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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Isophotal signatures of the brightest cluster galaxy–intracluster light transition

  • Giulia Golini1
  • Sarah Brough1
  • Louisa Canepa1
  • Garreth Martin2
  • Matthias Kluge3
  1. 1School of Physics, The University of New South Wales , Sydney, NSW 2052 ,
  2. 2School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park , Nottingham NG7 2RD ,
  3. 3Department of Physics, Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , Giessenbachstrasse 1, D-85748, Garching ,
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Abstract

The distinction between brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) and intracluster light (ICL) remains ambiguous, with inferred cluster properties depending strongly on the adopted definition and measurement methodology. We report the presence of a common inflection feature in the radial profiles of surface brightness, ellipticity, and position angle of BCG + ICL systems, indicative of a structural transition in the underlying stellar distribution. Using a combination of low-redshift clusters (z lt 0.1) observed with the Wendelstein Wide Field Imager, deep Hyper Suprime-Cam observations of clusters at 0.2 lt z lt 0.4, and cosmological hydrodynamical simulations from Horizon-AGN and Hydrangea, we consistently identify a common inflection at radii of 60−85 kpc. We interpret this feature as a characteristic transition in the combined BCG + ICL light distribution, that may reflect the hierarchical assembly of the cluster. The persistence of this feature across multiple photometric bands, redshift ranges, and simulations supports its robustness. To identify these transitions, we employ an automated second-derivative-based approach that does not rely on parametric decompositions or arbitrary surface brightness thresholds. This framework provides a physically motivated and scalable means to characterise the BCG–ICL transition, and it will be of paramount importance for forthcoming large-scale surveys such as the Legacy Survey of Space and Time and the European Space Agency’s Euclid mission.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{golini2026isophotal,
  title = {{Isophotal signatures of the brightest cluster galaxy–intracluster light transition}},
  author = {Giulia Golini and Sarah Brough and Louisa Canepa and Garreth Martin and Matthias Kluge},
  journal = {Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1093/mnras/stag1938},
  url = {https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/doi/10.1093/mnras/stag1938/8910746},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Isophotal signatures of the brightest cluster galaxy–intracluster light transition
AU  - Giulia Golini
AU  - Sarah Brough
AU  - Louisa Canepa
AU  - Garreth Martin
AU  - Matthias Kluge
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/12
JO  - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
DO  - 10.1093/mnras/stag1938
UR  - https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/doi/10.1093/mnras/stag1938/8910746
AB  - The distinction between brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) and intracluster light (ICL) remains ambiguous, with inferred cluster properties depending strongly on the adopted definition and measurement methodology. We report the presence of a common inflection feature in the radial profiles of surface brightness, ellipticity, and position angle of BCG + ICL systems, indicative of a structural transition in the underlying stellar distribution. Using a combination of low-redshift clusters (z lt 0.1) observed with the Wendelstein Wide Field Imager, deep Hyper Suprime-Cam observations of clusters at 0.2 lt z lt 0.4, and cosmological hydrodynamical simulations from Horizon-AGN and Hydrangea, we consistently identify a common inflection at radii of 60−85 kpc. We interpret this feature as a characteristic transition in the combined BCG + ICL light distribution, that may reflect the hierarchical assembly of the cluster. The persistence of this feature across multiple photometric bands, redshift ranges, and simulations supports its robustness. To identify these transitions, we employ an automated second-derivative-based approach that does not rely on parametric decompositions or arbitrary surface brightness thresholds. This framework provides a physically motivated and scalable means to characterise the BCG–ICL transition, and it will be of paramount importance for forthcoming large-scale surveys such as the Legacy Survey of Space and Time and the European Space Agency’s Euclid mission.
SN  - 0035-8711
SN  - 1365-2966
ER  -