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arXiv · 0803.3786

X-ray Observations of Optically Selected Giant Elliptical-Dominated Galaxy Groups

Abstract

We present a combined optical and X-ray analysis of three optically selected X-ray bright groups with giant elliptical galaxies in the center. These massive ellipticals were targeted for XMM-Newton X-ray observations based on their large velocity dispersions and their proximity to a nearby ROSAT X-ray source. Additionally, these targets are significantly brighter in the optical than their nearest neighbors. We show that one of these systems meets the standard criteria for a fossil group. While the other two systems have a prominent magnitude gap in the E/S0 ridgeline, they do not appear to have reached the fossil-like final stage of group evolution.

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Alexey Voevodkin, Christopher J. Miller, Konstantin Borozdin, Katrin Heitmann, Salman Habib, Paul Ricker, Robert C. Nichol. 2008-03-26. X-ray Observations of Optically Selected Giant Elliptical-Dominated Galaxy Groups. https://doi.org/10.1086/590145

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