The Production and Evolution of Intracluster Light



Early Models of ICL production:

But clusters accrete hierarchically: galaxies are added in groups, not one by one.



The Mice,
living in the outskirts of the Coma cluster.
(courtesy John Hibbard)


So how does the interplay between local (group-scale) interactions and the cluster field impact tidal stripping?
Merger of cluster-accreted pair

(Mihos in prep)








Need to do self-consistent calculation of cluster collapse and tidal stripping in group and cluster environment!


Collisionless simulation of the formation of ICL (Mihos et al 2006; Rudick et al 2006; expanding on techniques of Dubinski 1998)

  • Identify z=0 galaxy cluster (log M ~ 14) in cosmological simulation.
  • Track particles back to z=2.
  • Excise galaxy-scale halos, replace w/ hi-res E/S galaxy models (> 10% MMW).
  • Galaxy insertion follows HOD scheme (eg, Berlind & Weinberg).
  • Galaxy type set by local galaxy density.
  • ~ 120 galaxies, resolution in stars ~ 300 pc.
  • Resimulate to z=0.
  • Make quantitative maps of ICL (Rudick et al 2006).




Results: