The Galaxy Luminosity Function from Observations of Twenty Abell Clusters
Abstract
A luminosity function is constructed from photometric imaging of galaxies in 20 Abell clusters. The LF is well-described on the whole by a Schechter function with M(*_R) = -21.13 +/- 0.11 + 5 log h and alpha = -1.09 +/- 0.08. The value of M(*) is 0.93 +/- 0.20 magnitude brighter than the value obtained from the recent Las Campanas Redshift Survey (excluding systematic errors). The flat faint-end slope is consistent with field surveys and the lack of an upturn at absolute magnitudes brighter than M(*_R) < -16.5 is similar to behavior in the field and is inconsistent with previous claims of a steep faint-end slope in clusters.
- Publication:
-
The Astronomical Journal
- Pub Date:
- January 1997
- DOI:
- 10.1086/118237
- Bibcode:
- 1997AJ....113..117G