JWST PRIMER: strong evidence for the environmental quenching of low-mass galaxies out to $\mathbf{\textit{z} \simeq 2}$
Fuente:
arXiv
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2024
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1866909425592172544 |
|---|---|
| author | Hamadouche, M. L. McLure, R. J. Carnall, A. McLeod, D. J. Dunlop, J. S. Whitaker, K. Donnan, C. T. Begley, R. Stanton, T. M. Almaini, O. Aird, J. Cullen, F. Cutler, S. Koekemoer, A. M. |
| author_facet | Hamadouche, M. L. McLure, R. J. Carnall, A. McLeod, D. J. Dunlop, J. S. Whitaker, K. Donnan, C. T. Begley, R. Stanton, T. M. Almaini, O. Aird, J. Cullen, F. Cutler, S. Koekemoer, A. M. |
| contents | We present the results of a study investigating the galaxy stellar-mass function (GSMF), size-mass relations and morphological properties of star-forming and quiescent galaxies over the redshift range $0.25<z<2.25$, using the JWST PRIMER survey. The depth of the PRIMER near-IR imaging allows us to confirm the double Schechter function shape of the quiescent GSMF out to $z\simeq2.0$, via a clear detection of the upturn at $\mathrm{log}_{10}(M_{\star}/ M_{\odot}) \leq 10$ thought to be induced by environmental quenching. In addition to the GSMF, we confirm that quiescent galaxies can be split into separate populations at $\mathrm{log}_{10}(M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) \simeq 10$, based on their size-mass relations and morphologies. We find that low-mass quiescent galaxies have more disk-like morphologies (based on Sérsic index, Gini coefficient and $M_{20}$ metrics) and follow a shallower size-mass relation than their high-mass counterparts. Indeed, the slope of the size-mass relation followed by low-mass quiescent galaxies is indistinguishable from that followed by star-forming galaxies, albeit with a lower normalization. Moreover, within the errors, the evolution in the median size of low-mass quiescent galaxies is indistinguishable from that followed by star-forming galaxies ($R_{e}\propto(1+z)^{-0.25\pm0.03})$, and significantly less rapid than that displayed by high-mass quiescent galaxies ($R_{e}\propto (1+z)^{-1.14\pm 0.03})$. Overall, our results are consistent with low and high-mass quiescent galaxies following different quenching pathways. The evolution of low-mass quiescent galaxies is qualitatively consistent with the expectations of external/environmental quenching (e.g. ram-pressure stripping). In contrast, the evolution of high-mass quiescent galaxies is consistent with internal/mass quenching (e.g. AGN feedback) followed by size growth driven by minor mergers. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2412_09592 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | JWST PRIMER: strong evidence for the environmental quenching of low-mass galaxies out to $\mathbf{\textit{z} \simeq 2}$ Hamadouche, M. L. McLure, R. J. Carnall, A. McLeod, D. J. Dunlop, J. S. Whitaker, K. Donnan, C. T. Begley, R. Stanton, T. M. Almaini, O. Aird, J. Cullen, F. Cutler, S. Koekemoer, A. M. Astrophysics of Galaxies We present the results of a study investigating the galaxy stellar-mass function (GSMF), size-mass relations and morphological properties of star-forming and quiescent galaxies over the redshift range $0.25<z<2.25$, using the JWST PRIMER survey. The depth of the PRIMER near-IR imaging allows us to confirm the double Schechter function shape of the quiescent GSMF out to $z\simeq2.0$, via a clear detection of the upturn at $\mathrm{log}_{10}(M_{\star}/ M_{\odot}) \leq 10$ thought to be induced by environmental quenching. In addition to the GSMF, we confirm that quiescent galaxies can be split into separate populations at $\mathrm{log}_{10}(M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) \simeq 10$, based on their size-mass relations and morphologies. We find that low-mass quiescent galaxies have more disk-like morphologies (based on Sérsic index, Gini coefficient and $M_{20}$ metrics) and follow a shallower size-mass relation than their high-mass counterparts. Indeed, the slope of the size-mass relation followed by low-mass quiescent galaxies is indistinguishable from that followed by star-forming galaxies, albeit with a lower normalization. Moreover, within the errors, the evolution in the median size of low-mass quiescent galaxies is indistinguishable from that followed by star-forming galaxies ($R_{e}\propto(1+z)^{-0.25\pm0.03})$, and significantly less rapid than that displayed by high-mass quiescent galaxies ($R_{e}\propto (1+z)^{-1.14\pm 0.03})$. Overall, our results are consistent with low and high-mass quiescent galaxies following different quenching pathways. The evolution of low-mass quiescent galaxies is qualitatively consistent with the expectations of external/environmental quenching (e.g. ram-pressure stripping). In contrast, the evolution of high-mass quiescent galaxies is consistent with internal/mass quenching (e.g. AGN feedback) followed by size growth driven by minor mergers. |
| title | JWST PRIMER: strong evidence for the environmental quenching of low-mass galaxies out to $\mathbf{\textit{z} \simeq 2}$ |
| topic | Astrophysics of Galaxies |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.09592 |