Seminar
The Scaling Relations of Cluster Galaxies

Abstract

Major tests of cosmological and galaxy formation models can be constructed through dynamical and structural parameters of galaxies. Towards this end, we present the SHIVir (Spectroscopic and H-band Imaging of Virgo cluster galaxies) survey, which provides dynamical information and stellar population diagnostics for hundreds of galaxies. We construct scaling relations and dynamical profiles within the optical radius of most galaxies, paying close attention to the baryon-to-dark matter transition region and selected metrics which reduce scatter in fundamental scaling relations. Salient results include bimodal mass and surface brightness distributions for Virgo galaxies, a possible bifurcation in the stellar-to-halo mass relation for low-mass galaxies, and the need for deep velocity dispersions to extract meaningful science. Once complete, ours should be the most extensive mass catalogue ever assembled for a galaxy cluster.