Searching for Intracluster Light in Distant Clusters
The diffuse intracluster light (ICL) gives us a record of the evolutionary history of clusters, through
  • Fractional luminosity
  • Spatial substructure
  • Stellar populations
  • Kinematics
  • Ties to individual galaxies
So let's go find all this ICL! How hard can it be? Very hard!
  • very low in surface brightness: mu(V) >= 26 mag/arcsec2.
  • spread out over a large area of the cluster.
  • can be swamped by scattered light from stars and bright galaxies.







Quantifying the ICL as a Function of Cluster Morphology (Feldmeier etal 2002, 2004)






Bautz-Morgan Type I Clusters (Feldmeier etal 2002)

Abell 1413

slight excess of  light at large radius, no significant substructure





(HST ACS image - lensing!)
MKW 7

again, slight excess of light at large radius, also broad, diffuse plume seen.



Bautz-Morgan Type III clusters (Feldmeier etal 2004)

Abell 1234


mu(v)=24-26
mu(v)=26-27
mu(v)=27-28

extended diffuse
envelope

Abell 1914

mu(v)=24-26
mu(v)=26-27

(binned)

significant luminosity in
tidal debris!






Speculation/Comments:
  • ICL morphology seems linked to cluster type
  • Some correlation beween ICL amount and cluster type
  • Only seeing tip of the iceberg!
(compilation from Ciardullo etal 2003)