We present the first application of a 'multiple-tracer' redshift-space distortion (RSD) analysis to an observational galaxy sample, using data from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey. Our ...data set is an r < 19.8 magnitude-limited sample of 178 579 galaxies covering the redshift interval z < 0.5 and area 180 deg2. We obtain improvements of 10-20 per cent in measurements of the gravitational growth rate compared to a single-tracer analysis, deriving from the correlated sample variance imprinted in the distributions of the overlapping galaxy populations. We present new expressions for the covariances between the auto-power and cross-power spectra of galaxy samples that are valid for a general survey selection function and weighting scheme. We find no evidence for a systematic dependence of the measured growth rate on the galaxy tracer used, justifying the RSD modelling assumptions, and validate our results using mock catalogues from N-body simulations. For multiple tracers selected by galaxy colour, we measure normalized growth rates in two independent redshift bins f...8(z = 0.18) = 0.36 ± 0.09 and f...8(z = 0.38) = 0.44 ± 0.06, in agreement with standard GR gravity and other galaxy surveys at similar redshifts. (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae/symbols omitted.)
We investigate the dependence of the galaxy luminosity function on geometric environment within the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey. The tidal tensor prescription, based on the Hessian of the ...pseudo-gravitational potential, is used to classify the cosmic web and define the geometric environments: for a given smoothing scale, we classify every position of the surveyed region, 0.04 < z < 0.26, as either a void, a sheet, a filament or a knot. We consider how to choose appropriate thresholds in the eigenvalues of the Hessian in order to partition the galaxies approximately evenly between environments. We find a significant variation in the luminosity function of galaxies between different geometric environments; the normalization, characterized by ϕ* in a Schechter function fit, increases by an order of magnitude from voids to knots. The turnover magnitude, characterized by M*, brightens by approximately 0.5 mag from voids to knots. However, we show that the observed modulation can be entirely attributed to the indirect local-density dependence. We therefore find no evidence of a direct influence of the cosmic web on the galaxy luminosity function.
Abstract
The Physics of the Accelerating Universe Survey (PAUS) is an innovative photometric survey with 40 narrow-bands at the William Herschel Telescope (WHT). The narrow-bands are spaced at 100 Å ...intervals covering the range 4500–8500 Å and, in combination with standard broad-bands, enable excellent redshift precision. This paper describes the technique, galaxy templates, and additional photometric calibration used to determine early photometric redshifts from PAUS. Using bcnz2, a new photometric redshift code developed for this purpose, we characterize the photometric redshift performance using PAUS data on the COSMOS field. Comparison to secure spectra from zCOSMOS DR3 shows that PAUS achieves σ68/(1 + $z$) = 0.0037 to iAB < 22.5 for the redshift range 0 < $z$ < 1.2, when selecting the best 50 per cent of the sources based on a photometric redshift quality cut. Furthermore, a higher photo-z precision σ68/(1 + $z$) ∼ 0.001 is obtained for a bright and high-quality selection, which is driven by the identification of emission lines. We conclude that PAUS meets its design goals, opening up a hitherto uncharted regime of deep, wide, and dense galaxy survey with precise redshifts that will provide unique insights into the formation, evolution, and clustering of galaxies, as well as their intrinsic alignments.
ABSTRACT
We present detailed clustering measurements from the 2dF Quasi‐Stellar Object Redshift Survey (2QZ) in the redshift range 0.8 < z < 2.1. Using a flux‐limited sample of ∼14 000 objects with ...effective redshift zeff= 1.47, we estimate the quasar projected correlation function for separations 1 < r/h−1 Mpc < 20. We find that the two‐point correlation function in real space is well approximated by a power law with slope γ= 1.5 ± 0.2 and comoving correlation length r0= 4.8+0.9−1.5 h−1 Mpc. Splitting the sample into three subsets based on redshift, we find evidence for an increase of the clustering amplitude with look‐back time. For a fixed γ, evolution of r0 is detected at the 3.6σ confidence level. The ratio between the quasar correlation function and the mass autocorrelation function (derived adopting the concordance cosmological model) is found to be scale‐independent. For a linear mass‐clustering amplitude σ8= 0.8, the ‘bias parameter’ decreases from b≃ 3.9 at zeff= 1.89 to b≃ 1.8 at zeff= 1.06. From the observed abundance and clustering, we infer how quasars populate dark matter haloes of different masses. We find that 2QZ quasars sit in haloes with M > 1012 M⊙ and that the characteristic mass of their host haloes is of the order of 1013 M⊙. The observed clustering is consistent with assuming that the locally observed correlation between black hole mass and host galaxy circular velocity is still valid at z > 1. From the fraction of haloes which contain active quasars, we infer that the characteristic quasar lifetime is tQ∼ a few × 107 yr at z∼ 1 and approaches 108 yr at higher redshifts.
Abstract We present a proof of concept of a new galaxy group finder method, Markov graph CLustering (MCL) that naturally handles probabilistic linking criteria. We introduce a new figure of merit, ...the variation of information (VI) statistic, used to optimize the free parameter(s) of the MCL algorithm. We explain that the common friends-of-friends (FoF) method is a subset of MCL. We test MCL in real space on a realistic mock galaxy catalogue constructed from an N-body simulation using the galform model. With a fixed linking length FoF produces the best group catalogues as quantified by the VI statistic. By making the linking length sensitive to the local galaxy density, the quality of the FoF and MCL group catalogues improve significantly, with MCL being preferred over FoF due to a smaller VI value. The MCL group catalogue recovers accurately the underlying halo multiplicity function at all multiplicities. MCL provides better and more consistent group purity and halo completeness values at all multiplicities than FoF. As MCL allows for probabilistic pairwise connections, it is a promising algorithm to find galaxy groups in photometric surveys.
We demonstrate how the properties of a galaxy depend on the mass of its host dark matter subhalo, using two independent models of galaxy formation. For the cases of stellar mass and black hole mass, ...the median property value displays a monotonic dependence on subhalo mass. The slope of the relation changes for subhalo masses for which heating by active galactic nuclei becomes important. The median property values are predicted to be remarkably similar for central and satellite galaxies. The two models predict considerable scatter around the median property value, though the size of the scatter is model dependent. There is only modest evolution with redshift in the median galaxy property at a fixed subhalo mass. Properties such as cold gas mass and star formation rate, however, are predicted to have a complex dependence on subhalo mass. In these cases, subhalo mass is not a good indicator of the value of the galaxy property. We illustrate how the predictions in the galaxy property–subhalo mass plane differ from the assumptions made in some empirical models of galaxy clustering by reconstructing the model output using a basic subhalo abundance matching scheme. In its simplest form, abundance matching generally does not reproduce the clustering predicted by the models, typically resulting in an overprediction of the clustering signal. Using the predictions of the galaxy formation model for the correlations between pairs of galaxy properties, the basic abundance matching scheme can be extended to reproduce the model predictions more faithfully for a wider range of galaxy properties. Our results have implications for the analysis of galaxy clustering, particularly for low abundance samples.
Abstract
We study the environments of low- and high-excitation radio galaxies (LERGs and HERGs, respectively) in the redshift range 0.01 < z < 0.4, using a sample of 399 radio galaxies and ...environmental measurements from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey. In our analysis we use the fifth nearest neighbour density (Σ5) and the GAMA galaxy groups catalogue (G3Cv6) and construct control samples of galaxies matched in stellar mass and colour to the radio-detected sample. We find that LERGs and HERGs exist in different environments and that this difference is dependent on radio luminosity. High-luminosity LERGs (L
NVSS ≳ 1024 W Hz−1) lie in much denser environments than a matched radio-quiet control sample (about three times as dense, as measured by Σ5), and are more likely to be members of galaxy groups (
$82^{+5}_{-7}$
per cent of LERGs are in GAMA groups, compared to
$58^{+3}_{-3}$
per cent of the control sample.). In contrast, the environments of the HERGs and lower luminosity LERGs are indistinguishable from that of a matched control sample. Our results imply that high-luminosity LERGs lie in more massive haloes than non-radio galaxies of similar stellar mass and colour, in agreement with earlier studies. When we control for the preference of LERGs to be found in groups, both high- and low-luminosity LERGs are found in higher-mass haloes (∼0.2 dex; at least 97 per cent significant) than the non-radio control sample.
We use the halo occupation distribution (HOD) framework to characterize the predictions from two independent galaxy formation models for the galactic content of dark matter haloes and its evolution ...with redshift. Our galaxy samples correspond to a range of fixed number densities defined by stellar mass and span 0 less than or equal to z less than or equal to 3. We find remarkable similarities between the model predictions. Differences arise at low galaxy number densities which are sensitive to the treatment of heating of the hot halo by active galactic nuclei. The evolution of the form of the HOD can be described in a relatively simple way, and we model each HOD parameter using its value at z = 0 and an additional evolutionary parameter. In particular, we find that the ratio between the characteristic halo masses for hosting central and satellite galaxies can serve as a sensitive diagnostic for galaxy evolution models. Our results can be used to test and develop empirical studies of galaxy evolution, and can facilitate the construction of mock galaxy catalogues for future surveys.
We describe modifications to the joint stepwise maximum-likelihood method of Cole in order to simultaneously fit the Galaxy and Mass Assembly II galaxy luminosity function (LF), corrected for radial ...density variations, and its evolution with redshift. The whole sample is reasonably well fitted with luminosity (Q
e) and density (P
e) evolution parameters Q
e, P
e ≈ 1.0, 1.0 but with significant degeneracies characterized by Q
e ≈ 1.4 − 0.4P
e. Blue galaxies exhibit larger luminosity density evolution than red galaxies, as expected. We present the evolution-corrected r-band LF for the whole sample and for blue and red subsamples, using both Petrosian and Sérsic magnitudes. Petrosian magnitudes miss a substantial fraction of the flux of de Vaucouleurs profile galaxies: the Sérsic LF is substantially higher than the Petrosian LF at the bright end.
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