The intermediate-redshift galaxy cluster CL 0048-2942. Stellar populations

TL;DR

This study analyzes the stellar populations of the galaxy cluster CL 0048-2942 at z~0.64, revealing population gradients and differences between cluster and field galaxies using a new synthesis-based method.

Contribution

It introduces a novel stellar population synthesis method that utilizes all spectral absorption features to estimate galaxy populations more accurately.

Findings

Cluster has a velocity dispersion of ~680 km/s.

Central galaxies host older populations, outskirts show younger stars.

Field galaxies are generally less evolved than cluster members.

Abstract

We present a detailed study of the cluster CL 0048-2942, located at z~0.64, based on a photometric and spectroscopic catalogue of 54 galaxies in a 5 x 5 square arcmin region centred in that cluster. Of these, 23 galaxies were found to belong to the cluster. Based on this sample, the line-of-sight velocity dispersion of the cluster is approximately 680 +- 140 km/s. We have performed stellar population synthesis in the cluster members as well as in the field galaxies of the sample and found that there are population gradients in the cluster with central galaxies hosting mainly intermediate/old populations whereas galaxies in the cluster outskirts show clearly an increase of younger populations, meaning that star formation is predominantly taking place in the outer regions of the cluster. In a general way, field galaxies seem to host less evolved stellar populations than cluster members. In fact, in terms of ages, young supergiant stars dominate the spectra of field galaxies whereas cluster galaxies display a dominant number of old and intermediate age stars. Following the work of other authors (e.g. Dressler et al. 1999) we have estimated the percentage of K+A galaxies in our sample and found around 13% in the cluster and 10% in the field. These values were estimated through means of a new method, based on stellar population synthesis results, that takes into account all possible absorption features in the spectrum and thus makes optimal use of the data.