First Results from SAPAC: Toward a Three-dimensional Picture of the Fornax Cluster Core

Abstract

A sophisticated SBF analysis package has been developed, designed to measure distances of early-type galaxies by means of surface brightness fluctuations of unresolved stars. This suite of programs called SAPAC is made readily available to the astronomical community for extensive testing with the long-term goal to provide the necessary tools for systematic distance surveys of early-type galaxies using modern optical/NIR telescopes equipped with wide-field cameras. We discuss the technical and scientific concepts of SAPAC and demonstrate its capabilities by analysing deep B and R-band CCD images of 10 dwarf elliptical (dE) galaxy candidates in the Fornax cluster obtained with FORS1 at the VLT. All candidates are confirmed as cluster members. We then turn our attention to the innermost region of the Fornax cluster. A total of 29 early-type galaxies closer than three cluster core radii (2 degrees) from the central galaxy NGC1399 have radial velocities and SBF distances. Their Hubble diagram exhibits a pronounced S-shaped infall pattern suggesting a picture that Fornax is still in the process of formation during the present epoch through a general collapse and possible accretion of distinct groups of galaxies. The associated collapse time is 2.9(+1.6, -0.9)Gyr. After cleansing our galaxy sample from a few kinematical outliers the true distance of the Fornax cluster core is determined at 20.13+-0.40 Mpc [(m-M)_0=31.51+-0.04mag]. Applying a bootstrap resampling technique on the distance distribution with individual distance errors taken into account further reveals a small intrinsic cluster depth of sigma_int=0.74(+0.52,-0.74)Mpc in best agreement with the cluster's linear extension in the sky: sigma_R.A=sigma_DEC~=0.5Mpc. (Abridged)