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Formation of elliptical galaxies at moderate redshifts

Nature volume 390, pages 377–379 (1997)Cite this article

Abstract

Different cosmological models make specific predictions about the number of elliptical galaxies as a function of redshift1, so observations can in principle be used to discriminate between those models. Traditionally, elliptical galaxies have been thought to have formed in a single, rapid burst of star formation at high redshifts ( z > 5), and then evolved quietly—with no significant further star formation—since that time2,3. Yet evidence suggests that at least some ellipticals formed for the merger of two spiral galaxies4,5. It remains unclear which process dominates the formation of elliptical galaxies. Here I use the results of deep optical6 and near-infrared7,8,9,10 images to show that there are fewer galaxies with very red colours than predicted by models in which typical ellipticals have completed their star formation by z ≈ 5, which means that elliptical galaxies must have significant star formation at z < 5. This requirement, combined with constraints on bursts of star formation in lower-redshift galaxies11,12, and the observed properties of galaxies in the redshift range 0< z < 1 (refs 13,14,15,16,17), suggests either that ellipticals form at moderate redshifts, where a large initial burst of star formation is shrouded by dust, or that they form through the merging of smaller galaxies.

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Figure 1: A plot of the observed V606 − K colour as a function of redshift for a stellar population formed in a single short burst (τ = 0.01 Gyr): a, Ω = 1.0, h = 0.50; b, Ω = 0.2, h = 0.65.
Figure 2: The surface density of extremely red galaxies ( V606 − K > 7) at different limiting K magnitudes compared with the predictions of passive models of elliptical galaxy formation: a, Ω = 1.0, h = 0.50; b, Ω = 0.2, h = 0.65.

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Acknowledgements

I thank colleagues at Berkeley, Cambridge and Durham for stimulating conversations; L. Moustakas for assisting with the use of image analysis software; R. Bouwens for providing code to manipulate stellar populations models; and D. Hogg for providing data in tabular form. This work has been supported by NASA grants.

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  1. Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, 94720-3411, California, USA

    Stephen E. Zepf

  2. Department of Astronomy, Yale University, New Haven, 06520-8101, Connecticut, USA

    Stephen E. Zepf

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Correspondence to Stephen E. Zepf.

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Zepf, S. Formation of elliptical galaxies at moderate redshifts. Nature 390, 377–379 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/37065

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