THE FUNDAMENTAL PLANE OF RICH ABELL CLUSTERS

In this study we found the existence of the FP for a final sample of 24 galaxy clusters, where sampling and signal to noise of the data allows a reliable analysis. For this purpose, we have introduced a new formalism for measure size and velocity dispersion. We found that indeed the parameter space of galaxy clusters accepts a FP (CFP) R alpha sigma I-1.19 +/- 0.12(-8.18 +/- 0.44), proved the hypothesis of virialized central regions in clusters of galaxies. To do a more autoconsistent analysis we obtain the FP of galaxy clusters and found similarity to the CFP, given important consequences, showing that the mass-luminosity ratio should have the same functional form for the cluster galaxies and galaxy clusters. We showed that in fact the mass-luminosity ratio of clusters of galaxies (M/L alpha L-0.54 +/- 0.22) follows the same scaling law of elliptical galaxies. This result imposes a strong constraint to galaxies formation models.