Multiple mechanisms quench passive spiral galaxies

Fraser-McKelvie, Amelia; Brown, Michael J. I.; Pimbblet, Kevin; Dolley, Tim; Bonne, Nicolas J.

Abstract

We examine the properties of a sample of 35 nearby passive spiral galaxies in order to determine their dominant quenching mechanism(s). All five low-mass (M⋆ < 1 × 1010 M⊙) passive spiral galaxies are located in the rich Virgo cluster. This is in contrast to low-mass spiral galaxies with star formation, which inhabit a range of environments. We postulate that cluster-scale gas stripping and heating mechanisms operating only in rich clusters are required to quench low-mass passive spirals, and ram-pressure stripping and strangulation are obvious candidates. For higher mass passive spirals, while trends are present, the story is less clear. The passive spiral bar fraction is high: 74 ± 15 per cent, compared with 36 ± 5 per cent for a mass, redshift and T-type matched comparison sample of star-forming spiral galaxies. The high mass passive spirals occur mostly, but not exclusively, in groups, and can be central or satellite galaxies. The passive spiral group fraction of 74 ± 15 per cent is similar to that of the comparison sample of star-forming galaxies at 61 ± 7 per cent. We find evidence for both quenching via internal structure and environment in our passive spiral sample, though some galaxies have evidence of neither. From this, we conclude no one mechanism is responsible for quenching star formation in passive spiral galaxies – rather, a mixture of mechanisms is required to produce the passive spiral distribution we see today.

Citation

Fraser-McKelvie, A., Brown, M. J. I., Pimbblet, K., Dolley, T., & Bonne, N. J. (2018). Multiple mechanisms quench passive spiral galaxies. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 474(2), 1909-1921. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx2823

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 27, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Oct 31, 2017
• Publication Date: Feb 21, 2018
• Deposit Date: Mar 19, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 19, 2018
• Journal: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
• Print ISSN: 0035-8711
• Electronic ISSN: 1365-2966
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 474
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 1909-1921
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx2823
• Keywords: galaxies: evolution, galaxies: general, galaxies: spiral, galaxies: stellar content
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/913128
• Publisher URL: https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/474/2/1909/4582902
• Additional Information: This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices if the Royal Astronomical Society ©: 2017 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.
• Contract Date: Mar 19, 2018