Evidence for strong evolution in galaxy environmental quenching efficiency between z = 1.6 and z = 0.9

2016/10/25 by Julie Nantais, Julie B. Nantais, Adam Muzzin +11 · 3 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics #Cluster (spacecraft) #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Galaxy #Galaxy cluster #Galaxy formation and evolution #Halo #Physics #Quenching (fluorescence) #Redshift #Star formation #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph.GA

paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/mnrasl/slw224

5 pages, 2 figures, accepted for MNRAS Letters

arxiv created 2016/10/25 · openalex publication_date 2016/10/27 · arxiv updated 2016/12/07 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

Abstract We analyse the evolution of environmental quenching efficiency, the fraction of quenched cluster galaxies that would be star-forming if they were in the field, as a function of redshift in 14 spectroscopically confirmed galaxy clusters with 0.87 < z < 1.63 from the Spitzer Adaptation of the Red-Sequence Cluster Survey (SpARCS). The clusters are the richest in the survey at each redshift. Passive fractions rise from 42_-13⁺¹⁰% at z ∼ 1.6 to 80_-9⁺¹²% at z ∼ 1.3 and 88_-3⁺⁴% at z < 1.1, outpacing the change in passive fraction in the field. Environmental quenching efficiency rises dramatically from 16_-19⁺¹⁵% at z ∼ 1.6 to 62_-15⁺²¹% at z ∼ 1.3 and 73_-7⁺⁸% at z ≲ 1.1. This work is the first to show direct observational evidence for a rapid increase in the strength of environmental quenching in galaxy clusters at z ∼ 1.5, where simulations show cluster-mass halos undergo non-linear collapse and virialisation.

Citations

• The first appearance of the red sequence of galaxies in proto-clusters at 2 lsimzlsim 3
• The Evolution of Early‐Type Galaxies in Distant Clusters
• The importance of satellite quenching for the build-up of the red sequence of present-day galaxies
• EAZY: A Fast, Public Photometric Redshift Code
• EVIDENCE FOR THE UNIVERSALITY OF PROPERTIES OF RED-SEQUENCE GALAXIES IN X-RAY- AND RED-SEQUENCE-SELECTED CLUSTERS ATz∼ 1
• Galaxy population properties of the massive X-ray luminous galaxy cluster XDCP J0044.0-2033 atz= 1.58

Cited by

• GASP – XVII. H i imaging of the jellyfish galaxy JO206: gas stripping and enhanced star formation
• The stellar mass function of galaxies in Planck-selected clusters at 0.5 < z < 0.7: new constraints on the timescale and location of satellite quenching
• The Evolution of Environmental Quenching Timescales to z ∼ 1.6: Evidence for Dynamically Driven Quenching of the Cluster Galaxy Population

Related

• A Gradual Decline of Star Formation since Cluster In-fall: New Kinematic Insights into Environmental Quenching at 0.3 < z < 1.1
• UNCOVER/MegaScience: No Evidence of Environmental Quenching in a z∼2.6 Proto-cluster
• Effect of local environment and stellar mass on galaxy quenching and morphology at 0.5<z<2.0
• Distinct origins of environmentally quenched galaxies in the core and outer virialised regions of massive clusters at 0.8
• Revealing Impact of Critical Stellar Central Density on Galaxy Quenching through Cosmic Time