The Mgb-sigma Relation of Elliptical Galaxies at z=0.37

We derive absorption indices of ellipticals in clusters at z=0.37 from medium-resolution spectroscopy together with kinematical parameters. These galaxies exhibit a relationship between the Mgb linestrength and their internal velocity dispersion similar to local dynamically hot galaxies. But for any given sigma, Mgb of the distant ellipticals is significantly lower than the mean value of the nearby sample. The difference of Mgb between the two samples is small and can be fully attributed to the younger age of the distant stellar populations in accordance with the passive evolution model. The low reduction of Mgb at a look-back time of about 5 Gyrs requires that the bulk of the stars in cluster ellipticals have formed at very high redshifts of z_f>2. For the most massive galaxies, where the reduction is even lower, z_f probably exceeds 4. Unlike most methods to measure the evolution of ellipticals using luminosities, surface brightnesses or colours, the Mgb linestrength does not depend on corrections for extinction and cosmic expansion (K-correction) and only very little on the slope of the initial mass function. The combination of a kinematical parameter with a stellar population indicator allows us to study the evolution of very similar objects. In addition, the good mass estimate provided by sigma means that the selection criteria for the galaxy sample as a whole are well controlled. (abriged)Comment: 25 pages, Latex, uses mn.sty and mncite.sty, accepted by MNRAS, also available at http://www.usm.uni-muenchen.de:8001/people/ziegler/pubs.htm

Disk galaxy scaling relations at intermediate redshifts - I. The Tully-Fisher and velocity-size relations

We took spatially resolved slit spectra of 261 field disk galaxies at redshifts up to z~1 using the FORS instruments of the ESO Very Large Telescope. Our spectroscopy was complemented with HST/ACS imaging in the F814W filter. We analyzed the ionized gas kinematics by extracting rotation curves from the 2-D spectra. Taking into account all geometrical, observational and instrumental effects, these rotation curves were used to derive the intrinsic Vmax. Neglecting galaxies with disturbed kinematics or insufficient spatial rotation curve extent, Vmax could be robustly determined for 124 galaxies covering redshifts 0.05<z<0.97. This is one of the largest kinematic samples of distant disk galaxies to date. We compared this data set to the local B-band Tully-Fisher relation and the local velocity-size relation. The scatter in both scaling relations is a factor of ~2 larger at z~0.5 than at z~0. The deviations of individual distant galaxies from the local Tully-Fisher relation are systematic in the sense that the galaxies are increasingly overluminous towards higher redshifts, corresponding to an over-luminosity of -(1.2+-0.5) mag at z=1. This luminosity evolution at given Vmax is probably driven by younger stellar populations of distant galaxies with respect to their local counterparts, potentially combined with modest changes in dark matter mass fractions. The analysis of the velocity-size relation reveals that disk galaxies of a given Vmax have grown in size by a factor of ~1.5 over the past ~8 Gyr, likely via accretion of cold gas and/or small satellites. Scrutinizing the combined evolution in luminosity and size, we find that the galaxies which show the strongest evolution towards smaller sizes at z~1 are not those which feature the strongest evolution in luminosity, and vice versa. [abstract abbreviated]Comment: A&A, accepted. 12 pages, 6 figures, 1 tabl

Disk galaxy scaling relations at intermediate redshifts - I. The Tully-Fisher and velocity-size relations

We took spatially resolved slit spectra of 261 field disk galaxies at redshifts up to z~1 using the FORS instruments of the ESO Very Large Telescope. Our spectroscopy was complemented with HST/ACS imaging in the F814W filter. We analyzed the ionized gas kinematics by extracting rotation curves from the 2-D spectra. Taking into account all geometrical, observational and instrumental effects, these rotation curves were used to derive the intrinsic Vmax. Neglecting galaxies with disturbed kinematics or insufficient spatial rotation curve extent, Vmax could be robustly determined for 124 galaxies covering redshifts 0.05<z<0.97. This is one of the largest kinematic samples of distant disk galaxies to date. We compared this data set to the local B-band Tully-Fisher relation and the local velocity-size relation. The scatter in both scaling relations is a factor of ~2 larger at z~0.5 than at z~0. The deviations of individual distant galaxies from the local Tully-Fisher relation are systematic in the sense that the galaxies are increasingly overluminous towards higher redshifts, corresponding to an over-luminosity of -(1.2+-0.5) mag at z=1. This luminosity evolution at given Vmax is probably driven by younger stellar populations of distant galaxies with respect to their local counterparts, potentially combined with modest changes in dark matter mass fractions. The analysis of the velocity-size relation reveals that disk galaxies of a given Vmax have grown in size by a factor of ~1.5 over the past ~8 Gyr, likely via accretion of cold gas and/or small satellites. Scrutinizing the combined evolution in luminosity and size, we find that the galaxies which show the strongest evolution towards smaller sizes at z~1 are not those which feature the strongest evolution in luminosity, and vice versa. [abstract abbreviated]Comment: A&A, accepted. 12 pages, 6 figures, 1 tabl