No Arabic abstract
In this paper, we present an analysis of the dynamics and segregation of galaxies in rich clusters from z~0.32 to z~0.48 taken from the CFHT Optical PDCS (COP) survey and from the CNOC survey (Carlberg et al. 1997). Our results from the COP survey are based upon the recent observational work of Adami et al. (2000) and Holden et al. (2000) and use new spectroscopic and photometric data on six clusters selected from the Palomar Distant Cluster Survey (PDCS; Postman et al. 1996). We have compared the COP and CNOC samples to the ESO Nearby Abell Cluster Survey (ENACS: z~0.07). Our sample shows that the z<0.4 clusters have the same velocity dispersion versus magnitude, morphological type and radius relationships as nearby Abell clusters. The z~0.48 clusters exhibit, however, departures from these relations. Furthermore, there appears to be a higher fraction of late-type (or bluer, e.g. Butcher and Oemler, 1984) galaxies in the distant clusters compared to the nearby ones. The classical scenario in which massive galaxies virialize before they evolve from late into early type explain our observations. In such a scenario, the clusters of our sample began to form before a redshift of ~0.8 and the late-type galaxy population had a continuous infall into the clusters.
We present the evolution in the number density and stellar mass functions of photometrically selected post-starburst galaxies in the UKIDSS Deep Survey (UDS), with redshifts of 0.5<z<2 and stellar masses logM>10. We find that this transitionary species of galaxy is rare at all redshifts, contributing ~5% of the total population at z~2, to <1% by z~0.5. By comparing the mass functions of quiescent galaxies to post-starburst galaxies at three cosmic epochs, we show that rapid quenching of star formation can account for 100% of quiescent galaxy formation, if the post-starburst spectral features are visible for ~250Myr. The flattening of the low mass end of the quiescent galaxy stellar mass function seen at z~1 can be entirely explained by the addition of rapidly quenched galaxies. Only if a significant fraction of post-starburst galaxies have features that are visible for longer than 250Myr, or they acquire new gas and return to the star-forming sequence, can there be significant growth of the red sequence from a slower quenching route. The shape of the mass function of these transitory post-starburst galaxies resembles that of quiescent galaxies at z~2, with a preferred stellar mass of logM~10.6, but evolves steadily to resemble that of star-forming galaxies at z<1. This leads us to propose a dual origin for post-starburst galaxies: (1) at z>2 they are exclusively massive galaxies that have formed the bulk of their stars during a rapid assembly period, followed by complete quenching of further star formation, (2) at z<1 they are caused by the rapid quenching of gas-rich star-forming galaxies, independent of stellar mass, possibly due to environment and/or gas-rich major mergers.
We describe Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging of 10 of the 20 ESO Distant Cluster Survey (EDisCS) fields. Each ~40 square arcminute field was imaged in the F814W filter with the Advanced Camera for Surveys Wide Field Camera. Based on these data, we present visual morphological classifications for the ~920 sources per field that are brighter than I_auto=23 mag. We use these classifications to quantify the morphological content of 10 intermediate-redshift (0.5 < z < 0.8) galaxy clusters within the HST survey region. The EDisCS results, combined with previously published data from seven higher redshift clusters, show no statistically significant evidence for evolution in the mean fractions of elliptical, S0, and late-type (Sp+Irr) galaxies in clusters over the redshift range 0.5 < z < 1.2. In contrast, existing studies of lower redshift clusters have revealed a factor of ~2 increase in the typical S0 fraction between z=0.4 and z=0, accompanied by a commensurate decrease in the Sp+Irr fraction and no evolution in the elliptical fraction. The EDisCS clusters demonstrate that cluster morphological fractions plateau beyond z ~ 0.4. They also exhibit a mild correlation between morphological content and cluster velocity dispersion, highlighting the importance of careful sample selection in evaluating evolution. We discuss these findings in the context of a recently proposed scenario in which the fractions of passive (E,S0) and star-forming (Sp,Irr) galaxies are determined primarily by the growth history of clusters.
We calculate synthetic UBVRIJHKLM images, integrated spectra and colours for the disk galaxy formation models of Samland & Gerhard (2002), from redshift z=4 to z=0. Two models are considered, an accretion model based on LambdaCDM structure formation simulations, and a classical collapse model in a dark matter halo. Both models provide the star formation history and dynamics of the baryonic component within a three-dimensional chemo-dynamical description. To convert to spectra and colours, we use the latest, metallicity-calibrated spectral library of Westera et al. (2002), including internal absorption. As a first application, we compare the derived colours with Hubble Deep Field North bulge colours and find good agreement. With our model, we disentangle metallicity effects and absorption effects on the integrated colours, and find that absorption effects are dominant for redshift z < 1.5. Furthermore, we confirm the quality of m_K as a mass tracer, and find indications for a correlation between (J-K) and metallicity gradients.
We study the relationship between two major baryonic components in galaxy clusters, namely the stars in galaxies, and the ionized gas in the intracluster medium (ICM), using 94 clusters that span the redshift range 0-0.6. Accurately measured total and ICM masses from Chandra observations, and stellar masses derived from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer and the Two-Micron All-Sky Survey allow us to trace the evolution of cluster baryon content in a self-consistent fashion. We find that, within r_{500}, the evolution of the ICM mass--total mass relation is consistent with the expectation of self-similar model, while there is no evidence for redshift evolution in the stellar mass--total mass relation. This suggests that the stellar mass and ICM mass in the inner parts of clusters evolve differently.
We present spatially resolved stellar rotation velocity and velocity dispersion profiles form Keck/LRIS absorption-line spectra for 25 galaxies, mostly visually classified ellipticals, in three clusters at z=0.5. We interpret the kinematical data and HST photometry using oblate axisymmetric two-integral f(E,Lz) dynamical models based on the Jeans equations. This yields good fits, provided that the seeing and observational characteristics are carefully modeled. The fits yield for each galaxy the dynamical M/L and a measure of the galaxy rotation rate. Paper II addresses the implied M/L evolution. Here we study the rotation-rate evolution by comparison to a sample of local elliptical galaxies of similar present-day luminosity. The brightest galaxies in the sample all rotate too slowly to account for their flattening, as is also observed at z=0. But the average rotation rate is higher at z=0.5 than locally. This may be due to a higher fraction of misclassified S0 galaxies (although this effect is insufficient to explain the observed strong evolution of the cluster S0 fraction with redshift). Alternatively, dry mergers between early-type galaxies may have decreased the average rotation rate over time. It is unclear whether such mergers are numerous enough in clusters to explain the observed trend quantitatively. Disk-disk mergers may affect the comparison through the so-called progenitor bias, but this cannot explain the direction of the observed rotation-rate evolution. Additional samples are needed to constrain possible environmental dependencies and cosmic variance in galaxy rotation rates. Either way, studies of the internal stellar dynamics of distant galaxies provide a valuable new approach for exploring galaxy evolution.