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arXiv 0802.2549astro-ph
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揭示群在大质量星系演化中的重要作用:来自中红移红外被动序列的启示

Unveiling the Important Role of Groups in the Evolution of Massive Galaxies: Insights from an Infrared Passive Sequence at Intermediate Redshift

D. J. Wilman, D. Pierini, K. Tyler, S. L. McGee, A. Oemler, S. L. Morris, M. L. Balogh, R. G. Bower, J. S. Mulchaey

摘要:

宇宙中最大的星系也是最古老的。为了推翻这一明显的矛盾与层次的增长模型,我们专注于集团规模的晕主机大多数这些星系。在hocC 2红移巡天中选取了一个质量M_* >~ 2 × 10^10M_sol的z~0.4恒星样品。一个敏感的中红外(MIR)IRAC颜色被用来隔离被动星系。它产生了一个双峰分布,其中被动星系(突出的形态早期类型)定义了一个紧密的MIR颜色序列(红外被动序列,IPS)。这是由于来自古老的恒星星族的恒星大气辐射。与IPS明显偏离的星系是由尘埃再发射增强到8微米的星系(超红星系或IRE星系)。它们包括所有已知的形态学晚期类型。与EW[OII]的比较表明,MIR颜色对低水平的活动高度敏感,并使我们能够将尘埃活跃星系与被动星系分开。IRE星系的比例f(IRE)随着M_* 的增加而下降,使得f(IRE)在"交叉质量“为~1.3x10^11M_sol时=0.5。在我们的光学定义的群样本中,在所有质量下,f(IRE)都存在强烈而一致的缺陷,在M_* >~10^11M_sol时最为明显。利用Millenium模拟得到的模拟星系表,我们证明,如果恒星形成的抑制主要发生在星系群环境中,特别是对于M_*>~10^11M_sol星系,那么观测到的f(IRE)随M_* 的变化趋势是可以解释的。通过这种方式,缩小规模可以完全由宇宙中的结构增长驱动。

英文摘要:

The most massive galaxies in the Universe are also the oldest. To overturn this apparent contradiction with hierarchical growth models, we focus on the group scale haloes which host most of these galaxies. A stellar mass selected M_* >~ 2x10^10M_sol sample at z~0.4 is constructed within the CNOC2 redshift survey. A sensitive Mid InfraRed (MIR) IRAC colour is used to isolate passive galaxies. It produces a bimodal distribution, in which passive galaxies (highlighted by morphological early-types) define a tight MIR colour sequence (Infrared Passive Sequence, IPS). This is due to stellar atmospheric emission from old stellar populations. Significantly offset from the IPS are galaxies where reemission by dust boosts emission at 8microns (InfraRed-Excess or IRE galaxies). They include all known morphological late-types. Comparison with EW[OII] shows that MIR colour is highly sensitive to low levels of activity, and allows us to separate dusty-active from passive galaxies. The fraction of IRE galaxies, f(IRE) drops with M_*, such that f(IRE)=0.5 at a ``crossover mass'' of ~1.3x10^11M_sol. Within our optically-defined group sample there is a strong and consistent deficit in f(IRE) at all masses, and most clearly at M_* >~10^11M_sol. Using a mock galaxy catalogue derived from the Millenium Simulation we show that the observed trend of f(IRE) with M_* can be explained if suppression of star formation occurs primarily in the group environment, and particularly for M_*>~10^11M_sol galaxies. In this way, downsizing can be driven solely by structure growth in the Universe.

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