The Hierarchical Build-Up of Massive Galaxies and the Intracluster Light since z = 1

By C. Conroy, Risa Wechsler, Andrey V. Kravtsov. 2007

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We use a set of simulation-based models for the dissipationless evolution of galaxies since z = 1 to constrain the fate of accreted satellites embedded in dark matter subhalos. These models assign stellar mass to dark matter halos at z = 1 by relating the observed galaxy stellar mass function (GSMF) to the halo + subhalo mass function monotonically. The evolution of the stellar mass content is then followed using halo merger trees extracted from N-body simulations. Our models are differentiated only in the fate assigned to satellite galaxies once subhalos, within which satellites are embedded, disrupt. These models are confronted with the observed evolution in the massive end of the GSMF, the z ~ 0 brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) to cluster mass relation, and the combined BCG and intracluster light (ICL) luminosity distribution—all observables expected to evolve approximately dissipationlessly since z = 1. The combined observational constraints favor a model in which the vast majority (≳80%) of satellite stars from disrupted subhalos go into the ICL (operationally defined here as light below a surface brightness cut of μi ≈ 23 mag arcsec-2). Conversely, models that leave behind a significant population of satellite galaxies once the subhalo has disrupted are strongly disfavored, as are models that put a significant fraction of satellite stars into the BCG. Our results show that observations of the ICL provide useful and unique constraints on models of galaxy merging and the dissipationless evolution of galaxies in groups and clusters.

Subfields: Astronomy and Astrophysics, Ecology, Instrumentation

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/e86d587f14e3bf240eebbf40345df7f0b5161f2f

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Citations in the corpus

How do galaxies populate dark matter haloes (2009, methodology): “This method was proposed by Vale & Ostriker (2004) and then extended by several groups to consider a variety of properties both for the galaxies and for their halos/subhalos (Conroy et al. 2006; Shankar et al. 2006; Conroy et al. 2007; Baldry et al. 2008; Moster et al. 2009).”
The many manifestations of downsizing: hierarchical galaxy formation models confront observations (2009, background): “The merger-driven evolution at z < 1 may be slowed down by scattering of stars into the diffuse stellar component of galaxy groups and clusters (Monaco et al. 2006; Conroy et al. 2007; S08).”
A semi-analytic model for the co-evolution of galaxies, black holes and active galactic nuclei (2008, result): “In agreement with previous studies by Monaco et al. (2006) and Conroy et al. (2007), we find that the model with f scatter = 0.4 is able to reproduce the observed stellar mass function of C© 2008 The Authors.”
THE AVERAGE STAR FORMATION HISTORIES OF GALAXIES IN DARK MATTER HALOS FROM z = 0–8 (2012, background): “(B8) Note that the merging satellite ICL is not deposited into thecentral galaxy’s ICL, which is the same approach taken by Conroy et al. (2007) and Purcell et al. (2007).”
Galactic star formation and accretion histories from matching galaxies to dark matter haloes (2012, background): “With the advent of wide high-redshift surveys, it has become possible to use this connection, together with information on the evolution of dark matter haloes, to study the evolution of galaxy properties throughout their history (e.g. White et al. 2007; Conroy et al. 2007).”
Red Galaxy Growth and the Halo Occupation Distribution (2008, methodology): “This may indicate that mergers with very massive halos shift stellar mass out of the red galaxy population, perhaps into the ICL (e.g., Gonzalez et al. 2000; Arnaboldi et al. 2002; Feldmeier et al. 2004; Zibetti et al. 2005; Monaco et al. 2006; White et al. 2007; Conroy et al. 2007a, 2007b).”
Stellar Mass—Halo Mass Relation and Star Formation Efficiency in High-Mass Halos (2014, background): “…mass end to other observational estimates of this relation at smaller masses, such as weak lensing (Mandelbaum et al. 2006; Reyes et al. 2012; Hudson et al. 2013) and satellite kinematics (More et al. 2011, earlier results by Conroy et al. 2007b are consistent with these results and are not shown).”
Ongoing assembly of massive galaxies by major merging in large groups and clusters from the SDSS (2007, background): “Various groups have argued that disruptionof SAT galaxies through tidal stripping and heating can remove 10–80% of their stellar mass and account fr the ICL (Monaco et al. 2006; White et al. 2007; Conroy et al. 2007).”
EVOLUTION OF THE GALAXY–DARK MATTER CONNECTION AND THE ASSEMBLY OF GALAXIES IN DARK MATTER HALOS (2011, unknown): “…et al. 2002; Moustakas & Somerville 2002; Yan et al. 2003; Zheng 2004; Lee et al. 2006; Hamana et al. 2006; Cooray 2005, 2006; Cooray & Ouchi 2006; Conroy et al. 2005, 2007; White et al. 2007; Zheng et al. 2007; Conroy & Wechsler 2009; Wang & Jing 2010; Wetzel & White 2010; Wang & Jing 2010;…”
What determines satellite galaxy disruption (2009, methodology): “…the center of its halo if it comes within 5 kpc. Applying the model of Zentner et al. (2005) to the build-up of the ICL, (Purcell et al. 2007) allow satellite disruption to begin at ∼ 20% of infall mass (see also Monaco et al. 2006; Conroy et al. 2007, for models of tidal disruption into the ICL).”
First results from the IllustrisTNG simulations: the stellar mass content of groups and clusters of galaxies (2017, methodology): “…on hydrodynamical simulations (Puchwein et al. 2010; Contini et al. 2014; Cui et al. 2014), semi-analytical and controlled N-body experiments (De Lucia & Blaizot 2007; Conroy et al. 2007; Laporte et al. 2013; Cooper et al. 2015) or semi-empirical models (Behroozi et al. 2013; Moster et al. 2017).”
GALAXY CLUSTER BARYON FRACTIONS REVISITED (2013, background): “…light (ICL) provides a stringent test for models of cluster galaxy evolution and cluster luminosity function evolution, as the latter serves as a final reservoir for all stars liberated from other cluster galaxies (Conroy et al. 2007; Purcell et al. 2007; Behroozi et al. 2013; Watson et al. 2012).”