MeerKAT 21-cm H I imaging of Abell 2626 and beyond^{⋆, ⋆⋆}

¹ Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, Landleven 12, 9747 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
e-mail: healy@astro.rug.nl; deb@astro.rug.nl
² Department of Astronomy, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
e-mail: healy@astro.rug.nl; deb@astro.rug.nl
³ INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, Via della Scienza 5, 09047 Selargius, CA, Italy
⁴ Department of Physics and Electronics, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
⁵ INAF – Osservatorio astronomico di Padova, Vicolo Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy

Received: 25 May 2021
Accepted: 22 June 2021

Abstract

Context. The morphology-density relation manifests the environmental dependence of the formation and evolution of galaxies as they continuously migrate through the cosmic web to ever denser environments. As gas-rich galaxies traverse the outskirts and inner regions of galaxy clusters, they experience sudden and radical changes in their gas content and star formation activity.

Aims. The goal of this work is to gain an H I perspective on gas depletion mechanisms acting on galaxies and galaxy groups that are being accreted by a moderately massive galaxy cluster. We aim to study the relative importance and efficiency of processes such as ram-pressure stripping and tidal interactions as well as their dependency on the local and global environment of galaxies in the cluster core and in its surroundings.

Methods. We have conducted a blind radio continuum and H I spectral line imaging survey with the MeerKAT radio telescope of a 2° × 2° area centred on the galaxy cluster Abell 2626. We have used the CARAcal pipeline to reduce the data, SoFiA to detect sources within the H I data cube, and GIPSY to construct spatially resolved information on the H I morphologies and kinematics of the H I detected galaxies.

Results. We have detected H I in 219 galaxies with optical counterparts within the entire surveyed volume. We present the H I properties of each of the detected galaxies as a data catalogue and as an atlas page for each galaxy, including H I column-density maps, velocity fields, position-velocity diagrams, and global H I profiles. These data will also be used for case studies of identified ‘jellyfish’ galaxies and galaxy population studies by means of morphological classification of the direct H I detections as well as using the H I stacking technique.