The Ursa Major Cluster Redefined as a 'Supergroup'. (30th August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wolfinger, K.; Kilborn, V. A.; Ryan-Weber, E. V.; Koribalski, B. S.
• Is Part Of: Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia. Volume 33(2016)
• Publication Date: 2016-08-30
• Subjects: galaxies: evolution – galaxies: general; Astronomy -- Periodicals; Southern sky (Astronomy) -- Periodicals; Astrophysics -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 520.5
• DOI: 10.1017/pasa.2016.31
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1323-3580

Abstract

Abstract: We identify gravitationally bound structures in the Ursa Major region using positions, velocities and photometry from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS DR7) and the Third Reference Catalogue of Bright Galaxies (RC3). A friends-of-friends algorithm is extensively tested on mock galaxy lightcones and then implemented on the real data to determine galaxy groups whose members are likely to be physically and dynamically associated with one another. We find several galaxy groups within the region that are likely bound to one another and in the process of merging. We classify 6 galaxy groups as the Ursa Major 'supergroup', which are likely to merge and form a poor cluster with a mass of ~ 8 × 10 13 M⊙ . Furthermore, the Ursa Major supergroup as a whole is likely bound to the Virgo cluster, which will eventually form an even larger system in the context of hierarchical structure formation. We investigate the evolutionary state of the galaxy groups in the Ursa Major region and conclude that these groups are in an early evolutionary state and the properties of their member galaxies are similar to those in the field.