The GOGREEN survey: The environmental dependence of the star-forming galaxy main sequence at 1.0 < z < 1.5

Lyndsay J. Old, Michael L. Balogh, Remco F.J. van der Burg, Andrea Biviano, Howard K.C. Yee, Irene Pintos-Castro, Kristi Webb, Adam Muzzin, Gregory Rudnick, Benedetta Vulcani, Bianca Poggianti, Michael Cooper, Dennis Zaritsky, Pierluigi Cerulo, Gillian Wilson, Jeffrey C.C. Chan, Chris Lidman, Sean McGee, Ricardo Demarco, Ben ForrestGabriella de Lucia, David Gilbank, Egidijus Kukstas, Ian G. McCarthy, Pascale Jablonka, Julie Nantais, Allison Noble, Andrew M.M. Reeves, Heath Shipley

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

43 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present results on the environmental dependence of the star-forming galaxy main sequence in 11 galaxy cluster fields at 1.0 < z < 1.5 from the Gemini Observations of Galaxies in Rich Early Environments Survey (GOGREEN) survey. We use a homogeneously selected sample of field and cluster galaxies whose membership is derived from dynamical analysis. Using [O II]derived star formation rates (SFRs), we find that cluster galaxies have suppressed SFRs at fixed stellar mass in comparison to their field counterparts by a factor of 1.4 ± 0.1 (-3.3σ) across the stellar mass range: 9.0 < log (M/M☉) < 11.2. We also find that this modest suppression in the cluster galaxy star-forming main sequence is mass and redshift dependent: the difference between cluster and field increases towards lower stellar masses and lower redshift. When comparing the distribution of cluster and field galaxy SFRs to the star-forming main sequence, we find an overall shift towards lower SFRs in the cluster population, and note the absence of a tail of high SFR galaxies as seen in the field. Given this observed suppression in the cluster galaxy star-forming main sequence, we explore the implications for several scenarios such as formation time differences between cluster and field galaxies, and environmentally induced star formation quenching and associated time-scales.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)5987-6000
Number of pages14
JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume493
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 2021

Keywords

  • Galaxies: clusters: general
  • Galaxies: evolution

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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