Previous | Session 177 | Next | Author Index | Block Schedule
R.W. O'Connell, D.J. Rosario, R.P. Schiavon (UVa), C.J. Conselice (Caltech), J.S. Gallagher (UWisc), R.F.G. Wyse (Johns Hopkins)
We present FUV and NUV GALEX images of the field of the Perseus Cluster (Abell 426). With exposure times of ~ 11000 seconds, these are the deepest UV observations of the cluster to date, with detection limits of AB ~24.5 mag in both the FUV and NUV bands. Given the large spatial coverage (~1.25o diameter field) of the images and the relative proximity of Perseus, we can thoroughly explore the UV characteristics of one of the densest environments in the Local Universe.
We have obtained UV identifications for all 186 galaxies in the Tautenburg Perseus Cluster catalog (Brunzendorf & Meusinger 1999) that lie within the GALEX field of view, giving us a well-defined sample of objects with associated optical photometry and morphologies. We analyze the nature of the FUV-upturn in the Perseus early-type galaxies and compare them to other IUE, UIT, and GALEX samples. We also explore star formation in cluster members as a function of local galaxy density, distance from the cluster center, and structure within the cluster's X-ray temperature gaseous atmosphere.
The deep GALEX images also reveal UV structures associated with the remarkable central galaxy NGC 1275 (Perseus A). We identify extended UV features coincident with star-forming structures seen in optical bands. Using the wavelength leverage of the UV, we determine the star formation history in and near the galaxy and explore that in the context of processes such as mergers, radio jet-induced star formation, and mass deposition from the cluster cooling flow.
This work was supported in part by GALEX grant NNG05GE29G administered by JPL.
Previous | Session 177 | Next
Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 37 #4
© 2005. The American Astronomical Soceity.