morphologically distorted galaxies} are probably subject to increased tidal interactions. They show pronounced rotation curve asymmetries at intermediate cluster-centric radii and low rest-frame peculiar velocities. \textit{Morphologically undistorted galaxies} show the strongest rotation curve asymmetries at high rest-frame velocities and low cluster-centric radii. Supposedly, this group is strongly affected by ram-pressure stripping due to interaction with the intra-cluster medium. Among the morphologically undistorted galaxies, dusty red galaxies have particularly strong rotation curve asymmetries, suggesting ram pressure is an important factor in these galaxies. Furthermore, dusty red galaxies on average have a bulge-to-total ratio higher by a factor of two than cluster blue cloud and field galaxies. The fraction of kinematically distorted galaxies is 75% higher in the cluster than in the field environment. This difference mainly stems from morphological undistorted galaxies, indicating a cluster-specific interaction process that only affects the gas kinematics but not the stellar morphology. Also the ratio between gas and stellar scale length is reduced for cluster galaxies compared to the field sample. Both findings could be best explained by ram-pressure effects.