The evolution of post-starburst galaxies from z=2 to 0.5
We present the evolution in the number density and stellar mass functions of photometrically selected post-starburst galaxies in the UKIDSSUltraDeep Survey,with redshifts of 0.5<z<2 and stellar masses log (M/M�) >10. We find that this transitionary species of galaxy is rare at all redshifts...
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| Format: | Article |
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Oxford University Press
2016
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39818/ |
| _version_ | 1848795920180707328 |
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| author | Wild, Vivienne Almaini, Omar Dunlop, Jim Simpson, Chris Rowlands, Kate Bowler, Rebecca Maltby, David McLure, Ross |
| author_facet | Wild, Vivienne Almaini, Omar Dunlop, Jim Simpson, Chris Rowlands, Kate Bowler, Rebecca Maltby, David McLure, Ross |
| author_sort | Wild, Vivienne |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | We present the evolution in the number density and stellar mass functions of photometrically selected post-starburst galaxies in the UKIDSSUltraDeep Survey,with redshifts of 0.5<z<2 and stellar masses log (M/M�) >10. We find that this transitionary species of galaxy is rare at all redshifts, contributing ∼5 per cent of the total population at z ∼ 2, to <1 per cent by z ∼ 0.5. By comparing the mass functions of quiescent galaxies to post-starburst galaxies at three cosmic epochs, we show that rapid quenching of star formation can account for
100 per cent of quiescent galaxy formation, if the post-starburst spectral features are visible for ∼250 Myr. The flattening of the low-mass end of the quiescent galaxy stellar mass function seen at z ∼ 1 can be entirely explained by the addition of rapidly quenched galaxies. Only
if a significant fraction of post-starburst galaxies have features that are visible for longer than 250 Myr, or they acquire new gas and return to the star-forming sequence, can there be significant growth of the red sequence from a slower quenching route. The shape of the mass function of these transitory post-starburst galaxies resembles that of quiescent galaxies at z ∼ 2, with a preferred stellar mass of log (M/M�) ∼10.6, but evolves steadily to resemble that of star-forming galaxies at z < 1. This leads us to propose a dual origin for post-starburst galaxies: (1) at z >/~ 2 they are exclusively massive galaxies that have formed the bulk of their stars during a rapid assembly period, followed by complete quenching of further star formation; (2) at z </~1 they are caused by the rapid quenching of gas-rich star-forming galaxies, independent of stellar mass, possibly due to environment and/or gas-rich major mergers. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:39:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-39818 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:39:45Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Oxford University Press |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-398182024-08-15T15:20:51Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39818/ The evolution of post-starburst galaxies from z=2 to 0.5 Wild, Vivienne Almaini, Omar Dunlop, Jim Simpson, Chris Rowlands, Kate Bowler, Rebecca Maltby, David McLure, Ross We present the evolution in the number density and stellar mass functions of photometrically selected post-starburst galaxies in the UKIDSSUltraDeep Survey,with redshifts of 0.5<z<2 and stellar masses log (M/M�) >10. We find that this transitionary species of galaxy is rare at all redshifts, contributing ∼5 per cent of the total population at z ∼ 2, to <1 per cent by z ∼ 0.5. By comparing the mass functions of quiescent galaxies to post-starburst galaxies at three cosmic epochs, we show that rapid quenching of star formation can account for 100 per cent of quiescent galaxy formation, if the post-starburst spectral features are visible for ∼250 Myr. The flattening of the low-mass end of the quiescent galaxy stellar mass function seen at z ∼ 1 can be entirely explained by the addition of rapidly quenched galaxies. Only if a significant fraction of post-starburst galaxies have features that are visible for longer than 250 Myr, or they acquire new gas and return to the star-forming sequence, can there be significant growth of the red sequence from a slower quenching route. The shape of the mass function of these transitory post-starburst galaxies resembles that of quiescent galaxies at z ∼ 2, with a preferred stellar mass of log (M/M�) ∼10.6, but evolves steadily to resemble that of star-forming galaxies at z < 1. This leads us to propose a dual origin for post-starburst galaxies: (1) at z >/~ 2 they are exclusively massive galaxies that have formed the bulk of their stars during a rapid assembly period, followed by complete quenching of further star formation; (2) at z </~1 they are caused by the rapid quenching of gas-rich star-forming galaxies, independent of stellar mass, possibly due to environment and/or gas-rich major mergers. Oxford University Press 2016-11-21 Article PeerReviewed Wild, Vivienne, Almaini, Omar, Dunlop, Jim, Simpson, Chris, Rowlands, Kate, Bowler, Rebecca, Maltby, David and McLure, Ross (2016) The evolution of post-starburst galaxies from z=2 to 0.5. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 463 (1). pp. 832-844. ISSN 0035-8711 galaxies: evolution ; galaxies: formation ; galaxies: high-redshift ; galaxies: luminosity function mass function ; galaxies: stellar content http://mnras.oxfordjournals.org/content/463/1/832 doi:10.1093/mnras/stw1996 doi:10.1093/mnras/stw1996 |
| spellingShingle | galaxies: evolution ; galaxies: formation ; galaxies: high-redshift ; galaxies: luminosity function mass function ; galaxies: stellar content Wild, Vivienne Almaini, Omar Dunlop, Jim Simpson, Chris Rowlands, Kate Bowler, Rebecca Maltby, David McLure, Ross The evolution of post-starburst galaxies from z=2 to 0.5 |
| title | The evolution of post-starburst galaxies from z=2 to 0.5 |
| title_full | The evolution of post-starburst galaxies from z=2 to 0.5 |
| title_fullStr | The evolution of post-starburst galaxies from z=2 to 0.5 |
| title_full_unstemmed | The evolution of post-starburst galaxies from z=2 to 0.5 |
| title_short | The evolution of post-starburst galaxies from z=2 to 0.5 |
| title_sort | evolution of post-starburst galaxies from z=2 to 0.5 |
| topic | galaxies: evolution ; galaxies: formation ; galaxies: high-redshift ; galaxies: luminosity function mass function ; galaxies: stellar content |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39818/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39818/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39818/ |