1211.2113 (Yu-Yen Chang et al.)

Shape Evolution of Massive Early-Type Galaxies: Confirmation of Increased Disk Prevalence at z>1    [PDF]

Yu-Yen Chang, Arjen van der Wel, Hans-Walter Rix, Stijn Wuyts, Stefano Zibetti, Balasubramanian Ramkumar, Bradford P. Holden

We use high-resolution K-band VLT/HAWK-I imaging over 0.25 square degrees to study the structural evolution of massive early-type galaxies since z~1. Mass-selected samples, complete down to log(M/M_sun)~10.7 such that `typical' L* galaxies are included at all redshifts, are drawn from pre-existing photometric redshift surveys. We then separated the samples into different redshift slices and classify them as late- or early-type galaxies on the basis of their specific star-formation rate. Axis-ratio measurements for the ~400 early-type galaxies in the redshift range 0.61 are, on average, flatter than at z<1 and the median projected axis ratio at a fixed mass decreases with redshift. However, we also find that at all epochs z<~2 the very most massive early-type galaxies (log(M/M_sun)>11.3) are the roundest, with a pronounced lack among them of galaxies that are flat in projection. Merging is a plausible mechanism that can explain both results: at all epochs merging is required for early-type galaxies to grow beyond log(M/M_sun)~11.3, and all early types over time gradually and partially loose their disk-like characteristics.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1211.2113