CANDELS Sheds Light on the Environmental Quenching of Low-mass Galaxies

Guo, YichengYichengGuoBell, Eric F.Eric F.BellLu, YuYuLuKoo, David C.David C.KooFaber, S. M.S. M.FaberKoekemoer, Anton M.Anton M.KoekemoerKurczynski, PeterPeterKurczynskiLee, Seong-KookSeong-KookLeePapovich, CaseyCaseyPapovichChen, ZhuZhuChenDekel, AvishaiAvishaiDekelFerguson, Henry C.Henry C.FergusonFONTANA, AdrianoAdrianoFONTANAGiavalisco, MauroMauroGiavaliscoKocevski, Dale D.Dale D.KocevskiNayyeri, HooshangHooshangNayyeriPérez-González, Pablo G.Pablo G.Pérez-GonzálezPforr, JanineJaninePforrRodríguez-Puebla, AldoAldoRodríguez-PueblaSANTINI, PaolaPaolaSANTINI2021-01-112021-01-1120172041-8205http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12386/29676We investigate the environmental quenching of galaxies, especially those with stellar masses (M *) < 109.5 M ☉, beyond the local universe. Essentially all local low-mass quenched galaxies (QGs) are believed to live close to massive central galaxies, which is a demonstration of environmental quenching. We use CANDELS data to test whether or not such a dwarf QG-massive central galaxy connection exists beyond the local universe. For this purpose, we only need a statistically representative, rather than complete, sample of low-mass galaxies, which enables our study to z ≳ 1.5. For each low-mass galaxy, we measure the projected distance (d proj) to its nearest massive neighbor (M * > 1010.5 M ☉) within a redshift range. At a given z and M *, the environmental quenching effect is considered to be observed if the d proj distribution of QGs ({d}{proj}Q) is significantly skewed toward lower values than that of star-forming galaxies ({d}{proj}{SF}). For galaxies with 108 M ☉ < M * < 1010 M ☉, such a difference between {d}{proj}Q and {d}{proj}{SF} is detected up to z ∼ 1. Also, about 10% of the quenched galaxies in our sample are located between two and four virial radii (R Vir) of the massive halos. The median projected distance from low-mass QGs to their massive neighbors, {d}{proj}Q/{R}{Vir}, decreases with satellite M * at M * ≲ 109.5 M ☉, but increases with satellite M * at M * ≳ 109.5 M ☉. This trend suggests a smooth, if any, transition of the quenching timescale around M * ∼ 109.5 M ☉ at 0.5 < z < 1.0.STAMPAenCANDELS Sheds Light on the Environmental Quenching of Low-mass GalaxiesArticle10.3847/2041-8213/aa70e92-s2.0-85020281189000402563700005https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/aa70e92017ApJ...841L..22GFIS/05 - ASTRONOMIA E ASTROFISICA