Publication Date:
2013-12-23
Description:
We present a photometric investigation into recent star formation in galaxy clusters at z ~ 0.1. We use spectral energy distribution templates to quantify recent star formation in large X-ray-selected clusters from the LARCS survey using matched GALEX near-ultraviolet (NUV) photometry. These clusters all have signs of red sequence galaxy recent star formation (as indicated by the blue NUV – R colour), regardless of the cluster morphology and size. A trend in environment is found for these galaxies, such that they prefer to occupy low-density, high-cluster-radius environments. The morphology of these UV-bright galaxies suggests that they are in fact red spirals, which we confirm with light profiles and Galaxy Zoo voting percentages as morphological proxies. These UV-bright galaxies are therefore seen to be either truncated spiral galaxies, caught by ram pressure infalling into the cluster, or high-mass spirals, with the photometry dominated by the older stellar population.
Print ISSN:
0035-8711
Electronic ISSN:
1365-2966
Topics:
Physics
