SIZES AND SURFACE BRIGHTNESS PROFILES OF QUIESCENT GALAXIES AT z {approx} 2
- Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands)
- Department of Astronomy, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8101 (United States)
We use deep Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 near-infrared imaging obtained of the GOODS-South field as part of the CANDELS survey to investigate a stellar mass-limited sample of quiescent galaxies at 1.5 < z < 2.5. We measure surface brightness profiles for these galaxies using a method that properly measures low surface brightness flux at large radii. We find that quiescent galaxies at z {approx} 2 very closely follow Sersic profiles, with n{sub median} = 3.7, and have no excess flux at large radii. Their effective radii are a factor of {approx}4 smaller than those of low-redshift quiescent galaxies of similar mass. However, there is a significant spread in sizes ({sigma}{sub log{sub 1{sub 0r{sub e}}}}= 0.24), with the largest z {approx} 2 galaxies lying close to the z = 0 mass-size relation. We compare the stellar mass surface density profiles with those of massive elliptical galaxies in the Virgo Cluster and confirm that most of the mass growth which occurs between z {approx} 2 and z = 0 must be due to accretion of material onto the outer regions of the galaxies. Additionally, we investigate the evolution in the size distribution of massive quiescent galaxies. We find that the minimum size growth required for z {approx} 2 quiescent galaxies to fall within the z = 0 size distribution is a factor of {approx}2 smaller than the total median size growth between z {approx} 2 and z = 0.
- OSTI ID:
- 22020423
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 749, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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