Galaxies in X-ray selected clusters and groups in Dark Energy Survey Data. I. stellar mass growth of bright central galaxies since z~1.2

Using the science verification data of the Dark Energy Survey for a new sample of 106 X-ray selected clusters and groups, we study the stellar mass growth of bright central galaxies (BCGs) since redshift z ~ 1.2. Compared with the expectation in a semi-analytical model applied to the Millennium Simulation, the observed BCGs become under-massive/under-luminous with decreasing redshift. We incorporate the uncertainties associated with cluster mass, redshift, and BCG stellar mass measurements into an analysis of a redshift-dependent BCG-cluster mass relation, {m}*? ({M}200}/{1.5×{10}14{M}&sun;}) 0.24+/-0.08(1+z)-0.19+/- 0.34, and compare the observed relation to the model prediction. We estimate the average growth rate since z = 1.0 for BCGs hosted by clusters of M200,z = 1013.8 M&sun; at z = 1.0: m*,BCG appears to have grown by 0.13 ± 0.11 dex, in tension at the ˜2.5sigma significance level with the 0.40 dex growth rate expected from the semi-analytic model. We show that the build-up of extended intracluster light after z = 1.0 may alleviate this tension in BCG growth rates.