We present the result of a photometric and Keck-LRIS spectroscopic study of dwarf galaxies in the core of the Perseus Cluster , down to a magnitude of M _ { B } = -12.5 .
Spectra were obtained for twenty-three dwarf-galaxy candidates , from which we measure radial velocities and stellar population characteristics from absorption line indices .
From radial velocities obtained using these spectra we confirm twelve systems as cluster members , with the remaining eleven as non-members .
Using these newly confirmed cluster members , we are able to extend the confirmed colour-magnitude relation for the Perseus Cluster down to M _ { B } = -12.5 .
We confirm an increase in the scatter about the colour magnitude relationship below M _ { B } = -15.5 , but reject the hypothesis that very red dwarfs are cluster members .
We measure the faint-end slope of the luminosity function between M _ { B } = -18 and M _ { B } = -12.5 , finding \alpha = -1.26 \pm 0.06 , which is similar to that of the field .
This implies that an overabundance of dwarf galaxies does not exist in the core of the Perseus Cluster .
By comparing metal and Balmer absorption line indices with \alpha -enhanced single stellar population models , we derive ages and metallicities for these newly confirmed cluster members .
We find two distinct dwarf elliptical populations : an old , metal poor population with ages \sim 8 Gyr and metallicities [ { Fe / H } ] < -0.33 , and a young , metal rich population with ages < 5 Gyr and metallicities [ { Fe / H } ] > -0.33 .
Dwarf galaxies in the Perseus Cluster are therefore not a simple homogeneous population , but rather exhibit a range in age and metallicity .