Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Metallicity Distribution Of Intracluster Stars In Virgo, Benjamin F. Willaims, Ted Von Hippel, Et Al.

Publications

We have used the Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) to detect and measure ~5300 stars in a single intracluster field in the Virgo Cluster. By performing F606W and F814W photometry on these stars, we have determined their metallicity distribution function and constrained the types of stars present in this portion of Virgo's intracluster space. Based on the small number of stars detected that were brighter than the red giant branch (RGB) tip, we suggest that in this region, Virgo's intracluster stars are mostly old (10 Gyr). Through analysis of the RGB stars themselves, we determine that …