Galaxy clusters with multiple components. II - Abell 115

Abstract

Abell 115 is a galaxy cluster with two large enhancements in X-ray surface brightness. A map of the galaxy distribution over an extended region reveals the presence of three primary clumps of galaxies. Two of these correspond to the peaks in the X-ray surface brightness. A third clump, 7 arcmin to the east of the pair, has no X-ray emission detected by the Einstein Observatory. Redshifts are measured for 29 galaxies in the region; 10 are certainly members of foreground groups. A115, at z approximately 0.2, is the highest redshift cluster for which any extensive attempt has been made to study the system dynamics.