Astron. Astrophys. 343, 86-92 (1999)

On the local radio luminosity function of galaxies

I. The Virgo cluster ^*

G. Gavazzi ¹ and A. Boselli <sup>2

1</sup> Universitá degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 16, I-20133 Milano, Italy
² Laboratoire d'Astronomie Spatiale, Traverse du Siphon, B.P. 8, F-13376 Marseille Cedex 12, France

Received 11 September 1998 / Accepted 5 November 1998

Abstract

We cross-correlate the galaxies brighter than in the Virgo cluster with the radio sources in the NVSS survey (1.4 GHz), resulting in 180 radio-optical identifications. We determine the radio luminosity function of the Virgo galaxies, separately for the early- and late-types. Late-type galaxies develop radio sources with a probability proportional to their optical luminosity. In fact their radio/optical () distribution is gaussian, centered at , i.e. the radio luminosity is 0.3 of the optical one. The probability of late-type galaxies to develop radio sources is almost independent of their detailed Hubble type, except for Sa (and S0+S0a) which are a factor of 5 less frequent than later types at any .

Giant elliptical galaxies feed "monster" radio sources with a probability strongly increasing with mass. However the frequency of fainter radio sources is progressively less sensitive on the system mass. The faintest giant E galaxies () have a probability of feeding low power radio sources similar to that of dwarf E galaxies as faint as .

Key words: galaxies: clusters: individual: Virgo cluster galaxies: fundamental parameters galaxies: luminosity function, mass function radio continuum: galaxies

* Table 1 is only available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html

Send offprint requests to: G. Gavazzi (Gavazzi@trane.uni.mi.astro.it)

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Contents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. The sample
  • 2.1. The optical data
  • 2.2. 1.4 GHz continuum data
  • 2.3. The radio-optical identifications
• 3. The radio-optical luminosity
• 4. The radio luminosity functions
  • 4.1. Late-type galaxies
  • 4.2. Early-type galaxies
• 5. Discussion
• 6. Summary
• Acknowledgements
• References

© European Southern Observatory (ESO) 1999

Online publication: March 1, 1999
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