We carried out a photometric and structural analysis in the rest-frame V band of a mass-selected (log M/M⊙> 10.7) sample of red-sequence galaxies in 14 galaxy clusters, 6 of which are at z> 1.45, ...namely JKCS041, IDCS J1426.5+3508, SpARCS104922.6+564032.5, SpARCSJ021524-034331, XDCPJ0044.0-2033, and SPT-CLJ2040-4451. To this end, we reduced/analyzed about 300 orbits of multicolor images taken with the Advanced Camera for Survey and the Wide Field Camera 3 on the Hubble Space Telescope. We uniformly morphologically classified galaxies from z = 0.023 to z = 1.803, and we homogeneously derived sizes (effective radii) for the entire sample. Furthermore, our size derivation allows, and therefore is not biased by, the presence of the usual variety of morphological structures seen in early-type galaxies, such as bulges, bars, disks, isophote twists, and ellipiticy gradients. By using such a mass-selected sample, composed of 244 red-sequence early-type galaxies, we find that the log of the galaxy size at a fixed stellar mass, log M/M⊙ = 11, has increased with time at a rate of 0.023 ± 0.002 dex per Gyr over the last 10 Gyr, in marked contrast with the threefold increase found in the literature for galaxies in the general field over the same period. This suggests, at face value, that secular processes should be excluded as the primary drivers of size evolution because we observed an environmental dependent size growth. Using spectroscopic ages of Coma early-type galaxies we also find that recently quenched early-type galaxies are a numerically minor population not different enough in size to alter the mean size at a given mass, which implies that the progenitor bias is minor, i.e., that the size evolution measured by selecting galaxies at the redshift of observation is indistinguishable from the one that compares ancestors and descendents.
ABSTRACT
We study the modelling of the halo occupation distribution (HOD) for the eBOSS DR16 emission line galaxies (ELGs). Motivated by previous theoretical and observational studies, we consider ...different physical effects that can change how ELGs populate haloes. We explore the shape of the average HOD, the fraction of satellite galaxies, their probability distribution function (PDF), and their density and velocity profiles. Our baseline HOD shape was fitted to a semi-analytical model of galaxy formation and evolution, with a decaying occupation of central ELGs at high halo masses. We consider Poisson and sub/super-Poissonian PDFs for satellite assignment. We model both Navarro–Frenk–White and particle profiles for satellite positions, also allowing for decreased concentrations. We model velocities with the virial theorem and particle velocity distributions. Additionally, we introduce a velocity bias and a net infall velocity. We study how these choices impact the clustering statistics while keeping the number density and bias fixed to that from eBOSS ELGs. The projected correlation function, wp, captures most of the effects from the PDF and satellites profile. The quadrupole, ξ2, captures most of the effects coming from the velocity profile. We find that the impact of the mean HOD shape is subdominant relative to the rest of choices. We fit the clustering of the eBOSS DR16 ELG data under different combinations of the above assumptions. The catalogues presented here have been analysed in companion papers, showing that eBOSS RSD+BAO measurements are insensitive to the details of galaxy physics considered here. These catalogues are made publicly available.
Abstract
We describe the algorithm used to select the emission line galaxy (ELG) sample at z ∼ 0.85 for the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV, using ...photometric data from the DECam Legacy Survey. Our selection is based on a selection box in the g − r versus r − z colour–colour space and a cut on the g-band magnitude, to favour galaxies in the desired redshift range with strong
${{\rm O}\,\small {II}}$
emission. It provides a target density of 200 deg−2 on the North Galactic Cap and of 240 deg−2 on the South Galactic Cap (SGC), where we use a larger selection box because of deeper imaging. We demonstrate that this selection passes the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey requirements in terms of homogeneity. About 50 000 ELGs have been observed since the observations have started in 2016, September. These roughly match the expected redshift distribution, though the measured efficiency is slightly lower than expected. The efficiency can be increased by enlarging the redshift range and with incoming pipeline improvement. The cosmological forecast based on these first data predict
$\sigma _{D_V}/D_V = 0.023$
, in agreement with previous forecasts. Lastly, we present the stellar population properties of the ELG SGC sample. Once observations are completed, this sample will be suited to provide a cosmological analysis at z ∼ 0.85, and will pave the way for the next decade of massive spectroscopic cosmological surveys, which heavily rely on ELGs. The target catalogue over the SGC will be released along with DR14.
Context. Microquasars are accreting Galactic sources that are also observed to launch relativistic jets. A key signature of the ejection is non-thermal radio emission. The level of this jet component ...at high frequencies is still poorly constrained. Aims. The X-ray binary and microquasar black hole candidate XTEJ1550-564 exhibited a faint X-ray outburst in April 2003 during which it stayed in the X-ray low/hard state. We took optical and near-infrared (NIR) observations with the ESO/NTT telescope during this outburst to distinguish the various contributions to the spectral energy distribution (SED) and investigate the presence of a jet component. Methods. Photometric and spectroscopic observations allowed us to construct an SED and also to produce a high time-resolution lightcurve. Results. The SED shows an abrupt change of slope from the NIR domain to the optical. The NIR emission is attributed to non-thermal synchrotron emission from the compact, self-absorbed jet that is known to be present in the low/hard state. This is corroborated by the fast variability, colours, lack of prominent spectral features and evidence for intrinsic polarisation. The SED suggests the jet break from the optically thick to the thin regime occurs in the NIR. Conclusions. The simultaneous optical-NIR data allow an independent confirmation of jet emission in the NIR. The transition to optically thin synchrotron occurs at NIR frequencies or below, which leads to an estimated characteristic size ≳ 2 × 108 cm and magnetic field ≲ 5 T for the jet base, assuming a homogeneous one-zone synchrotron model.
We study the dependence of the galaxy size evolution on morphology, stellar mass and large-scale environment for a sample of 298 group and 384 field quiescent early-type galaxies from the COSMOS ...survey, selected from z ∼ 1 to the present, and with masses log(M/M) > 10.5.
From a detailed morphological analysis we infer that ∼80 per cent of passive galaxies with mass log(M/M) > 10.5 have an early-type morphology and that this fraction does not evolve over the last 6 Gyr. However, the relative abundance of lenticular and elliptical galaxies depends on stellar mass. Elliptical galaxies dominate only at the very high mass end - log(M/M) > 11 - while S0 galaxies dominate at lower stellar masses - 10.5 < log(M/M) < 11.
The galaxy size growth depends on galaxy mass range and early-type galaxy morphology, e.g. elliptical galaxies evolve differently than lenticular galaxies. At the low-mass end - 10.5 < log(M/M) < 11 - ellipticals do not show strong size growth from z ∼ 1 to the present (10 to 30 per cent depending on the morphological classification). On the other end, massive ellipticals - log(M/M) > 11.2 - approximately doubled their size. Interestingly, lenticular galaxies display different behaviour: they appear more compact on average and they do show a size growth of ∼60 per cent since z = 1 independent of stellar mass range.
We compare our results with state-of-the art semi-analytic models. While major and minor mergers can account for most of the galaxy size growth, we find that with present data and the theoretical uncertainties in the modelling we cannot state clear evidence favouring either merger or mass-loss via quasar and/or stellar winds as the primary mechanism driving the evolution.
The galaxy mass-size relation and size growth do not depend on environment in the halo mass range explored in this work (field to group mass log(M
h/M) < 14), i.e. group and field galaxies follow the same trends. At low redshift, where we examine both Sloan Digital Sky Survey and COSMOS groups, this result is at variance with predictions from some current hierarchical models that show a clear dependence of size growth on halo mass for massive ellipticals (log(M
*/M) > 11.2). In future work, we will analyse in detail if this result is specific of the observations and model used in this work.
Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCG) and satellite galaxies lie on the same mass-size relation, at variance with predictions from hierarchical models, which predict that BCGs should have larger sizes than satellites because they experience more mergers in groups over the halo mass range probed.
Context. Galaxy mass and environment are known to play a key role in galaxy evolution: studying galaxy colors as a function of redshift, galaxy mass, and environment offers a powerful diagnosis to ...disentangle the role of each. Aims. We study the simultaneous dependence of the fraction of blue galaxies fblue on secular evolution, environment, and galaxy mass with a well-controlled cluster sample. We are thus able to study the evolution and respective role of the cessation of star formation history (SFH) in clusters caused by galaxy mass (“mass quenching”) or by environment (“environmental quenching”). Methods. We defined an homogenous X-ray selected cluster sample (25 clusters with 0 < z < 1 and one cluster at z ~ 2.2), having similar masses and well-defined sizes. Using multicolor photometry and a large spectroscopic sample to calibrate photometric redshifts, we carefully estimated fblue for each cluster at different galaxy mass and cluster-centric distance bins. We then fitted the dependence of fblue on redshift (z), environment (r/r200) and galaxy mass (M) with a simple model. Results.fblue increases with cluster-centric distance with a slope α = 1.2-0.3+0.4, decreases with galaxy mass with a slope β = -3.8-0.5+0.6, and increases with redshift with a slope γ = 3.3-0.6+0.7. The data also require for the first time a differential evolution with galaxy mass of fblue with redshift, with lower mass galaxies evolving slower by a factor ζ = -3.9-1.1+0.9. Conclusions. Our study shows that the processes responsible for the cessation of star formation in clusters are effective at all epochs (z ≲ 2.2), and more effective in denser environments and for more massive galaxies. We found that the mass and environmental quenchings are separable, that environmental quenching does not change with epoch, and that mass quenching is a dynamical process, i.e. its evolutionary rate is mass-dependent. Our study extends the downsizing-like scenario, where the most massive galaxies have their properties set at a very high redshift, to the cluster environment and all galaxies. It illustrates the need to disentangle galaxy mass and cluster-centric distance to properly estimate the behavior of fblue in clusters.
Abstract
We describe the spectroscopic data processing pipeline of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), which is conducting a redshift survey of about 40 million galaxies and quasars ...using a purpose-built instrument on the 4 m Mayall Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The main goal of DESI is to measure with unprecedented precision the expansion history of the universe with the baryon acoustic oscillation technique and the growth rate of structure with redshift space distortions. Ten spectrographs with three cameras each disperse the light from 5000 fibers onto 30 CCDs, covering the near-UV to near-infrared (3600–9800 Å) with a spectral resolution ranging from 2000 to 5000. The DESI data pipeline generates wavelength- and flux-calibrated spectra of all the targets, along with spectroscopic classifications and redshift measurements. Fully processed data from each night are typically available to the DESI collaboration the following morning. We give details about the pipeline’s algorithms, and provide performance results on the stability of the optics, the quality of the sky background subtraction, and the precision and accuracy of the instrumental calibration. This pipeline has been used to process the DESI Survey Validation data set, and has exceeded the project’s requirements for redshift performance, with high efficiency and a purity greater than 99% for all target classes.
Abstract
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is carrying out a five-year survey that aims to measure the redshifts of tens of millions of galaxies and quasars, including 8 million ...luminous red galaxies (LRGs) in the redshift range 0.4 <
z
≲ 1.0. Here we present the selection of the DESI LRG sample and assess its spectroscopic performance using data from Survey Validation (SV) and the first two months of the Main Survey. The DESI LRG sample, selected using
g
,
r
,
z
, and
W
1 photometry from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys, is highly robust against imaging systematics. The sample has a target density of 605 deg
−2
and a comoving number density of 5 × 10
−4
h
3
Mpc
−3
in 0.4 <
z
< 0.8; this is a significantly higher density than previous LRG surveys (such as SDSS, BOSS, and eBOSS) while also extending to
z
∼ 1. After applying a bright star veto mask developed for the sample, 98.9% of the observed LRG targets yield confident redshifts (with a catastrophic failure rate of 0.2% in the confident redshifts), and only 0.5% of the LRG targets are stellar contamination. The LRG redshift efficiency varies with source brightness and effective exposure time, and we present a simple model that accurately characterizes this dependence. In the appendices, we describe the extended LRG samples observed during SV.
Abstract
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) will precisely constrain cosmic expansion and the growth of structure by collecting ∼40 million extragalactic redshifts across ∼80% of cosmic ...history and one-third of the sky. The Emission Line galaxy (ELG) sample, which will comprise about one-third of all DESI tracers, will be used to probe the universe over the 0.6 <
z
< 1.6 range, including the 1.1 <
z
< 1.6 range, which is expected to provide the tightest constraints. We present the target selection for the DESI Survey Validation (SV) and Main Survey ELG samples, which relies on the imaging of the Legacy Surveys. The Main ELG selection consists of a
g
-band magnitude cut and a (
g
−
r
) versus (
r
−
z
) color box, while the SV selection explores extensions of the Main selection boundaries. The Main ELG sample is composed of two disjoint subsamples, which have target densities of about 1940 deg
−2
and 460 deg
−2
, respectively. We first characterize their photometric properties and density variations across the footprint. We then analyze the DESI spectroscopic data that have been obtained from 2020 December to 2021 December in the SV and Main Survey. We establish a preliminary criterion for selecting reliable redshifts, based on the O
ii
flux measurement, and assess its performance. Using this criterion, we are able to present the spectroscopic efficiency of the Main ELG selection, along with its redshift distribution. We thus demonstrate that the Main selection 1940 deg
−2
subsample alone should provide 400 deg
−2
and 460 deg
−2
reliable redshifts in the 0.6 <
z
< 1.1 and the 1.1 <
z
< 1.6 ranges, respectively.