519 research outputs found
Reconstructing the Initial Density Field of the Local Universe: Method and Test with Mock Catalogs
Our research objective in this paper is to reconstruct an initial linear
density field, which follows the multivariate Gaussian distribution with
variances given by the linear power spectrum of the current CDM model and
evolves through gravitational instability to the present-day density field in
the local Universe. For this purpose, we develop a Hamiltonian Markov Chain
Monte Carlo method to obtain the linear density field from a posterior
probability function that consists of two components: a prior of a Gaussian
density field with a given linear spectrum, and a likelihood term that is given
by the current density field. The present-day density field can be
reconstructed from galaxy groups using the method developed in Wang et al.
(2009a). Using a realistic mock SDSS DR7, obtained by populating dark matter
haloes in the Millennium simulation with galaxies, we show that our method can
effectively and accurately recover both the amplitudes and phases of the
initial, linear density field. To examine the accuracy of our method, we use
-body simulations to evolve these reconstructed initial conditions to the
present day. The resimulated density field thus obtained accurately matches the
original density field of the Millennium simulation in the density range 0.3 <=
rho/rho_mean <= 20 without any significant bias. Especially, the Fourier phases
of the resimulated density fields are tightly correlated with those of the
original simulation down to a scale corresponding to a wavenumber of ~ 1 h/Mpc,
much smaller than the translinear scale, which corresponds to a wavenumber of ~
0.15 h\Mpc.Comment: 43 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Properties of Galaxy Groups in the SDSS: I.-- The Dependence of Colour, Star Formation, and Morphology on Halo Mass
Using a large galaxy group catalogue constructed from the SDSS, we
investigate the correlation between various galaxy properties and halo mass. We
split the population of galaxies in early types, late types, and intermediate
types, based on their colour and specific star formation rate. At fixed
luminosity, the early type fraction increases with increasing halo mass. Most
importantly, this mass dependence is smooth and persists over the entire mass
range probed, without any break or feature at any mass scale. We argue that the
previous claim of a characteristic feature on galaxy group scales is an
artefact of the environment estimators used. At fixed halo mass, the luminosity
dependence of the type fractions is surprisingly weak: galaxy type depends more
strongly on halo mass than on luminosity. We also find that the early type
fraction decreases with increasing halo-centric radius. Contrary to previous
studies, we find that this radial dependence is also present in low mass
haloes. The properties of satellite galaxies are strongly correlated with those
of their central galaxy. In particular, the early type fraction of satellites
is significantly higher in a halo with an early type central galaxy than in a
halo of the same mass but with a late type central galaxy. This phenomenon,
which we call `galactic conformity', is present in haloes of all masses and for
satellites of all luminosities. Finally, the fraction of intermediate type
galaxies is always ~20 percent, independent of luminosity, independent of halo
mass, independent of halo-centric radius, and independent of whether the galaxy
is a central galaxy or a satellite galaxy. We discuss the implications of all
these findings for galaxy formation and evolution.Comment: 28 pages, 15 figures. Submitted for publication in MNRA
Observational Evidence for an Age Dependence of Halo Bias
We study the dependence of the cross-correlation between galaxies and galaxy
groups on group properties. Confirming previous results, we find that the
correlation strength is stronger for more massive groups, in good agreement
with the expected mass dependence of halo bias. We also find, however, that for
groups of the same mass, the correlation strength depends on the star formation
rate (SFR) of the central galaxy: at fixed mass, the bias of galaxy groups
decreases as the SFR of the central galaxy increases. We discuss these findings
in light of the recent findings by Gao et al (2005) that halo bias depends on
halo formation time, in that halos that assemble earlier are more strongly
biased. We also discuss the implication for galaxy formation, and address a
possible link to galaxy conformity, the observed correlation between the
properties of satellite galaxies and those of their central galaxy.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters. Figures
3 and 4 replaced. The bias dependence on the central galaxy luminosity is
omitted due to its sensitivity to the mass mode
Alignments of galaxies within cosmic filaments from SDSS DR7
Using a sample of galaxy groups selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
Data Release 7 (SDSS DR7), we examine the alignment between the orientation of
galaxies and their surrounding large scale structure in the context of the
cosmic web. The latter is quantified using the large-scale tidal field,
reconstructed from the data using galaxy groups above a certain mass threshold.
We find that the major axes of galaxies in filaments tend to be preferentially
aligned with the directions of the filaments, while galaxies in sheets have
their major axes preferentially aligned parallel to the plane of the sheets.
The strength of this alignment signal is strongest for red, central galaxies,
and in good agreement with that of dark matter halos in N-body simulations.
This suggests that red, central galaxies are well aligned with their host
halos, in quantitative agreement with previous studies based on the spatial
distribution of satellite galaxies. There is a luminosity and mass dependence
that brighter and more massive galaxies in filaments and sheets have stronger
alignment signals. We also find that the orientation of galaxies is aligned
with the eigenvector associated with the smallest eigenvalue of the tidal
tensor. These observational results indicate that galaxy formation is affected
by large-scale environments, and strongly suggests that galaxies are aligned
with each other over scales comparable to those of sheets and filaments in the
cosmic web.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Spin alignments of spiral galaxies within the large-scale structure from SDSS DR7
Using a sample of spiral galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
Data Release 7 (SDSS DR7) and Galaxy Zoo 2 (GZ2), we investigate the alignment
of spin axes of spiral galaxies with their surrounding large scale structure,
which is characterized by the large-scale tidal field reconstructed from the
data using galaxy groups above a certain mass threshold. We find that the spin
axes of only have weak tendency to be aligned with (or perpendicular to) the
intermediate (or minor) axis of the local tidal tensor. The signal is the
strongest in a \cluster environment where all the three eigenvalues of the
local tidal tensor are positive. Compared to the alignments between halo spins
and local tidal field obtained in N-body simulations, the above observational
results are in best agreement with those for the spins of inner regions of
halos, suggesting that the disk material traces the angular momentum of dark
matter halos in the inner regions.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
The Alignment between Satellites and Central Galaxies: Theory vs. Observations
Recent studies have shown that the distribution of satellite galaxies is
preferentially aligned with the major axis of their central galaxy. The
strength of this alignment has been found to depend strongly on the colours of
the satellite and central galaxies, and only weakly on the mass of the halo in
which the galaxies reside. In this paper we study whether these alignment
signals, and their dependence on galaxy and halo properties, can be reproduced
in a hierarchical structure formation model of a CDM concordance
cosmology. To that extent we use a large -body simulation which we populate
with galaxies following a semi-analytical model for galaxy formation. We find
that if the orientation of the central galaxy is perfectly aligned with that of
its dark matter halo, then the predicted central-satellite alignment signal is
much stronger than observed. If, however, the minor axis of a central galaxy is
perfectly aligned with the angular momentum vector of its dark matter halo, we
can accurately reproduce the observed alignment strength as function of halo
mass and galaxy color. Although this suggests that the orientation of central
galaxies is governed by the angular momentum of their dark matter haloes, we
emphasize that any other scenario in which the minor axes of central galaxy and
halo are misaligned by (on average) will match the data
equally well. Finally, we show that dependence of the alignment strength on the
color of the central galaxy is most likely an artefact due to interlopers in
the group catalogue. The dependence on the color of the satellite galaxies, on
the other hand, is real and owes to the fact that red satellites are associated
with subhaloes that were more massive at their time of accretion.Comment: 13 Pages, 10 Figures, one figure replaced. added in discussion about
comparison with others results, Updated version to match accepted version to
MNRA
Stellar Ages and Metallicities of Central and Satellite Galaxies: Implications for Galaxy Formation and Evolution
Using a large SDSS galaxy group catalogue, we study how the stellar ages and
metallicities of central and satellite galaxies depend on stellar mass and halo
mass. We find that satellites are older and metal-richer than centrals of the
same stellar mass. In addition, the slopes of the age-stellar mass and
metallicity-stellar mass relations are found to become shallower in denser
environments. This is due to the fact that the average age and metallicity of
low mass satellite galaxies increase with the mass of the halo in which they
reside. A comparison with the semi-analytical model of Wang et al. (2008) shows
that it succesfully reproduces the fact that satellites are older than centrals
of the same stellar mass and that the age difference increases with the halo
mass of the satellite. This is a consequence of strangulation, which leaves the
stellar populations of satellites to evolve passively, while the prolonged star
formation activity of centrals keeps their average ages younger. The resulting
age offset is larger in more massive environments because their satellites were
accreted earlier. The model fails, however, in reproducing the halo mass
dependence of the metallicities of low mass satellites, yields
metallicity-stellar mass and age-stellar mass relations that are too shallow,
and predicts that satellite galaxies have the same metallicities as centrals of
the same stellar mass, in disagreement with the data. We argue that these
discrepancies are likely to indicate the need to (i) modify the recipes of both
supernova feedback and AGN feedback, (ii) use a more realistic description of
strangulation, and (iii) include a proper treatment of the tidal stripping,
heating and destruction of satellite galaxies. [Abridged]Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures, submitted for publication in MNRA
Star Formation and Stellar Mass Assembly in Dark Matter Halos: From Giants to Dwarfs
The empirical model of Lu et al. 2014 is updated with recent data and used to
study galaxy star formation and assembly histories. At , the predicted
galaxy stellar mass functions are steep, and a significant amount of star
formation is hosted by low-mass haloes that may be missed in current
observations. Most of the stars in cluster centrals formed earlier than
but have been assembled much later. Milky Way mass galaxies have
had on-going star formation without significant mergers since , and
are thus free of significant (classic) bulges produced by major mergers. In
massive clusters, stars bound in galaxies and scattered in the halo form a
homogeneous population that is old and with solar metallicity. In contrast, in
Milky Way mass systems the two components form two distinct populations, with
halo stars being older and poorer in metals by a factor of . Dwarf
galaxies in haloes with have experienced a
star formation burst accompanied by major mergers at , followed by a
nearly constant star formation rate after . The early burst leaves a
significant old stellar population that is distributed in spheroids.Comment: 17 pages, 17 figure
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