TY - JOUR
T1 - The DEEP2 galaxy Redshift Survey
T2 - Evolution of close galaxy pairs and major-merger rates up to z ̃ 1.2
AU - Lin, Lihwai
AU - Koo, David C.
AU - Willmer, Christopher N.A.
AU - Patton, David R.
AU - Conselice, Christopher J.
AU - Yan, Renbin
AU - Coil, Alison L.
AU - Cooper, Michael C.
AU - Davis, Marc
AU - Faber, S. M.
AU - Gerke, Brian F.
AU - Guhathakurta, Puragra
AU - Newman, Jeffrey A.
PY - 2004/12/10
Y1 - 2004/12/10
N2 - We derive the close, kinematic pair fraction and merger rate up to redshift z ̃ 1.2 from the initial data of the DEEP2 Redshift Survey. Assuming a mild luminosity evolution, the number of companions per luminous galaxy is found to evolve as (1 + z)m, with m = 0.51 ± 0.28; assuming no evolution, m = 1.60 ± 0.29. Our results imply that only 9% of present-day L* galaxies have undergone major mergers since z ̃ 1.2 and that the average major merger rate is about 4 x 10-4 h3 Mpc -3 Gyr-1 for z ̃ 0.5-1.2. Most previous studies have yielded higher values.
AB - We derive the close, kinematic pair fraction and merger rate up to redshift z ̃ 1.2 from the initial data of the DEEP2 Redshift Survey. Assuming a mild luminosity evolution, the number of companions per luminous galaxy is found to evolve as (1 + z)m, with m = 0.51 ± 0.28; assuming no evolution, m = 1.60 ± 0.29. Our results imply that only 9% of present-day L* galaxies have undergone major mergers since z ̃ 1.2 and that the average major merger rate is about 4 x 10-4 h3 Mpc -3 Gyr-1 for z ̃ 0.5-1.2. Most previous studies have yielded higher values.
KW - Galaxies: evolution
KW - Galaxies: interactions
KW - Large-scale structure of universe
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U2 - 10.1086/427183
DO - 10.1086/427183
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:19944426353
SN - 0004-637X
VL - 617
SP - L9-L12
JO - Astrophysical Journal
JF - Astrophysical Journal
IS - 1 II
ER -