Interacting galaxies in the IllustrisTNG simulations – V. Comparing the influence of star-forming versus passive companions
ABSTRACT We study interacting galaxy pairs in the TNG100-1 and TNG300-1 cosmological simulations using previously generated closest companion samples. We study the specific star-formation rates (sSFRs) of massive ($10^{10} \, {\rm M}_{\odot } \lt M_* \lt 10^{12} \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$ ) galaxies at z...
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Published in | Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Vol. 522; no. 4 |
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Main Authors | , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
United States
Oxford University Press
04.05.2023
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | ABSTRACT We study interacting galaxy pairs in the TNG100-1 and TNG300-1 cosmological simulations using previously generated closest companion samples. We study the specific star-formation rates (sSFRs) of massive ($10^{10} \, {\rm M}_{\odot } \lt M_* \lt 10^{12} \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$ ) galaxies at z ≤ 0.2 as a function of separation from the closest companion galaxy. We split our sample based on whether the companion galaxy is star-forming or passive. We find that galaxies with close star-forming companions have sSFRs that are enhanced (on average) by a factor of 2.9 ± 0.3 in TNG100-1 and 2.27 ± 0.06 in TNG300-1 compared to controls, with enhancements present out to separations of ∼300 kpc. Galaxies with passive companions in TNG300-1 exhibit mild sSFR suppression (∼12 per cent) at 100–300 kpc and small sSFR enhancements at separations below 50 kpc. sSFR suppression is strongest in pairs where the galaxy’s stellar mass is more than 2 times that of its passive companion. By generating a stellar mass-matched (‘twinned’) sample in TNG300-1, we show that differences in sSFR trends between companion types are not a result of intrinsic stellar mass differences in star-forming versus passive galaxies. We compare with an analogous sample of galaxy pairs from SDSS, finding consistent results between observations and simulations. Overall, we find that star-forming galaxies show enhanced sSFRs regardless of companion type, but that galaxies with close passive companions are more likely to be passive themselves. |
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Bibliography: | USDOE |
ISSN: | 0035-8711 |