Issue |
A&A
Volume 387, Number 2, May IV 2002
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 412 - 421 | |
Section | Cosmology (including clusters of galaxies) | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20020410 | |
Published online | 13 May 2002 |
Evolutionary synthesis models for the formation of S0 galaxies in clusters
Universitätssternwarte Göttingen, Geismarlandstr. 11, 37083 Götingen, Germany
Corresponding author: J. Bicker, jbicker@uni-sw.gwdg.de
Received:
17
December
2001
Accepted:
18
March
2002
Rich galaxy clusters in the local Universe show a large population of S0 galaxies
(~40% of all luminous galaxies). With increasing redshift the fraction of this S0
galaxy population is observed to strongly decrease (e.g. by a factor ~ to
) in favor of the spiral galaxy fraction while the number of bright ellipticals
does not seem to change. The infalling field galaxy population that successively builds
up the cluster also is spiral rich and S0 poor. It has hence been suspected that galaxy
transformation processes, either due to galaxy – galaxy or to galaxy – ICM
interactions, are responsible for this change. Complementing dynamical and morphological
studies, we use evolutionary synthesis models describing various possible effects of
those interactions on the star formation rates of the infalling spirals. We study the
effects of starbursts of various strengths as well as of the truncation of star formation
on the color and luminosity evolution of model galaxies of various spectral types.
Comparison with observed properties of the local S0 galaxy population is used to
constrain possible S0 formation mechanisms. We find that star formation truncation
in spiral galaxies earlier than Sd-type, if occurring not too long ago, as well as
starbursts more than 3 Gyr ago and followed by complete star formation extinction in
spirals – again earlier than Sd– may well account for the observed average S0
luminosities and colors. Late-type galaxies (Sd), even after a strong burst, remain
either too blue or too faint. Our results are in agreement with studies of spectral
features of cluster S0s but allow for stronger constraints.
Key words: galaxies: formation, evolution, interactions, starburst, elliptical and lenticular, cD / galaxies: clusters: general
© ESO, 2002
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