Unveiling the inner structure of galaxy clusters with the combination of multiple probes

Probing the Mass Distribution of M87 with Multiple Discrete Tracers

Sep 17, 2026, 11:30 AM

30m

Room 203

Contributed talks

Speaker

Qimin Zhang

Description

We present a dynamical study of M87 using globular clusters (GCs) and ultra-compact dwarfs (UCDs) as discrete kinematic tracers. We construct separate axisymmetric Jeans anisotropic models (JAM) for different tracer populations, including blue GCs, red GCs, and UCDs. For each tracer population, we derive the enclosed mass at its characteristic radius and compare the independent mass constraints provided by different tracers. These measurements are then used to further constrain the mass profile of M87. We also investigate differences in the kinematics and orbital anisotropy of the individual tracer populations.