Anomalous Star-Formation Activity of Less-Luminous Galaxies in Cluster Environment

We discuss a correlation between star formation activity (SFA) and luminosity of star-forming galaxies at intermediate redshifts of 0.2 ≤ z ≤ 0.6 in both cluster and field environments. Equivalent width (EW) of [Oii] is used for measurement of the SFA, and R-band absolute magnitude, MR, for the luminosity. In lessluminous (MR > ∼ − 20.7) galaxies, we find : (1) the mean EW([Oii]) of cluster galaxies is smaller than that of field galaxies; but (2) some cluster galaxies have as large EW([Oii]) as that of actively star-forming field galaxies. Based on both our results, we discuss a new possible mechanism for the Butcher-Oemler (BO) effect, assuming that the luminosity of a galaxy is proportional to its dynamical mass. Our proposal is that BO galaxies are less-massive cluster galaxies with smaller peculiar velocities. They are then stable against Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI), and are not affected by tidal interaction between clusters and themselves. Their interstellar medium (ISM) would be hardly stripped, and their SFA would be little suppressed. Hence, as long as such galaxies keep up their SFA, the fraction of blue galaxies in a cluster does not decrease. As a cluster becomes virialized, however, such galaxies become more accelerated, the ISM available for SFA is stripped by KHI, and their color evolves redward, which produces the BO effect. Subject headings: galaxies: clusters: general — stars: formation Visiting Academics at Department of Physics, Oxford University, Keble Road, Oxford, OX1, 3RH, UK