RXC J1504.1−0248 BCG is found to be the central dominant galaxy of the RXC J1504.1−0248 galaxy cluster. The optical spectrum of the galaxy is described by narrow emission lines of low-excitation, with strong doubly ionized oxygen lines as well as luminous hydrogen alpha and singly ionized neon lines. The absolute magnitude of this galaxy is estimated to be -24.[2]
The nucleus of RXC J1504.1−0248 BCG is found to be active and it has been classfied as a low-ionization nuclear emission-line region (LINER) galaxy. When observed, it has found to have two sources that are located both east and west from its optical position. Imaging made with MERLIN, showed the sources as two components with an angular separation of 0.5 arcseconds which in turn, corresponds to around 1,750 parsecs. The flux densities of both components are estimated to be 28.78 ± 0.07 and 0.60 ± 0.07 mJy respectively. The component on the eastern side has a flat radio spectrum at 18–6–3.5 centimeters, while the component on the western side has a steep spectrum that flattens towards short wavelengths.[4] The total brightness of the source is estimated to be 62 mJy at 1.4 GHz frequencies.[5]
The galaxy is described as extremely large.[2] Its appearance is described to be regular and it is found to show no signs of any recent galaxy mergers based on Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) imaging.[4] A study published in 2010, has found the galaxy has a blue appearance, containing a mix of an old stellar population and a population of young stars. The total star formation rate of the galaxy is estimated to be 140 M☉ per year. Evidence also showed most of star formation takes place within the core of the galaxy and also in a filament feature that is 42 kiloparsecs long and it stretches from the core region towards southwest. An ionized nebula is found to surround the galaxy with the total estimated double ionized oxygen luminosity being 4.7 × 1043 erg s−1.[5] There is a presence of filamentary structure located from north-east to south-west that is found either crossing or being associated with the emission originated from the central region of the galaxy. The north-east part of the filament is also shown to have an extension and orientated by 55°.[6]
The supermassive black hole in the center of RXC J1504.1−0248 BCG is estimated to be 2 × 109 M☉. Evidence also showed the black hole is also shown to be accreting at around 0.03 M☉ per year.[5] A study published in 2007, has suggested the black hole has a mass of around 3 × 107 M☉ based on a silicon line width.[7][4] Evidence also found the galaxy also contains molecular gas estimated to have a mass of 1.9 ± 0.1 × 1010 M☉ with around 80% of it being distributed in the region located within five kiloparsecs from the center. This region is also contains both a large clump feature and a smaller clump in the northeast direction. A long filament feature is found extending in southeast direction from the nucleus and contains around of 4.8 × 109 M☉ of the gas.[8]
