Evidence for Merging or Disruption of Red Galaxies from the Evolution of Their Clustering

2006/11/30 by Martin White, Zheng Zheng, Michael J. I. Brown +2
Physics and Astronomy · #Artificial intelligence #Astronomy #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics #Cluster analysis #Computer science #Elliptical galaxy #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Galaxy #Galaxy formation and evolution #Galaxy merger #Halo #Interacting galaxy #Physics #Satellite galaxy #Scientific Research and Discoveries #astro-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/512015

published as Astrophys.J.655:L69-L72,2007 · 4 pages, 3 figures, matches version accepted by ApJLett

arxiv created 2006/12/20 · openalex publication_date 2007/01/17 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

The formation and evolution of massive red galaxies form a crucial test of theories of galaxy formation based on hierarchical assembly. In this Letter we use observations of the clustering of luminous red galaxies from the Boötes field and N -body simulations to argue that about of the most luminous satellite galaxies appear to undergo merging or disruption within massive halos between z ≃ 0.9 and 0.5.

Citations

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