Tracking Evolutionary Processes with Large Samples of Galaxy Pairs

TL;DR

This paper combines observational galaxy pair data with cosmological simulations to quantitatively analyze galaxy interactions and quenching processes across different environments, providing insights applicable to future high-redshift studies.

Contribution

It introduces a methodology integrating large galaxy pair samples from surveys with simulations to study evolutionary processes in various environments.

Findings

Quantitative understanding of galaxy interactions and quenching effects.

Analysis applicable to future high-redshift observations.

Abstract

Modern redshift surveys enable the identification of large samples of galaxies in pairs, taken from many different environments. Meanwhile, cosmological simulations allow a detailed understanding of the statistical properties of the selected pair samples. Using these tools in tandem leads to a quantitative understanding of the effects of galaxy-galaxy interactions and, separately, the effects quenching processes in the environments of even very small groups. In the era of the next generation of large telescopes, detailed studies of interactions will be enabled to much higher redshifts.