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The Extragalactic Relative Distance Scale

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 August 2015

G. O. Abell
G. O. Abell*
Affiliation:
Dept. of Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, Calif., U.S.A.

Abstract

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Arguments are given to support the hypothesis that a characteristic point on a cluster luminosity function, m *, corresponds to the same absolute magnitude in all clusters, and thus is an appropriate standard candle for determination of relative cluster distances. It is shown, however, that if m *is a good standard candle, then the first and tenth brightest cluster galaxies, m(1) and m(10), respectively, are not, for m * – m(1) and m * – m(10) both differ significantly from cluster to cluster. Moreover, m(1) and especially m(10) depend on cluster richness. Distances derived from them for remote clusters chosen for analysis are thus subject to selection effects that depend on cluster richness and on Bautz-Morgan type. Finally, a procedure suggested by Bautz and Abell is described whereby m * can be estimated from observed properties of distant clusters.

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