TY - JOUR
T1 - The star-forming progenitors of massive red galaxies
AU - Cattaneo, A.
AU - Woo, J.
AU - Dekel, A.
AU - Faber, S. M.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - The link between massive red galaxies in the local Universe and star-forming galaxies at high redshift is investigated with a semi-analytic model that has proven successful in many ways, e.g. explaining the galaxy colour-magnitude bimodality and the stellar mass-age relation for red-sequence galaxies. The model is used to explore the processes that drive star formation in different types of galaxies as a function of stellar mass and redshift. We find that most z = 2-4 star-forming galaxies with M*> 1010 M⊙ evolve into red-sequence galaxies. Also, most of the massive galaxies on the red sequence today have passed through a phase of intense star formation at z > 2. Specifically, ∼90 per cent of today's red galaxies with M* > 1011 M⊙ were fed during this phase by cold streams including minor mergers. Gas-rich major mergers are rare and the effects of merger-driven starbursts are ephemeral. On the other hand, major mergers are important in powering the most extreme starbursts. Gas-rich mergers also explain the tail of intermediate-mass red galaxies that form relatively late, after the epoch of peak star formation. In two-thirds of the currently red galaxies that had an intense star formation event at z < 1, this event was triggered by a merger.
AB - The link between massive red galaxies in the local Universe and star-forming galaxies at high redshift is investigated with a semi-analytic model that has proven successful in many ways, e.g. explaining the galaxy colour-magnitude bimodality and the stellar mass-age relation for red-sequence galaxies. The model is used to explore the processes that drive star formation in different types of galaxies as a function of stellar mass and redshift. We find that most z = 2-4 star-forming galaxies with M*> 1010 M⊙ evolve into red-sequence galaxies. Also, most of the massive galaxies on the red sequence today have passed through a phase of intense star formation at z > 2. Specifically, ∼90 per cent of today's red galaxies with M* > 1011 M⊙ were fed during this phase by cold streams including minor mergers. Gas-rich major mergers are rare and the effects of merger-driven starbursts are ephemeral. On the other hand, major mergers are important in powering the most extreme starbursts. Gas-rich mergers also explain the tail of intermediate-mass red galaxies that form relatively late, after the epoch of peak star formation. In two-thirds of the currently red galaxies that had an intense star formation event at z < 1, this event was triggered by a merger.
KW - Galaxies: elliptical and lenticular, cD
KW - Galaxies: evolution
KW - Galaxies: formation
KW - Galaxies: high-redshift
KW - Galaxies: starburst
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84877002698&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/mnras/sts668
DO - 10.1093/mnras/sts668
M3 - ???researchoutput.researchoutputtypes.contributiontojournal.article???
AN - SCOPUS:84877002698
SN - 0035-8711
VL - 430
SP - 686
EP - 698
JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
IS - 1
ER -