Possible Relations between Brightest Central Galaxies and Their Host Galaxies Clusters and Groups

TL;DR

This study investigates the relationship between the physical properties of brightest cluster galaxies and their host clusters or groups using SDSS data, revealing correlations that suggest larger galaxies reside in more massive environments.

Contribution

It provides new empirical evidence of correlations between BCG properties and host cluster velocity dispersion, highlighting environmental influences on galaxy characteristics.

Findings

BCGs' effective radius correlates with host cluster velocity dispersion.

Larger BCGs tend to be in more massive clusters.

The ratio of BCG central velocity dispersion to cluster velocity dispersion varies with cluster mass.

Abstract

The r-band of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) for 17,924 brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) in clusters and groups within 0.02 z 0.20 are used to study possible environmental relations affecting the nature of these galaxies. We find a correlation between BCGs physical properties (the effective radius (Re ), absolute magnitude and central velocity dispersion ({\sigma}0 )) and their host groups and clusters velocity dispersion ({\sigma}cl ). This type of relations suggests that the most massive groups or clusters host larger central galaxies. On the other hand, the {\sigma}0 /{\sigma}cl ratio as a function of {\sigma}cl is consistent with [10].