Extremely Large Telescope

Abstract:

The first UV F300W and F218W WFPC2 observations of the rich galaxy cluster CL 0939 + 4713 at z = 0.41 are presented and discussed. UV/optical two-color and color-magnitude diagrams of the sources detected in the F300W waveband are constructed. Thanks to preexisting Hubble Space Telescope (HST) optical images of the same field, a morphological classification for the majority of these objects is also provided. Moreover, taking advantage of recent redshift surveys along the CL 0939 + 4713 line of sight, separate diagrams comparing the properties of galaxies belonging to the cluster and to its close projected field are presented. Possible evolutionary effects in the UV from z ∼ 0.4 to the present time are investigated by comparing the rest-frame (mid-UV/optical) colors of galaxies in CL 0939 + 4713 with balloon-borne data of the Coma Cluster, as well as by resorting to suitable galaxy evolution models. Finally, current attempts to constrain the epoch of the UV-upturn onset in evolved populations by means of HST UV observations are discussed.

Abstract:

We present CCD (charge-coupled device) photometry for galaxies around 204 bright (mZ < 15.5) Zwicky galaxies in the equatorial extension of the APM Galaxy Survey, sampling an area over 400 deg², which extends 6 h in right ascension. We fit a best linear relation between the Zwicky magnitude system, mZ, and the CCD photometry, BCCD, by doing a likelihood analysis that corrects for Malmquist bias. This fit yields a mean scale error in Zwicky of 0.38 mag mag^-1: i.e. ΔmZ ≃ (0.62 ± 0.05)ΔBCCD and a mean zero-point of 〈BCCD - mZ〉 = -0.35 ± 0.15 mag. The scatter around this fit is about 0.4 mag. Correcting the Zwicky magnitude system with the best-fitting model results in a 60 per cent lower normalization and 0.35-mag brighter M* in the luminosity function. This brings the CfA2 luminosity function closer to the other low-redshift estimations (e.g. Stromlo-APM or LCRS). We find a significant positive angular correlation of magnitudes and position in the sky at scales smaller than about 5 arcmin, which corresponds to a mean separation of 120h^-1 kpc. We also present colours, sizes and ellipticities for galaxies in our fields, which provides a good local reference for the studies of galaxy evolution.