The Build-up of the Colour-Magnitude Relation as a Function of Environment

Details The Build-up of the Colour-Magnitude Relation as a Function of Environment The Build-up of the Colour-Magnitude Relation as a Function of Environment

2005-06-29

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0506713v1

Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc.362:268-288,2005; Erratum-ibid.366:1551,2006

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

23pages, 19 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Scientific paper

10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.09300.x

We discuss the environmental dependence of galaxy evolution based on deep panoramic imaging of two distant clusters taken with Suprime-Cam as part of the PISCES project. By combining with the SDSS data as a local counterpart for comparison, we construct a large sample of galaxies that spans wide ranges in environment, time, and stellar mass (or luminosity). We find that colours of galaxies, especially those of faint galaxies ($M_V>M_V^*+1$), change from blue to red at a break density as we go to denser regions. Based on local and global densities of galaxies, we classify three environments: field, groups, and clusters. We show that the cluster colour-magnitude relation is already built at $z=0.83$. In contrast to this, the bright-end of the field colour-magnitude relation has been vigorously built all the way down to the present-day and the build-up at the faint-end has not started yet. A possible interpretation of these results is that galaxies evolve in the 'down-sizing' fashion. That is, massive galaxies complete their star formation first and the truncation of star formation is propagated to smaller objects as time progresses. This trend is likely to depend on environment since the build-up of the colour-magnitude relation is delayed in lower-density environments. Therefore, we may suggest that the evolution of galaxies took place earliest in massive galaxies and in high density regions, and it is delayed in less massive galaxies and in lower density regions.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

The Build-up of the Colour-Magnitude Relation as a Function of Environment 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 Build-up of the Colour-Magnitude Relation as a Function of Environment, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The Build-up of the Colour-Magnitude Relation as a Function of Environment will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-86166