The GOGREEN survey: the environmental dependence of the star-forming galaxy main sequence at 1.0 < z < 1.5
Abstract
We present results on the environmental dependence of the star-forming galaxy main sequence in 11 galaxy cluster fields at 1.0 < z < 1.5 from the Gemini Observations of Galaxies in Rich Early Environments Survey (GOGREEN) survey. We use a homogeneously selected sample of field and cluster galaxies whose membership is derived from dynamical analysis. Using [ $\rm{O{\small II}}$ ]-derived star formation rates (SFRs), we find that cluster galaxies have suppressed SFRs at fixed stellar mass in comparison to their field counterparts by a factor of 1.4 ± 0.1 (∼3.3σ) across the stellar mass range: 9.0 < log (M*/M⊙) < 11.2. We also find that this modest suppression in the cluster galaxy star-forming main sequence is mass and redshift dependent: the difference between cluster and field increases towards lower stellar masses and lower redshift. When comparing the distribution of cluster and field galaxy SFRs to the star-forming main sequence, we find an overall shift towards lower SFRs in the cluster population, and note the absence of a tail of high SFR galaxies as seen in the field. Given this observed suppression in the cluster galaxy star-forming main sequence, we explore the implications for several scenarios such as formation time differences between cluster and field galaxies, and environmentally induced star formation quenching and associated time-scales.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- April 2020
- DOI:
- 10.1093/mnras/staa579
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2002.11735
- Bibcode:
- 2020MNRAS.493.5987O
- Keywords:
-
- galaxies: clusters: general;
- galaxies: evolution;
- Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies;
- Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- Accepted for publication in MNRAS on February 25 2020, appended erratum accepted in MNRAS on September 17 2020