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Issue A&A
Volume 458, Number 2, November I 2006
Page(s) 357 - 367
Section Extragalactic astronomy
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20065179



A&A 458, 357-367 (2006)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20065179

Spatial orientation of galaxies in the core of the Shapley concentration - the cluster Abell 3558

B. Aryal1, 2, S. M. Kandel2 and W. Saurer1

1  Institut für Astrophysik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
    e-mail: [binil.aryal;walter.saurer]@uibk.ac.at
2  Central Department of Physics, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
    e-mail: sunilkandel80@yahoo.com

(Received 10 March 2006 / Accepted 15 May 2006)

Abstract
We present an analysis of the spatial orientations of 323 galaxies in the cluster Abell 3558. Our aim is to examine non-random effects in galaxy orientations in the subsample of the cluster. The "position angle-inclination" method is used to find the three-dimensional rotation axes. To check for anisotropy or isotropy we carried out three statistical tests: Fourier, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, and Kuiper-V. We assumed a spatially isotropic distribution to examine non-random effects. The galaxies found in the investigated cluster region show isotropy in both two- and three-dimensional analyses of the galactic coordinate system. In addition, it is found that the overall isotropic appearance cannot be maintained when looking at the subsamples. The low radial-velocity galaxies in A 3558 showed anisotropy in both two- and three-dimensional analyses. A weak anisotropy is noticed in the hard X-ray emission region. Few subsamples shows similar alignments with respect to both the galactic and Supergalactic coordinate systems. We offer possible explanations of these anisotropies.


Key words: galaxies: clusters: general -- galaxies: evolution -- galaxies: spiral -- galaxies: distances and redshifts -- galaxies: formation -- galaxies: statistics



© ESO 2006


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