The VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS)

Abstract

We use the full VIPERS redshift survey in combination with SDSS-DR7 to explore the relationships between star-formation history (using d4000), stellar mass and galaxy structure, and how these relationships have evolved since z ∼ 1. We trace the extents and evolutions of both the blue cloud and red sequence by fitting double Gaussians to the d4000 distribution of galaxies in narrow stellar mass bins, for four redshift intervals over 0 < z < 1. This reveals downsizing in star formation, since the high-mass limit of the blue cloud has retreated steadily with time from M ∼ 10 11.2 M at z ∼ 0.9 to M ∼ 10 10.7 M by the present day. The number density of massive blue-cloud galaxies (M > 10 11 M , d4000 < 1.55) drops sharply by a factor five between z ∼ 0.8 and z ∼ 0.5. These galaxies are becoming quiescent at a rate that largely matches the increase in the numbers of massive passive galaxies seen over this period. We examine the size-mass relation of blue-cloud galaxies, finding that its high-mass boundary runs along lines of constant M/r e or equivalently inferred velocity dispersion. Larger galaxies can continue to form stars to higher stellar masses than smaller galaxies. As blue-cloud galaxies approach this high-mass limit, entering a narrow diagonal region within the size-mass plane termed the "quenching zone", they start to be quenched, their d4000 values increasing to push them towards the green valley. In parallel, their structures change, showing higher Sérsic indices and central stellar mass densities. For these galaxies, bulge growth is required for them to reach the high-mass limit of the blue cloud and be quenched by internal mechanisms. The blue-cloud galaxies that are being quenched at z ∼ 0.8 lie along the same size-mass relation as present day quiescent galaxies and seem the likely progenitors of today's S0s.

hCOSMOS: A Dense Spectroscopic Survey of r ≤ 21.3 Galaxies in the COSMOS field

“…A detailed analysis of the size-stellar mass relation is beyond the scope of this work. However, we note that the size of quiescent hCOS20.6 systems displays a trend with stellar mass (α ∼ 0.45) that is steeper than the one for star-forming galaxies in our sample (α ∼ 0.22), in qualitative agreement with other recent studies (e.g, Haines et al 2017;Lange et al 2016;van der Wel et al 2014). Furthermore, the slopes of the size-mass relations for quiescent and star-forming hCOS20.6 galaxies agree within the uncertainties (< 2σ) with the size-mass relations that we derive for the two galaxy populations in the much larger SHELS F2 sample based on Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam images (Damjanov et al in prep).…”

The Inflow and Outflow Rate Evolution of Local Milky Way–mass Star-forming Galaxies since z = 1.3

“…We argue that the turnover in ζ inflow doesn't occur at a same M h for different SFGs. Interestingly, we note that the evolution trend of M turnover is similar to that of M transition 1 as reported in Haines et al (2017) (see their Figure 4). This may suggest a connection between the cessation of star formation in galaxies and the significant change in their gas inflow behaviors, as we will argue below.…”

The COSMOS2015 galaxy stellar mass function

“…Kauffmann et al 2003;Bundy et al 2006;Haines et al 2017). This second fitting function shows how α and M are coupled: once the "knee" of the SMF is fixed, the low-mass slope is forced to be shallower (α increases by ∼0.15).…”