Multifrequency studies of galaxies and groups. I. Environmental effect on galaxy stellar mass and morphology
Abstract
Context. To understand the role of the environment in galaxy formation, evolution, and present-day properties, it is essential to study the multifrequency behavior of different galaxy populations under various environmental conditions.
Aims: We study the stellar mass functions of different galaxy populations in groups as a function of their large-scale environments using multifrequency observations.
Methods: We cross-matched the SDSS DR10 group catalog with GAMA Data Release 2 and Wide-field Survey Explorer (WISE) data to construct a catalog of 1651 groups and 11 436 galaxies containing photometric information in 15 different wavebands ranging from ultraviolet (0.152 μm) to mid-infrared (22 μm). We performed the spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting of galaxies using the MAGPHYS code and estimate the rest-frame luminosities and stellar masses. We used the 1 /Vmax method to estimate the galaxy stellar mass and luminosity functions, and the luminosity density field of galaxies to define the large-scale environment of galaxies.
Results: The stellar mass functions of both central and satellite galaxies in groups are different in low- and high-density, large-scale environments. Satellite galaxies in high-density environments have a steeper low-mass end slope compared to low-density environments, independent of the galaxy morphology. Central galaxies in low-density environments have a steeper low-mass end slope, but the difference disappears for fixed galaxy morphology. The characteristic stellar mass of satellite galaxies is higher in high-density environments and the difference exists only for galaxies with elliptical morphologies.
Conclusions: Galaxy formation in groups is more efficient in high-density, large-scale environments. Groups in high-density environments have higher abundances of satellite galaxies, irrespective of the satellite galaxy morphology. The elliptical satellite galaxies are generally more massive in high-density environments. The stellar masses of spiral satellite galaxies show no dependence on the large-scale environment.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- May 2016
- DOI:
- 10.1051/0004-6361/201526851
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1603.01773
- Bibcode:
- 2016A&A...590A..29P
- Keywords:
-
- galaxies: groups: general;
- galaxies: luminosity function;
- mass function;
- infrared: galaxies;
- galaxies: structure;
- galaxies: evolution;
- Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies;
- Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 15 pages, 10 figures, 5 tables, language edited, footnote added to the title, Accepted for publication in Astronomy &