IllustrisTNG Snapshots for 10 Gyr of Dynamical Evolution of Brightest Cluster Galaxies and Their Host Clusters

Abstract

We explore the redshift evolution of the dynamical properties of massive clusters and their brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) at $z<2$ based on the IllustrisTNG-300 simulation. We select 270 massive clusters with $M_{200}<10^{14}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot }$ at $z=0$ and trace their progenitors based on merger trees. From 67 redshift snapshots covering $z<2$, we compute the 3D subhalo velocity dispersion as a cluster velocity dispersion (${\sigma }_{\mathrm{cl}}$). We also calculate the 3D stellar velocity dispersion of the BCGs (${\sigma }_{\ast ,\mathrm{BCG}}$). Both ${\sigma }_{\mathrm{cl}}$ and ${\sigma }_{\ast ,\mathrm{BCG}}$ increase as universe ages. The BCG velocity dispersion grows more slowly than the cluster velocity dispersion. Furthermore, the redshift evolution of the BCG velocity dispersion shows dramatic changes at some redshifts resulting from dynamical interaction with neighboring galaxies (major mergers). We show that ${\sigma }_{\ast ,\mathrm{BCG}}$ is comparable with ${\sigma }_{\mathrm{cl}}$ at $z>1$, offering an interesting observational test. The simulated redshift evolution of ${\sigma }_{\mathrm{cl}}$ and ${\sigma }_{\ast ,\mathrm{BCG}}$ generally agrees with an observed cluster sample for $z<0.3$, but with large scatter. Future large spectroscopic surveys reaching to high redshift will test the implications of the simulations for the mass evolution of both clusters and their BCGs.

16 pages, 13 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

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