Cluster of galaxies around seven radio-loud QSOs at 1<z<1.6: K-band images

We have conducted a NIR study of the environments of seven radio-loud quasars at redshifts 1<z<1.6. In present paper we describe deep $K$ band images obtained for the fields of ~6X6 arcmin around the quasars with 3$\sigma$ limiting magnitudes of K~20.5. These fields were previously studied using deep B and R band images (Sanchez & Gonzalez-Serrano 1999). Using together optical and NIR data, it has been found a significant excess of galaxies which optical-NIR colours, luminosity, spatial scale, and number of galaxies are compatible with clusters at the redshift of the quasar. We have selected a sample of cluster candidates analyzing the R-K vs. K diagram. A ~25% of the candidates present red optical-NIR colours and an ultraviolet excess. This population has been also found in clusters around quasars at the same redshifts (Tanaka et al. 2000; Haines et al. 2001). These galaxies seem to follow a mixed evolution: a main passive evolution plus late starformation processes. The quasars do not inhabit the core of the clusters, being found in the outer regions. This result agrees with the hypothesis that the origin/feeding mechanism of the nuclear activity were merging processes. The quasars inhabit the region were a collision is most probably to produce a merger.Comment: 15 pages. A&A, accepted for publishin

SPH simulations of the chemical evolution of bulges

We have implemented a chemical evolution model on the parallel AP3M+SPH DEVA code which we use to perform high resolution simulations of spiral galaxy formation. It includes feedback by SNII and SNIa using the Qij matrix formalism. We also include a diffusion mechanism that spreads newly introduced metals. The gas cooling rate depends on its specific composition. We study the stellar populations of the resulting bulges finding a potential scenario where they seem to be composed of two populations: an old, metal poor, $\alpha$-enriched population, formed in a multiclump scenario at the beginning of the simulation and a younger one, formed by slow accretion of satellites or gas, possibly from the disk due to instabilities.Comment: 2 pages, 3 figures. Proceedings of IAUS 245 "Formation and Evolution of Galaxy Bulges

Use of neural networks for the identification of new z>=3.6 QSOs from FIRST-SDSS DR5

We aim to obtain a complete sample of redshift > 3.6 radio QSOs from FIRST sources having star-like counterparts in the SDSS DR5 photometric survey (r<=20.2). We found that simple supervised neural networks, trained on sources with SDSS spectra, and using optical photometry and radio data, are very effective for identifying high-z QSOs without spectra. The technique yields a completeness of 96 per cent and an efficiency of 62 per cent. Applying the trained networks to 4415 sources without DR5 spectra we found 58 z>=3.6 QSO candidates. We obtained spectra of 27 of them, and 17 are confirmed as high-z QSOs. Spectra of 13 additional candidates from the literature and from SDSS DR6 revealed 7 more z>=3.6 QSOs, giving and overall efficiency of 60 per cent. None of the non-candidates with spectra from NED or DR6 is a z>=3.6 QSO, consistently with a high completeness. The initial sample of z>=3.6 QSOs is increased from 52 to 76, i.e. by a factor 1.46. From the new identifications and candidates we estimate an incompleteness of SDSS for the spectroscopic classification of FIRST 3.6<=z<=4.6 QSOs of 15 percent for r<=20.2.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures accepted for publication in MNRA

Lagrangian Volume Deformations around Simulated Galaxies

We present a detailed analysis of the local evolution of 206 Lagrangian Volumes (LVs) selected at high redshift around galaxy seeds, identified in a large-volume $\Lambda$ cold dark matter ($\Lambda$CDM) hydrodynamical simulation. The LVs have a mass range of $1 - 1500 \times 10^{10} M_\odot$. We follow the dynamical evolution of the density field inside these initially spherical LVs from $z=10$ up to $z_{\rm low} = 0.05$, witnessing highly non-linear, anisotropic mass rearrangements within them, leading to the emergence of the local cosmic web (CW). These mass arrangements have been analysed in terms of the reduced inertia tensor $I_{ij}^r$, focusing on the evolution of the principal axes of inertia and their corresponding eigendirections, and paying particular attention to the times when the evolution of these two structural elements declines. In addition, mass and component effects along this process have also been investigated. We have found that deformations are led by dark matter dynamics and they transform most of the initially spherical LVs into prolate shapes, i.e. filamentary structures. An analysis of the individual freezing-out time distributions for shapes and eigendirections shows that first most of the LVs fix their three axes of symmetry (like a skeleton) early on, while accretion flows towards them still continue. Very remarkably, we have found that more massive LVs fix their skeleton earlier on than less massive ones. We briefly discuss the astrophysical implications our findings could have, including the galaxy mass-morphology relation and the effects on the galaxy-galaxy merger parameter space, among others.Comment: 23 pages, 20 figures. Minor editorial improvement