Red population of Abell 1314 : A Rest-Frame Narrowband Photometric Evolutionary Analysis

TL;DR

This study analyzes the evolutionary states of red sequence galaxies in Abell 1314, revealing diverse galaxy properties and environmental influences across different cluster regions using rest-frame narrowband photometry.

Contribution

It provides a detailed, region-specific analysis of galaxy evolution in Abell 1314, highlighting environmental effects on galaxy properties and evolution.

Findings

Inner region hosts old, passively evolving galaxies

Intermediate zone shows gas stripping and moderate star formation

Outer regions contain low-mass, star-forming, blue galaxies

Abstract

Red sequence galaxies form with an intense burst of star formation in the early universe to evolve passively into massive, metal rich, old galaxies at z ~ 0. But Abell 1314 (z=0.034) is found to host almost all red sequence galaxy members -- identified using the mz index, classified using the Principle Component Analysis technique and SDSS colour correlations -- some of which show properties of low-mass, star forming, and metal rich galaxies. The variably spread Intra-Cluster Medium (ICM) near the core forms a vital part in influencing the evolution of these members. To study their evolution, I correlated different parameters of the rest-frame narrowband photometry and the derived luminosity-weighted mean Single Stellar Population model ages and metallicities. The study finds the member galaxies evolve differently in three different sections of the cluster: 1. the region of < 200 kpc hosts passively evolving old, massive systems which accumulate mass by dry, minor mergers, 2. the zone between 200-500 kpc shows stripped systems (or in the process of being gas stripped) by ram pressure with moderate star formation history, 3. the outer regions (> 500 kpc) show low-mass red objects with blue, star forming Butcher-Oemler galaxy like colours. This sort of environmental condition is known to harbour hybrid systems, like, the pseudo bulges, blue sequence E/S0 and Butcher-Oemler like satellite cluster galaxies. Overall, the cluster is found to be poor, quiescent with galaxies to have formed by the monolithic structure formation in the early universe and are now evolving with mergers and gas stripping processes by ram pressure.