Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): Mid-infrared properties as tracers of galaxy environment

TL;DR

This study examines how mid-infrared galaxy properties from WISE data relate to galaxy clustering and environment, revealing that brighter W1 galaxies are more strongly clustered with minimal redshift dependence.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of mid-IR luminosities as tracers of galaxy environment using GAMA and WISE data, highlighting their relation to clustering.

Findings

Brighter in W1 are more strongly clustered.

Weak redshift dependence of clustering within the studied range.

Mid-IR luminosities do not perfectly trace stellar mass or star formation rate.

Abstract

We investigate how different mid-infrared (mid-IR) properties of galaxies trace the environment in which the galaxies are located. For this purpose, we first study the dependence of galaxy clustering on the absolute magnitude at 3.4 $\mu$m and redshift. Then, we look into the environmental dependence of mid-IR luminosities and the galaxy properties derived from these luminosities. We also explore how various infrared galaxy luminosity selections influence the galaxy clustering measurements. We use a set of W1 (3.4 $\mu$m) absolute magnitude ($M_\text{W1}$) selected samples from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey matched with mid-IR properties from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) in the redshift range $0.07 \leq z < 0.43$. We compute the galaxy two-point correlation function (2pCF) and compare the clustering lengths between subsamples binned in $M_\text{W1}$ and in redshift. We also measure the marked correlation functions (MCFs) using the luminosities in the WISE W1 to W4 (3.4 to 22 $\mu$m) bands as marks. Additionally, we compare the measurements of MCFs with different estimates of stellar mass and star formation rate used as marks. Finally, we check how different selections applied to the sample affect the clustering measurements. We show strong clustering dependence on the W1 absolute magnitude: galaxies brighter in the W1 band are more strongly clustered than their fainter counterparts. We also observe a lack of significant redshift dependence of clustering in the redshift range $0.07 \leq z < 0.43$. We show that although W1 and W2 bands are direct indicators of stellar mass, a galaxy sample selected based on W1 or W2 bands does not perfectly show the clustering behaviour of a stellar mass selected sample. Similar is the case with the proxy relation between W3 and W4 bands and star formation rate.