Evolution of the frequency of luminous (≥L* v) close galaxy pairs at z < 1.2 in the COSMOS field

J. S. Kartaltepe; D. B. Sanders; N. Z. Scoville; D. Calzetti; P. Capak; A. Koekemoer; B. Mobasher; T. Murayama; M. Salvato; S. S. Sasaki; Y. Taniguchi

doi:10.1086/519953

Evolution of the frequency of luminous (≥L* _v) close galaxy pairs at z < 1.2 in the COSMOS field

J. S. Kartaltepe, D. B. Sanders, N. Z. Scoville, D. Calzetti, P. Capak, A. Koekemoer, B. Mobasher, T. Murayama, M. Salvato, S. S. Sasaki, Y. Taniguchi

SCI - Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

137 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We measure the fraction of luminous galaxies in pairs at projected separations of 5-20 kpc out to z = 1.2 in the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field using ACS images and photometric redshifts derived from an extensive multiwavelength data set. Analysis of a complete sample of 106,188 galaxies more luminous than My = -1.9.8 (∼L* _V) in the redshift range 0.1 < z < 1.2 yields 1749 galaxy pairs. These data are supplemented by a local (z = 0-0.1)value for the galaxy pair fraction derived from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. After statistically correcting the COSMOS pair sample for chance line-of-sight superpositions, the evolution in the pair fraction is fit by a power law ∝(1 + z) ^n=3.1*0.1. If this strongly evolving pair fraction continues out to higher redshift, ∼50% of all luminous galaxies at z ∼ 2 are in close pairs. This clearly signifies that galaxy mergers are a very significant and possibly dominant mechanism for galaxy evolution during the epoch of galaxy formation at z = 1-3.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	320-328
Number of pages	9
Journal	Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series
Volume	172
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/519953
Publication status	Published - 2007

Keywords

Cosmology: observations
Galaxies: evolution galaxies: formation
Galaxies: interactions large-scale structure of universe
Surveys

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Access to Document

10.1086/519953

Cite this

@article{779e0fba9cda468199a1971815ccd6e1,

title = "Evolution of the frequency of luminous (≥L* v) close galaxy pairs at z < 1.2 in the COSMOS field",

abstract = "We measure the fraction of luminous galaxies in pairs at projected separations of 5-20 kpc out to z = 1.2 in the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field using ACS images and photometric redshifts derived from an extensive multiwavelength data set. Analysis of a complete sample of 106,188 galaxies more luminous than My = -1.9.8 (∼L* V) in the redshift range 0.1 < z < 1.2 yields 1749 galaxy pairs. These data are supplemented by a local (z = 0-0.1)value for the galaxy pair fraction derived from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. After statistically correcting the COSMOS pair sample for chance line-of-sight superpositions, the evolution in the pair fraction is fit by a power law ∝(1 + z) n=3.1*0.1. If this strongly evolving pair fraction continues out to higher redshift, ∼50% of all luminous galaxies at z ∼ 2 are in close pairs. This clearly signifies that galaxy mergers are a very significant and possibly dominant mechanism for galaxy evolution during the epoch of galaxy formation at z = 1-3.",

keywords = "Cosmology: observations, Galaxies: evolution galaxies: formation, Galaxies: interactions large-scale structure of universe, Surveys",

author = "Kartaltepe, {J. S.} and Sanders, {D. B.} and Scoville, {N. Z.} and D. Calzetti and P. Capak and A. Koekemoer and B. Mobasher and T. Murayama and M. Salvato and Sasaki, {S. S.} and Y. Taniguchi",

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doi = "10.1086/519953",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Evolution of the frequency of luminous (≥L* v) close galaxy pairs at z < 1.2 in the COSMOS field

AU - Kartaltepe, J. S.

AU - Sanders, D. B.

AU - Scoville, N. Z.

AU - Calzetti, D.

AU - Capak, P.

AU - Koekemoer, A.

AU - Mobasher, B.

AU - Murayama, T.

AU - Salvato, M.

AU - Sasaki, S. S.

AU - Taniguchi, Y.

PY - 2007

Y1 - 2007

N2 - We measure the fraction of luminous galaxies in pairs at projected separations of 5-20 kpc out to z = 1.2 in the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field using ACS images and photometric redshifts derived from an extensive multiwavelength data set. Analysis of a complete sample of 106,188 galaxies more luminous than My = -1.9.8 (∼L* V) in the redshift range 0.1 < z < 1.2 yields 1749 galaxy pairs. These data are supplemented by a local (z = 0-0.1)value for the galaxy pair fraction derived from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. After statistically correcting the COSMOS pair sample for chance line-of-sight superpositions, the evolution in the pair fraction is fit by a power law ∝(1 + z) n=3.1*0.1. If this strongly evolving pair fraction continues out to higher redshift, ∼50% of all luminous galaxies at z ∼ 2 are in close pairs. This clearly signifies that galaxy mergers are a very significant and possibly dominant mechanism for galaxy evolution during the epoch of galaxy formation at z = 1-3.

AB - We measure the fraction of luminous galaxies in pairs at projected separations of 5-20 kpc out to z = 1.2 in the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field using ACS images and photometric redshifts derived from an extensive multiwavelength data set. Analysis of a complete sample of 106,188 galaxies more luminous than My = -1.9.8 (∼L* V) in the redshift range 0.1 < z < 1.2 yields 1749 galaxy pairs. These data are supplemented by a local (z = 0-0.1)value for the galaxy pair fraction derived from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. After statistically correcting the COSMOS pair sample for chance line-of-sight superpositions, the evolution in the pair fraction is fit by a power law ∝(1 + z) n=3.1*0.1. If this strongly evolving pair fraction continues out to higher redshift, ∼50% of all luminous galaxies at z ∼ 2 are in close pairs. This clearly signifies that galaxy mergers are a very significant and possibly dominant mechanism for galaxy evolution during the epoch of galaxy formation at z = 1-3.

KW - Cosmology: observations

KW - Galaxies: evolution galaxies: formation

KW - Galaxies: interactions large-scale structure of universe

KW - Surveys

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