Color gradients in cooling flow cluster central galaxies and the ionization of cluster emission line systemsPreliminary results are given for a program to measure color gradients in the central galaxies in clusters with a variety of cooling flow rates. The objectives are to search for extended blue continuum regions indicative of star formation, to study the spatial distribution of star formation, and to make a quantitative measure of the amount of light from young stars, which can lead to a measure of the star formation rate (for an assumed initial mass function). Four clusters with large masses and large cluster H-alpha emission fluxes are found to have an excess of blue light concentrated to the centers of the cluster central galaxy. Assumption of a disk IMF leads to the conclusion that the starlight might play a major role in ionizing the emission line gas in these clusters.
Document ID
19890040168
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Romanishin, W. (Arizona State University Tempe, United States)