Luminosity Function Constraints on the Evolution of Massive Red Galaxies Since z~0.9

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dc.creatorCool, Richard J.
dc.creatorEisenstein, Daniel J.
dc.creatorFan, Xiaohui
dc.creatorFukugita, Masataka
dc.creatorJiang, Linhua
dc.creatorMaraston, Claudia
dc.creatorMeiksin, Avery
dc.creatorSchneider, Donald P.
dc.creatorWake, David A.
dc.date2008-04-29
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T12:14:28Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T12:14:28Z
dc.descriptionWe measure the evolution of the luminous red galaxy (LRG) luminosity function in the redshift range 0.1<z<0.9 using samples of galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey as well as new spectroscopy of high-redshift massive red galaxies. Our high-redshift sample of galaxies is largest spectroscopic sample of massive red galaxies at z~0.9 collected to date and covers 7 square deg, minimizing the impact of large scale structure on our results. We find that the LRG population has evolved little beyond the passive fading of its stellar populations since z~0.9. Based on our luminosity function measurements and assuming a non-evolving Salpeter stellar initial mass function, we find that the most massive (L>3L*) red galaxies have grown by less than 50% (at 99% confidence), since z=0.9, in stark contrast to the factor of 2-4 growth observed in the L* red galaxy population over the same epoch. We also investigate the evolution of the average LRG spectrum since z~0.9 and find the high-redshift composite to be well-described as a passively evolving example of the composite galaxy observed at low-redshift. From spectral fits to the composite spectra, we find at most 5% of the stellar mass in massive red galaxies may have formed within 1Gyr of z=0.9. While L* red galaxies are clearly assembled at z<1, 3L* galaxies appear to be largely in place and evolve little beyond the passive evolution of their stellar populations over the last half of cosmic history.
dc.description19 pages, 19 figures, 7 tables; accepted for publication in ApJ
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/0804.4516
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/0804.4516
dc.identifierAstrophys.J.682:919-936,2008
dc.identifierdoi:10.1086/589642
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/211200
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.titleLuminosity Function Constraints on the Evolution of Massive Red Galaxies Since z~0.9
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