Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jan 2012
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2012aas...21924611f&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #219, #246.11
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
Galaxies populate a bimodal distribution in color-mass space, with star-forming objects residing in the blue cloud and quiescent galaxies located in the red sequence. The transition region between these two populations is known as the green valley. Utilizing data from SDSS and GALEX, we study how galaxies evolve through the green valley as a function of stellar mass. Our diagnostics combine integrated quantities (e.g., color and size) with fiber-based measurements (e.g., spectral indices and line fluxes), allowing us to probe how star formation shuts down in green valley galaxies. In particular, we focus on the relationship between integrated UV-optical color and fiber emission line strength. The distribution of galaxies in this parameter space changes as a function of mass, which we interpret as evidence for mass-dependent mechanisms of quenching star formation. We estimate the relative fraction of green valley galaxies likely undergoing each quenching mode. In doing so, we find that contamination in the green valley due to dusty, star-forming galaxies is significant and must be taken into account when determining number counts of bona fide transition objects.
Faber Sandra M.
Fang Jerome J.
Salim Samir
No associations
LandOfFree
The Mass-Dependent Evolution of Galaxies Through the Green Valley does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with The Mass-Dependent Evolution of Galaxies Through the Green Valley, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The Mass-Dependent Evolution of Galaxies Through the Green Valley will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1579373