The impact of galactic properties and environment on the quenching of central and satellite galaxies: a comparison between SDSS, Illustris and L-Galaxies

• Published in: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 2016-11, Vol.462 (3), p.2559-2586
• Main Authors: Bluck, Asa F. L., Mendel, J. Trevor, Ellison, Sara L., Patton, David R., Simard, Luc, Henriques, Bruno M. B., Torrey, Paul, Teimoorinia, Hossen, Moreno, Jorge, Starkenburg, Else
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accretion disks; Dispersion; Fluid mechanics; Galaxies; Mathematical models; Parameters; Quenching; Quenching (cooling); Satellites; Simulation; Sky surveys (astronomy); Star & galaxy formation
• ISSN: 0035-8711; 1365-2966
• DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stw1665

We quantify the impact that a variety of galactic and environmental properties have on the quenching of star formation. We collate a sample of ∼400 000 central and ∼100 000 satellite galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 (SDSS DR7). Specifically, we consider central velocity dispersion (σc), stellar, halo, bulge and disc mass, local density, bulge-to-total ratio, groupcentric distance and galaxy–halo mass ratio. We develop and apply a new statistical technique to quantify the impact on the quenched fraction (f Quench) of varying one parameter, while keeping the remaining parameters fixed. For centrals, we find that the f Quench–σc relationship is tighter and steeper than for any other variable considered. We compare to the Illustris hydrodynamical simulation and the Munich semi-analytic model (L-Galaxies), finding that our results for centrals are qualitatively consistent with their predictions for quenching via radio-mode AGN feedback, hinting at the viability of this process in explaining our observational trends. However, we also find evidence that quenching in L-Galaxies is too efficient and quenching in Illustris is not efficient enough, compared to observations. For satellites, we find strong evidence that environment affects their quenched fraction at fixed central velocity dispersion, particularly at lower masses. At higher masses, satellites behave identically to centrals in their quenching. Of the environmental parameters considered, local density affects the quenched fraction of satellites the most at fixed central velocity dispersion.