Gas condensation in Brightest Group Galaxies unveiled with MUSE

Abstract

How central galaxies in groups acquired their cold gas is still not fully understood. To unfold this unknown, we map the kinematics and distribution of the optical emission-line gas using MUSE observations of 18 optically selected local brightest group galaxies (BGGs). The observations reveal a distribution of gas morphologies, including complex networks of filaments extending up to ∼10 kpc to compact (<3 kpc) and extended (>5 kpc) disk-dominated structures. By exploring the thermodynamical properties of the X-ray atmospheres, we find most of the filaments and compact have are likely cooled out from the intragroup medium (IGrM).