2017/02/20 by Allison R. Hill, Adam Muzzin, Marijn Franx +17
Environmental Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Galaxy #Galaxy formation and evolution #Physics #Remote Sensing in Agriculture #Star formation #Stellar mass #astro-ph.GA
paper · pdf · doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aa61fe
19 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication
arxiv created 2017/02/20 · openalex publication_date 2017/03/10 · arxiv updated 2017/03/22 · openalex created_date 2017/05/19 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Abstract In this paper, we use stacking analysis to trace the mass growth, color evolution, and structural evolution of present-day massive galaxies ( ) out to z = 5. We utilize the exceptional depth and area of the latest UltraVISTA data release, combined with the depth and unparalleled seeing of CANDELS to gather a large, mass-selected sample of galaxies in the NIR (rest-frame optical to UV). Progenitors of present-day massive galaxies are identified via an evolving cumulative number density selection, which accounts for the effects of merging to correct for the systematic biases introduced using a fixed cumulative number density selection, and find progenitors grow in stellar mass by since z = 5. Using stacking, we analyze the structural parameters of the progenitors and find that most of the stellar mass content in the central regions was in place by , and while galaxies continue to assemble mass at all radii, the outskirts experience the largest fractional increase in stellar mass. However, we find evidence of significant stellar mass build-up at beyond probing an era of significant mass assembly in the interiors of present-day massive galaxies. We also compare mass assembly from progenitors in this study to the EAGLE simulation and find qualitatively similar assembly with z at . We identify as a distinct epoch in the evolution of massive galaxies where progenitors transitioned from growing in mass and size primarily through in situ star formation in disks to a period of efficient growth in r e consistent with the minor merger scenario.