The Dependence of Environment on the Galaxy Merger Rate

Details The Dependence of Environment on the Galaxy Merger Rate The Dependence of Environment on the Galaxy Merger Rate

Jul 2002

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002hst..prop.9533c&link_type=abstract

HST Proposal ID #9533

Computer Science

Hst Proposal Id #9533 Galaxies

Scientific paper

Galaxy mergers drive the evolution of galaxies, yet we have little understanding of when, where, and how this process occurs. Galaxy merger rates in the richest clusters and in the field have now been measured out to z 1, although the effect of environment on this process is not understood at all. We propose to address this question by using quantitative structural techniques that can identify which galaxies are undergoing mergers in extant images of high redshift clusters near z 0.8. The merger rate in low density areas should increase faster with redshift than in denser clusters, but the gas fraction in cluster galaxies may increase with redshift more rapidly. These two effects may compete, thereby making it difficult for previous studies to determine differences in field and cluster merger rates. Understanding how the merger rate varies as a function of local number densities in these clusters will help answer some fundamental questions concerning galaxy evolution. These include: {i} determining if the morphology-density relationship in clusters, in place at z 0.5, is driven by galaxy mergers, {ii} if galaxy mergers identified by eye in previous studies of clusters are actual mergers, or galaxies losing mass from high-speed galaxy interactions and {iii} disentangling gas-rich and gas-poor interactions of a given strength in clusters at z 0.8.

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