de la Rosa, Ignacio G.Ignacio G.de la RosaLA BARBERA, FrancescoFrancescoLA BARBERAFerreras, IgnacioIgnacioFerrerasSánchez Almeida, JorgeJorgeSánchez AlmeidaDalla Vecchia, ClaudioClaudioDalla VecchiaMartínez-Valpuesta, InmaInmaMartínez-ValpuestaStringer, MartinMartinStringer2020-06-232020-06-2320160035-8711http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12386/26194Massive high-redshift quiescent compact galaxies (nicknamed red nuggets) have been traditionally connected to present-day elliptical galaxies, often overlooking the relationships that they may have with other galaxy types. We use large bulge-disc decomposition catalogues based on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to check the hypothesis that red nuggets have survived as compact cores embedded inside the haloes or discs of present-day massive galaxies. In this study, we designate a compact core as the bulge component that satisfies a prescribed compactness criterion. Photometric and dynamic mass-size and mass-density relations are used to show that, in the inner regions of galaxies at z ∼ 0.1, there are abundant compact cores matching the peculiar properties of the red nuggets, an abundance comparable to that of red nuggets at z ∼ 1.5. Furthermore, the morphology distribution of the present-day galaxies hosting compact cores is used to demonstrate that, in addition to the standard channel connecting red nuggets with elliptical galaxies, a comparable fraction of red nuggets might have ended up embedded in discs. This result generalizes the inside-out formation scenario; present-day massive galaxies can begin as dense spheroidal cores (red nuggets), around which either a spheroidal halo or a disc is formed later.STAMPAenArticle10.1093/mnras/stw1302-s2.0-84963612258000373580500064https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/457/2/1916/9715902016MNRAS.457.1916DFIS/05 - ASTRONOMIA E ASTROFISICA