Fuelling (and quenching) star formation in brightest cluster galaxies
Abstract
We have obtained detailed, spatially-resolved SALT spectroscopy over the entire optical wavelength
range for eight nearby, active brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) in X-ray luminous groups
and clusters. This enables us to derive fundamental gas properties such as electron density and
gas temperature, which in turn, enables us to derive accurate abundances. Our small, carefully
selected, sample consists of BCGs with detected Ha filaments, and have existing data from the
X-ray regime available, but lacks the detailed optical emission-line data that will probe the dominant
ionisation processes, excitation sources, morphology and kinematics of the hot gas. This,
combined with the other multi-wavelength data, will form a complete view of the different phases
(hot and cold gas and young stars) and how they interact in the processes of star formation and
feedback detected in central galaxies in cooling flow systems, as well as the influence of the surrounding
intracluster medium (ICM). Here, we present our first results, illustrating the complexity
and spatial variation of the ionisation mechanisms in the nuclei, as well as the large variety of hot
gas properties in BCGs
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10394/19339http://pos.sissa.it/archive/conferences/250/015/SSC2015_015.pdf
http://pos.sissa.it/cgi-bin/reader/conf.cgi?confid=250