The Luminosity Function of Galaxies in Some Nearby Clusters

Abstract

In the present work, the galaxy luminosity function (LF) has been studied for a sample of seven clusters in the redshift range (0.0 ≲ z ≲ 0.1), within Abell radius (1.5 h−1 Mpc), in the five SDSS passbands ugriz. In each case, the absolute magnitude distribution is found and then fitted with a Schechter function. The fitting is done, using the χ2 – minimization method to find the best values of Schechter parameters Ф* (normalization constant), M* (characteristic absolute magnitude), and α (faint-end slope). No remarkable changes are found in the values of M* and α, for any cluster, in any passband. Furthermore, the LF does not seem to vary with such cluster parameters as richness, velocity dispersion, and Bautz–Morgan morphology. Finally, it is found that M* becomes brighter toward redder bands, whereas almost no variation is seen in the value of α with passband, being around (−1.00).

Keywords

• galaxies
• clusters
• luminosity function
• galaxy formation
• galaxy evolution