Comparing galaxy populations in compact and loose groups of galaxies

Abstract

We perform a comparison of the properties of galaxies in compact groups, loose groups and in the field to deepen our understanding of the physical mechanisms acting upon galaxy evolution in different environments. We select samples of galaxies in compact groups identified by McConnachie et al., loose groups identified by Zandivarez and Martinez, and field galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We compare properties of the galaxy populations in these different environments: absolute magnitude, colour, size, surface brightness, stellar mass and concentration. We also study the fraction of red and early type galaxies, the luminosity function, the colour-luminosity and luminosity-size relations. The population of galaxies in compact groups differ from that of loose groups and the field. The fraction of read and early type galaxies is higher in compact groups. On average, galaxies in compact groups are systematically smaller, more concentrated and have higher surface brightness than galaxies in the field and in loose groups. For fixed absolute magnitude, or fixed surface brightness, galaxies in compact groups are smaller. The physical mechanisms that transform galaxies into earlier types could be more effective within compact groups given the high densities and low velocity dispersion that characterise that particular environment, this could explain the large fraction of red and early type galaxies we found in compact groups. Galaxies inhabiting compact groups have undergone a major transformation compared to galaxies that inhabit loose groups.

12 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A)

References in corpus (16)

• Galaxy Groups in the SDSS DR4: I. The Catalogue and Basic Properties
• How special are Brightest Group and Cluster Galaxies?
• Strangulation in Galaxy Groups
• The Galaxy Content of SDSS Clusters and Groups
• The luminosities, sizes and velocity dispersions of Brightest Cluster Galaxies: Implications for formation history
• Environmental Effects on Satellite Galaxies: The Link Between Concentration, Size and Colour Profile
• Witnessing galaxy preprocessing in the local Universe: the case of a star-bursting group falling into Abell 1367
• The DEEP2 galaxy redshift survey: the evolution of the blue fraction in groups and the field
• Compact groups in theory and practice - III. Compact groups of galaxies in the Sixth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
• Galaxy Evolution in Hickson Compact Groups: The Role of Ram Pressure Stripping and Strangulation
• The Infrared Properties of Hickson Compact Groups
• Compact groups in theory and practice - I. The spatial properties of compact groups
• Groups of galaxies: relationship between environment and galaxy properties
• Properties of Hickson Compact Groups and of the Loose Groups within which they are Embedded
• The evolution of the bi-modal colour distribution of galaxies in SDSS groups
• Compact groups in theory and practice - II. Comparing the observed and predicted nature of galaxies in compact groups

Cited by in corpus (26)

• Where are compact groups in the local Universe?
• Quantified diffuse light in compact groups of galaxies
• Evolution of compact and fossil groups of galaxies from semi-analytical models of galaxy formation
• NoSOCS in SDSS. IV. The Role of Environment Beyond the Extent of Galaxy Clusters
• Compact Groups of Galaxies in Sloan Digital Sky Survey and LAMOST Spectral Survey: I. The Catalogs
• Compact Groups of Galaxies in Sloan Digital Sky Survey and LAMOST Spectral Survey. II. Dynamical Properties of Isolated and Embedded Groups
• Activity in Galactic Nuclei of Compact Group Galaxies in the Local Universe
• A Study of Central Galaxy Rotation with Stellar Mass and Environment
• Investigation of the orientation of galaxies in clusters: the importance, methods and results of research
• The Fastest Galaxy Evolution in an Unbiased Compact Group Sample with WISE
• Galaxy evolution in compact groups I: Revealing a transitional galaxy population through a multiwavelength approach
• Hickson-like compact groups inhabiting different environments
• Comparing galaxy populations in compact and loose groups of galaxies III. Effects of environment on star formation
• Compact Groups analysis using weak gravitational lensing II: CFHT Stripe 82 data
• The influence of Hickson-like compact group environment on galaxy luminosities
• Galaxy evolution in compact groups II. Witnessing the influence of major structures in their evolution
• Comparing galaxy populations in compact and loose groups of galaxies II: brightest group galaxies
• The Occurrence of Compact Groups of Galaxies Through Cosmic Time
• Stellar Population Properties of ETGs in Compact Groups of Galaxies
• Compact groups of galaxies in GAMA -- Probing the densest minor systems at intermediate redshifts
• The Compactness of Galaxy Groups in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
• Cosmic Pathways for Compact Groups in the Milli-Millennium Simulation
• The $-12$ mag dip in the galaxy luminosity function of Hickson Compact Groups
• Searching for Intragroup Light in Deep U-band Imaging of the COSMOS Field
• Compact Groups in GDM Cosmological Simulations
• A Simulation of the Dependence of Tidal Interaction on Galaxy Type in Compact Groups