THE ORIGIN OF [O II] IN POST-STARBURST AND RED-SEQUENCE GALAXIES IN HIGH-REDSHIFT CLUSTERS
- Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 (United States)
- Also at Department of Physics and Astronomy, 430 Portola Plaza, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547, USA. (United States)
- Also at University of Hawaii, Institute for Astronomy, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States)
We present the first results from a near-IR spectroscopic campaign of the Cl1604 supercluster at z {approx} 0.9 and the cluster RX J1821.6+6827 at z {approx} 0.82 to investigate the nature of [O II] {lambda}3727 emission in cluster galaxies at high redshift. Of the 401 members in Cl1604 and RX J1821+6827 confirmed using the Keck II/DEIMOS spectrograph, 131 galaxies have detectable [O II] emission with no other signs of current star formation activity, as well as strong absorption features indicative of a well-established older stellar population. The combination of these features suggests that the primary source of [O II] emission in these galaxies is not a result of star formation processes, but rather due to the presence of a low-ionization nuclear emission-line region (LINER) or Seyfert component. Using the NIRSPEC spectrograph on the Keck II 10 m telescope, 19 such galaxies were targeted, as well as 6 additional [O II]-emitting cluster members that exhibited signs of ongoing star formation activity. Nearly half ({approx}47%) of the 19 [O II]-emitting, absorption-line-dominated galaxies exhibit [O II] to H{alpha} equivalent width (EW) ratios higher than unity, the typical observed value for star-forming galaxies, with an EW distribution similar to that observed for LINERs at low redshift. A majority ({approx}68%) of these 19 galaxies are classified as LINER/Seyfert based primarily on the emission-line ratio of [N II] {lambda}6584 and H{alpha}. The fraction of LINER/Seyferts increases to {approx}85% for red [O II]-emitting, absorption-line-dominated galaxies. The LINER/Seyfert galaxies in our Cl1604 sample exhibit average L([O II])/L(H{alpha}) ratios that are significantly higher than that observed in populations of star-forming galaxies, suggesting that [O II] is a poor indicator of star formation in a significant fraction of high-redshift cluster members. From the prevalence of [O II]-emitting, absorption-line-dominated galaxies in both systems and the fraction of such galaxies that are classified as LINER/Seyfert, we estimate that at least {approx}20% of galaxies in high-redshift clusters with M{sub *}>10{sup 10}-10{sup 10.5} M{sub sun} contain a LINER/Seyfert component that can be revealed with line ratios. We also investigate the effect such a population has on the global star formation rate of cluster galaxies and the post-starburst fraction, concluding that LINER/Seyferts must be accounted for if these quantities are to be physically meaningful.
- OSTI ID:
- 21452951
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 716, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/716/2/970; ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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