Luminosity-Dependent Assembly Bias of Central Galaxies from Weak Lensing and Clustering

TL;DR

This study provides observational evidence that brighter central galaxies in clusters exhibit different clustering behavior than fainter ones, supporting the existence of assembly bias predicted by simulations, using weak lensing and clustering data.

Contribution

First observational confirmation of luminosity-dependent assembly bias of central galaxies using weak lensing and clustering measurements from DESI data.

Findings

Brighter BCGs are less strongly clustered on large scales.

Relative bias ratio deviates from unity at ~3σ significance.

Hydrodynamical simulations show similar luminosity-dependent trends.

Abstract

Assembly bias, which is the variation in halo clustering at fixed mass driven by formation history, has long been predicted by numerical simulations but remains difficult to confirm observationally. Previous studies have reported evidence for halo assembly bias by dividing samples according to galaxy stellar mass using various methods. In this work, we present observational measurements of halo assembly bias based on the luminosity of spectroscopically confirmed brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs). Using cluster catalogs and shear measurements from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys, we employ a mass-dependent halo-bias model to disentangle halo bias from its underlying mass dependence in galaxy-galaxy lensing and clustering measurements. We confirm that brighter BCGs are less strongly clustered on large scales, with a relative bias ratio deviating from unity at the $\sim3\sigma$ level, suggesting the presence of assembly bias. Similar qualitative trends are also found in the FLAMINGO and MillenniumTNG hydrodynamical simulations, strengthening the connection between galaxy luminosity and halo formation history.