Photometric and spectroscopic properties of void galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

Computer Science

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

4

Scientific paper

Using a nearest neighbor analysis, we construct a sample of void galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and compare the photometric and spectroscopic properties of these galaxies to the population of non-void (wall) galaxies. We trace the density field of galaxies using a volume-limited sample with zmax = 0.089. Galaxies from the flux- limited SDSS with z ≤ zmax and fewer than three volume-limited neighbors within 7h-1Mpc are classified as void galaxies. This criterion implies a density contrast δρ/ρ < -0.6 around void galaxies. From 155,000 galaxies, we obtain a sub-sample of 13,742 galaxies with z ≤ zmax, from which we identify 1,010 galaxies as void galaxies. To identify an additional 194 faint void galaxies from the SDSS in the nearby universe, r ≲ 72h-1Mpc, we employ volume-limited samples extracted from the Updated Zwicky Catalog and the Southern Sky Redshift Survey with zmax = 0.025 to trace the galaxy distribution. Our void galaxies span a range of absolute magnitude from Mr = -13.5 to Mr = -22.5. Using SDSS photometry, we compare the colors, concentration indices, and Sersic indices of the void and wall samples. Void galaxies are on average significantly bluer than galaxies lying at higher densities. The population of void galaxies with Mr ≲ M* + 1 and brighter is on average bluer and more concentrated (later type) than galaxies outside of voids. The latter behavior is only partly explained by the paucity of luminous red galaxies in voids. These results generally agree with the predictions of semi-analytic models for galaxy formation in cold dark matter models, which indicate that void galaxies should be relatively bluer, more disklike, and have higher specific star formation rates. Analysis of their spectroscopic properties confirms that void galaxies have a higher specific star formation rate than wall galaxies and although they have comparable metallicities to galaxies in higher density regions, there is a deficiency of metal-poor galaxies in dense environments (Hao et al. 2003). From the luminosity function (LF) of void galaxies (Hoyle et al. 2003) we infer that voids are not filled with a large population of dwarf galaxies based on the similarities of the faint end slopes of void and wall galaxy LFs. In addition, the fainter value of M*r for void galaxies is consistent with our analysis of their photometric properties. Our results show that void galaxies differ from wall galaxies in most of the properties under consideration with a high statistical significance. This seems to indicate that void galaxies do occupy a special region of the parameter space manifold of galaxy properties.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Photometric and spectroscopic properties of void galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey 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 Photometric and spectroscopic properties of void galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Photometric and spectroscopic properties of void galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-771663

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.