An ISOCAM survey through gravitationally lensing galaxy clusters. III. New results from mid-infrared observations of th e cluster Abell 2219

TL;DR

This study reanalyzed mid-infrared observations of galaxy cluster Abell 2219, detecting new sources, characterizing their properties, and linking luminous infrared galaxies to cluster merger activity.

Contribution

It introduces a new detection method for faint sources in galaxy clusters and provides detailed analysis of infrared sources, including new detections and their star formation rates.

Findings

Five new mid-infrared sources detected in Abell 2219

Infrared luminosities indicate active star formation in cluster and foreground galaxies

LIRGs are associated with recent or ongoing cluster mergers

Abstract

The massive cluster of galaxies Abell 2219 (z = 0.228) was observed at 14.3 $\mu$m with the Infrared Space Observatory and results were published by Barvainis et al. (1999). These observations have been reanalyzed using a method specifically designed for the detection of faint sources that had been applied to other clusters. Five new sources were detected and the resulting cumulative total of ten sources all have optical counterparts. The mid-infrared sources are identified with three cluster members, three foreground galaxies, an Extremely Red Object, a star and two galaxies of unknown redshift. The spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of the galaxies are fit with models from a selection, using the program GRASIL. Best-fits are obtained, in general, with models of galaxies with ongoing star formation. For three cluster members the infrared luminosities derived from the model SEDs are between ~5.7x10^10 Lsun and 1.4x10^11 Lsun, corresponding to infrared star formation rates between 10 and 24 Msun yr^-1. The two cluster galaxies that have optical classifications are in the Butcher-Oemler region of the color-magnitude diagramme. The three foreground galaxies have infrared luminosities between 1.5x10^10 Lsun and 9.4x10^10 Lsun yielding infrared star formation rates between 3 and 16 Msun yr^-1. Two of the foreground galaxies are located in two foreground galaxy enhancements (Boschin et al. 2004). Including Abell 2219, six distant clusters of galaxies have been mapped with ISOCAM and luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) have been found in three of them. The presence of LIRGs in Abell 2219 strengthens the association between luminous infrared galaxies in clusters and recent or ongoing cluster merger activity.