The VIMOS VLT Deep Survey Evolution of the major merger rate since z ∼ 1 from spectroscopically confirmed galaxy pairs

被引:156
作者
de Ravel, L. [1 ]
Le Fevre, O. [1 ]
Tresse, L. [1 ]
Bottini, D. [2 ]
Garilli, B. [2 ]
Le Brun, V. [1 ]
Maccagni, D. [2 ]
Scaramella, R. [4 ,13 ]
Scodeggio, M. [2 ]
Vettolani, G. [4 ]
Zanichelli, A. [4 ]
Adami, C. [1 ]
Arnouts, S. [1 ,23 ]
Bardelli, S. [3 ]
Bolzonella, M. [3 ]
Cappi, A. [3 ]
Charlot, S. [8 ,10 ]
Ciliegi, P. [3 ]
Contini, T. [7 ]
Foucaud, S. [21 ]
Franzetti, P. [2 ]
Gavignaud, I. [12 ]
Guzzo, L. [9 ]
Ilbert, O. [20 ]
Iovino, A. [9 ]
Lamareille, F. [7 ]
McCracken, H. J. [10 ,11 ]
Marano, B. [6 ]
Marinoni, C. [18 ]
Mazure, A. [1 ]
Meneux, B. [22 ,24 ]
Merighi, R. [3 ]
Paltani, S. [15 ,16 ]
Pello, R. [7 ]
Pollo, A. [1 ,17 ]
Pozzetti, L. [3 ]
Radovich, M. [5 ]
Vergani, D. [2 ]
Zamorani, G. [3 ]
Zucca, E. [3 ]
Bondi, M. [4 ]
Bongiorno, A. [22 ]
Brinchmann, J. [19 ]
Cucciati, O. [9 ,14 ]
de la Torre, S. [1 ]
Gregorini, L. [4 ]
Memeo, P. [2 ]
Perez-Montero, E. [7 ]
Mellier, Y. [10 ,11 ]
Merluzzi, P. [5 ]
机构
[1] Univ Aix Marseille 1, Lab Astrophys Marseille, CNRS, UMR 6110,BP8, F-13376 Marseille 12, France
[2] IASF INAF, I-20133 Milan, Italy
[3] Osservatorio Astron Bologna, INAF, I-40127 Bologna, Italy
[4] IRA INAF, I-40129 Bologna, Italy
[5] Osserv Astron Capodimonte, INAF, I-80131 Naples, Italy
[6] Univ Bologna, Dipartimento Astron, I-40127 Bologna, Italy
[7] Univ Toulouse, CNRS, Lab Astrophys Toulouse Tarbes, F-31400 Toulouse, France
[8] Max Planck Inst Astrophys, D-85741 Garching, Germany
[9] Osserv Astron Brera, INAF, I-20021 Milan, Italy
[10] Inst Astrophys, UMR 7095, F-75014 Paris, France
[11] Observ Paris, LERMA, F-75014 Paris, France
[12] Astrophys Inst Potsdam, D-14482 Potsdam, Germany
[13] Osserv Astron Roma, INAF, I-00040 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy
[14] Univ Milano Bicocca, Dipartimento Fis, I-20126 Milan, Italy
[15] Integral Sci Data Ctr, CH-1290 Versoix, Switzerland
[16] Observ Geneva, CH-1290 Sauverny, Switzerland
[17] Andrzej Soltan Inst Nucl Studies, PL-00681 Warsaw, Poland
[18] Univ Aix Marseille 1, Ctr Phys Theor, UMR 6207, CNRS, F-13288 Marseille, France
[19] Univ Porto, Ctr Astrofis, P-4150762 Oporto, Portugal
[20] Univ Hawaii, Inst Astron, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA
[21] Univ Nottingham, Sch Phys & Astron, Nottingham NG7 2RD, England
[22] Max Planck Inst Extraterr Phys, D-85748 Garching, Germany
[23] Canada France Hawaii Telescope Corp, Kamuela, HI 96743 USA
[24] Univ Sternwarte, D-81679 Munich, Germany
关键词
galaxies: evolution; galaxies: interactions; galaxies: formation; CNOC2 REDSHIFT SURVEY; 1ST EPOCH DATA; CLOSE PAIRS; LUMINOSITY FUNCTION; FIELD GALAXIES; STAR-FORMATION; STELLAR MASS; STATISTICS; SEQUENCE; FRACTION;
D O I
10.1051/0004-6361/200810569
中图分类号
P1 [天文学];
学科分类号
0704 ;
摘要
Context. The rate at which galaxies grow via successive mergers is a key element in understanding the main phases of galaxy evolution. Aims. We measure the evolution of the fraction of galaxies in pairs and the merging rate since redshift z similar to 1 assuming a (H-0 = 70 km s(-1) Mpc(-1), Omega(M) = 0.3 and Omega(Lambda) = 0.7) cosmology. Methods. From the VIMOS VLT Deep Survey we use a sample of 6464 galaxies with I-AB <= 24 to identify 314 pairs of galaxies, each member with a secure spectroscopic redshift, which are close in both projected separation and in velocity. Results. We estimate that at z similar to 0.9, 10.9 +/- 3.2% of galaxies with M-B(z) <= -18-Qz (Q = 1.11) are in pairs with separations Delta r(p) <= 20 h(-1) kpc, Delta v <= 500 km s(-1), and with Delta M-B <= 1.5, significantly larger than 3.8 +/- 1.7% at z similar to 0.5; thus, the pair fraction evolves as (1 + z)(m) with m = 4.73 +/- 2.01. For bright galaxies with M-B(z = 0) <= -18.77, the pair fraction is higher and its evolution with redshift is flatter with m = 1.50 +/- 0.76, a property also observed for galaxies with increasing stellar masses. Early-type pairs (dry mergers) increase their relative fraction from 3% at z similar to 0.9 to 12% at z similar to 0.5. The star formation rate traced by the rest-frame [OII] EW increases by 26 +/- 4% for pairs with the smallest separation r(p) <= 20 h(-1) kpc. Following published prescriptions to derive merger timescales, we find that the merger rate of MB(z) <= -18-Qz galaxies evolves as N-mg = (4.96 +/- 2.07) x 10(-4) x (1 + z)(2.20 +/- 0.77) mergers Mpc(-3) Gyr(-1). Conclusions. The merger rate of galaxies with M-B(z) <= -18-Qz has significantly evolved since z similar to 1 and is strongly dependent on the luminosity or stellar mass of galaxies. The major merger rate increases more rapidly with redshift for galaxies with fainter luminosities or stellar mass, while the evolution of the merger rate for bright or massive galaxies is slower, indicating that the slow evolution reported for the brightest galaxies is not universal. The merger rate is also strongly dependent on the spectral type of galaxies involved. Late-type mergers were more frequent in the past, while early-type mergers are more frequent today, contributing to the rise in the local density of early-type galaxies. About 20% of the stellar mass in present day galaxies with log(M/M-circle dot) >= 9.5 has been accreted through major merging events since z = 1. This indicates that major mergers have contributed significantly to the growth in stellar mass density of bright galaxies over the last half of the life of the Universe.
引用
收藏
页码:379 / 397
页数:19
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