HST/WFC3 Grism Observations of z ∼1 Clusters: Evidence for Rapid Outside-in Environmental Quenching from Spatially Resolved H α Maps
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Standard
HST/WFC3 Grism Observations of z ∼1 Clusters : Evidence for Rapid Outside-in Environmental Quenching from Spatially Resolved H α Maps. / Matharu, Jasleen; Muzzin, Adam; Brammer, Gabriel B.; Nelson, Erica J.; Auger, Matthew W.; Hewett, Paul C.; van der Burg, Remco; Balogh, Michael; Demarco, Ricardo; Marchesini, Danilo; Noble, Allison G.; Rudnick, Gregory; van der Wel, Arjen; Wilson, Gillian; Yee, Howard K. C.
In: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 923, No. 2, 222, 23.12.2021.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Author
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - HST/WFC3 Grism Observations of z ∼1 Clusters
T2 - Evidence for Rapid Outside-in Environmental Quenching from Spatially Resolved H α Maps
AU - Matharu, Jasleen
AU - Muzzin, Adam
AU - Brammer, Gabriel B.
AU - Nelson, Erica J.
AU - Auger, Matthew W.
AU - Hewett, Paul C.
AU - van der Burg, Remco
AU - Balogh, Michael
AU - Demarco, Ricardo
AU - Marchesini, Danilo
AU - Noble, Allison G.
AU - Rudnick, Gregory
AU - van der Wel, Arjen
AU - Wilson, Gillian
AU - Yee, Howard K. C.
PY - 2021/12/23
Y1 - 2021/12/23
N2 - We present and publicly release (www.gclasshst.com ) the first spatially resolved Ha maps of star-forming cluster galaxies at z similar to 1, made possible with the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) G141 grism on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Using a similar but updated method to 3D-HST in the field environment, we stack the Ha maps in bins of stellar mass, measure the half-light radius of the H alpha distribution, and compare it to the stellar continuum. The ratio of the H alpha to stellar continuum half-light radius, R[H alpha/C] = R-eff,R-H alpha/R-eff,R-Cont is smaller in the clusters by Ref, cove (6 +/- 9)%, but statistically consistent within la uncertainties. A negligible difference in R[H alpha/C] with environment is surprising, given the higher quenched fractions in the clusters relative to the field. We postulate that the combination of high quenched fractions and no change in R[H alpha/C] with environment can be reconciled if environmental quenching proceeds rapidly. We investigate this hypothesis by performing similar analysis on the spectroscopically confirmed, recently quenched cluster galaxies. 87% have Ha detections, with star formation rates 8 +/- 1 times lower than star-forming cluster galaxies of similar stellar mass. Importantly, these galaxies have an R [Ha/C] that is (81 +/- 8)% smaller than coeval star-forming field galaxies at fixed stellar mass. This suggests the environmental quenching process occurred outside-in. We conclude that disk truncation due to ram pressure stripping is occurring in cluster galaxies at z similar to 1, but more rapidly and/or efficiently than in z less than or similar to 0.5 clusters, such that the effects on R[H alpha/C] become observable just after the cluster galaxy has recently quenched.
AB - We present and publicly release (www.gclasshst.com ) the first spatially resolved Ha maps of star-forming cluster galaxies at z similar to 1, made possible with the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) G141 grism on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Using a similar but updated method to 3D-HST in the field environment, we stack the Ha maps in bins of stellar mass, measure the half-light radius of the H alpha distribution, and compare it to the stellar continuum. The ratio of the H alpha to stellar continuum half-light radius, R[H alpha/C] = R-eff,R-H alpha/R-eff,R-Cont is smaller in the clusters by Ref, cove (6 +/- 9)%, but statistically consistent within la uncertainties. A negligible difference in R[H alpha/C] with environment is surprising, given the higher quenched fractions in the clusters relative to the field. We postulate that the combination of high quenched fractions and no change in R[H alpha/C] with environment can be reconciled if environmental quenching proceeds rapidly. We investigate this hypothesis by performing similar analysis on the spectroscopically confirmed, recently quenched cluster galaxies. 87% have Ha detections, with star formation rates 8 +/- 1 times lower than star-forming cluster galaxies of similar stellar mass. Importantly, these galaxies have an R [Ha/C] that is (81 +/- 8)% smaller than coeval star-forming field galaxies at fixed stellar mass. This suggests the environmental quenching process occurred outside-in. We conclude that disk truncation due to ram pressure stripping is occurring in cluster galaxies at z similar to 1, but more rapidly and/or efficiently than in z less than or similar to 0.5 clusters, such that the effects on R[H alpha/C] become observable just after the cluster galaxy has recently quenched.
KW - GALAXY REDSHIFT SURVEY
KW - STAR-FORMATION RATES
KW - MORPHOLOGY-DENSITY RELATION
KW - PRESSURE STRIPPING EVENTS
KW - RAM-PRESSURE
KW - SPECTROSCOPIC CONFIRMATION
KW - STELLAR POPULATION
KW - FORMATION HISTORIES
KW - PHYSICAL-PROPERTIES
KW - RADIAL-DISTRIBUTION
U2 - 10.3847/1538-4357/ac26c3
DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/ac26c3
M3 - Journal article
VL - 923
JO - Astrophysical Journal
JF - Astrophysical Journal
SN - 0004-637X
IS - 2
M1 - 222
ER -
ID: 289234136