Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): Gas Fuelling of Spiral Galaxies in the Local Universe I. - The Effect of the Group Environment on Star Formation in Spiral Galaxies

Abstract

Abridged - We quantify the effect of the galaxy group environment (for 12.5 < log(M_group/Msun) < 14.0) on the star formation rates of the (morphologically-selected) population of disk-dominated local Universe spiral galaxies (z < 0.13) with stellar masses log(M*/Msun) > 9.5. Within this population, we find that, while a small minority of group satellites are strongly quenched, the group centrals, and the large majority of satellites exhibit levels of SFR indistinguishable from ungrouped "field" galaxies of the same M*, albeit with a higher scatter, and for all M*. Modelling these results, we deduce that disk-dominated satellites continue to be characterized by a rapid cycling of gas into and out of their ISM at rates similar to those operating prior to infall, with the on-going fuelling likely sourced from the group intrahalo medium (IHM) on Mpc scales, rather than from the circum-galactic medium on 100kpc scales. Consequently, the color-density relation of the galaxy population as a whole would appear to be primarily due to a change in the mix of disk- and spheroid-dominated morphologies in the denser group environment compared to the field, rather than to a reduced propensity of the IHM in higher mass structures to cool and accrete onto galaxies. We also suggest that the inferred substantial accretion of IHM gas by satellite disk-dominated galaxies will lead to a progressive reduction in their specific angular momentum, thereby representing an efficient secular mechanism to transform morphology from star-forming disk-dominated types to more passive spheroid-dominated types.