On the formation mechanisms of compact elliptical galaxies

Ferré-Mateu, Anna; Forbes, Duncan A.; Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Dixon, Christopher

doi:10.1093/mnras/stx2442

Cited by 36 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…On its own, the F2-HSC survey confirms that massive compact quiescent galaxies are most abundant in the densest environments (Damjanov et al 2015b;Ferré-Mateu et al 2017;Buitrago et al 2018). However, based on stellar mass, size, and D n 4000 indices, we cannot distinguish between the processes that create and destroy these extreme systems.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 92%

Quiescent Galaxy Size and Spectroscopic Evolution: Combining HSC Imaging and Hectospec Spectroscopy

Damjanov

Zahid

Geller

et al. 2019

ApJ

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We explore the relations between size, stellar mass and average stellar population age (indicated by D n 4000 indices) for a sample of ∼ 11000 intermediate-redshift galaxies from the SHELS spectroscopic survey (Geller et al. 2014) augmented by high-resolution Subaru Telescope Hyper Suprime-Cam imaging. In the redshift interval 0.1 < z < 0.6, star forming galaxies are on average larger than their quiescent counterparts. The mass-complete sample of ∼ 3500 M * > 10 10 M quiescent galaxies shows that the average size of a 10 11 M quiescent galaxy increases by 25% from z ∼ 0.6 to z ∼ 0.1. This growth rate is a function of stellar mass: the most massive (M * > 10 11 M ) galaxies grow significntly more slowly in size than an order of magnitude less massive quiescent systems that grow by 70% in the 0.1 z 0.3 redshift interval. For M * < 10 11 M galaxies age and size are anti-correlated at fixed mass; more massive quiescent systems show no significant trend in size with average stellar population age. The evolution in absolute and fractional abundances of quiescent systems at intermediate redshift are also a function of galaxy stellar mass. The suite of evolutionary trends suggests that galaxies more massive than ∼ 10 11 M have mostly assembled their mass by z ∼ 0.6. Quiescent galaxies with lower stellar masses show more complex evolution that is characterized by a combination of individual quiescent galaxy size growth (through mergers) and an increase in the size of newly quenched galaxies joining the population at later times (progenitor bias). The low-mass population (M * ∼ 10 10 M ) grows predominantly as a result of progenitor bias. For more massive (M * ∼ 5 × 10 10 M ) quiescent galaxies, (predominantly minor) mergers and progenitor bias make more comparable contributions to the size growth. At intermediate redshift quiescent size growth is mass-dependent; the most massive (M * > 10 11 M ) galaxies experience the least rapid increase in size from z ∼ 0.6 to z ∼ 0.1.

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Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 92%

Quiescent Galaxy Size and Spectroscopic Evolution: Combining HSC Imaging and Hectospec Spectroscopy

Damjanov

Zahid

Geller

et al. 2019

ApJ

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“…Gallazzi et al 2005;Kirby et al 2013), the high metallicity of the NSC would then imply that it must have formed in an originally massive galaxy, similar to FCC 47. Alternatively, the NSC might have formed as a red nugget at high redshift and would have ended up as a metal-rich compact elliptical (cE) or massive relic (Ferré-Mateu et al 2017;Martín-Navarro et al 2019) but instead got captured by FCC 47. This scenario could explain the metallicity as many cEs are known to have a relatively high metallicity for their mass (Zhang et al 2018).…”

Section: Evidence For Merger History Of Fcc 47mentioning

confidence: 99%

Constraining nuclear star cluster formation using MUSE-AO observations of the early-type galaxy FCC 47

Fahrion

Lyubenova

Ven

et al. 2019

A&A

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Context. Nuclear star clusters (NSCs) are found in at least 70% of all galaxies, but their formation path is still unclear. In the most common scenarios, NSCs form in-situ from the galaxy's central gas reservoir, through merging of globular clusters (GCs), or through a combination of the two. Aims. As the scenarios pose different expectations for angular momentum and stellar population properties of the NSC in comparison to the host galaxy and the GC system, it is necessary to characterise the stellar light, NSC and GCs simultaneously. The large NSC (r eff = 66 pc) and rich GC system of the early-type Fornax cluster galaxy FCC 47 (NGC 1336) render this galaxy an ideal laboratory to constrain NSC formation. Methods. Using MUSE science verification data assisted by adaptive optics, we obtained maps for the stellar kinematics and for stellar-population properties of FCC 47. We extracted the spectra of the central NSC and determined line-of-sight velocities of 24 GCs and metallicities of five. Results. FCC 47 shows two decoupled components (KDCs): a rotating disk and the NSC. Our orbit-based dynamical Schwarzschild model revealed that the NSC is a distinct kinematic feature and it constitutes the peak of metallicity and old ages in the galaxy. The main body consists of two counter-rotating populations and is dominated by a more metal-poor population. The GC system is bimodal with a dominant metal-poor population and the total GC system mass is ∼ 17% of the NSC mass (∼ 7 × 10 8 M ). Conclusions. The rotation, high metallicity and high mass of the NSC cannot be uniquely explained by GC-inspiral and most likely requires additional, but quickly quenched, in-situ formation. The presence of two KDCs most probably are evidence of a major merger that has altered the structure of FCC 47 significantly, indicating the important role of galaxy mergers in forming the complex kinematics in the galaxy-NSC system.

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“…Even though Subhalo 282780 formed very early and is the second oldest in the candidates sample, it is the one with the lowest 𝑀 * and 𝜎 c . Relaxing the constraints imposed by Y17 sample, towards less extreme 𝜎 c and 𝑀 * /𝑀 dyn , Subhalo 282780 could maybe be considered an intermediate-mass relic analogue, as the one discovered by Ferré-Mateu et al (2018), PGC012519. However, Subhalo 282780 has non-negligible star formation activity extending until 𝑧 ∼ 1, so it would have a lower degree of relicness.…”

Section: Which Are the Best Relic Analogues In Tng50?mentioning

confidence: 98%

“…From an observational perspective, a broader explanation on the diverse formation pathways of compact elliptical galaxies has been presented by Ferré-Mateu et al (2018) andFerré-Mateu et al (2021).…”

Section: Formation Of the Relic Analoguesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relic galaxy analogues in Illustris TNG50: the formation pathways of surviving red nuggets in a cosmological simulation

Flores-Freitas,

Chies-Santos,

Furlanetto

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Relic galaxies are massive compact quiescent galaxies that formed at high-redshift and remained almost unchanged since then. In this work, we search for analogues to relic galaxies in the TNG50 cosmological simulations to understand relic formation and test the ability of TNG50 to reproduce such rare objects. Using stellar mass, age, radius, quiescence and stellar assembly criteria, we find 5 subhalos in TNG50 that could be potential relic analogues. We compare their properties with other constraints imposed by a sample of 13 observed relic galaxies. We find one analogue in TNG50 that simultaneously satisfies most of the available observational constraints, such as metallicity and morphology. It also shows similarities to the confirmed relic NGC 1277, regarding environment and dark matter fraction. By taking into account a degree of relicness, a second relic analogue may also be considered. However, the central parts of the brightness and density profiles of the analogues are less steep than that of real relic galaxies, possibly due to limited numerical resolution. We identify two formation pathways of relic analogues in TNG50 depending on their environment: they either have their remaining gas stripped during the infall into a cluster at 𝑧 1.2 or consume it before 𝑧 > 1.5. They are then deprived of significant star formation, leaving their stellar populations almost unaltered during the last 9 Gyr. We also find that the analogue progenitors at 𝑧 ∼ 4 inhabit more massive halos than progenitors of quiescent galaxies with similar stellar mass at 𝑧 ∼ 0.

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On the formation mechanisms of compact elliptical galaxies

Cited by 36 publications

References 71 publications

Quiescent Galaxy Size and Spectroscopic Evolution: Combining HSC Imaging and Hectospec Spectroscopy

Quiescent Galaxy Size and Spectroscopic Evolution: Combining HSC Imaging and Hectospec Spectroscopy

Constraining nuclear star cluster formation using MUSE-AO observations of the early-type galaxy FCC 47

Relic galaxy analogues in Illustris TNG50: the formation pathways of surviving red nuggets in a cosmological simulation

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