We investigate the roles of two classes of quenching mechanisms for central and satellite galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (z < 0.075): those involving the halo and those involving the ...formation of a compact centre. For central galaxies with inner compactness Σ1 kpc ∼ 109–9.4 M⊙ kpc−2, the quenched fraction f
q is strongly correlated with Σ1 kpc with only weak halo mass M
h dependence. However, at higher and lower Σ1 kpc, specific star formation rate (sSFR) is a strong function of M
h and mostly independent of Σ1 kpc. In other words, Σ1 kpc ∼ 109–9.4 M⊙ kpc−2 divides galaxies into those with high sSFR below and low sSFR above this range. In both the upper and lower regimes, increasing M
h shifts the entire sSFR distribution to lower sSFR without a qualitative change in shape. This is true even at fixed M
*, but varying M
* at fixed M
h adds no quenching information. Most of the quenched centrals with M
h > 1011.8 M⊙ are dense (Σ1 kpc > 109 M⊙ kpc−2), suggesting compaction-related quenching maintained by halo-related quenching. However, 21 per cent are diffuse, indicating only halo quenching. For satellite galaxies in the outskirts of haloes, quenching is a strong function of compactness and a weak function of host M
h. In the inner halo, M
h dominates quenching, with ∼90 per cent of the satellites being quenched once M
h > 1013 M⊙. This regional effect is greatest for the least massive satellites. As demonstrated via semi-analytic modelling with simple prescriptions for quenching, the observed correlations can be explained if quenching due to central compactness is rapid while quenching due to halo mass is slow.
Abstract
We present new determinations of the stellar-to-halo mass relation (SHMR) at z = 0–10 that match the evolution of the galaxy stellar mass function, the star formation rate (SFR)–M
* relation ...and the cosmic SFR. We utilize a compilation of 40 observational studies from the literature and correct them for potential biases. Using our robust determinations of halo mass assembly and the SHMR, we infer star formation histories, merger rates and structural properties for average galaxies, combining star-forming and quenched galaxies. Our main findings are as follows: (1) The halo mass M
50 above which 50 per cent of galaxies are quenched coincides with sSFR/sMAR ∼ 1, where sSFR is the specific SFR and sMAR is the specific halo mass accretion rate. (2) M
50 increases with redshift, presumably due to cold streams being more efficient at high redshifts, while virial shocks and active galactic nucleus feedback become more relevant at lower redshifts. (3) The ratio sSFR/sMAR has a peak value, which occurs around
${M_{\rm vir}}\sim 2\times 10^{11}\,{M_{{\odot }}}$
. (4) The stellar mass density within 1 kpc, Σ1, is a good indicator of the galactic global sSFR. (5) Galaxies are statistically quenched after they reach a maximum in Σ1, consistent with theoretical expectations of the gas compaction model; this maximum depends on redshift. (6) In-situ star formation is responsible for most galactic stellar mass growth, especially for lower mass galaxies. (7) Galaxies grow inside-out. The marked change in the slope of the size–mass relation when galaxies became quenched, from
${\rm d}\log {R_{\rm eff}}/{\rm d}\log {M_*}\sim 0.35$
to ∼2.5, could be the result of dry minor mergers.
The extragalactic background light (EBL) is of fundamental importance both for understanding the entire process of galaxy evolution and for γ-ray astronomy, but the overall spectrum of the EBL ...between 0.1 and 1000 μm has never been determined directly from galaxy spectral energy distribution (SED) observations over a wide redshift range. The evolving, overall spectrum of the EBL is derived here utilizing a novel method based on observations only. This is achieved from the observed evolution of the rest-frame K-band galaxy luminosity function up to redshift 4, combined with a determination of galaxy-SED-type fractions. These are based on fitting Spitzer Wide-Area Infrared Extragalactic Survey (SWIRE) templates to a multiwavelength sample of about 6000 galaxies in the redshift range from 0.2 to 1 from the All-wavelength Extended Groth Strip International Survey (AEGIS). The changing fractions of quiescent galaxies, star-forming galaxies, starburst galaxies and active galactic nucleus (AGN) galaxies in that redshift range are estimated, and two alternative extrapolations of SED types to higher redshifts are considered. This allows calculation of the evolution of the luminosity densities from the ultraviolet (UV) to the infrared (IR), the evolving star formation rate density of the Universe, the evolving contribution to the bolometric EBL from the different galaxy populations including AGN galaxies and the buildup of the EBL. Our EBL calculations are compared with those from a semi-analytic model, another observationally based model and observational data. The EBL uncertainties in our modelling based directly on the data are quantified, and their consequences for attenuation of very-high-energy γ-rays due to pair production on the EBL are discussed. It is concluded that the EBL is well constrained from the UV to the mid-IR, but independent efforts from IR and γ-ray astronomy are needed in order to reduce the uncertainties in the far-IR.
Virtually all massive galaxies, including our own, host central black holes ranging in mass from millions to billions of solar masses. The growth of these black holes releases vast amounts of energy ...that powers quasars and other weaker active galactic nuclei. A tiny fraction of this energy, if absorbed by the host galaxy, could halt star formation by heating and ejecting ambient gas. A central question in galaxy evolution is the degree to which this process has caused the decline of star formation in large elliptical galaxies, which typically have little cold gas and few young stars, unlike spiral galaxies.
We quantify the evolution of the stellar mass functions (SMFs) of star-forming and quiescent galaxies as a function of morphology from z ∼ 3 to the present. Our sample consists of ∼50 000 galaxies in ...the CANDELS fields (∼880 arcmin2), which we divide into four main morphological types, i.e. pure bulge-dominated systems, pure spiral disc-dominated, intermediate two-component bulge+disc systems and irregular disturbed galaxies. At z ∼ 2, 80 per cent of the stellar mass density of star-forming galaxies is in irregular systems. However, by z ∼ 0.5, irregular objects only dominate at stellar masses below 109 M⊙. A majority of the star-forming irregulars present at z ∼ 2 undergo a gradual transformation from disturbed to normal spiral disc morphologies by z ∼ 1 without significant interruption to their star formation. Rejuvenation after a quenching event does not seem to be common except perhaps for the most massive objects, because the fraction of bulge-dominated star-forming galaxies with M
*/M⊙ > 1010.7 reaches 40 per cent at z < 1. Quenching implies the presence of a bulge: the abundance of massive red discs is negligible at all redshifts over 2 dex in stellar mass. However, the dominant quenching mechanism evolves. At z > 2, the SMF of quiescent galaxies above M* is dominated by compact spheroids. Quenching at this early epoch destroys the disc and produces a compact remnant unless the star-forming progenitors at even higher redshifts are significantly more dense. At 1 < z < 2, the majority of newly quenched galaxies are discs with a significant central bulge. This suggests that mass quenching at this epoch starts from the inner parts and preserves the disc. At z < 1, the high-mass end of the passive SMF is globally in place and the evolution mostly happens at stellar masses below 1010 M⊙. These low-mass galaxies are compact, bulge-dominated systems, which were environmentally quenched: destruction of the disc through ram-pressure stripping is the likely process.
While major mergers have long been proposed as a driver of both active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity and the relation, studies of moderate to high-redshift Seyfert-luminosity AGN hosts have found ...little evidence for enhanced rates of interactions. However, both theory and observation suggest that while these AGNs may be fueled by stochastic accretion and secular processes, high-luminosity, high-redshift, and heavily obscured AGNs are the AGNs most likely to be merger-driven. To better sample this population of AGNs, we turn to infrared selection in the CANDELS/COSMOS field. Compared to their lower-luminosity and less obscured X-ray-only counterparts, IR-only AGNs (luminous, heavily obscured AGNs) are more likely to be classified as either irregular ( versus ) or asymmetric ( versus ) and are less likely to have a spheroidal component ( versus ). Furthermore, IR-only AGNs are also significantly more likely than X-ray-only AGNs ( versus ) to be classified either as interacting or merging in a way that significantly disturbs the host galaxy or as disturbed, though not clearly interacting or merging, which potentially represents the late stages of a major merger. This suggests that while major mergers may not contribute significantly to the fueling of Seyfert-luminosity AGNs, interactions appear to play a more dominant role in the triggering and fueling of high-luminosity heavily obscured AGNs.
We present a multi-wavelength photometric catalog in the COSMOS field as part of the observations by the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey. The catalog is based on Hubble ...Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 (HST/WFC3) and Advanced Camera for Surveys observations of the COSMOS field (centered at R.A.: , Decl.: ). The final catalog has 38671 sources with photometric data in 42 bands from UV to the infrared ( ). This includes broadband photometry from HST, CFHT, Subaru, the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy, and Spitzer Space Telescope in the visible, near-infrared, and infrared bands along with intermediate- and narrowband photometry from Subaru and medium-band data from Mayall NEWFIRM. Source detection was conducted in the WFC3 F160W band (at 1.6 m) and photometry is generated using the Template FITting algorithm. We further present a catalog of the physical properties of sources as identified in the HST F160W band and measured from the multi-band photometry by fitting the observed spectral energy distributions of sources against templates.
We study the correlation between galaxy structure and the quenching of star formation using a sample of Sloan Digital Sky Survey central galaxies with stellar masses 9.75 < log Mlow */M sub(middot in ...circle) < 11.25 and redshifts z < 0.075. Galaxy Evolution Explorer UV data are used to cleanly divide the sample into star-forming and quenched galaxies and to identify galaxies in transition (the green valley). Despite a stark difference in visual appearance between blue and red galaxies, their average radial stellar mass density profiles are remarkably similar (especially in the outer regions) at fixed mass. The inner stellar mass surface density within a radius of 1 kpc, summationoperator sub(1), is used to quantify the growth of the bulge as galaxies evolve. When galaxies are divided into narrow mass bins, their distribution in the color-summationoperator sub(1) plane at fixed mass forms plausible evolutionary tracks. summationoperator sub(1) seems to grow as galaxies evolve through the blue cloud, and once it crosses a threshold value, galaxies are seen to quench at fixed summationoperator sub(1). The summationoperator sub(1) threshold for quenching grows with stellar mass, summationoperator sub(1) alpha M super(0.64)low *. However, the existence of some star-forming galaxies above the threshold summationoperator sub(1) implies that a dense bulge is necessary but not sufficient to quench a galaxy fully. This would be consistent with a two-step quenching process in which gas within a galaxy is removed or stabilized against star formation by bulge-driven processes (such as a starburst, active galactic nucleus feedback, or morphological quenching), whereas external gas accretion is suppressed by separate halo-driven processes (such as halo gas shock heating). Quenching thus depends on an interplay between the inner structure of a galaxy and its surrounding dark matter halo, and lack of perfect synchrony between the two could produce the observed scatter in color versus summationoperator sub(1).
Studying giant star-forming clumps in distant galaxies is important to understand galaxy formation and evolution. At present, however, observers and theorists have not reached a consensus on whether ...the observed "clumps" in distant galaxies are the same phenomenon that is seen in simulations. In this paper, as a step to establish a benchmark of direct comparisons between observations and theories, we publish a sample of clumps constructed to represent the commonly observed "clumps" in the literature. This sample contains 3193 clumps detected from 1270 galaxies at 0.5 ≤ z < 3.0 . The clumps are detected from rest-frame UV images, as described in our previous paper. Their physical properties (e.g., rest-frame color, stellar mass ( M * ), star formation rate (SFR), age, and dust extinction) are measured by fitting the spectral energy distribution (SED) to synthetic stellar population models. We carefully test the procedures of measuring clump properties, especially the method of subtracting background fluxes from the diffuse component of galaxies. With our fiducial background subtraction, we find a radial clump U − V color variation, where clumps close to galactic centers are redder than those in outskirts. The slope of the color gradient (clump color as a function of their galactocentric distance scaled by the semimajor axis of galaxies) changes with redshift and M * of the host galaxies: at a fixed M * , the slope becomes steeper toward low redshift, and at a fixed redshift, it becomes slightly steeper with M * . Based on our SED fitting, this observed color gradient can be explained by a combination of a negative age gradient, a negative E(B − V) gradient, and a positive specific SFR gradient of the clumps. We also find that the color gradients of clumps are steeper than those of intra-clump regions. Correspondingly, the radial gradients of the derived physical properties of clumps are different from those of the diffuse component or intra-clump regions.
We study the evolution of the scaling relations that compare the effective density ( ) and core density ( kpc) to the stellar masses of star-forming galaxies (SFGs) and quiescent galaxies. These ...relations have been fully in place since and have exhibited almost constant slope and scatter since that time. For SFGs, the zero points in and decline by only . This fact plus the narrowness of the relations suggests that galaxies could evolve roughly along the scaling relations. Quiescent galaxies follow different scaling relations that are offset to higher densities at the same mass and redshift. Furthermore, the zero point of their core density has declined by only since , while the zero point of the effective density declines by . When galaxies quench, they move from the star-forming relations to the quiescent relations. This involves an increase in the core and effective densities, which suggests that SFGs could experience a phase of significant core growth relative to the average evolution along the structural relations. The distribution of massive galaxies relative to the SFR-M and the quiescent relations exhibits an L-shape that is independent of redshift. The knee of this relation consists of a subset of "compact" SFGs that are the most likely precursors of quiescent galaxies forming at later times. The compactness selection threshold in exhibits a small variation from z = 3 to 0.5, M kpc−2, allowing the most efficient identification of compact SFGs and quiescent galaxies at every redshift.
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