MOSFIRE SPECTROSCOPY OF QUIESCENT GALAXIES AT 1.5 < z < 2.5. I. EVOLUTION OF STRUCTURAL AND DYNAMICAL PROPERTIES

ABSTRACT We present deep near-infrared spectra for a sample of 24 quiescent galaxies in the redshift range obtained with the MOSFIRE spectrograph at the W. M. Keck Observatory. In conjunction with a similar data set we obtained in the range with the LRIS spectrograph, we analyze the kinematic and st...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Astrophysical journal 2017-01, Vol.834 (1), p.18
Main Authors: Belli, Sirio, Newman, Andrew B., Ellis, Richard S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astrophysics
ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DISPERSIONS
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
GALAXIES
galaxies: evolution
galaxies: formation
galaxies: high-redshift
galaxies: kinematics and dynamics
galaxies: stellar content
Growth rate
Hubble Space Telescope
INFRARED SPECTRA
MASS
Near infrared radiation
RED SHIFT
ROTATION
SPACE
Space telescopes
SPECTROSCOPY
Spectrum analysis
STARS
Stars & galaxies
Stellar evolution
Stellar mass
TELESCOPES
TIME DEPENDENCE
VELOCITY
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:ABSTRACT We present deep near-infrared spectra for a sample of 24 quiescent galaxies in the redshift range obtained with the MOSFIRE spectrograph at the W. M. Keck Observatory. In conjunction with a similar data set we obtained in the range with the LRIS spectrograph, we analyze the kinematic and structural properties for 80 quiescent galaxies, the largest homogeneously selected sample to date spanning 3 Gyr of early cosmic history. Analysis of our Keck spectra together with measurements derived from associated Hubble Space Telescope images reveals increasingly larger stellar velocity dispersions and smaller sizes to redshifts beyond . By classifying our sample according to Sérsic indices, we find that among disk-like systems the flatter ones show a higher dynamical to stellar mass ratio compared to their rounder counterparts, which we interpret as evidence for a significant contribution of rotational motion. For this subset of disk-like systems, we estimate that , the ratio of the circular velocity to the intrinsic velocity dispersion, is a factor of two larger than for present-day disky quiescent galaxies. We use the velocity dispersion measurements also to explore the redshift evolution of the dynamical to stellar mass ratio, and to measure for the first time the physical size growth rate of individual systems over two distinct redshift ranges, finding a faster evolution at earlier times. We discuss the physical origin of this time-dependent growth in size in the context of the associated reduction of the systematic rotation.
ISSN:0004-637X
1538-4357
DOI:10.3847/1538-4357/834/1/18