Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Red Riding On Hood: Exploring How Galaxy Colour Depends On Environment, Pankaj C. Bhambhani, Ivan K. Baldry, Sarah Brough, Alexander D. Hill, M A. Lara-Lopez, J Loveday, Benne Holwerda

Faculty Scholarship

Galaxy populations are known to exhibit a strong colour bimodality, corresponding to blue star-forming and red quiescent subpopulations. The relative abundance of the two populations has been found to vary with stellar mass and environment. In this paper, we explore the effect of environment considering different types of measurements. We choose a sample of 49 911 galaxies with 0.05 < z < 0.18 from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly survey. We study the dependence of the fraction of red galaxies on different measures of the local environment as well as the large-scale `geometric’ environment defined by density gradients in the surrounding cosmic web. We find that the red galaxy fraction varies with the environment at fixed stellar mass. The red fraction depends more strongly on local environmental measures than on large-scale geometric environment measures. By comparing the different environmental densities, we show that no density measurement fully explains the observed environmental red fraction variation, suggesting the different measures of environmental density contain different information. We test whether the local environmental measures, when combined together, can explain all the observed environmental red fraction variation. The geometric environment has a small residual effect, and this effect is larger for voids than any other type of geometric environment. This could provide a test of the physics applied to cosmological-scale galaxy evolution simulations as it combines large-scale effects with local environmental impact.

Galapagos-2/Galfitm/Gama – Multi-Wavelength Measurement Of Galaxy Structure: Separating The Properties Of Spheroid And Disk Components In Modern Surveys, Boris Häußler, Marina Vika, Steven P. Bamford, Evelyn J. Johnston, Sarah Brough, Sarah Casura, Benne Holwerda, Lee S. Kelvin, Cristina Popescu

Faculty Scholarship

Aims. We present the capabilities of GALAPAGOS-2 and GALFITM in the context of fitting two-component profiles – bulge–disk decompositions – to galaxies, with the ultimate goal of providing complete multi-band, multi-component fitting of large samples of galaxies in future surveys. We also release both the code and the fit results to 234 239 objects from the DR3 of the GAMA survey, a sample significantly deeper than in previous works.

Methods. We use stringent tests on both simulated and real data, as well as comparison to public catalogues to evaluate the advantages of using multi-band over single-band data.

Results. We show …

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (Gama): Properties And Evolution Of Red Spiral Galaxies, Smriti Mahajan, Kriti Kamal Gupta, Rahul Rana, M. J.I. Brown, S. Phillipps, Joss Bland-Hawthorn, M. N. Bremer, S. Brough, Benne W. Holwerda, A. M. Hopkins, J. Loveday, Kevin Pimbblet, Lingyu Wang

Faculty Scholarship

We use multiwavelength data from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey to explore the cause of red optical colours in nearby (0.002 < z < 0.06) spiral galaxies. We show that the colours of red spiral galaxies are a direct consequence of some environment-related mechanism(s) that has removed dust and gas, leading to a lower star formation rate. We conclude that this process acts on long time-scales (several Gyr) due to a lack of morphological transformation associated with the transition in optical colour. The specific star formation rate (sSFR) and dust-to-stellar mass ratio of red spiral galaxies is found to be statistically lower than blue spiral galaxies. On the other hand, red spirals are on average 0.9 dex more massive, and reside in environments 2.6 times denser than their blue counterparts. We find no evidence of excessive nuclear activity, or higher inclination angles to support these as the major causes for the red optical colours seen in ≳47 per cent of all spirals in our sample. Furthermore, for a small subsample of our spiral galaxies that are detected in H I, we find that the SFR of gas-rich red spiral galaxies is lower by ∼1 dex than their blue counterparts.

The Frequency Of Dust Lanes In Edge-On Spiral Galaxies Identified By Galaxy Zoo In Kids Imaging Of Gama Targets, Benne W. Holwerda, Lee Kelvin, Ivan Baldry, Chris Lintott, Mehmet Alpaslan, Kevin A. Pimbblet, Jochen Liske, Thomas Kitching, Steven Bamford, Jelte De Jong, Maciej Bilicki, Andrew Hopkins, Joanna Bridge, R. Steele, A. Jacques, S. Goswami, S. Kusmic, W. Roemer, S. Kruk, C. C. Popescu, K. Kuijken, L. Wang, A. Wright

Faculty Scholarship

Dust lanes bisect the plane of a typical edge-on spiral galaxy as a dark optical absorption feature. Their appearance is linked to the gravitational stability of spiral disks; the fraction of edge-on galaxies that displays a dust lane is a direct indicator of the typical vertical balance between gravity and turbulence: a balance struck between the energy input from star formation and the gravitational pull into the plane of the disk. Based on morphological classifications by the Galaxy Zoo project on the Kilo Degree Survey (KiDS) imaging data in the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) fields, we explore the relation …

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (Gama): Blue Spheroids Within 87 Mpc, Smriti Mahajan, Michael J. Drinkwater, S. Driver, A. M. Hopkins, Alister W. Graham, S. Brough, Michael J.I. Brown, Benne W. Holwerda, Matt S. Owers, Kevin A. Pimbblet

Faculty Scholarship

In this paper, we test if nearby blue spheroid (BSph) galaxies may become the progenitors of star-forming spiral galaxies or passively evolving elliptical galaxies. Our sample comprises 428 galaxies of various morphologies in the redshift range 0.002 < Ζ < 0.02 (8-87 Mpc) with panchromatic data from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly survey. We find that BSph galaxies are structurally (mean effective surface brightness, effective radius) very similar to their passively evolving red counterparts. However, their star formation and other properties such as colour, age, and metallicity are more like star-forming spirals than spheroids (ellipticals and lenticulars). We show that BSph galaxies are statistically distinguishable from other spheroids as well as spirals in the multidimensional space mapped by luminosity-weighted age, metallicity, dust mass, and specific star formation rate. We use HI data to reveal that some of the BSphs are (further) developing their discs, hence their blue colours. They may eventually become spiral galaxies - if sufficient gas accretion occurs - or more likely fade into low-mass red galaxies.

Galaxy And Mass Assembly: Automatic Morphological Classification Of Galaxies Using Statistical Learning, Sreevarsha Sreejith, Sergiy Pereverzyev, Lee S. Kelvin, Francine R. Marleau, Markus Haltmeier, Judith Ebner, Joss Bland-Hawthorn, Simon P. Driver, Alister W. Graham, Benne W. Holwerda, Andrew M. Hopkins, Jochen Liske, Jon Loveday, Amanda J. Moffett, Kevin A. Pimbblet, Edward N. Taylor, Lingyu Wang, Angus H. Wright

Faculty Scholarship

We apply four statistical learning methods to a sample of 7941 galaxies (z < 0.06) from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly survey to test the feasibility of using automated algorithms to classify galaxies. Using 10 features measured for each galaxy (sizes, colours, shape parameters, and stellar mass), we apply the techniques of Support Vector Machines, Classification Trees, Classification Trees with Random Forest (CTRF) and Neural Networks, and returning True Prediction Ratios (TPRs) of 75.8 per cent, 69.0 per cent, 76.2 per cent, and 76.0 per cent, respectively. Those occasions whereby all four algorithms agree with each other yet disagree with the visual classification ('unanimous disagreement') serves as a potential indicator of human error in classification, occurring in ~ 9 per cent of ellipticals, ~ 9 per cent of little blue spheroids, ~ 14 per cent of early-type spirals, ~ 21 per cent of intermediate-type spirals, and ~ 4 per cent of late-type spirals and irregulars. We observe that the choice of parameters rather than that of algorithms is more crucial in determining classification accuracy. Due to its simplicity in formulation and implementation, we recommend the CTRF algorithm for classifying future galaxy data sets. Adopting the CTRF algorithm, the TPRs of the five galaxy types are: E, 70.1 per cent; LBS, 75.6 per cent; S0-Sa, 63.6 per cent; Sab-Scd, 56.4 per cent, and Sd-Irr, 88.9 per cent. Further, we train a binary classifier using this CTRF algorithm that divides galaxies into spheroid-dominated (E, LBS, and S0-Sa) and disc-dominated (Sab-Scd and Sd-Irr), achieving an overall accuracy of 89.8 per cent. This translates into an accuracy of 84.9 per cent for spheroid-dominated systems and 92.5 per cent for disc-dominated systems.

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (Gama): The Consistency Of Gama And Wise Derived Mass-To-Light Ratios, T. Kettlety, J. Hesling, S. Phillipps, M. N. Bremer, M. E. Cluver, E. N. Taylor, J. Bland-Hawthorn, S. Brough, R. De Propris, S. P. Driver, Benne W. Holwerda, L. S. Kelvin, W. Sutherland, A. H. Wright

Faculty Scholarship

Recent work has suggested that mid-IR wavelengths are optimal for estimating the mass-to-light ratios of stellar populations and hence the stellar masses of galaxies. We compare stellar masses deduced from spectral energy distribution (SED) models, fitted to multiwavelength optical-NIR photometry, to luminosities derived from WISE photometry in the W1 and W2 bands at 3.6 and 4.5 μmfor non-star forming galaxies. The SED-derived masses for a carefully selected sample of low-redshift (z≤0.15) passive galaxies agree with the prediction from stellar population synthesis models such that M*/LW1 ≃0.6 for all such galaxies, independent of other stellar population parameters. The small scatter between …

Herschel Observations Of Edge-On Spirals (Heroes) Iv. Dust Energy Balance Problem, Aleksandr V. Mosenkov, Flor Allaert, Maarten Baes, Simone Bianchi, Peter Camps, Christopher J.R. Clark, Marjorie Decleir, Gert De Geyter, Ilse De Looze, Jacopo Fritz, Gianfranco Gentile, Benne W. Holwerda, Thomas M. Hughes, Fraser Lewis, Matthew W.L. Smith, Joris Verstappen, Sam Verstocken, Sébastien Viaene

Faculty Scholarship

We present results of the detailed dust energy balance study for the seven large edge-on galaxies in the HEROES sample using three-dimensional (3D) radiative transfer (RT) modelling. Based on available optical and near-infrared (NIR) observations of the HEROES galaxies, we derive the 3D distribution of stars and dust in these galaxies. For the sake of uniformity, we apply the same technique to retrieve galaxy properties for the entire sample: we use a stellar model consisting of a Sérsic bulge and three double-exponential discs (a superthin disc for a young stellar population and thin and thick discs for old populations). For …

The Hi Content Of Isolated Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies: A Sign Of Multiple Formation Mechanisms?, E. Papastergis, E. Adams, Aaron Romanowsky

Faculty Publications

We report on the results of radio observations in the 21 cm emission line of atomic hydrogen (HI) of four relatively isolated ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs): DGSAT I, R-127-1, M-161-1, and SECCO-dI-2. Our Effelsberg observations resulted in non-detections for the first three UDGs, and a clear detection for the last. DGSAT I, R-127-1, and M-161-1 are quiescent galaxies with gas fractions that are much lower than those of typical field galaxies of the same stellar mass. On the other hand, SECCO-dI-2 is a star forming gas-rich dwarf, similar to two other field UDGs that have literature HI data: SECCO-dI-1 and UGC …

The Velocity Dispersion Function Of Very Massive Galaxy Clusters: Abell 2029 And Coma, Jubee Sohn, Margaret J. Geller, H. Jabran Zahid, Daniel G. Fabricant, Antonaldo Diaferio, Kenneth J. Rines

Physics & Astronomy

Based on an extensive redshift survey for galaxy clusters Abell 2029 and Coma, we measure the luminosity functions (LFs) and stellar mass functions (SMFs) for the entire cluster member galaxies. Most importantly, we measure the velocity dispersion functions (VDFs) for quiescent members. The MMT/Hectospec redshift survey for galaxies in A2029 identifies 982 spectroscopic members; for 838 members, we derive the central velocity dispersion from the spectroscopy. Coma is the only other cluster surveyed as densely. The LFs, SMFs, and VDFs for A2029 and Coma are essentially identical. The SMFs of the clusters are consistent with simulations. The A2029 and Coma …

Quantified H I Morphology – I. Multi-Wavelength Analysis Of The Things Galaxies., Benne W. Holwerda, N. Pirzkal, W. J. G. De Blok, A. Bouchard, S. -L. Blyth, K. J. Van Der Heyden, E. C. Elson

Benne Holwerda

Galaxy evolution is driven to a large extent by interactions and mergers with other galaxies and the gas in galaxies is extremely sensitive to the interactions. One method to measure such interactions uses the quantified morphology of galaxy images. Well-established parameters are Concentration, Asymmetry, Smoothness, Gini and M20 of a galaxy image. Thus far, the application of this technique has mostly been restricted to rest-frame ultraviolet and optical images. However, with the new radio observatories being commissioned [South African Karoo Array Telescope (MeerKAT), Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP), Extended Very Large Array (EVLA), Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope/APERture Tile In Focus instrument …

Evolution In The Dust Lane Fraction Of Edge-On L*V Spiral Galaxies Since Z = 0.8., Benne W. Holwerda, J. J. Dalcanton, D. Radburn-Smith, R. S. De Jong, P. Guhathakurta, A. Koekemoer, R. J. Allen, T. Boker

Benne Holwerda

The presence of a well-defined and narrow dust lane in an edge-on spiral galaxy is the observational signature of a thin and dense molecular disk, in which gravitational collapse has overcome turbulence. Using a sample of galaxies out to z ∼ 1 extracted from the COSMOS survey, we identify the fraction of massive (L∗ V ) disks that display a dust lane. Our goal is to explore the evolution in the stability of the molecular interstellar medium (ISM) disks in spiral galaxies over a cosmic timescale. We check the reliability of our morphological classifications against changes in rest-frame wavelength, resolution, …

Quantified H I Morphology – Ii. Lopsidedness And Interaction In Whisp Column Density Maps., Benne W. Holwerda, N. Pirzkal, W. J. G. De Blok, A. Bouchard, S. -L. Blyth, K. J. Van Der Heyden, E. C. Elson

Benne Holwerda

Lopsidedness of the gaseous disc of spiral galaxies is a common phenomenon in disc morphology, profile and kinematics. Simultaneously, the asymmetry of a galaxy’s stellar disc, in combination with other morphological parameters, has seen extensive use as an indication of recent merger or interaction in galaxy samples. Quantified morphology of stellar spiral discs is one avenue to determine the merger rate over much of the age of the Universe. In this paper, we measure the quantitative morphology parameters for the H I column density maps from the Westerbork observations of neutral Hydrogen in Irregular and SPiral galaxies (WHISP). These are …

Quantified H I Morphology – Iv. The Merger Fraction And Rate In Whisp., Benne W. Holwerda, N. Pirzkal, W. J. G. De Blok, A. Bouchard, S. -L. Blyth, K. J. Van Der Heyden

Benne Holwerda

The morphology of the atomic hydrogen (H I) disc 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 parametrization of the morphology of H I column density maps of the Westerbork observations of neutral Hydrogen in Irregular and SPiral galaxies (WHISP) project to select those galaxies that are likely undergoing a significant interaction. Merging galaxies occupy a particular part of parameter space defined by Asymmetry (A), the relative contribution of the 20 per cent brightest pixels to the second-order moment of the column …

Quantified H I Morphology – V. H I Discs In The Virgo Cluster., Benne W. Holwerda, N. Pirzkal, W. J. G. De Blok, W. Van Driel

Benne Holwerda

We explore the quantified morphology of atomic hydrogen (H i) discs in the Virgo cluster. These galaxies display a wealth of phenomena in their H i morphology, e.g., tails, truncation and warps. These morphological disturbances are related to the ram pressure stripping and tidal interaction that galaxies undergo in this dense cluster environment. To quantify the morphological transformation of the H i discs, we compute the morphological parameters of Concentration, Asymmetry, Smoothness, Gini and M20 and our own GM for 51 galaxies in 48 H i column density maps from the VLA Imaging of Virgo spirals in Atomic gas (VIVA) …

A Unified Picture Of Breaks And Truncations In Spiral Galaxies From Sdss And S4g Imaging., Ignacio Martin-Navarro, Judit Bakos, Ignacio Trujillo, Johan H. Knapen, E. Athanassoula, A. Bosma, Sebastien Comeron, Bruce G. Elmegreen, Santiago Erroz-Ferrer, Dimitri A. Gadotti, Armando Gil De Paz, Joannah L. Hinz, Luis C. Ho, Benne W. Holwerda, Taehyun Kim, Jarkko Laine, Eija Laurikainen, Karin Menendez-Delmestre, Trisha Mizusawa, Juan Carlos Munoz-Mateos, Michael W. Regan, Heikki Salo, Mark Seibert, Kartik Sheth

Benne Holwerda

The mechanism causing breaks in the radial surface-brightness distribution of spiral galaxies is not yet well known. Despite theoretical efforts, there is not a unique explanation for these features and the observational results are not conclusive. In an attempt to address this problem, we have selected a sample of 34 highly inclined spiral galaxies present in both the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S4G). We have measured the surface-brightness profiles in the five Sloan optical bands and in the 3.6-µm Spitzer band. We have also calculated the colour and stellar surface …

Quantified H I Morphology – Iii. Merger Visibility Times From H I In Galaxy Simulations., Benne W. Holwerda, N. Pirzkal, T. J. Cox, W. J. G. De Blok, J. Weniger, A. Bouchard, S. -L. Blyth, K. J. Van Der Heyden

Benne Holwerda

Major mergers of disc galaxies are thought to be a substantial driver in galaxy evolution. To trace the fraction and rate of galaxy mergers over cosmic times, several observational techniques have been developed over the last decade, including parametrized morphological selection. We apply this morphological selection of mergers to 21 cm radio emission line (H I) column density images of spiral galaxies in nearby surveys. In this paper, we investigate how long a 1:1 merger is visible in H I from N-body simulations. We evaluate the merger visibility times for selection criteria based on four parameters: Concentration, Asymmetry, M20 and …

On The Origin Of Lopsidedness In Galaxies As Determined From The Spitzer Survey Of Stellar Structure In Galaxies (S4g)., Dennis Zaritsky, Heikki Salo, Eija Laurikainen, Debra M. Elmegreen, E. Athanassoula, Albert Bosma, Sebastien Comeron, Santiago Erroz-Ferrer, Bruce G. Elmegreen, Dimitri A. Gadotti, Armando Gil De Paz, Joannah L. Hinz, Luis C. Ho, Benne W. Holwerda, Taehyun Kim, Johan H. Knapen, Jarkko Laine, Seppo Laine, Barry F. Madore, Sharon Meidt, Karin Menendez-Delmestre, Trisha Mizusawa, Juan Carlos Munoz-Mateos, Michael W. Regan, Mark Seibert, Kartik Sheth

Benne Holwerda

We study the m = 1 distortions (lopsidedness) in the stellar components of 167 nearby galaxies that span a wide range of morphologies and luminosities. We confirm the previous findings of (1) a high incidence of lopsidedness in the stellar distributions, (2) increasing lopsidedness as a function of radius out to at least 3.5 exponential scale lengths, and (3) greater lopsidedness, over these radii, for galaxies of later type and lower surface brightness. Additionally, the magnitude of the lopsidedness (1) correlates with the character of the spiral arms (stronger arm patterns occur in galaxies with less lopsidedness), (2) is not …

Unveiling The Structure Of Barred Galaxies At 3.6 Μm With The Spitzer Survey Of Stellar Structure In Galaxies (S4g). I. Disk Breaks., Taehyun Kim, Dimitri A. Gadotti, Kartik Sheth, E. Athanassoula, Albert Bosma, Myung Gyoon Lee, Barry F. Madore, Bruce G. Elmegreen, Johan H. Knapen, Dennis Zaritsky, Luis C. Ho, Sebastien Comeron, Benne W. Holwerda, Joannah L. Hinz, Juan Carlos Munoz-Mateos, Mauricio Cisternas, Santiago Erroz-Ferrer, Ron Buta, Eija Laurikainen, Heikki Salo, Jarkko Laine, Karin Menendez-Delmestre, Michael W. Regan, Bonita De Swardt, Armando Gil De Paz, Mark Seibert, Trisha Mizusawa

Benne Holwerda

We have performed two-dimensional multicomponent decomposition of 144 local barred spiral galaxies using 3.6 μm images from the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies. Our model fit includes up to four components (bulge, disk, bar, and a point source) and, most importantly, takes into account disk breaks. We find that ignoring the disk break and using a single disk scale length in the model fit for Type II (down-bending) disk galaxies can lead to differences of 40% in the disk scale length, 10% in bulge-to-total luminosity ratio (B/T), and 25% in bar-to-total luminosity ratios. We find that for galaxies …

The Baryonic Tully-Fisher Relationship For S4g Galaxies And The "Condensed" Baryon Fraction Of Galaxies., Dennis Zaritsky, Helene M. Courtois, Juan Carlos Munoz-Mateos, Jenny Sorce, S. Erroz-Ferrer, S. Comeron, D. A. Gadotti, A. Gil De Paz, J. L. Hinz, E. Laurikainen, T. Kim, J. Laine, K. Menendez-Delmestre, T. Mizusawa, M. W. Regan, H. Salo, M. Seibert, K. Sheth, E. Athanassoula, A. Bosma, M. Cisternas, Luis C. Ho, Benne W. Holwerda

Benne Holwerda

We combine data from the Spitzer Survey for Stellar Structure in Galaxies, a recently calibrated empirical stellar mass estimator from Eskew et al., and an extensive database of H i spectral line profiles to examine the baryonic Tully–Fisher (BTF) relation. We find (1) that the BTF has lower scatter than the classic Tully–Fisher (TF) relation and is better described as a linear relationship, confirming similar previous results, (2) that the inclusion of a radial scale in the BTF decreases the scatter but only modestly, as seen previously for the TF relation, and (3) that the slope of the BTF, which …

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (Gama) : Stellar Mass Functions By Hubble Type., Lee S. Kelvin, Simon P. Driver, Aaron S. G. Robotham, Edward N. Taylor, Alister W. Graham, Mehmet Alpaslan, Ivan K. Baldry, Steven P. Bamford, Amanda E. Bauer, Joss Bland-Hawthorn, Michael J. I. Brown, Matthew Colless, Christopher J. Conselice, Benne W. Holwerda, Andrew M. Hopkins, Maritza A. Lara-Lopez, Jochen Liske, Angel R. Lopez-Sanchez, Jonathan Loveday, Peder Norberg, Steven Phillipps, Cristina C. Popescu, Matthew Prescott, Anne E. Sansom, Richard J. Tuffs

Benne Holwerda

We present an estimate of the galaxy stellar mass function and its division by morphological type in the local (0.025 < z < 0.06) Universe. Adopting robust morphological classifications as previously presented (Kelvin et al.) for a sample of 3727 galaxies taken from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly survey, we define a local volume and stellar mass limited sub-sample of 2711 galaxies to a lower stellar mass limit of M=109.0M⊙ M=109.0M⊙ . We confirm that the galaxy stellar mass function is well described by a double-Schechter function given by M∗=1010.64M⊙ M∗=1010.64M⊙ , α1 = −0.43, ϕ∗1=4.18dex−1Mpc−3 ϕ1∗=4.18dex−1Mpc−3 , α2 = −1.50 and …

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (Gama) : The Stellar Mass Budget By Galaxy Type., Amanda J. Moffett, Stephen A. Ingarfield, Simon P. Driver, Aaron S. G. Robotham, Lee S. Kelvin, Rebecca Lange, Uros Mestric, Mehmet Alpaslan, Ivan K. Baldry, Joss Bland-Hawthorn, Sarah Brough, Michelle Cluver, Luke J. M. Davies, Benne W. Holwerda, Andrew M. Hopkins, Prajwal R. Kafle, Rebecca Kennedy, Peder Norberg, Edward N. Taylor

Benne Holwerda

We report an expanded sample of visual morphological classifications from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly survey phase two, which now includes 7556 objects (previously 3727 in phase one). We define a local (z < 0.06) sample and classify galaxies into E, S0-Sa, SB0-SBa, Sab-Scd, SBab-SBcd, Sd-Irr, and ‘little blue spheroid’ types. Using these updated classifications, we derive stellar mass function fits to individual galaxy populations divided both by morphological class and more general spheroid- or disc-dominated categories with a lower mass limit of log(M*/M⊙) = 8 (one dex below earlier morphological mass function determinations). We find that all individual morphological classes …

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (Gama) : Galaxy Close Pairs, Mergers And The Future Fate Of Stellar Mass., A. S. G. Robotham, S. P. Driver, L. J. M. Davies, A. M. Hopkins, I. K. Baldry, N. K. Agius, A. E. Bauer, J. Bland-Hawthorn, S. Brough, M. J. I. Brown, M. Cluver, R. De Propis, M. J. Drinkwater, Benne W. Holwerda, L. S. Kelvin, M. A. Lara-Lopez, J. Liske, Angel R. Lopez-Sanchez, J. Loveday, S. Mahajan, T. Mcnaught-Roberts, A. Moffett, P. Norberg, D. Obreschkow, M. S. Owers, S. J. Penny, K. A. Pimbblet, M. Prescott, E. N. Taylor, E. Van Kampen, S. M. Wilkins

Benne Holwerda

We use a highly complete subset of the Galaxy And Mass Assembly II (GAMA-II) redshift sample to fully describe the stellar mass dependence of close pairs and mergers between 108 and 1012 M⊙. Using the analytic form of this fit we investigate the total stellar mass accreting on to more massive galaxies across all mass ratios. Depending on how conservatively we select our robust merging systems, the fraction of mass merging on to more massive companions is 2.0–5.6 per cent. Using the GAMA-II data we see no significant evidence for a change in the close pair fraction between redshift z …

The Sizes Of Candidate Z~9-10 Galaxies : Confirmation Of The Bright Candels Sample And Relation With Luminosity And Mass., Benne W. Holwerda, R. J. Bouwens, P. A. Oesch, R. Smit, G. D. Illingworth, I. Labbe

Benne Holwerda

Recently, a small sample of six z ∼ 9–10 candidates was discovered in CANDELS that are ~-´ 10 20 more luminous than any of the previous z ∼ 9–10 galaxies identified over the HUDF/XDF and CLASH fields. We measure the sizes of these candidates to map out the size evolution of galaxies from the earliest observable times. Their sizes are also used to provide a valuable constraint on whether these unusual galaxy candidates are at high redshift. Using galfit to derive sizes from the CANDELS F160W images of these candidates, we find a mean size of 0. 13 0. 0 …

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (Gama) : End Of Survey Report And Data Release 2., J. Liske, I. K. Baldry, S. P. Driver, R. J. Tuffs, M. Alpaslan, E. Andrae, S. Brough, M. E. Cluver, M. W. Grootes, M. L. P. Gunawardhana, L. S. Kelvin, J. Loveday, A. S. G. Robotham, E. N. Taylor, S. P. Bamford, J. Bland-Hawthorn, M. J. I. Brown, M. J. Drinkwater, A. M. Hopkins, M. Meyer, P. Norberg, J. A. Peacock, N. K. Agius, S. K. Andrews, A. E. Bauer, J. H. Y. Ching, M. Colless, C. J. Conselice, S. M. Croom, L. J. M. Davies, R. De Propris, L. Dunne, E. M. Eardley, S. Ellis, C. Foster, C. S. Frenk, B. Haußler, Benne W. Holwerda, C. Howlett, H. Ibarra, M. J. Jarvis, D. H. Jones, P. R. Kafle, C. G. Lacey, R. Lange, M. Lara-Lopez, Angel R. Lopez-Sanchez, S. J. Maddox, B. F. Madore, T. Mcnaught-Roberts, A. J. Moffett, R. C. Nichol, M. S. Owers, D. Palamara, S. J. Penny, S. Phillipps, K. A. Pimbblet, C. C. Popescu, M. Prescott, R. Proctor, E. M. Sadler, A. E. Sansom, M. Seibert, R. Sharp, W. Sutherland, J. A. Vazquez-Mata, E. Van Kampen, S. M. Wilkins, R. Williams, A. H. Wright

Benne Holwerda

The Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey is one of the largest contemporary spectroscopic surveys of low redshift galaxies. Covering an area of ∼286 deg2 (split among five survey regions) down to a limiting magnitude of r < 19.8 mag, we have collected spectra and reliable redshifts for 238 000 objects using the AAOmega spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope. In addition, we have assembled imaging data from a number of independent surveys in order to generate photometry spanning the wavelength range 1 nm–1 m. Here, we report on the recently completed spectroscopic survey and present a series of diagnostics to assess …

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (Gama) : The Wavelength Dependence Of Galaxy Structure Versus Redshift And Luminosity., Rebecca Kennedy, Steven P. Bamford, Ivan K. Baldry, Boris Haußler, Benne W. Holwerda, Andrew M. Hopkins, Lee S. Kelvin, Rebecca Lange, Amanda J. Moffett, Cristina C. Popescu, Edward N. Taylor, Richard Tuffs, Marina Vika, Benedetta Vulcani

Benne Holwerda

We study how the sizes and radial profiles of galaxies vary with wavelength, by fitting Sersic ´ functions simultaneously to imaging in nine optical and near-infrared bands. To quantify the wavelength dependence of effective radius we use the ratio, R, of measurements in two rest-frame bands. The dependence of Sersic index on wavelength, ´ N , is computed correspondingly. Vulcani et al. have demonstrated that different galaxy populations present sharply contrasting behaviour in terms of R and N . Here we study the luminosity dependence of this result. We find that at higher luminosities, early-type galaxies display a more substantial …

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (Gama) : Understanding The Wavelength Dependence Of Galaxy Structure With Bulge-Disc Decompositions., Rebecca Kennedy, Steven P. Bamford, Boris Haußler, Ivan K. Baldry, Malcolm Bremer, Sarah Brough, Michael J. I. Brown, Simon P. Driver, Kenneth Duncan, Alister W. Graham, Benne W. Holwerda, Andrew M. Hopkins, Lee S. Kelvin, Rebecca Lange, Steven Phillipps, Marina Vika, Benedetta Vulcani

Benne Holwerda

With a large sample of bright, low-redshift galaxies with optical–near-IR imaging from the GAMA survey we use bulge-disc decompositions to understand the wavelength-dependent behaviour of single-Sérsic structural measurements. We denote the variation in single-Sérsic index with wavelength as N N , likewise for effective radius we use R R . We find that most galaxies with a substantial disc, even those with no discernable bulge, display a high value of N N . The increase in Sérsic index to longer wavelengths is therefore intrinsic to discs, apparently resulting from radial variations in stellar population and/or dust reddening. Similarly, low values …

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (Gama) : M–Re Relations Of Z = 0 Bulges, Discs And Spheroids., Rebecca Lange, Amanda J. Moffett, Simon P. Driver, Aaron S. G. Robotham, Claudia Del P. Lagos, Lee S. Kelvin, Christopher Conselice, Berta Margalef-Bentabol, Mehmet Alpaslan, Ivan K. Baldry, Joss Bland-Hawthorn, Malcolm Bremer, Sarah Brough, Michelle Cluver, Matthew Colless, Luke J. M. Davies, Boris Haußler, Benne W. Holwerda, Andrew M. Hopkins, Prajwal R. Kafle, Rebecca Kennedy, Jochen Liske, Steven Phillipps, Cristina C. Popescu, Edward N. Taylor, Richard Tuffs, Eelco Van Kampen, Angus H. Wright

Benne Holwerda

We perform automated bulge + disc decomposition on a sample of ∼7500 galaxies from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey in the redshift range of 0.002 < z < 0.06 using Structural Investigation of Galaxies via Model Analysis, a wrapper around GALFIT3. To achieve robust profile measurements, we use a novel approach of repeatedly fitting the galaxies, varying the input parameters to sample a large fraction of the input parameter space. Using this method, we reduce the catastrophic failure rate significantly and verify the confidence in the fit independently of χ2. Additionally, using the median of the final fitting values and …

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (Gama) : Galaxy Colour Gradients Versus Colour, Structure, And Luminosity., Rebecca Kennedy, Steven P. Bamford, Boris Haußler, Sarah Brough, Benne W. Holwerda, Andrew M. Hopkins, Marina Vika, Benedetta Vulcani

Benne Holwerda

Using single-component fits to SDSS/UKIDSS images of galaxies in the G09 region of the GAMA survey we study radial colour gradients across the galaxy population. We use the multi-wavelength information provided by MegaMorph analysis of galaxy light profiles to calculate intrinsic colour gradients, and divide into six subsamples split by overall Sérsic index (n) and galaxy colour. We find a bimodality in the colour gradients of high- and low-n galaxies in all wavebands which varies with overall galaxy luminosity. Global trends in colour gradients therefore result from combining the contrasting behaviour of a number of different galaxy populations. The ubiquity …

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (Gama) : The Stellar Mass Budget Of Galaxy Spheroids And Discs., Amanda J. Moffett, Rebecca Lange, Simon P. Driver, Aaron S. G. Robotham, Lee S. Kelvin, Mehmet Alpaslan, Stephen K. Andrews, Joss Bland-Hawthorn, Sarah Brough, Michelle E. Cluver, Matthew Colless, Luke J. M. Davies, Benne W. Holwerda, Andrew M. Hopkins, Prajwal R. Kafle, Jochen Liske, Martin Meyer

Benne Holwerda

We build on a recent photometric decomposition analysis of 7506 Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey galaxies to derive stellar mass function fits to individual spheroid and disc component populations down to a lower mass limit of log(M*/M⊙) = 8. We find that the spheroid/disc mass distributions for individual galaxy morphological types are well described by single Schechter function forms. We derive estimates of the total stellar mass densities in spheroids (ρspheroid = 1.24 ± 0.49 × 108 M⊙ Mpc −3h0.7) and discs (ρdisc = 1.20 ± 0.45 × 108 M⊙ Mpc −3h0.7), which translates to approximately 50 per cent …