More evidence for an intracluster planetary nebulae population in the Virgo cluster

Abstract

We surveyed a 50 sq arcmin region in the Virgo cluster core to search for intergalactic planetary nebulae, and found 11 candidates in the surveyed area. The measured fluxes of these unresolved sources are consistent with these objects being planetary nebulae from an intracluster population of stars. We compute the cumulative luminosity function of these 11 planetary nebula candidates. If we assume that they belong to the Virgo cluster, their cumulative luminosity function is in good agreement with planetary nebula luminosity function simulations. This comparison allows us to estimate the surface mass density of the intracluster stellar population at the surveyed field in the cluster core.

ApJ Letters, in press. A .ps file is also available at: http://www.usm.uni-muenchen.de:8001/people/mendez/preprints/preprints.html