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Title: THE ZURICH ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY (ZENS) OF GALAXIES IN GROUPS ALONG THE COSMIC WEB. V. PROPERTIES AND FREQUENCY OF MERGING SATELLITES AND CENTRALS IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

We use the Zurich Environmental Study database to investigate the environmental dependence of the merger fraction Γ and merging galaxy properties in a sample of ∼1300 group galaxies with M > 10{sup 9.2} M {sub ☉} and 0.05 < z < 0.0585. In all galaxy mass bins investigated in our study, we find that Γ decreases by a factor of ∼2-3 in groups with halo masses M {sub HALO} > 10{sup 13.5} M {sub ☉} relative to less massive systems, indicating a suppression of merger activity in large potential wells. In the fiducial case of relaxed groups only, we measure a variation of ΔΓ/Δlog (M {sub HALO}) ∼ –0.07 dex{sup –1}, which is almost independent of galaxy mass and merger stage. At galaxy masses >10{sup 10.2} M {sub ☉}, most mergers are dry accretions of quenched satellites onto quenched centrals, leading to a strong increase of Γ with decreasing group-centric distance at these mass scales. Both satellite and central galaxies in these high-mass mergers do not differ in color and structural properties from a control sample of nonmerging galaxies of equal mass and rank. At galaxy masses of <10{sup 10.2} M {sub ☉} where we mostly probe satellite-satellite pairs andmore » mergers between star-forming systems close pairs (projected distance <10-20 kpc) show instead ∼2 × enhanced (specific) star formation rates and ∼1.5 × larger sizes than similar mass, nonmerging satellites. The increase in both size and star formation rate leads to similar surface star formation densities in the merging and control-sample satellite populations.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ;  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Institute for Astronomy, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang-PauiI-Strasse 27, 8093 Zurich (Switzerland)
  2. Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (WPI), Todai Institutes for Advanced Study, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa 277-8583 (Japan)
  3. Department of Astronomy, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22364804
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 797; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; COLOR; GALAXIES; GALAXY CLUSTERS; MASS; POTENTIALS; PROBES; SATELLITES; STAR EVOLUTION; STARS; SURFACES

Citation Formats

Pipino, A., Cibinel, A., Tacchella, S., Carollo, C. M., Lilly, S. J., Miniati, F., Silverman, J. D., Van Gorkom, J. H., and Finoguenov, A., E-mail: anna.cibinel@cea.fr. THE ZURICH ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY (ZENS) OF GALAXIES IN GROUPS ALONG THE COSMIC WEB. V. PROPERTIES AND FREQUENCY OF MERGING SATELLITES AND CENTRALS IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/797/2/127.
Pipino, A., Cibinel, A., Tacchella, S., Carollo, C. M., Lilly, S. J., Miniati, F., Silverman, J. D., Van Gorkom, J. H., & Finoguenov, A., E-mail: anna.cibinel@cea.fr. THE ZURICH ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY (ZENS) OF GALAXIES IN GROUPS ALONG THE COSMIC WEB. V. PROPERTIES AND FREQUENCY OF MERGING SATELLITES AND CENTRALS IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/797/2/127
Pipino, A., Cibinel, A., Tacchella, S., Carollo, C. M., Lilly, S. J., Miniati, F., Silverman, J. D., Van Gorkom, J. H., and Finoguenov, A., E-mail: anna.cibinel@cea.fr. 2014. "THE ZURICH ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY (ZENS) OF GALAXIES IN GROUPS ALONG THE COSMIC WEB. V. PROPERTIES AND FREQUENCY OF MERGING SATELLITES AND CENTRALS IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/797/2/127.
@article{osti_22364804,
title = {THE ZURICH ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY (ZENS) OF GALAXIES IN GROUPS ALONG THE COSMIC WEB. V. PROPERTIES AND FREQUENCY OF MERGING SATELLITES AND CENTRALS IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS},
author = {Pipino, A. and Cibinel, A. and Tacchella, S. and Carollo, C. M. and Lilly, S. J. and Miniati, F. and Silverman, J. D. and Van Gorkom, J. H. and Finoguenov, A., E-mail: anna.cibinel@cea.fr},
abstractNote = {We use the Zurich Environmental Study database to investigate the environmental dependence of the merger fraction Γ and merging galaxy properties in a sample of ∼1300 group galaxies with M > 10{sup 9.2} M {sub ☉} and 0.05 < z < 0.0585. In all galaxy mass bins investigated in our study, we find that Γ decreases by a factor of ∼2-3 in groups with halo masses M {sub HALO} > 10{sup 13.5} M {sub ☉} relative to less massive systems, indicating a suppression of merger activity in large potential wells. In the fiducial case of relaxed groups only, we measure a variation of ΔΓ/Δlog (M {sub HALO}) ∼ –0.07 dex{sup –1}, which is almost independent of galaxy mass and merger stage. At galaxy masses >10{sup 10.2} M {sub ☉}, most mergers are dry accretions of quenched satellites onto quenched centrals, leading to a strong increase of Γ with decreasing group-centric distance at these mass scales. Both satellite and central galaxies in these high-mass mergers do not differ in color and structural properties from a control sample of nonmerging galaxies of equal mass and rank. At galaxy masses of <10{sup 10.2} M {sub ☉} where we mostly probe satellite-satellite pairs and mergers between star-forming systems close pairs (projected distance <10-20 kpc) show instead ∼2 × enhanced (specific) star formation rates and ∼1.5 × larger sizes than similar mass, nonmerging satellites. The increase in both size and star formation rate leads to similar surface star formation densities in the merging and control-sample satellite populations.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/797/2/127},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22364804}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 2,
volume = 797,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Dec 20 00:00:00 EST 2014},
month = {Sat Dec 20 00:00:00 EST 2014}
}