Related papers: Dry Mergers: A Crucial Test for Galaxy Formation
We compile a number of observations to estimate the time-averaged rate of formation or buildup of red sequence galaxies, as a function of mass and redshift. Comparing this with the mass functions of mergers and quasar hosts, and…
Galaxy merging is the late time manifestation of the galaxy formation process and likely significantly effects $z<1$ galaxies. A ``maximum reasonable rate'' model for merging finds a $\sim2$ mag K band increase in the luminosities of dwarf…
We use a large sample of $\sim 350,000$ galaxies constructed by combining the UKIDSS UDS, VIDEO/CFHT-LS, UltraVISTA/COSMOS and GAMA survey regions to probe the major merging histories of massive galaxies ($>10^{10}\ \mathrm{M}_\odot$) at…
ABRIDGED: We study the evolution since z~1 of the rest-frame B luminosity function of the early-type galaxies (ETGs) in ~0.7 deg^2 in the COSMOS field. In order to identify ALL progenitors of local ETGs we construct the sample of high-z…
We measure the fraction of Luminous Red Galaxies (LRGs) in dynamically close pairs (with projected separation less than 20 $h^{-1}$ kpc and velocity difference less than 500 km s$^{-1}$) to estimate the dry merger rate for galaxies with…
Using a large suite of galaxies with a variety of concentrations and metallicity gradients, we study the evolution of non-dissipative ("dry") equal mass mergers. Our purpose in generating these simulations is to explore how the metallicity…
Interactions and mergers play an important role in regulating the physical properties of galaxies, such as their morphology, gas content, and star formation rate (SFR). Controversy exists as to the degree to which these events, even…
Mergers are fundamental to our understanding of the processes driving the evolution of the structure and morphology of galaxies, star formation, AGN activity, and the redistribution of stellar mass in the Universe. Determining the fraction…
The contribution of major mergers to galaxy mass assembly along cosmic time is an important ingredient to the galaxy evolution scenario. We aim to measure the evolution of the merger rate for both luminosity/mass selected galaxy samples and…
Theoretical models are vital for exploring the galaxy merger process, which plays a crucial role in the evolution of galaxies. Recent advances in modelling have placed tight constraints on the buildup of stellar material in galaxies across…
Understanding the details of how the red sequence is built is a key question in galaxy evolution. What are the relative roles of gas-rich vs. dry mergers, major vs. minor mergers or galaxy mergers vs. gas accretion? In Wild et al. 2009 we…
Massive quiescent galaxies at high redshift are significantly more compact than their present-day counterparts. We investigate the roles, in determining this evolution, of major and minor mergers, and of the accretion of diffuse envelopes…
Understanding the role of mergers in galaxy formation is one of the most outstanding problems in extragalactic astronomy. While we now have an idea for how the merger fraction evolves at redshifts z < 3, converting this merger fraction into…
The evolution of low-mass galaxies is shaped by both internal processes and environmental factors, yet the role of environment and mergers in regulating their growth and star formation rates remains poorly understood, especially in the…
We discuss how the conditions at high redshift differ from those at low redshift, and what the impact is on the galaxy population. We focus in particular on the role of gaseous dissipation and its impact on sustaining high star formation…
We study whether dry merger-driven size growth of massive elliptical galaxies depends on their initial structural concentration, and analyse the validity of the homology hypothesis for virial mass determination in massive ellipticals grown…
Observing massive galaxies at various redshifts is one of the most straightforward and direct approaches towards understanding galaxy formation. There is now largely a consensus that the massive galaxy (M_* > 10^11 M_0) population is fully…
We measure the role of major and minor mergers in forming the stellar masses of galaxies over $0<z<3$ using a combination of $\sim 3.25$ deg$^{2}$ of the deepest ground based near-infrared imaging taken to date as part of the REFINE survey.…
Using data from the Spitzer Space Telescope, we analyze the mid-infrared (3-70 micron) spectral energy distributions of dry merger candidates in the Bootes field of the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey. These candidates were selected by previous…
Several studies have tried to ascertain whether or not the increase in abundance of the early-type galaxies (E-S0a's) with time is mainly due to major mergers, reaching opposite conclusions. We have tested it directly through…