Galaxy pairs as a probe for mergers at z ~ 2
Allison W. S. Man, Andrew Zirm, Sune Toft
TL;DR
This study examines the evolution of galaxy pair fractions from redshift 0 to 3, estimating that massive galaxies experience about 1 major merger since z=3, and discusses limitations of using pair fractions to study galaxy mergers.
Contribution
It provides an analysis of the redshift evolution of galaxy pair fractions and estimates merger rates for massive galaxies over cosmic time.
Findings
Massive galaxies undergo approximately 1 major merger since z=3.
The pair fraction as a merger indicator has current limitations.
The study is based on a sample of 196 galaxies from the COSMOS field.
Abstract
In this work I investigate the redshift evolution of pair fraction of a sample of 196 massive galaxies from z = 0 to 3, selected from the COSMOS field. We find that on average a massive galaxy undergoes ~ 1.1 \pm 0.5 major merger since z = 3. I will review the current limitations of using the pair fraction as a probe for quantifying the impact of mergers on galaxy evolution. This work is based on the paper Man et al. (2011).
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Taxonomy
TopicsGalaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena · Astronomy and Astrophysical Research · Adaptive optics and wavefront sensing