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N. A. Miller (NRC / NASA's GSFC), F. N. Owen (NRAO), J. M. Hill (LBTO)
Wide field, high-sensitivity 1.4 GHz VLA observations of Abell 2256 are presented. In conjunction with optical imaging and spectroscopy, we identify over 40 radio galaxies belonging to this nearby cluster merger. Following prior studies, we use the KMM algorithm to separate the cluster into three components: the primary cluster, the infalling subcluster noted in X-ray studies, and a third group. The radio galaxy population of this group differs dramatically from both the primary cluster and the subcluster in its high relative fraction of star-forming galaxies. Its positional association with the large radio relic source also suggests that it might be responsible for this feature. These findings indicate that the acquisition of groups represents an important driver of galaxy evolution in clusters. Ironically, this is easily overlooked in Abell 2256 due to the presence of the much larger merger of the primary cluster and the subcluster.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 34, #4
© 2002. The American Astronomical Soceity.