arXiv subjects

R. S. Ellis

Publications and source records attributed to R. S. Ellis.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

arXiv2004

The 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey: The clustering of galaxy groups

We measure the clustering of galaxy groups in the 2dFGRS Percolation-Inferred Galaxy Group (2PIGG) catalogue. The 2PIGG sample has 29,000 groups with at least two members. The clustering amplitude of the full 2PIGG catalogue is weaker than that of 2dFGRS galaxies, in agreement with theoretical predictions. We have subdivided the 2PIGG catalogue into samples that span a factor of 25 in median total luminosity. Our correlation function measurements span an unprecedented range of clustering strengths, connecting the regimes probed by groups fainter than L* galaxies and rich clusters. There is a steady increase in clustering strength with group luminosity; the most luminous groups are ten times more strongly clustered than the full 2PIGG catalogue. We demonstrate that the 2PIGG results are in very good agreement with the clustering of groups expected in the LCDM model.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

The 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey: Hierarchical galaxy clustering

We use the two-degree field Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS) to test the hierarchical scaling hypothesis: namely, that the $p$-point galaxy correlation functions can be written in terms of the two point correlation function or variance. This scaling is expected if an initially Gaussian distribution of density fluctuations evolves under the action of gravitational instability. We measure the volume averaged $p$-point correlation functions using a counts in cells technique applied to a volume limited sample of 44,931 $L_*$ galaxies. We demonstrate that $L_{*}$ galaxies display hierarchical clustering up to order $p=6$ in redshift space. The variance measured for $L_{*}$ galaxies is in excellent agreement with the predictions from a $Λ$-cold dark matter N-body simulation. This applies to all cell radii considered, $0.3<(R/h^{-1}{\rm Mpc})<30$. However, the higher order correlation functions of $L_*$ galaxies have a significantly smaller amplitude than is predicted for the dark matter for $R<10h^{-1}$Mpc. This disagreement implies that a non-linear bias exists between the dark matter and $L_*$ galaxies on these scales. We also show that the presence of two rare, massive superclusters in the 2dFGRS has an impact on the higher-order clustering moments measured on large scales.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Discovery of a Transient U-band Dropout in a Lyman-Break Survey: A Tidally-Disrupted Star at z = 3.3?

We report the discovery of a transient source in the central regions of galaxy cluster Abell 267. The object, which we call "PALS1", was found in a survey aimed at identifying highly-magnified Lyman-break galaxies in the fields of intervening rich clusters. At discovery, the source had U>24.7 (2-sigma; AB), g=21.96, and very blue g-r and r-i colors; i.e., PALS1 was a U-band drop-out, characteristic of star-forming galaxies and quasars at z~3. However, three months later the source had faded by more than three magnitudes. Further observations showed a continued decline in luminosity, to R>26.4 seven months after discovery. Though the apparent brightness is suggestive of a supernova at roughly the cluster redshift, we show that the photometry and light curve argue against any known type of supernova at any redshift. The spectral energy distribution and location near the center of a galaxy cluster are consistent with the hypothesis that PALS1 is a gravitationally-lensed transient at z~3.3. If this interpretation is correct, the source is magnified by a factor of 4-7 and two counterimages are predicted. Our lens model predicts time delays between the three images of 1-10 years and that we have witnessed the final occurrence of the transient. The intense luminosity (M(AB) ~ -23.5 after correcting for lensing) and blue UV continuum (implying T>50,000 K) argue the source may have been a flare resulting from the tidal disruption of a star by a 10^6-10^8 solar-mass black hole. Regardless of its physical nature, PALS1 highlights the importance of monitoring regions of high magnification in galaxy clusters for distant, time-varying phenomena.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

An Introduction to the Thermodynamic and Macrostate Levels of Nonequivalent Ensembles

This short paper presents a nontechnical introduction to the problem of nonequivalent microcanonical and canonical ensembles. Both the thermodynamic and the macrostate levels of definition of nonequivalent ensembles are introduced. The many relationships that exist between these two levels are also explained in simple physical terms.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2004

The nature of the relative bias between galaxies of different spectral type in 2dFGRS

We present an analysis of the relative bias between early- and late-type galaxies in the Two-degree Field Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS). Our analysis examines the joint counts in cells between early- and late-type galaxies, using approximately cubical cells with sides ranging from 7h^{-1}Mpc to 42h^{-1}Mpc. We measure the variance of the counts in cells using the method of Efstathiou et al. (1990), which we find requires a correction for a finite volume effect. We fit lognormal models to the one-point density distribution and develop methods of dealing with biases in the recovered variances resulting from this technique. We directly fit deterministic models for the joint density distribution function, f(delta_E,delta_L), to the joint counts in cells using a maximum likelihood technique. Our results are consistent with a scale invariant relative bias factor on all scales studied. Linear bias is ruled out on scales less than l=28h^{-1}Mpc. A power-law bias model is a significantly better fit to the data on all but the largest scales studied; the relative goodness of fit of this model as compared to that of the linear bias model suggests that any nonlinearity is negligible for l>~40h^{-1}Mpc, consistent with the expectation from theory that the bias should become linear on large scales. (abridged)

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Galaxy groups in the 2dFGRS: the group-finding algorithm and the 2PIGG catalogue

The construction of a catalogue of galaxy groups from the 2-degree Field Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS) is described. Groups are identified by means of a friends-of-friends percolation algorithm which has been thoroughly tested on mock versions of the 2dFGRS generated from cosmological N-body simulations. The tests suggest that the algorithm groups all galaxies that it should be grouping, with an additional 40% of interlopers. About 55% of the ~190000 galaxies considered are placed into groups containing at least two members of which ~29000 are found. Of these, ~7000 contain at least four galaxies, and these groups have a median redshift of 0.11 and a median velocity dispersion of 260km/s. This 2dFGRS Percolation-Inferred Galaxy Group (2PIGG) catalogue represents the largest available homogeneous sample of galaxy groups. It is publicly available on the WWW.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Galaxy groups in the 2dFGRS: the luminous content of the groups

The 2dFGRS Percolation-Inferred Galaxy Group (2PIGG) catalogue of ~29000 objects is used to study the luminous content of galaxy systems of various sizes. Mock galaxy catalogues constructed from cosmological simulations are used to gauge the accuracy with which intrinsic group properties can be recovered. A Schechter function is found to be a reasonable fit to the galaxy luminosity functions in groups of different mass in the real data. The characteristic luminosity L* is larger for more massive groups. However, the mock data show that the shape of the recovered luminosity function is expected to differ from the true shape, and this must be allowed for when interpreting the data. The variation of halo mass-to-light ratio with group size is studied in both these wavebands. A robust trend of increasing M/L with increasing group luminosity is found in the 2PIGG data. From groups with L_bj=10^{10}Lsol to those 100 times more luminous, the typical bj-band M/L increases by a factor of 5, whereas the rf-band M/L grows by a factor of 3.5. These trends agree well with the simulations, which also predict a minimum M/L on a scale corresponding to the Local Group. Our data indicate that if such a minimum exists, then it must occur at L<~10^{10}Lsol, below the range accurately probed by the 2PIGG catalogue. According to the mock data, the bj M/Ls of the largest groups are expected to be approximately 1.1 times the global value. Assuming that this correction applies to the real data yields an estimate of Omega_m=0.26+/-0.03 (statistical).

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

The Dark Matter Distribution in the Central Regions of Galaxy Clusters: Implications for CDM

We have undertaken a spectroscopic survey of gravitational arcs in a carefully chosen sample of six clusters each containing a dominant brightest cluster galaxy. We use these systems to study the relative distributions of dark and baryonic material in the central regions. Three clusters present both radial and tangential arcs and provide particularly strong constraints on the mass profiles, whereas the other three display only tangential arcs and act as a control set. We analyze stellar velocity dispersion data for the brightest cluster galaxies in conjunction with the arc redshifts and lens models to constrain the dark and baryonic mass profiles jointly. For the systems containing radial arcs we find that the inner dark matter density profile is consistent with a 3-D distribution, rho_{DM} propto r^-beta, with logarithmic slope =0.52^{+0.05}_{-0.05} (68% CL). Similarly, we find that the tangential arc sample gives an upper limit, beta<0.57 (99% CL). Taking the 6 clusters together, the mean dark matter distribution is quite inconsistent with the standard Navarro, Frenk & White (1997) value, beta=1.0, at >99% confidence. In addition, we find considerable cosmic scatter in the beta (Delta beta ~0.3) values of the radial arc sample. We find no evidence that systems with radial arcs preferentially yield flatter dark matter profiles as might be expected if they were a biased subset. We discuss the validity of our 1-D mass reconstruction method and verify its conclusions by comparing with results of a more rigorous ray-tracing lensing code. Our results extend and strengthen the earlier conclusions presented by Sand et al. (2002) and suggest the relationship between dark and visible matter in the cores of clusters is more complex than anticipated from recent simulations. (abridged)

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

The dark matter halos of spheroidal galaxies and clusters of galaxies

We describe the first results from two observational projects aimed at measuring the amount and spatial distribution of dark matter in distant early-type galaxies (E/S0s) and clusters of galaxies. At the galaxy scale, the Lenses Structure and Dynamics (LSD) Survey is gathering kinematic data for distant (up to $z\sim1$) E/S0s that are gravitational lenses. A joint lensing and dynamical analysis constrains the fraction of dark matter within the Einstein radius, the mass-to-light ratio of the stellar component, and the total slope of the mass density profile. These properties and their evolution with redshift are briefly discussed in terms of the formation and evolution of E/S0 galaxies and measurement of the Hubble Constant from gravitational time delay systems. At the cluster scale -- after careful removal of the stellar component with a joint lensing and dynamical analysis -- systems with giant radial arcs can be used to measure precisely the inner slope of the dark matter halo. An HST search for radial arcs and the analysis of a first sample are briefly discussed in terms of the universal dark matter halos predicted by CDM simulations.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

Galaxies Under the Cosmic Microscope: A GMOS Study of the Lensed Disk-Galaxy #289 in A2218

In this letter, we exploit the gravitational potential of the rich cluster A2218 as a magnifying glass. We demonstrate that the magnification due to the cluster allows us to observe distant background galaxies at a comparable level of detail to galaxies at z~0.1. Using the GMOS Integral Field Unit on Gemini North we observed the spatially-resolved [OII](3727) emission line spectrum for a lensed disk-galaxy at z=1.034. Using a detailed model for the cluster mass distribution, we are able to correct for the lensing by the cluster and reconstruct the source morphology. We find that the overall magnification is a factor of 4.92 +/- 0.15, and the rest-frame absolute I-band magnitude is M_{I}^{rest} = -22.4 +/- 0.2, where the error bars include conservative estimates of the uncertainty in the source-plane reconstruction. The inclination-corrected circular velocity is 206 +/- 18km/s. The galaxy lies very close to the mean Tully-Fisher relation of present-day spirals. Although our results are based on a single object, they demonstrate that gravitational lensing can be viably used to make detailed studies of the evolution of the structure of distant field galaxies.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

The 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey: galaxy clustering per spectral type

We have calculated the two-point correlation functions in redshift space, xi(sigma,pi), for galaxies of different spectral types in the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey. Using these correlation functions we are able to estimate values of the linear redshift-space distortion parameter, beta = Omega_m^0.6/b, the pairwise velocity dispersion, a, and the real-space correlation function, xi(r), for galaxies with both relatively low star-formation rates (for which the present rate of star formation is less than 10% of its past averaged value) and galaxies with higher current star-formation activity. At small separations, the real-space clustering of passive galaxies is very much stronger than that of the more actively star-forming galaxies; the correlation-function slopes are respectively 1.93 and 1.50, and the relative bias between the two classes is a declining function of radius. On scales larger than 10 h^-1 Mpc there is evidence that the relative bias tends to a constant, b(passive)/b(active) ~ 1. This result is consistent with the similar degrees of redshift-space distortions seen in the correlation functions of the two classes -- the contours of xi(sigma,pi) require beta(active)=0.49+/-0.13, and beta(passive)=0.48+/-0.14. The pairwise velocity dispersion is highly correlated with beta. However, despite this a significant difference is seen between the two classes. Over the range 8-20 h^-1 Mpc, the pairwise velocity dispersion has mean values 416+/-76 km/s and 612+/-92 km/s for the active and passive galaxy samples respectively. This is consistent with the expectation from morphological segregation, in which passively evolving galaxies preferentially inhabit the cores of high-mass virialised regions.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

A wide field Hubble Space Telescope study of the cluster CL0024+16 at z=0.4. I: morphological distributions to 5 Mpc radius

We describe a new wide field Hubble Space Telescope survey of the galaxy cluster Cl0024+16 (z~0.4) consisting of a sparse-sampled mosaic of 39 Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 images which extends to a cluster radius of 5 Mpc. [Abridged] We examine both the morphology-radius (T-R) and morphology-density (T-Sigma) relations and demonstrate sensitivities adequate for measures from the core to a radius of 5 Mpc, spanning over 3 decades in local projected density. The fraction of early-type galaxies declines steeply from the cluster center to 1 Mpc radius and more gradually thereafter, asymptoting towards the field value at the periphery. We discuss our results in the context of three distinct cluster zones, defined according to different physical processes that may be effective in transforming galaxy morphology in each. By treating infalling galaxies as isolated test particles, we deduce that the most likely processes responsible for the mild gradient in the morphological mix outside the virial radius are harassment and starvation. Although more data are needed to pin down the exact mechanisms, starvation seems more promising in that it would naturally explain the stellar and dynamical homogeneity of cluster E/S0s. However, we find significant scatter in the local density at any given radius outside 0.5 Mpc, and that the same T-Sigma relation holds in subregions of the cluster, independent of location. In this hitherto unprobed region, where the potential of the cluster is weak, galaxies apparently retain their identities as members of infalling sub-groups whose characteristic morphological properties remain intact. Only upon arrival in the central regions is the substructure erased, as indicated by the tight correlation between cluster radius and Sigma.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

The 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey: the luminosity function of cluster galaxies

We have determined the composite luminosity function (LF) for galaxies in 60 clusters from the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey. The LF spans the range $-22.5<M_{b_{\rm J}}<-15$, and is well-fitted by a Schechter function with ${M_{b_{\rm J}}}^{*}=-20.07\pm0.07$ and $α=-1.28\pm0.03$ ($H_0$=100 km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$, $Ω_M$=0.3, $Ω_Λ$=0.7). It differs significantly from the field LF of \cite{mad02}, having a characteristic magnitude that is approximately 0.3 mag brighter and a faint-end slope that is approximately 0.1 steeper. There is no evidence for variations in the LF across a wide range of cluster properties. However the LF of early-type galaxies in clusters is both brighter and steeper than its field counterpart. The differences between the field and cluster LFs for the various spectral types can be qualitatively explained by the suppression of star formation in the dense cluster environment, together with mergers to produce the brightest early-type galaxies.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

The Hubble Diagram of Type Ia Supernovae as a Function of Host Galaxy Morphology

(Abridged) We present new results on the Hubble diagram of distant type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) segregated according to the type of host galaxy. This makes it possible to check earlier evidence for a cosmological constant by explicitly comparing SNe residing in galaxies likely to contain negligible dust with the larger sample. The cosmological parameters derived from these SNe Ia hosted by presumed dust-free early-type galaxies supports earlier claims for a cosmological constant, which we demonstrate at 5 sigma significance, and the internal extinction implied is small even for late-type systems (A_B<0.2). Thus, our data demonstrate that host galaxy extinction is unlikely to systematically dim distant SNe Ia in a manner that would produce a spurious cosmological constant. We classify the host galaxies of 39 distant SNe discovered by the Supernova Cosmology Project (SCP) using the combination of HST STIS imaging, Keck ESI spectroscopy and ground-based broad-band photometry. We compare with a low-redshift sample of 25 SNe Ia. The scatter observed in the SNe Ia Hubble diagrams correlates closely with host galaxy morphology. We find the scatter in the SNe Ia Hubble diagram is smallest for SNe occurring in early-type hosts and largest for those occurring in late-type galaxies. Moreover, SNe residing in early-type hosts appear only ~0.14+/-0.09 mag brighter in their light-curve-width-corrected luminosity than those in late-type hosts, implying only a modest amount of dust extinction even in the late-type systems.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

Science Objectives and Early Results of the DEEP2 Redshift Survey

The DEIMOS spectrograph has now been installed on the Keck-II telescope and commissioning is nearly complete. The DEEP2 Redshift Survey, which will take approximately 120 nights at the Keck Observatory over a three year period and has been designed to utilize the power of DEIMOS, began in the summer of 2002. The multiplexing power and high efficiency of DEIMOS enables us to target 1000 faint galaxies per clear night. Our goal is to gather high-quality spectra of \~60,000 galaxies with z>0.75 in order to study the properties and large scale clustering of galaxies at z ~ 1. The survey will be executed at high spectral resolution, $R=λ/Δλ\approx 5000$, allowing us to work between the bright OH sky emission lines and to infer linewidths for many of the target galaxies (for several thousand objects, we will obtain rotation curves as well). The linewidth data will facilitate the execution of the classical redshift-volume cosmological test, which can provide a precision measurement of the equation of state of the Universe. This talk reviews the project, summarizes our science goals and presents some early DEIMOS data.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

A new upper limit on the total neutrino mass from the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey

We constrain f_nu = Omega_nu / Omega_m, the fractional contribution of neutrinos to the total mass density in the Universe, by comparing the power spectrum of fluctuations derived from the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey with power spectra for models with four components: baryons, cold dark matter, massive neutrinos and a cosmological constant. Adding constraints from independent cosmological probes we find f_nu < 0.13 (at 95% confidence) for a prior of 0.1< Omega_m <0.5, and assuming the scalar spectral index n=1. This translates to an upper limit on the total neutrino mass and m_nu,tot < 1.8 eV for "concordance" values of Omega_m and the Hubble constant. Very similar results are obtained with a prior on Omega_m from Type Ia supernovae surveys, and with marginalization over n.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

Studying large-scale structure with the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey

The 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey is the first to observe more than 100,000 redshifts. This allows precise measurements of many of the key statistics of galaxy clustering, in particular redshift-space distortions and the large-scale power spectrum. This paper presents the current 2dFGRS results in these areas. Redshift-space distortions are detected with a high degree of significance, confirming the detailed Kaiser distortion from large-scale infall velocities, and measuring the distortion parameter beta equiv Omega_m^{0.6}/b = 0.43 +- 0.07. The power spectrum is measured to < 10% accuracy for k > 0.02 h Mpc^{-1}, and is well fitted by a CDM model with Omega_m h = 0.20 +- 0.03 and a baryon fraction of 0.15 +- 0.07. A joint analysis with CMB data requires Omega_m = 0.29 +- 0.05, assuming scalar fluctuations, but no priors on other parameters. Two methods are used to determine the large-scale bias parameter: an internal bispectrum analysis yields b = 1.04 +- 0.11, in very good agreement with the b = 1.10 +- 0.08 obtained from a joint 2dFGRS+CMB analysis, again assuming scalar fluctuations. These figures refer to galaxies of approximate luminosity 2L^*; luminosity dependence of clustering is detected at high significance, and is well described by b/b^* = 0.85 + 0.15(L/L^*).

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

The distant Type Ia supernova rate

We present a measurement of the rate of distant Type Ia supernovae derived using 4 large subsets of data from the Supernova Cosmology Project. Within this fiducial sample, which surveyed about 12 square degrees, thirty-eight supernovae were detected at redshifts 0.25--0.85. In a spatially-flat cosmological model consistent with the results obtained by the Supernova Cosmology Project, we derive a rest-frame Type Ia supernova rate at a mean redshift $z\simeq0.55$ of $1.53 {^{+0.28}_{-0.25}} {^{+0.32}_{-0.31}} 10^{-4} h^3 {\rm Mpc}^{-3} {\rm yr}^{-1}$ or $0.58 {^{+0.10}_{-0.09}} {^{+0.10}_{-0.09}} h^2 {\rm SNu}$ (1 SNu = 1 supernova per century per $10^{10}$\Lbsun), where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second includes systematic effects. The dependence of the rate on the assumed cosmological parameters is studied and the redshift dependence of the rate per unit comoving volume is contrasted with local estimates in the context of possible cosmic star formation histories and progenitor models.

astro-ph↗