The importance of major mergers in the build up of stellar mass in brightest cluster galaxies at z = 1

C. Lidman; G. Iacobuta; A. E. Bauer; L. F. Barrientos; P. Cerulo; W. J. Couch; L. Delaye; R. Demarco; E. Ellingson; A. J. Faloon; D. Gilbank; M. Huertas-Company; S. Mei; J. Meyers; A. Muzzin; A. Noble; J. Nantais; A. Rettura; P. Rosati; S. sánchez-Janssen; V. Strazzullo; T. M.A. Webb; G. Wilson; R. Yan; H. K.C. Yee

doi:10.1093/mnras/stt777

The importance of major mergers in the build up of stellar mass in brightest cluster galaxies at z = 1

C. Lidman, G. Iacobuta, A. E. Bauer, L. F. Barrientos, P. Cerulo, W. J. Couch, L. Delaye, R. Demarco, E. Ellingson, A. J. Faloon, D. Gilbank, M. Huertas-Company, S. Mei, J. Meyers, A. Muzzin, A. Noble, J. Nantais, A. Rettura, P. Rosati, S. sánchez-JanssenV. Strazzullo, T. M.A. Webb, G. Wilson, R. Yan, H. K.C. Yee

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Abstract

Recent independent results from numerical simulations and observations have shown that brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) have increased their stellar mass by a factor of almost 2between z ~ 0.9 and z ~ 0.2. The numerical simulations further suggest that more than half this mass is accreted through major mergers. Using a sample of 18 distant galaxy clusterswith over 600 spectroscopically confirmed cluster members between them, we search forobservational evidence that major mergers do play a significant role. We find a major mergerrate of 0.38 ± 0.14 mergers per Gyr at z ~ 1. While the uncertainties, which stem from thesmall size of our sample, are relatively large, our rate is consistent with the results that arederived from numerical simulations. If we assume that this rate continues to the present dayand that half of the mass of the companion is accreted on to the BCG during these mergers, thenwe find that this rate can explain the growth in the stellar mass of the BCGs that is observedand predicted by simulations. Major mergers therefore appear to be playing an important role, perhaps even the dominant one, in the build up of stellar mass in these extraordinary galaxies.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	825-837
Number of pages	13
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	433
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt777
Publication status	Published - Jul 2013

Keywords

Galaxies: Clusters: General
Galaxies: Evolution
Galaxies: High-redshift

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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Lidman, C., Iacobuta, G., Bauer, A. E., Barrientos, L. F., Cerulo, P., Couch, W. J., Delaye, L., Demarco, R., Ellingson, E., Faloon, A. J., Gilbank, D., Huertas-Company, M., Mei, S., Meyers, J., Muzzin, A., Noble, A., Nantais, J., Rettura, A., Rosati, P., ... Yee, H. K. C. (2013). The importance of major mergers in the build up of stellar mass in brightest cluster galaxies at z = 1. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 433(1), 825-837. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt777

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title = "The importance of major mergers in the build up of stellar mass in brightest cluster galaxies at z = 1",

abstract = "Recent independent results from numerical simulations and observations have shown that brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) have increased their stellar mass by a factor of almost 2between z ~ 0.9 and z ~ 0.2. The numerical simulations further suggest that more than half this mass is accreted through major mergers. Using a sample of 18 distant galaxy clusterswith over 600 spectroscopically confirmed cluster members between them, we search forobservational evidence that major mergers do play a significant role. We find a major mergerrate of 0.38 ± 0.14 mergers per Gyr at z ~ 1. While the uncertainties, which stem from thesmall size of our sample, are relatively large, our rate is consistent with the results that arederived from numerical simulations. If we assume that this rate continues to the present dayand that half of the mass of the companion is accreted on to the BCG during these mergers, thenwe find that this rate can explain the growth in the stellar mass of the BCGs that is observedand predicted by simulations. Major mergers therefore appear to be playing an important role, perhaps even the dominant one, in the build up of stellar mass in these extraordinary galaxies.",

keywords = "Galaxies: Clusters: General, Galaxies: Evolution, Galaxies: High-redshift",

author = "C. Lidman and G. Iacobuta and Bauer, {A. E.} and Barrientos, {L. F.} and P. Cerulo and Couch, {W. J.} and L. Delaye and R. Demarco and E. Ellingson and Faloon, {A. J.} and D. Gilbank and M. Huertas-Company and S. Mei and J. Meyers and A. Muzzin and A. Noble and J. Nantais and A. Rettura and P. Rosati and S. s{\'a}nchez-Janssen and V. Strazzullo and Webb, {T. M.A.} and G. Wilson and R. Yan and Yee, {H. K.C.}",

year = "2013",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1093/mnras/stt777",

language = "English",

volume = "433",

pages = "825--837",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

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Lidman, C, Iacobuta, G, Bauer, AE, Barrientos, LF, Cerulo, P, Couch, WJ, Delaye, L, Demarco, R, Ellingson, E, Faloon, AJ, Gilbank, D, Huertas-Company, M, Mei, S, Meyers, J, Muzzin, A, Noble, A, Nantais, J, Rettura, A, Rosati, P, sánchez-Janssen, S, Strazzullo, V, Webb, TMA, Wilson, G, Yan, R & Yee, HKC 2013, 'The importance of major mergers in the build up of stellar mass in brightest cluster galaxies at z = 1', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 433, no. 1, pp. 825-837. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt777

TY - JOUR

T1 - The importance of major mergers in the build up of stellar mass in brightest cluster galaxies at z = 1

AU - Lidman, C.

AU - Iacobuta, G.

AU - Bauer, A. E.

AU - Barrientos, L. F.

AU - Cerulo, P.

AU - Couch, W. J.

AU - Delaye, L.

AU - Demarco, R.

AU - Ellingson, E.

AU - Faloon, A. J.

AU - Gilbank, D.

AU - Huertas-Company, M.

AU - Mei, S.

AU - Meyers, J.

AU - Muzzin, A.

AU - Noble, A.

AU - Nantais, J.

AU - Rettura, A.

AU - Rosati, P.

AU - sánchez-Janssen, S.

AU - Strazzullo, V.

AU - Webb, T. M.A.

AU - Wilson, G.

AU - Yan, R.

AU - Yee, H. K.C.

PY - 2013/7

Y1 - 2013/7

N2 - Recent independent results from numerical simulations and observations have shown that brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) have increased their stellar mass by a factor of almost 2between z ~ 0.9 and z ~ 0.2. The numerical simulations further suggest that more than half this mass is accreted through major mergers. Using a sample of 18 distant galaxy clusterswith over 600 spectroscopically confirmed cluster members between them, we search forobservational evidence that major mergers do play a significant role. We find a major mergerrate of 0.38 ± 0.14 mergers per Gyr at z ~ 1. While the uncertainties, which stem from thesmall size of our sample, are relatively large, our rate is consistent with the results that arederived from numerical simulations. If we assume that this rate continues to the present dayand that half of the mass of the companion is accreted on to the BCG during these mergers, thenwe find that this rate can explain the growth in the stellar mass of the BCGs that is observedand predicted by simulations. Major mergers therefore appear to be playing an important role, perhaps even the dominant one, in the build up of stellar mass in these extraordinary galaxies.

AB - Recent independent results from numerical simulations and observations have shown that brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) have increased their stellar mass by a factor of almost 2between z ~ 0.9 and z ~ 0.2. The numerical simulations further suggest that more than half this mass is accreted through major mergers. Using a sample of 18 distant galaxy clusterswith over 600 spectroscopically confirmed cluster members between them, we search forobservational evidence that major mergers do play a significant role. We find a major mergerrate of 0.38 ± 0.14 mergers per Gyr at z ~ 1. While the uncertainties, which stem from thesmall size of our sample, are relatively large, our rate is consistent with the results that arederived from numerical simulations. If we assume that this rate continues to the present dayand that half of the mass of the companion is accreted on to the BCG during these mergers, thenwe find that this rate can explain the growth in the stellar mass of the BCGs that is observedand predicted by simulations. Major mergers therefore appear to be playing an important role, perhaps even the dominant one, in the build up of stellar mass in these extraordinary galaxies.

KW - Galaxies: Clusters: General

KW - Galaxies: Evolution

KW - Galaxies: High-redshift

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U2 - 10.1093/mnras/stt777

DO - 10.1093/mnras/stt777

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84880406482

SN - 0035-8711

VL - 433

SP - 825

EP - 837

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 1

ER -

The importance of major mergers in the build up of stellar mass in brightest cluster galaxies at z = 1

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