Abstract. I discuss some issues that arise in the attempt to understand what rich clusters of galaxies might teach us about cosmology. First, the mean mass per galaxy in a cluster, if applied to all bright galaxies, yields a mean mass density ∼ 30 percent of the critical Einstein-de Sitter value. Is this because the mass per galaxy is biased low in clusters, or must we learn to live in a low density universe? Second, what is the sequence of creation? There are theories in which protoclusters form before galaxies, or after, or the two are more or less coeval. Third, can we imagine that clusters formed by gravitational instability out of Gaussian primeval density fluctuations? Or do the observations point to the non-Gaussian perturbations to be expected from cosmic strings, or explosions, or even some variants of inflation? These issues depend on a fourth: do we know the gross physical properties of clusters well enough to use them as constraints on cosmology? I argue that some are too well established to ignore. Their implications for the other issues are not so clear, but one can see signs of progress.

THE STATISTICS OF CLUSTERS OF GALAXIES

To draw lessons for cosmology, we need not only the physical properties of individual clusters but also an understanding of how typical the numbers are. The issue here is whether the Abell catalog or any other now available is adequate for the purpose.

Abstract. This article describes the current status of various methods for determining the dark matter distribution in clusters. Despite a great deal of progress recently we still do not have good mass constraints for even one cluster. The reasons for this are discussed. New observational tools and methods of analysis should however lead to some results in the near future.

INTRODUCTION

One of the many interesting aspects of clusters of galaxies is that they appear to contain large amounts of missing mass. The evidence for this has largely been based on the application of the standard virial theorem. More sophisticated approaches which utilize cluster velocity dispersion profiles came to similar conclusions but assumed that the mass distribution in clusters was the same as that of the light (galaxy) distribution. While this may be true it is definitely at present an assumption. Much recent theoretical work has argued for different distributions for the dark and luminous components of the universe. One of the consequences of this is that we should not assume that the mass distribution in clusters parallels the light distribution. Without this assumption it is very difficult to constrain the mass distribution in clusters, and consequently total cluster masses are not as yet well determined (Bailey 1982, The & White 1986, Merritt 1987).

The cluster mass distribution is an important ‘parameter’ in that it directly influences many of the physical processes that occur in clusters.

Abstract. Various observations indicate that the cluster environment can affect the structure and dynamics of galaxies. This review concentrates on the effect the environment can have on three of the most basic properties of a galaxy; the morphological type, the size, and the distribution of mass. A reexamination of the morphology - density relation suggests that the fundamental driver may be related to some global property of the cluster, such as the distance from the cluster center, rather than some local property, such as membership in a local subclump within the cluster. While there is good evidence that the size of a galaxy can be increased (i.e., cD galaxies) or decreased (i.e., early type galaxies near the centers of clusters) by the cluster environment, it is not clear what physical mechanism is responsible. There is tentative evidence that rotation curves of spiral galaxies near the centers of clusters are falling, perhaps indicating that the dark halo has been stripped off. Rotation curves for spiral galaxies in compact groups are even more bizarre, providing strong evidence that the group environment has affected the kinematics of these galaxies.

INTRODUCTION

Perhaps the three most basic questions an extragalactic astronomer might be asked are:

1. Why are some galaxies flattened into disks while others are elliptical in shape?

2. How big are galaxies?

3. How massive are galaxies?

Although we can fill journals with details about galaxies, an astronomer cannot really answer these three basic questions with any confidence.

Abstract. Recent progress in understanding four processes that play a large role in the evolution of clusters of galaxies is reviewed. These are dynamical friction, mergers, collisional tidal stripping and the cluster mean field tide. Recent estimates for the growth rate of the cD galaxy and its frequency of appearance are discussed. In spherical relaxed clusters the theoretical and observational results for the accretion rate of a central massive galaxy seem to be quite consistent. It appears that a major part of the cD formation must occur in subclusters. Recent work on the formation of clusters containing galaxies and dark matter suggests that considerable mass segregation occurs in small subclusters (provided clusters form in a bottom up manner). This appears to be a result of dynamical friction. It may imply that visible clusters are embedded in large dark matter halos and that cluster M/L's have been underestimated.

INTRODUCTION

Clusters of galaxies represent a fascinating, if formidable, challenge for the theorist. Although relatively young in terms of their crossing times (Tcr = R/v), the galaxies are sufficiently large and massive that they interact with each other and the intracluster medium on a timescale comparable to their ages. A sensible way to organize a report on this complicated subject is, by analogy with stellar structure, to report first on the detailed processes which may occur (the ‘hydrodyamics’ and atomic ‘physics’ of the problem) and then to examine the effects of these processes (the analog of ‘evolution’) on the galaxies and the cluster.

Clusters of galaxies are probably the largest gravitationally bound entities in the universe. They offer a laboratory for studying such diverse astrophysical problems as the form of the initial fluctuation spectrum, the evolution and formation of galaxies, environmental effects on galaxies, and the nature and quantity of dark matter in the universe, as well as providing tracers of the large-scale structure. The view that clusters are dynamically relaxed systems has been challenged by the demonstration of significant substructure in the galaxy and X-ray distribution within clusters (see the chapters herein by Geller, Cavaliere & Colafrancesco, Fitchett, Richstone, and Forman). There is, however, still some dissent on the reality of subclustering (see the discussion in West's chapter). New simulations of the formation and evolution of the dark matter and gas distributions in clusters are giving interesting results—their confrontation with observations may yield information on the nature of the initial density fluctuations required to form galaxies and enable us to solve some of the problems in this field (e.g., the so-called “β–discrepancy”). The simulations should also allow for better comparisons between theory and optical and X-ray observations (see the chapters by Cavaliere & Colafrancesco, Evrard and West). The abundance and velocity dispersions of rich clusters, and measurements of their clustering properties and peculiar motions may provide strong constraints on theories of galaxy formation (see the chapters by Kaiser, Peebles and West).

Abstract. N-body simulations of the formation of clusters of galaxies allow a detailed, quantitative comparison of theory with observations, from which one can begin to address two fundamental and related questions:

INTRODUCTION

A wide range of theories have been proposed to explain the origin of galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and the large-scale structure of the universe. Broadly speaking, these can be divided into two classes. Most currently popular models for the formation of structure in the universe are based on the idea of gravitational instability in an expanding universe, in which it is assumed that structure has grown gravitationally from small-amplitude, Gaussian primordial density fluctuations. A second class of cosmogonic scenarios, which will be referred to here as non-Gaussian models, appeal to other processes besides simple gravitational clustering as the driving force behind the genesis of structure.

Within the basic framework of the gravitational instability picture, there are several rival theoretical scenarios that are viable at present. Depending on the the details of the cosmological initial conditions and dominant mass component of the universe, the sequence of formation of structure may have proceeded in quite different ways. If, for instance, the universe is dominated by weakly interacting, non-baryonic particles (i.e., cold dark matter, hereafter CDM) then the formation of structure is expected to proceed hierarchically from small to large scales, with galaxy and cluster formation preceding the collapse of superclusters.

Abstract. A program is proposed for future optical research on clusters of galaxies. This program includes detailed studies of the internal properties of clusters, the connection between clusters and their environment, and the role of clusters in the study of large-scale structure. It is argued that a digital all-sky survey can be feasibly made with a small telescope and a CCD camera, for studies of nearby and intermediate redshift clusters.

INTRODUCTION

Well, we have now heard and seen a large variety of papers on the properties of clusters of galaxies covering topics which range from determining some of their simple “internal” properties, such as dynamical age and mass, through their use as probes of the large-scale-structure of the Universe. Hearing these, it is quite obvious to me that our knowledge of clusters and their place in the Universe has increased tremendously in the last decade—including what some may call a few backward steps with the realization that many, if not most, clusters are dynamically quite complex and probably “young.”

I have been fortunately given the easy task of describing where to go next—always a lot of fun when you have both found out what you don't know and are preparing many new marvelous tools, like the Hubble Space Telescope and suites of new 8-meter class and survey telescopes, with which to attack the problem.

Abstract. Distant clusters provide ideal samples of galaxies in more-or-less standard environments in which to study the evolution of the galaxies themselves, bound structures, the larger-scale environment, and perhaps eventually to provide data for the classical cosmological tests. We review some of the the observational and theoretical aspects of these topics.

INTRODUCTION

Clusters of galaxies at large redshifts provide, in principle, a set of objects whose evolution can be traced directly from epochs as early as z ≈ 1 with present observational capabilities to the present. It seems almost inconceivable that large clusters are destroyed, and although it is quite clear that clusters are still forming, the inner regions of dense clusters must be quite old. Thus if one looks at galaxies in such regions and takes care to sample clusters whose comoving space densities are roughly the same at all epochs, it would seem as if one could define a quite homogeneous sample of galaxies in which the direct forbears of a set of present-day objects could be studied. We are not quite in a position to do that because the cluster catalogs are in such a sad state, but some progress is being made in this direction; we will discuss this at greater length below.

If one could choose clusters at epochs from the present back to large redshifts in some objective way, it would also be possible to study the evolution of the cluster population itself.

Introduction

Molecules have been found to exist in a rich variety of astrophysical environments, including stellar atmospheres, comets, planetary atmospheres, and the dense and diffuse clouds in the interstellar medium. An understanding of molecular structure, spectroscopy, and photoabsorption processes is thus of critical importance in interpreting many of the current observations, in theoretically modeling these various astrophysical regions, and in judging the reliability of the available molecular data. Even in our own atmosphere, considerations of molecular photoabsorption determine ‘windows’ in the electromagnetic spectrum in which one can carry out ground-based observations. Accurate molecular spectroscopic data derived from laboratory experiments or theoretical calculations are necessary in order both to identify molecular species and to quantify abundances of these species from the observed absorption line wavelengths and intensities, respectively.

The vibrational and rotational nuclear degrees of freedom add significantly to the spectroscopic complexity of a molecule compared with an atom. As in an atom, transitions between different electronic energy levels in a molecule are generally observed at optical (4000–6000 Å) and ultraviolet (800–4000 Å) wavelengths, whereas transitions between vibrational energy levels and rotational energy levels generally take place in the infrared region (2–20 µm) and microwave region (λ > 0.2 mm) of the electromagnetic spectrum, respectively. This range of energies over which molecules are responsive to radiation makes them valuable as sensitive probes of the physical conditions of the astrophysical environments in which they are found.

Introduction

The interior of a dense molecular cloud is efficiently shielded from the ultraviolet photons of the interstellar radiation field by the grains. Accordingly, the effects of the ultraviolet photons on the physical and chemical states of dense clouds are in general, neglected. However, several internal sources of ultraviolet photons may be present, including the emission from embedded stars and internal shocks driven by mass loss from young stars. Here the discussion is focused on a diffuse source of internal ultraviolet photons arising from energetic cosmic rays capable of penetrating dense clouds. Cosmic ray particles with energies between 10 and 100 MeV ionize molecular hydrogen in the interior of the clouds and generate secondary electrons with a mean energy of around 30 eV (Cravens and Dalgarno 1978). Because the fractional ionization is generally low, the secondary electrons degrade mainly through excitations of various electronic states of H2. Typical excitation energies are 10–15 eV. Ionization of H2 by the secondary electrons may also occur. The subsequent decays of the electronically excited states of H2 produce ultraviolet photons within the clouds.

The idea of molecular hydrogen emission inside dense clouds was invoked by Prasad and Tarafdar (1983) to explain the large abundance of atomic carbon which exists in several molecular clouds. Observations of emission in the 3P1–3P0 and 3P2–3P1 fine-structure lines of neutral atomic carbon in dense interstellar clouds (Phillips and Huggins 1981, Keene et al. 1985, Zmuidzinas, Betz and Goldhaber 1986) have demonstrated the existence of C with abundances relative to CO exceeding 0.1.

Introduction

It's a great pleasue for me to contribute to this volume in honor of Alex Dalgarno's 60th birthday. I first met Alex when I came to Harvard as an assistant professor in 1968. From these turbulent times up to now, Alex has been a very good friend and mentor to me. From Alex I gained an interest in atomic and molecular processes that has influenced my research ever since. My writing skills improved considerably by virtue of working with him. Most important, I am grateful to Alex for setting an example of what a good professor should be, not only as a scholar and teacher, but also as a generous and loyal friend to his students and colleagues.

With Supernova 1987A (February 23, 1987), nature has provided some birthday fireworks that will be a festive reminder of Alex's many important contributions to astrophysics. The brightest supernova since SN1604 (Kepler's supernova), SN1987A is the first one that has been observed in every electromagnetic wavelength band and it is the first one that will remain observable for several years as the debris clears away to allow a detailed view of its interior. Thus, SN1987A offers an unprecedented opportunity to infer details of supernova explosion dynamics and nucleosynthesis. This task presents fascinating and challenging problems in atomic and molecular astrophysics because, as I will describe, SN1987A is remarkably cool (≥7000 K) throughout its interior and there is good evidence that CO and SiO molecules have already formed there.

Introduction

The subject of this article is dust in dense interstellar clouds – its composition and its chemical evolution. The relevant astronomical data include extinction and polarization in the infrared, visible and ultraviolet spectral ranges. Identification of the carriers of the observed spectral features is a non-trivial task. The features appear to be notoriously non-unique; significant fractions of them have been assigned to two or more dissimilar materials. Also, it now appears that grains are made largely of highly disordered and/or composite materials. In disordered mixtures spectral features of molecules can be altered considerably with respect to known spectra of pure crystalline materials, which also complicates the identification.

Clearly, additional sources of information are needed. The sources which I chose to employ are the recently available data on the composition of Halley's comet, and on the structure, the composition and the spectral properties of the interplanetary dust particles (IDPs). I thus assume that cometary and IDP materials preserve many of the characteristics of the dust in the original interstellar cloud. As a rationale I quote a recent review of Geiss (1987) on the results of exploration of Halley's comet: (a)‘… The abundance data show that a large fraction of material in Halley's nucleus condensed at very low temperature’ (b)‘… comets are regular members of the solar system which have preserved the original charactistics of the condensed and accreted matter better than other bodies in this system.’