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Galactic cannibalism in the galaxy cluster c0337-2522 at z=0.59

According to the galactic cannibalism model, cD galaxies are formed in the centre of galaxy clusters by merging of massive galaxies and accretion of smaller stellar systems; however, observational examples of the initial phases of this process are lacking. We have identified a strong candidate for this early stage of cD galaxy formation: a group of five elliptical galaxies in the core of the X-ray cluster C0337-2522 at redshift z = 0.59. With the aid of numerical simulations, in which the galaxies are represented by N-body systems, we study their dynamical evolution up to z = 0; the cluster dark matter distribution is also described as an N-body system. We explore the hypothesis that some of the five galaxies will have merged before z = 0, making reasonable assumptions on the structural and dynamical characteristics of the cluster. We then compare the properties of the merger remnant with those of real ellipticals (such as its accordance with the fundamental plane, the Faber–Jackson and the MBH–σ0 relations) and, in particular, we check whether the remnant has the surface brightness profile typical of cD galaxies. We find that a multiple merging event in the considered group of galaxies will take place before z = 0 and that the merger remnant preserves the fundamental plane and the Faber–Jackson relations, while its behaviour with respect to the MBH–σ0 relation is quite sensitive to the details of black hole merging. However, the end-products of our simulations are more similar to a ‘normal’ giant elliptical than to a cD galaxy with its characteristic diffuse luminous halo, thus confirming previous indications that the formation of cD galaxies is not a necessary consequence of galaxy merging at the cluster centre.