Randomized trial investigates intracluster light evolution in galaxy clusters, suggesting dependency on definitions used.
Key Points
This research explores how the intracluster light (ICL) assembles in galaxy clusters and examines its evolution with redshift.
Utilized four different hydrodynamical simulations: Horizon-AGN, TNG100, The Three Hundred Gizmo-Simba 7K, and Hydrangea.
Employed a consistent methodology to identify intracluster light across simulations, focusing on its mass fractions.
Tracked progenitor galaxies of z ≈ 0 clusters back to z ≳ 2 to assess changes in ICL mass fractions.
Obtained consistent ICL stellar mass fractions of ∼0.1 − 0.2 at z ≈ 0 across different simulations.
No significant evolution in average ICL mass fractions when traced back to z ≳ 2.
Found that lower-mass satellites contribute slightly more to ICL, with dominant contributions from galaxies with infall stellar masses above ∼10^10 M⊙.