Deep Galaxy Stellar Mass Functions As a Function of Star Formation Rate in the Virgo Cluster Environment
We analyze deep ( M _* ≳ 10 ^7 M _⊙ ) galaxy stellar mass functions (SMFs) of the Virgo cluster using stellar masses derived as part of the Next Generation Virgo Survey. The total SMF has a slope of $\alpha =-1.3{5}_{-0.02}^{+0.02}$ , which is similar to or steeper than typical field values. Using d...
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2025-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/addc6c |
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| author | Cameron R. Morgan Elizaveta Sazonova Ian D. Roberts Michael L. Balogh Joel Roediger Laura Ferrarese Patrick Côté Alessandro Boselli Matteo Fossati Jean-Charles Cuillandre Stephen Gwyn |
| author_facet | Cameron R. Morgan Elizaveta Sazonova Ian D. Roberts Michael L. Balogh Joel Roediger Laura Ferrarese Patrick Côté Alessandro Boselli Matteo Fossati Jean-Charles Cuillandre Stephen Gwyn |
| author_sort | Cameron R. Morgan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We analyze deep ( M _* ≳ 10 ^7 M _⊙ ) galaxy stellar mass functions (SMFs) of the Virgo cluster using stellar masses derived as part of the Next Generation Virgo Survey. The total SMF has a slope of $\alpha =-1.3{5}_{-0.02}^{+0.02}$ , which is similar to or steeper than typical field values. Using deep H α data from the Virgo Environmental Survey Tracing Ionised Gas Emission we separate out star-forming galaxies, quiescent galaxies with no ongoing star formation, and low star formation rate (SFR) galaxies that are intermediate between these two populations. For each of these populations, the shape of the SMF is found to be universal throughout the cluster, from the core to the outskirts. The star-forming and quiescent SMFs show stark differences with values seen in field galaxies. The relative fraction of quiescent galaxies is highest in the core of the cluster, with low-SFR and star-forming galaxies more significant in the outer regions of the cluster. At low stellar masses ( M _* ≲ 10 ^9 M _⊙ ), the quiescent fraction in the main cluster is significantly higher than that of the field and even satellites of massive groups. At high stellar masses, the quiescent fraction is similar to other studies of cluster galaxies. We model the quiescent population in the infall region of the cluster as a combination of backsplash and field quiescent galaxies, and find that the backsplash fractions needed to explain the observed population are unrealistically high. This suggests the existence of a third population of low-mass galaxies that are preprocessed outside the virial radius of the cluster, possibly in groups prior to infall. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-870eccb3cf35447487405ce862fa87c42025-08-20T03:28:33ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572025-01-01987216610.3847/1538-4357/addc6cDeep Galaxy Stellar Mass Functions As a Function of Star Formation Rate in the Virgo Cluster EnvironmentCameron R. Morgan0https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2522-3685Elizaveta Sazonova1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6245-5121Ian D. Roberts2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0692-0911Michael L. Balogh3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4849-9536Joel Roediger4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0363-4266Laura Ferrarese5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8224-1128Patrick Côté6https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1184-8114Alessandro Boselli7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9795-6433Matteo Fossati8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9043-8764Jean-Charles Cuillandre9https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3263-8645Stephen Gwyn10https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8221-8406Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics, University of Waterloo , Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo , Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, CanadaWaterloo Centre for Astrophysics, University of Waterloo , Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo , Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, CanadaWaterloo Centre for Astrophysics, University of Waterloo , Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo , Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, CanadaWaterloo Centre for Astrophysics, University of Waterloo , Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo , Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, CanadaNational Research Council of Canada, Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre , Victoria, BC V9E 2E7, CanadaNational Research Council of Canada, Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre , Victoria, BC V9E 2E7, CanadaNational Research Council of Canada, Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre , Victoria, BC V9E 2E7, CanadaAix-Marseille University , CNRS, CNES, LAM, Marseille, France; INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari , Via della Scienza 5, 09047 Selargius, ItalyUniversitá di Milano-Bicocca , Piazza della Scienza 3, 20100 Milano, Italy; INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera , Vvia Brera 28, 21021 Milano, ItalyAIM, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , Université de Paris, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, FranceNational Research Council of Canada, Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre , Victoria, BC V9E 2E7, CanadaWe analyze deep ( M _* ≳ 10 ^7 M _⊙ ) galaxy stellar mass functions (SMFs) of the Virgo cluster using stellar masses derived as part of the Next Generation Virgo Survey. The total SMF has a slope of $\alpha =-1.3{5}_{-0.02}^{+0.02}$ , which is similar to or steeper than typical field values. Using deep H α data from the Virgo Environmental Survey Tracing Ionised Gas Emission we separate out star-forming galaxies, quiescent galaxies with no ongoing star formation, and low star formation rate (SFR) galaxies that are intermediate between these two populations. For each of these populations, the shape of the SMF is found to be universal throughout the cluster, from the core to the outskirts. The star-forming and quiescent SMFs show stark differences with values seen in field galaxies. The relative fraction of quiescent galaxies is highest in the core of the cluster, with low-SFR and star-forming galaxies more significant in the outer regions of the cluster. At low stellar masses ( M _* ≲ 10 ^9 M _⊙ ), the quiescent fraction in the main cluster is significantly higher than that of the field and even satellites of massive groups. At high stellar masses, the quiescent fraction is similar to other studies of cluster galaxies. We model the quiescent population in the infall region of the cluster as a combination of backsplash and field quiescent galaxies, and find that the backsplash fractions needed to explain the observed population are unrealistically high. This suggests the existence of a third population of low-mass galaxies that are preprocessed outside the virial radius of the cluster, possibly in groups prior to infall.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/addc6cGalaxiesGalaxy clustersVirgo ClusterStellar massesStellar mass functionsGalaxy evolution |
| spellingShingle | Cameron R. Morgan Elizaveta Sazonova Ian D. Roberts Michael L. Balogh Joel Roediger Laura Ferrarese Patrick Côté Alessandro Boselli Matteo Fossati Jean-Charles Cuillandre Stephen Gwyn Deep Galaxy Stellar Mass Functions As a Function of Star Formation Rate in the Virgo Cluster Environment The Astrophysical Journal Galaxies Galaxy clusters Virgo Cluster Stellar masses Stellar mass functions Galaxy evolution |
| title | Deep Galaxy Stellar Mass Functions As a Function of Star Formation Rate in the Virgo Cluster Environment |
| title_full | Deep Galaxy Stellar Mass Functions As a Function of Star Formation Rate in the Virgo Cluster Environment |
| title_fullStr | Deep Galaxy Stellar Mass Functions As a Function of Star Formation Rate in the Virgo Cluster Environment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Deep Galaxy Stellar Mass Functions As a Function of Star Formation Rate in the Virgo Cluster Environment |
| title_short | Deep Galaxy Stellar Mass Functions As a Function of Star Formation Rate in the Virgo Cluster Environment |
| title_sort | deep galaxy stellar mass functions as a function of star formation rate in the virgo cluster environment |
| topic | Galaxies Galaxy clusters Virgo Cluster Stellar masses Stellar mass functions Galaxy evolution |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/addc6c |
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