Related papers: Identifying mergers using non-parametric morpholog…
It is still a challenge to assess the merger fraction of galaxies at different cosmic epochs in order to probe the evolution of their mass assembly. Using the Illustris cosmological simulations, we investigate the relation between the…
We present a morphology study of intermediate-redshift (0.2<z<1.2) luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) and general field galaxies in the GOODS fields using a revised asymmetry measurement method optimized for deep fields. By taking careful…
We construct merger trees for galaxies identified in a cosmological hydrodynamical simulation and use them to characterize predicted merger rates as a function of redshift, galaxy mass, and merger mass ratio. At z=0.3, we find a mean rate…
The morphology of galaxies reflects their assembly history and ongoing dynamical perturbations from the environment. Analyzing i-band images from the Pan-STARRS1 Survey, we study the optical morphological asymmetry of the host galaxies of a…
Recent observations of UV-/optically selected, massive star forming galaxies at z~2 indicate that the baryonic mass assembly and star formation history is dominated by continuous rapid accretion of gas and internal secular evolution, rather…
Estimates of galaxy merger rates based on counts of close pairs typically assume that most of the observed systems will merge within a few hundred Myr (for projected pair separations <25 kpc/h). Here we investigate these assumptions using…
Galaxy mergers are expected to have a significant role in the mass assembly of galaxies in the early Universe, but there are very few observational constraints on the merger history of galaxies at $z>2$. We present the first study of galaxy…
The morphology of the atomic hydrogen (HI) disk of a spiral galaxy is the first component to be disturbed by a gravitational interaction such as a merger between two galaxies. We use a simple parametrisation of the morphology of HI column…
We present a measurement of the galaxy merger fraction and number density from observations in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field for 0.5<z<2.5. We fit the combination of broadband data and slitless spectroscopy of 1308 galaxies with stellar…
In this review we discuss the evidence for galaxy interactions and mergers in the distant universe and the role of mergers in forming galaxies. Observations show that the fraction of massive (M> M_*) galaxies involved in major mergers is…
We explore the evolution of the morphology density relation using the COSMOS-ACS survey and previous cluster studies. The Gini parameter measured in a Petrosian aperture is found to be an effective way of selecting early-type galaxies free…
A key obstacle to understanding the galaxy merger rate and its role in galaxy evolution is the difficulty in constraining the merger properties and time-scales from instantaneous snapshots of the real universe.The most common way to…
A fundamental feature of galaxies is their structure, yet we are just now understanding the evolution of structural properties in quantitative ways. As such, we explore the quantitative non-parametric structural evolution of 16,778 galaxies…
To determine the importance of merging galaxies to galaxy evolution, it is necessary to design classification tools that can identify different types and stages of merging galaxies. Previously, using GADGET-3/SUNRISE simulations of merging…
We present a study of the incidence of active galactic nucleus (AGN) in a sample of major merging systems at 0.3<z<2.5. Galaxies in this merger sample have projected separations between 3 to 15 kpc and are selected from the CANDELS/3D-HST…
Context: From redshift 6 to redshift $\approx$ 4 galaxies grow rapidly from low mass galaxies towards the more mature massive galaxies we see at the cosmic noon. Growth via gas accretion and mergers undoubtedly shape this evolution -…
We investigate the total major (> 1:4 by stellar mass) and minor (> 1:100 by stellar mass) merger history of a population of 80 massive (M_* > 10^11 M_sol) galaxies at high redshifts (z = 1.7 - 3). We utilize extremely deep and high…
We perform a comprehensive estimate of the frequency of galaxy mergers and their impact on star formation over z~0.24--0.80 (lookback time T_b~3--7 Gyr) using 3698 (M*>=1e9 Msun) galaxies with GEMS HST, COMBO-17, and Spitzer data. Our…
Merging is potentially the dominate process in galaxy formation, yet there is still debate about its history over cosmic time. To address this we classify major mergers and measure galaxy merger rates up to z $\sim$ 3 in all five CANDELS…
While galaxy cluster masses are fundamental cosmological observables, estimates based on intra-cluster medium observations rely on hydrostatic equilibrium, introducing a systematic bias. We investigate how mergers drive the time evolution…