Barred S0 galaxies in the Coma cluster

Lansbury, G.B.; Lucey, J.R.; Smith, R.J.

Abstract

This study uses r-band images from the Eighth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS DR8) to study bars in lenticular (S0) galaxies in one of the nearest rich cluster environments, the Coma cluster. We develop techniques for bar detection and assess their success when applied to SDSS image data. To detect and characterize bars, we perform 2D bulge+disc+bar light decompositions of galaxy images with GALFIT. Using a sample of artificial galaxy images, we determine the faintest magnitude at which bars can be successfully measured at the depth and resolution of SDSS. We perform detailed decompositions of 83 S0 galaxies in Coma, 64 from a central sample, and 19 from a cluster outskirt sample. For the central sample, the S0 bar fraction is 72+5−6 per cent. This value is significantly higher than that obtained using an ellipse-fitting method for bar detection, 48+6−6 per cent. At a fixed luminosity, barred S0s are redder in g − r colour than unbarred S0s by 0.02 mag. The frequency and strength of bars increase towards fainter luminosities. Neither central metallicity nor stellar age distributions differ significantly between barred and unbarred S0s. There is an increase in the bar fraction towards the cluster core, but this is at a low significance level. Bars have at most a weak correlation with cluster-centric radius.

Citation

Lansbury, G., Lucey, J., & Smith, R. (2014). Barred S0 galaxies in the Coma cluster. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 439(2), 1749-1764. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stu049

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 8, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Feb 10, 2014
• Publication Date: Apr 1, 2014
• Deposit Date: Apr 27, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 20, 2014
• Journal: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
• Print ISSN: 0035-8711
• Electronic ISSN: 1365-2966
• Publisher: Royal Astronomical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 439
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 1749-1764
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stu049
• Keywords: Galaxies: elliptical and lenticular, cD, Galaxies: evolution, Galaxies: kinematics and dynamics, Galaxies: structure.
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1433870