The Kinematics of Cluster Galaxies via Velocity Dispersion Profiles
  We present an analysis of the kinematics of a sample of 14 galaxy clusters
via velocity dispersion profiles (VDPs), compiled using cluster parameters
defined within the X-Ray Galaxy Clusters Database (BAX) cross-matched with data
from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We determine the presence of
substructure in the clusters from the sample as a proxy for recent core
mergers, resulting in 4 merging and 10 non-merging clusters to allow for
comparison between their respective dynamical states. We create VDPs for our
samples and divide them by mass, colour and morphology to assess how their
kinematics respond to the environment. To improve the signal-to-noise ratio our
galaxy clusters are normalised and co-added to a projected cluster radius at
$0.0 - 2.5$ $r_{200}$. We find merging cluster environments possess an
abundance of a kinematically-active (rising VDP) mix of red and blue elliptical
galaxies, which is indicative of infalling substructures responsible for
pre-processing galaxies. Comparatively, in non-merging cluster environments
galaxies generally decline in kinematic activity as a function of increasing
radius, with bluer galaxies possessing the highest velocities, likely as a
result of fast infalling field galaxies. However, the variance in kinematic
activity between blue and red cluster galaxies across merging and non-merging
cluster environments suggests galaxies exhibit differing modes of galaxy
accretion onto a cluster potential as a function of the presence of a core
merger.
