arXiv subjects

S. Lilly

Publications and source records attributed to S. Lilly.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

Tracing the cosmic growth of super massive black holes to z ~ 3 with Herschel

We study a sample of Herschel-PACS selected galaxies within the GOODS-South and the COSMOS fields in the framework of the PACS Evolutionary Probe (PEP) project. Starting from the rich multi-wavelength photometric data-sets available in both fields, we perform a broad-band Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) decomposition to disentangle the possible active galactic nucleus (AGN) contribution from that related to the host galaxy. We find that 37 per cent of the Herschel-selected sample shows signatures of nuclear activity at the 99 per cent confidence level. The probability to reveal AGN activity increases for bright ($L_{\rm 1-1000} > 10^{11} \rm L_{\odot}$) star-forming galaxies at $z>0.3$, becoming about 80 per cent for the brightest ($L_{\rm 1-1000} > 10^{12} \rm L_{\odot}$) infrared (IR) galaxies at $z \geq 1$. Finally, we reconstruct the AGN bolometric luminosity function and the super-massive black hole growth rate across cosmic time up to $z \sim 3$ from a Far-Infrared (FIR) perspective. This work shows general agreement with most of the panchromatic estimates from the literature, with the global black hole growth peaking at $z \sim 2$ and reproducing the observed local black hole mass density with consistent values of the radiative efficiency $ε_{\rm rad}$ ($\sim$0.07).

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arXiv2013

The Mean Star-Forming Properties of QSO Host Galaxies

Quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) occur in galaxies in which supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are growing substantially through rapid accretion of gas. Many popular models of the co-evolutionary growth of galaxies and SMBHs predict that QSOs are also sites of substantial recent star formation, mediated by important processes, such as major mergers, which rapidly transform the nature of galaxies. A detailed study of the star-forming properties of QSOs is a critical test of such models. We present a far-infrared Herschel/PACS study of the mean star formation rate (SFR) of a sample of spectroscopically observed QSOs to z~2 from the COSMOS extragalactic survey. This is the largest sample to date of moderately luminous AGNs studied using uniform, deep far-infrared photometry. We study trends of the mean SFR with redshift, black hole mass, nuclear bolometric luminosity and specific accretion rate (Eddington ratio). To minimize systematics, we have undertaken a uniform determination of SMBH properties, as well as an analysis of important selection effects within spectroscopic QSO samples that influence the interpretation of SFR trends. We find that the mean SFRs of these QSOs are consistent with those of normal massive star-forming galaxies with a fixed scaling between SMBH and galaxy mass at all redshifts. No strong enhancement in SFR is found even among the most rapidly accreting systems, at odds with several co-evolutionary models. Finally, we consider the qualitative effects on mean SFR trends from different assumptions about the star-forming properties of QSO hosts and redshift evolution of the SMBH-galaxy relationship. While limited currently by uncertainties, valuable constraints on AGN-galaxy co-evolution can emerge from our approach.

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arXiv2013

The Herschel PEP/HerMES Luminosity Function. I: Probing the Evolution of PACS selected Galaxies to z~4

We exploit the deep and extended far infrared data sets (at 70, 100 and 160 um) of the Herschel GTO PACS Evolutionary Probe (PEP) Survey, in combination with the HERschel Multi tiered Extragalactic Survey (HerMES) data at 250, 350 and 500 um, to derive the evolution of the restframe 35 um, 60 um, 90 um, and total infrared (IR) luminosity functions (LFs) up to z~4. We detect very strong luminosity evolution for the total IR LF combined with a density evolution. In agreement with previous findings, the IR luminosity density increases steeply to z~1, then flattens between z~1 and z~3 to decrease at z greater than 3. Galaxies with different SEDs, masses and sSFRs evolve in very different ways and this large and deep statistical sample is the first one allowing us to separately study the different evolutionary behaviours of the individual IR populations contributing to the IR luminosity density. Galaxies occupying the well established SFR/stellar mass main sequence (MS) are found to dominate both the total IR LF and luminosity density at all redshifts, with the contribution from off MS sources (0.6 dex above MS) being nearly constant (~20% of the total IR luminosity density) and showing no significant signs of increase with increasing z over the whole 0.8<z<2.2 range. Sources with mass in the 10< log(M/Msun) <11 range are found to dominate the total IR LF, with more massive galaxies prevailing at the bright end of the high-z LF. A two-fold evolutionary scheme for IR galaxies is envisaged: on the one hand, a starburst-dominated phase in which the SMBH grows and is obscured by dust, is followed by an AGN dominated phase, then evolving toward a local elliptical. On the other hand, moderately starforming galaxies containing a low-luminosity AGN have various properties suggesting they are good candidates for systems in a transition phase preceding the formation of steady spiral galaxies.

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arXiv2013

Mass assembly in quiescent and star-forming galaxies since z=4 from UltraVISTA

We estimate the galaxy stellar mass function and stellar mass density for star-forming and quiescent galaxies with 0.2 10^10.7Msun. For the mass function of the quiescent galaxies, we do not find any significant evolution of the high-mass end at z<1; however we observe a clear flattening of the faint-end slope. From z~3 to z~1, the density of quiescent galaxies increases over the entire mass range. Their comoving stellar mass density increases by 1.6 dex between z~3 and z~1 and by less than 0.2dex at z<1. We infer the star formation history from the mass density evolution and we find an excellent agreement with instantaneous star formation rate measurements at z<1.5, while we find differences of 0.2dex at z>1.5 consistent with the expected uncertainties. We also develop a new method to infer the specific star formation rate from the mass function of star-forming galaxies. We find that the specific star formation rate of 10^10Msun galaxies increases continuously in the redshift range 1<z<4. Finally, we compare our results with a semi-analytical model and find that these models overestimate the density of low mass quiescent galaxies by an order of magnitude, while the density of low-mass star-forming galaxies is successfully reproduced.

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arXiv2013

The Herschel census of infrared SEDs through cosmic time

Using Herschel data from the deepest SPIRE and PACS surveys (HerMES and PEP) in COSMOS and GOODS (N+S), we examine the dust properties of IR-luminous (L_IR>10^10 L_sun) galaxies at 0.1 45K) SEDs and cold (T<25K), cirrus-dominated SEDs are rare, with most sources being within the range occupied by warm starbursts such as M82 and cool spirals such as M51. We observe a luminosity-temperature (L-T) relation, where the average dust temperature of log[L_IR/L_sun]=12.5 galaxies is about 10K higher than that of their log[L_IR/L_sun]=10.5 counterparts. However, although the increased dust heating in more luminous systems is the driving factor behind the L-T relation, the increase in dust mass and/or starburst size with luminosity plays a dominant role in shaping it. Our results show that the dust conditions in IR-luminous sources evolve with cosmic time: at high redshift, dust temperatures are on average up to 10K lower than what is measured locally. This is manifested as a flattening of the L-T relation, suggesting that (U)LIRGs in the early Universe are typically characterised by a more extended dust distribution and/or higher dust masses than local equivalent sources. Interestingly, the evolution in dust temperature is luminosity dependent, with the fraction of LIRGs with T<35K showing a 2-fold increase from z~0 to z~2, whereas that of ULIRGs with T<35K shows a 6-fold increase.

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arXiv2012

The cosmic evolution of oxygen and nitrogen abundances in star-forming galaxies over the past 10 Gyrs

The chemical evolution of galaxies on a cosmological timescale is still a matter of debate despite the increasing number of available data provided by spectroscopic surveys of star-forming galaxies at different redshifts. The fundamental relations involving metallicity, such as the mass-metallicity relation (MZR) or the fundamental-metallicity relation, give controversial results about the reality of evolution of the chemical content of galaxies at a given stellar mass. In this work we shed some light on this issue using the completeness reached by the 20k bright sample of the zCOSMOS survey and using for the first time the nitrogen-to-oxygen ratio (N/O) as a tracer of the gas phase chemical evolution of galaxies that is independent of the star formation rate. Emission-line galaxies both in the SDSS and 20k zCOSMOS bright survey were used to study the evolution from the local Universe of the $MZR up to a redshift of 1.32 and the relation between stellar mass and nitrogen-to-oxygen ratio (MNOR) up to a redshift of 0.42 using the N2S2 parameter. All the physical properties derived from stellar continuum and gas emission-lines, including stellar mass, star formation rates, metallicity and N/O, were calculated in a self-consistent way over the full redshift range. We confirm the trend to find lower metallicities in galaxies of a given stellar mass in a younger Universe. This trend is even observed when taking possible selection effects into account that are due to the observed larger median star formation rates for galaxies at higher redshifts. We also find a significant evolution of the MNOR up to z = 0.4. Taking the slope of the O/H vs. N/O relation into account for the secondary-nitrogen production regime, the observed evolution of the MNOR is consistent with the trends found for both the MZR and its equivalent relation using new expressions to reduce its dependence on SFR.

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arXiv2012

MOONS: a Multi-Object Optical and Near-infrared Spectrograph for the VLT

MOONS is a new conceptual design for a Multi-Object Optical and Near-infrared Spectrograph for the Very Large Telescope (VLT), selected by ESO for a Phase A study. The baseline design consists of 1000 fibers deployable over a field of view of 500 square arcmin, the largest patrol field offered by the Nasmyth focus at the VLT. The total wavelength coverage is 0.8um-1.8um and two resolution modes: medium resolution and high resolution. In the medium resolution mode (R=4,000-6,000) the entire wavelength range 0.8um-1.8um is observed simultaneously, while the high resolution mode covers simultaneously three selected spectral regions: one around the CaII triplet (at R=8,000) to measure radial velocities, and two regions at R=20,000 one in the J-band and one in the H-band, for detailed measurements of chemical abundances. The grasp of the 8.2m Very Large Telescope (VLT) combined with the large multiplex and wavelength coverage of MOONS - extending into the near-IR - will provide the observational power necessary to study galaxy formation and evolution over the entire history of the Universe, from our Milky Way, through the redshift desert and up to the epoch of re-ionization at z>8-9. At the same time, the high spectral resolution mode will allow astronomers to study chemical abundances of stars in our Galaxy, in particular in the highly obscured regions of the Bulge, and provide the necessary follow-up of the Gaia mission. Such characteristics and versatility make MOONS the long-awaited workhorse near-IR MOS for the VLT, which will perfectly complement optical spectroscopy performed by FLAMES and VIMOS.

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arXiv2012

Millimeter imaging of submillimeter galaxies in the COSMOS field: Redshift distribution

We present new IRAM PdBI 1.3mm continuum observations at ~1.5" resolution of 28 SMGs previously discovered with the 870um bolometer LABOCA at APEX within the central 0.7deg2 of the COSMOS field. 19 out of the 28 LABOCA sources were detected with the PdBI at a >~3sigma level of ~1.4mJy/b. A combined analysis of this new sample with existing interferometrically identified SMGs in the COSMOS field yields the following results: 1) >~15%, and possibly up to ~40% of single-dish detected SMGs consist of multiple sources, 2) statistical identifications of multi-wavelength counterparts to the single-dish SMGs yield that only ~50% of these single-dish SMGs have real radio or IR counterparts, 3) ~18% of interferometric SMGs have only radio or even no multi-wavelength counterpart at all, and 4) ~50-70% of z>~3 SMGs have no radio counterparts down to an rms of 7-12uJy at 1.4GHz. Using the exact interferometric positions to identify proper multi-wavelength counterparts allows us to determine accurate photometric redshifts for these sources. The redshift distributions of the combined and the individual 1.1mm and 870um selected samples have a higher mean and broader width than the redshift distributions derived in previous studies. Our sample supports the previous tentative trend that on average brighter and/or mm-selected SMGs are located at higher redshifts. There is a tentative offset between the mean redshift for the 1.1mm ( =3.1+/-0.4) and 870um ( =2.6+/-0.4) selected samples, with the 1.1mm sources lying on average at higher redshifts. Based on our nearly complete sample of AzTEC 1.1mm SMGs within a uniform 0.15deg2 area we infer a higher surface density of z>~4 SMGs than predicted by current cosmological models. In summary, our findings imply that (sub-)millimeter interferometric identifications are crucial to build statistically complete and unbiased samples of SMGs.

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arXiv2012

Deep near-infrared spectroscopy of passively evolving galaxies at z>1.4

[Abridged] We present the results of new near-IR spectroscopic observations of passive galaxies at z>1.4 in a concentration of BzK-selected galaxies in the COSMOS field. The observations have been conducted with Subaru/MOIRCS, and have resulted in absorption lines and/or continuum detection for 18 out of 34 objects. This allows us to measure spectroscopic redshifts for a sample almost complete to K(AB)=21. COSMOS photometric redshifts are found in fair agreement overall with the spectroscopic redshifts, with a standard deviation of ~0.05; however, ~30% of objects have photometric redshifts systematically underestimated by up to ~25%. We show that these systematic offsets in photometric redshifts can be removed by using these objects as a training set. All galaxies fall in four distinct redshift spikes at z=1.43, 1.53, 1.67 and 1.82, with this latter one including 7 galaxies. SED fits to broad-band fluxes indicate stellar masses in the range of ~4-40x10^10Msun and that star formation was quenched ~1 Gyr before the cosmic epoch at which they are observed. The spectra of several individual galaxies have allowed us to measure their Hdelta_F and Dn4000 indices, which confirms their identification as passive galaxies, as does a composite spectrum resulting from the coaddition of 17 individual spectra. The effective radii of the galaxies have been measured on the HST/ACS F814W image, confirming the coexistence at these redshifts of passive galaxies which are substantially more compact than their local counterparts with others that follow the local size-stellar mass relation. For the galaxy with best S/N spectrum we were able to measure a velocity dispersion of 270+/-105 km/s, indicating that this galaxy lies closely on the virial relation given its stellar mass and effective radius.

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arXiv2012

The Chandra COSMOS Survey: III. Optical and Infrared Identification of X-ray Point Sources

The Chandra COSMOS Survey (C-COSMOS) is a large, 1.8 Ms, Chandra program that has imaged the central 0.9 deg^2 of the COSMOS field down to limiting depths of 1.9 10^-16 erg cm^-2 s-1 in the 0.5-2 keV band, 7.3 10^-16 erg cm^-2 s^-1 in the 2-10 keV band, and 5.7 10^-16 erg cm^-2 s-1 in the 0.5-10 keV band. In this paper we report the i, K and 3.6micron identifications of the 1761 X-ray point sources. We use the likelihood ratio technique to derive the association of optical/infrared counterparts for 97% of the X-ray sources. For most of the remaining 3%, the presence of multiple counterparts or the faintness of the possible counterpart prevented a unique association. For only 10 X-ray sources we were not able to associate a counterpart, mostly due to the presence of a very bright field source close by. Only 2 sources are truly empty fields. Making use of the large number of X-ray sources, we update the "classic locus" of AGN and define a new locus containing 90% of the AGN in the survey with full band luminosity >10^42 erg/s. We present the linear fit between the total i band magnitude and the X-ray flux in the soft and hard band, drawn over 2 orders of magnitude in X-ray flux, obtained using the combined C-COSMOS and XMM-COSMOS samples. We focus on the X-ray to optical flux ratio (X/O) and we test its known correlation with redshift and luminosity, and a recently introduced anti-correlation with the concentration index (C). We find a strong anti-correlation (though the dispersion is of the order of 0.5 dex) between C and X/O, computed in the hard band, and that 90% of the obscured AGN in the sample with morphological information live in galaxies with regular morphology (bulgy and disky/spiral), suggesting that secular processes govern a significant fraction of the BH growth at X-ray luminosities of 10^43- 10^44.5 erg/s.

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arXiv2012

The COSMOS Density Field: A Reconstruction Using Both Weak Lensing and Galaxy Distributions

The COSMOS field has been the subject of a wide range of observations, with a number of studies focusing on reconstructing the 3D dark matter density field. Typically, these studies have focused on one given method or tracer. In this paper, we reconstruct the distribution of mass in the COSMOS field out to a redshift z=1 by combining Hubble Space Telescope weak lensing measurements with zCOSMOS spectroscopic measurements of galaxy clustering. The distribution of galaxies traces the distribution of mass with high resolution (particularly in redshift, which is not possible with lensing), and the lensing data empirically calibrates the mass normalisation (bypassing the need for theoretical models). Two steps are needed to convert a galaxy survey into a density field. The first step is to create a smooth field from the galaxy positions, which is a point field. We investigate four possible methods for this: (i) Gaussian smoothing, (ii) convolution with truncated isothermal sphere, (iii) fifth nearest neighbour smoothing and (iv) a muliti-scale entropy method. The second step is to rescale this density field using a bias prescription. We calculate the optimal bias scaling for each method by comparing predictions from the smoothed density field with the measured weak lensing data, on a galaxy-by-galaxy basis. In general, we find scale-independent bias for all the smoothing schemes, to a precision of 10%. For the nearest neighbour smoothing case, we find the bias to be 2.51\pm 0.25. We also find evidence for a strongly evolving bias, increasing by a factor of ~3.5 between redshifts 0<z<0.8. We believe this strong evolution can be explained by the fact that we use a flux limited sample to build the density field.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2012

A journey from the outskirts to the cores of groups I: Color- and mass-segregation in 20K-zCOSMOS groups

Using the group catalog obtained from zCOSMOS spectroscopic data and the complementary photometric data from the COSMOS survey, we explore segregation effects occurring in groups of galaxies at intermediate/high redshifts. We built two composite groups at intermediate (0.2 <= z <= 0.45) and high (0.45 < z <= 0.8) redshifts, and we divided the corresponding composite group galaxies into three samples according to their distance from the group center. We explored how galaxy stellar masses and colors - working in narrow bins of stellar masses - vary as a function of the galaxy distance from the group center. We found that the most massive galaxies in our sample (Log(M_gal/M_sun) >= 10.6) do not display any strong group-centric dependence of the fractions of red/blue objects. For galaxies of lower masses (9.8 <= Log(M_gal/M_sun) <= 10.6) there is a radial dependence in the changing mix of red and blue galaxies. This dependence is most evident in poor groups, whereas richer groups do not display any obvious trend of the blue fraction. Interestingly, mass segregation shows the opposite behavior: it is visible only in rich groups, while poorer groups have a a constant mix of galaxy stellar masses as a function of radius. We suggest a simple scenario where color- and mass-segregation originate from different physical processes. While dynamical friction is the obvious cause for establishing mass segregation, both starvation and galaxy-galaxy collisions are plausible mechanisms to quench star formation in groups at a faster rate than in the field. In poorer groups the environmental effects are caught in action superimposed to secular galaxy evolution. Their member galaxies display increasing blue fractions when moving from the group center to more external regions, presumably reflecting the recent accretion history of these groups.

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arXiv2011

The Galaxy Stellar Mass Function of X-ray detected groups: environmental dependence of galaxy evolution in the COSMOS survey

We study the stellar mass distribution for galaxies in 160 X-ray detected groups of 10^13<Log(M_200/M_sun)<2x10^14 and compare it with that of galaxies in the field, to investigate the action of environment on the build up of the stellar mass. We highlight differences in the build up of the passive population in the field, which imprint features in the distribution of stellar mass of passive galaxies at Log(M/M_sun)< 10.5. The gradual diminishing of the effect when moving to groups of increasing total masses indicates that the growing influence of the environment in bound structures is responsible for the build up of a quenched component at Log(M/M_sun)< 10.5. Differently, the stellar mass distribution of star forming galaxies is similar in shape in all the environments, and can be described by a single Schechter function both in groups and in the field. Little evolution is seen up to redshift 1. Nevertheless at z=0.2-0.4 groups with M_200<6x10^13 Msun (low mass groups) tend to have a characteristic mass for star forming galaxies which is 50% higher than in higher mass groups; we interpret it as a reduced action of environmental processes in such systems. Furthermore we analyse the distribution of sSFR--Log(M) in groups and in the field, and find that groups show on average a lower sSFR (by ~0.2 dex) at z<0.8. Accordingly, we find that the fraction of star forming galaxies is increasing with redshift in all environments, but at a faster pace in the denser ones. Finally our analysis highlights that low mass groups have a higher fraction (by 50%) of the stellar mass locked in star forming galaxies than higher mass systems (i.e. 2/3 of their stellar mass).

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arXiv2011

Black hole accretion and host galaxies of obscured quasars in XMM-COSMOS

We explore the connection between black hole growth at the center of obscured quasars selected from the XMM-COSMOS survey and the physical properties of their host galaxies. We study a bolometric regime ( 8 x 10^45 erg/s) where several theoretical models invoke major galaxy mergers as the main fueling channel for black hole accretion. We confirm that obscured quasars mainly reside in massive galaxies (Mstar>10^10 Msun) and that the fraction of galaxies hosting such powerful quasars monotonically increases with the stellar mass. We stress the limitation of the use of rest-frame color-magnitude diagrams as a diagnostic tool for studying galaxy evolution and inferring the influence that AGN activity can have on such a process. We instead use the correlation between star-formation rate and stellar mass found for star-forming galaxies to discuss the physical properties of the hosts. We find that at z ~1, ~62% of Type-2 QSOs hosts are actively forming stars and that their rates are comparable to those measured for normal star-forming galaxies. The fraction of star-forming hosts increases with redshift: ~71% at z ~2, and 100% at z ~3. We also find that the the evolution from z ~1 to z ~3 of the specific star-formation rate of the Type-2 QSO hosts is in excellent agreement with that measured for star-forming galaxies. From the morphological analysis, we conclude that most of the objects are bulge-dominated galaxies, and that only a few of them exhibit signs of recent mergers or disks. Finally, bulge-dominated galaxies tend to host Type-2 QSOs with low Eddington ratios (lambda<0.1), while disk-dominated or merging galaxies have at their centers BHs accreting at high Eddington ratios (lambda > 0.1).

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2011

The impact of galaxy interactions on AGN activity in zCOSMOS

Close encounters between galaxies are expected to be a viable mechanism, as predicted by numerical simulations, by which accretion onto supermassive black holes can be initiated. To test this scenario, we construct a sample of 562 galaxies (M*>2.5x10^10 M_sun) in kinematic pairs over the redshift range 0.25 < z < 1.05 that are more likely to be interacting than a well-matched control sample of 2726 galaxies not identified as being in a pair, both from the zCOSMOS 20k spectroscopic catalog. Galaxies that harbor an active galactic nucleus (AGN) are identified on the basis of their X-ray emission (L_x>2x10^42 erg s^-1) detected by Chandra. We find a higher fraction of AGN in galaxies in pairs relative to isolated galaxies of similar stellar mass. Our result is primarily due to an enhancement of AGN activity, by a factor of 1.9 (observed) and 2.6 (intrinsic), for galaxies in pairs of projected separation less than 75 kpc and line-of-sight velocity offset less than 500 km s^-1. This study demonstrates that close kinematic pairs are conducive environments for black hole growth either indicating a causal physical connection or an inherent relation, such as, to enhanced star formation. In the Appendix, we describe a method to estimate the intrinsic fractions of galaxies (either in pairs or the field) hosting an AGN with confidence intervals, and an excess fraction in pairs. We estimate that 17.8_{-7.4}^{+8.4}% of all moderate-luminosity AGN activity takes place within galaxies undergoing early stages of interaction that leaves open the question as to what physical processes are responsible for fueling the remaining ~80% that may include late-stage mergers.

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arXiv2010

zCOSMOS 10k-bright spectroscopic sample: exploring mass and environment dependence in early-type galaxies

We present the analysis of the U-V rest-frame color distribution and some spectral features as a function of mass and environment for two sample of early-type galaxies up to z=1 extracted from the zCOSMOS spectroscopic survey. The first sample ("red galaxies") is defined with a photometric classification, while the second ("ETGs") by combining morphological, photometric, and spectroscopic properties to obtain a more reliable sample. We find that the color distribution of red galaxies is not strongly dependent on environment for all mass bins, with galaxies in overdense regions redder than galaxies in underdense regions with a difference of 0.027\pm0.008 mag. The dependence on mass is far more significant, with average colors of massive galaxies redder by 0.093\pm0.007 mag than low-mass galaxies throughout the entire redshift range. We study the color-mass relation, finding a mean slope 0.12\pm0.005, while the color-environment relation is flatter, with a slope always smaller than 0.04. The spectral analysis that we perform on our ETGs sample is in good agreement with our photometric results: we find for D4000 a dependence on mass between high and low-mass galaxies, and a much weaker dependence on environment (respectively a difference of of 0.11\pm0.02 and of 0.05\pm0.02); for the equivalent width of Hδwe measure a difference of 0.28\pm0.08 Åacross the same mass range and no significant dependence on environment.By analyzing the lookback time of early-type galaxies, we support the possibility of a downsizing scenario, in which massive galaxies with a stronger D4000 and an almost constant equivalent width of $Hδ$ formed their mass at higher redshift than lower mass ones. We also conclude that the main driver of galaxy evolution is the galaxy mass, the environment playing a subdominant role.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2010

A Multiwavelength Study of a Sample of 70 micron Selected Galaxies in the COSMOS Field II: The Role of Mergers in Galaxy Evolution

We analyze the morphological properties of a large sample of 1503 70 micron selected galaxies in the COSMOS field spanning the redshift range 0.01 1 being difficult to classify and subject to the effects of band pass shifting, therefore, these numbers can only be considered lower limits. At z<1, where the morphological classifications are most robust, major mergers clearly dominate the ULIRG population (50-80%) and are important for the LIRG population (25-40%). At z>1 the fraction of major mergers is at least 30-40% for ULIRGs. Although the general morphological trends agree with what has been observed for local (U)LIRGs, the fraction of major mergers is slightly lower than seen locally. This is in part due to the difficulty of identifying merger signatures at high redshift. We argue that given the number of major gas-rich mergers observed and the relatively short timescale that they would be observable in the (U)LIRG phase that it is plausible for the observed red sequence of massive ellipticals (<10^12 M_sun) to have been formed entirely by gas-rich major mergers.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

zCOSMOS - 10k-bright spectroscopic sample. The bimodality in the Galaxy Stellar Mass Function: exploring its evolution with redshift

We present the Galaxy Stellar Mass Function (MF) up to z~1 from the zCOSMOS-bright 10k spectroscopic sample. We investigate the total MF and the contribution of ETGs and LTGs, defined by different criteria (SED, morphology or star formation). We unveil a galaxy bimodality in the global MF, better represented by 2 Schechter functions dominated by ETGs and LTGs, respectively. For the global population we confirm that low-mass galaxies number density increases later and faster than for massive galaxies. We find that the MF evolution at intermediate-low values of Mstar (logM<10.6) is mostly explained by the growth in stellar mass driven by smoothly decreasing star formation activities. The low residual evolution is consistent with ~0.16 merger per galaxy per Gyr (of which fewer than 0.1 are major). We find that ETGs increase in number density with cosmic time faster for decreasing Mstar, with a median "building redshift" increasing with mass, in contrast with hierarchical models. For LTGs we find that the number density of blue or spiral galaxies remains almost constant from z~1. Instead, the most extreme population of active star forming galaxies is rapidly decreasing in number density. We suggest a transformation from blue active spirals of intermediate mass into blue quiescent and successively (1-2 Gyr after) into red passive types. The complete morphological transformation into red spheroidals, required longer time-scales or follows after 1-2 Gyr. A continuous replacement of blue galaxies is expected by low-mass active spirals growing in stellar mass. We estimate that on average ~25% of blue galaxies is transforming into red per Gyr for logM<11. We conclude that the build-up of galaxies and ETGs follows the same downsizing trend with mass as the formation of their stars, converse to the trend predicted by current SAMs. We expect a negligible evolution of the global Galaxy Baryonic MF.

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