Galaxy formation and evolution

Abstract:

Observations of galaxy isophotes, long-slit kinematics, and high-resolution photometry suggested a possible dichotomy between two distinct classes of elliptical galaxies. But these methods are expensive for large galaxy samples. Instead, integral field spectroscopy can efficiently recognize the shape, dynamics, and stellar population of complete samples of early-type galaxies (ETGs). These studies showed that the two main classes, the fast and slow rotators, can be separated using stellar kinematics. I show that there is a dichotomy in the dynamics of the two classes. The slow rotators are weakly triaxial and dominate above Mcrit ≈ 2 1011 M . Below Mcrit, the structure of fast rotators parallels that of spiral galaxies. There is a smooth sequence along which the age, the metal content, the enhancement in α-elements, and the weight of the stellar initial mass function all increase with the central mass density slope, or bulge mass fraction, while the molecular gas fraction correspondingly decreases. The properties of ETGs on galaxy scaling relations, in particular the (M*, Re) diagram, and their dependence on environment, indicate two main independent channels for galaxy evolution. Fast-rotator ETGs start as star-forming disks and evolve through a channel dominated by gas accretion, bulge growth, and quenching, whereas slow rotators assemble near the centers of massive halos via intense star formation at high redshift and remain as such for the rest of their evolution via a channel dominated by gas poor mergers. This is consistent with independent studies of the galaxies redshift evolution.

Abstract:

We present a population study of the star formation history of 1244 Type 2 AGN host galaxies, compared to 6107 inactive galaxies. A Bayesian method is used to determine individual galaxy star formation histories, which are then collated to visualise the distribution for quenching and quenched galaxies within each population. We find evidence for some of the Type 2 AGN host galaxies having undergone a rapid drop in their star formation rate within the last 2 Gyr. AGN feedback is therefore important at least for this population of galaxies. This result is not seen for the quenching and quenched inactive galaxies whose star formation histories are dominated by the effects of downsizing at earlier epochs, a secondary effect for the AGN host galaxies. We show that histories of rapid quenching cannot account fully for the quenching of all the star formation in a galaxy's lifetime across the population of quenched AGN host galaxies, and that histories of slower quenching, attributed to secular (non-violent) evolution, are also key in their evolution. This is in agreement with recent results showing both merger-driven and non-merger processes are contributing to the co-evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes. The availability of gas in the reservoirs of a galaxy, and its ability to be replenished, appear to be the key drivers behind this co-evolution.