skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: THE STRIKINGLY SIMILAR RELATION BETWEEN SATELLITE AND CENTRAL GALAXIES AND THEIR DARK MATTER HALOS SINCE z = 2

Abstract

Satellite galaxies in rich clusters are subject to numerous physical processes that can significantly influence their evolution. However, the typical L* satellite galaxy resides in much lower mass galaxy groups, where the processes capable of altering their evolution are generally weaker and have had less time to operate. To investigate the extent to which satellite and central galaxy evolution differs, we separately model the stellar mass-halo mass (M{sub *}-M{sub h} ) relation for these two populations over the redshift interval 0 < z < 1. This relation for central galaxies is constrained by the galaxy stellar mass function while the relation for satellite galaxies is constrained against recent measurements of the galaxy two-point correlation function (2PCF). Our approach does not rely on the abundance matching technique but instead adopts a flexible functional form for the relation between satellite galaxy stellar mass and subhalo mass, where subhalo mass is considered as the maximum mass that a subhalo has ever reached in its merger history, M{sub peak}. At z {approx} 0 the satellites, on average, have {approx}10% larger stellar masses at fixed M{sub peak} compared to central galaxies of the same halo mass (although the two relations are consistent at 2{sigma}-3{sigma} formore » M{sub peak} {approx}> 10{sup 13} M{sub Sun }). This is required in order to reproduce the observed stellar mass-dependent 2PCF and satellite fractions. At low masses our model slightly under-predicts the correlation function at {approx}1 Mpc scales. At z {approx} 1 the satellite and central galaxy M{sub *}-M{sub h} relations are consistent within the errors, and the model provides an excellent fit to the clustering data. At present, the errors on the clustering data at z {approx} 2 are too large to constrain the satellite model. A simple model in which satellite and central galaxies share the same M{sub *}-M{sub h} relation is able to reproduce the extant z {approx} 2 clustering data. We speculate that the striking similarity between the satellite and central galaxy M{sub *}-M{sub h} relations since z {approx} 2 arises because the central galaxy relation evolves very weakly with time and because the stellar mass of the typical satellite galaxy has not changed significantly since it was accreted. The reason for this last point is not yet entirely clear, but it is likely related to the fact that the typical {approx}L* satellite galaxy resides in a poor group where transformation processes are weak and lifetimes are short.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States)
  2. Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22121762
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 772; 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; CORRELATION FUNCTIONS; COSMOLOGY; GALACTIC EVOLUTION; GALAXIES; LIFETIME; NONLUMINOUS MATTER; RED SHIFT

Citation Formats

Watson, Douglas F., and Conroy, Charlie. THE STRIKINGLY SIMILAR RELATION BETWEEN SATELLITE AND CENTRAL GALAXIES AND THEIR DARK MATTER HALOS SINCE z = 2. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/772/2/139.
Watson, Douglas F., & Conroy, Charlie. THE STRIKINGLY SIMILAR RELATION BETWEEN SATELLITE AND CENTRAL GALAXIES AND THEIR DARK MATTER HALOS SINCE z = 2. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/772/2/139
Watson, Douglas F., and Conroy, Charlie. 2013. "THE STRIKINGLY SIMILAR RELATION BETWEEN SATELLITE AND CENTRAL GALAXIES AND THEIR DARK MATTER HALOS SINCE z = 2". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/772/2/139.
@article{osti_22121762,
title = {THE STRIKINGLY SIMILAR RELATION BETWEEN SATELLITE AND CENTRAL GALAXIES AND THEIR DARK MATTER HALOS SINCE z = 2},
author = {Watson, Douglas F. and Conroy, Charlie},
abstractNote = {Satellite galaxies in rich clusters are subject to numerous physical processes that can significantly influence their evolution. However, the typical L* satellite galaxy resides in much lower mass galaxy groups, where the processes capable of altering their evolution are generally weaker and have had less time to operate. To investigate the extent to which satellite and central galaxy evolution differs, we separately model the stellar mass-halo mass (M{sub *}-M{sub h} ) relation for these two populations over the redshift interval 0 < z < 1. This relation for central galaxies is constrained by the galaxy stellar mass function while the relation for satellite galaxies is constrained against recent measurements of the galaxy two-point correlation function (2PCF). Our approach does not rely on the abundance matching technique but instead adopts a flexible functional form for the relation between satellite galaxy stellar mass and subhalo mass, where subhalo mass is considered as the maximum mass that a subhalo has ever reached in its merger history, M{sub peak}. At z {approx} 0 the satellites, on average, have {approx}10% larger stellar masses at fixed M{sub peak} compared to central galaxies of the same halo mass (although the two relations are consistent at 2{sigma}-3{sigma} for M{sub peak} {approx}> 10{sup 13} M{sub Sun }). This is required in order to reproduce the observed stellar mass-dependent 2PCF and satellite fractions. At low masses our model slightly under-predicts the correlation function at {approx}1 Mpc scales. At z {approx} 1 the satellite and central galaxy M{sub *}-M{sub h} relations are consistent within the errors, and the model provides an excellent fit to the clustering data. At present, the errors on the clustering data at z {approx} 2 are too large to constrain the satellite model. A simple model in which satellite and central galaxies share the same M{sub *}-M{sub h} relation is able to reproduce the extant z {approx} 2 clustering data. We speculate that the striking similarity between the satellite and central galaxy M{sub *}-M{sub h} relations since z {approx} 2 arises because the central galaxy relation evolves very weakly with time and because the stellar mass of the typical satellite galaxy has not changed significantly since it was accreted. The reason for this last point is not yet entirely clear, but it is likely related to the fact that the typical {approx}L* satellite galaxy resides in a poor group where transformation processes are weak and lifetimes are short.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/772/2/139},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22121762}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 2,
volume = 772,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}