TY - JOUR
T1 - The environmental dependence of the evolving S0 fraction
AU - Just, Dennis W.
AU - Zaritsky, Dennis
AU - Sand, David J.
AU - Desai, Vandana
AU - Rudnick, Gregory
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2015 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - We re-investigate the dramatic rise in the S0 fraction, f S0, within clusters since z ∼ 0.5. In particular, we focus on the role of the global galaxy environment on f S0 by compiling, either from our own observations or the literature, robust line-of-sight velocity dispersions, σ′s, for a sample of galaxy groups and clusters at 0.1 < z < 0.8 that have uniformly determined, published morphological fractions. We find that the trend of f S0 with redshift is twice as strong for σ < 750 km s-1 groups/poor clusters than for higher-σ, rich clusters. From this result, we infer that over this redshift range galaxy-galaxy interactions, which are more effective in lower-σ environments, are more responsible for transforming spiral galaxies into S0's than galaxy-environment processes, which are more effective in higher-σ environments. The rapid, recent growth of the S0 population in groups and poor clusters implies that large numbers of progenitors exist in low-σ systems at modest redshifts (0.5), where morphologies and internal kinematics are within the measurement range of current technology.
AB - We re-investigate the dramatic rise in the S0 fraction, f S0, within clusters since z ∼ 0.5. In particular, we focus on the role of the global galaxy environment on f S0 by compiling, either from our own observations or the literature, robust line-of-sight velocity dispersions, σ′s, for a sample of galaxy groups and clusters at 0.1 < z < 0.8 that have uniformly determined, published morphological fractions. We find that the trend of f S0 with redshift is twice as strong for σ < 750 km s-1 groups/poor clusters than for higher-σ, rich clusters. From this result, we infer that over this redshift range galaxy-galaxy interactions, which are more effective in lower-σ environments, are more responsible for transforming spiral galaxies into S0's than galaxy-environment processes, which are more effective in higher-σ environments. The rapid, recent growth of the S0 population in groups and poor clusters implies that large numbers of progenitors exist in low-σ systems at modest redshifts (0.5), where morphologies and internal kinematics are within the measurement range of current technology.
KW - Galaxies: clusters: general
KW - Galaxies: evolution
KW - Galaxies: groups: general
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=76949090703&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=76949090703&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1088/0004-637X/711/1/192
DO - 10.1088/0004-637X/711/1/192
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:76949090703
VL - 711
SP - 192
EP - 200
JO - Astrophysical Journal
JF - Astrophysical Journal
SN - 0004-637X
IS - 1
ER -