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Creators/Authors contains: "McGee, Sean"

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  1. Abstract We use photometric redshifts and statistical background subtraction to measure stellar mass functions in galaxy group-mass (4.5 − 8 × 1013 M⊙) haloes at 1 < z < 1.5. Groups are selected from COSMOS and SXDF, based on X-ray imaging and sparse spectroscopy. Stellar mass (Mstellar) functions are computed for quiescent and star-forming galaxies separately, based on their rest-frame UVJ colours. From these we compute the quiescent fraction and quiescent fraction excess (QFE) relative to the field as a function of Mstellar. QFE increases with Mstellar, similar to more massive clusters at 1 < z < 1.5. This contrasts with the apparent separability of Mstellar and environmental factors on galaxy quiescent fractions at z ∼ 0. We then compare our results with higher mass clusters at 1 < z < 1.5 and lower redshifts. We find a strong QFE dependence on halo mass at fixed Mstellar; well fit by a logarithmic slope of d(QFE)/dlog (Mhalo) ∼ 0.24 ± 0.04 for all Mstellar and redshift bins. This dependence is in remarkably good qualitative agreement with the hydrodynamic simulation BAHAMAS, but contradicts the observed dependence of QFE on Mstellar. We interpret the results using two toy models: one where a time delay until rapid (instantaneous) quenching begins upon accretion to the main progenitor (“no pre-processing”) and one where it starts upon first becoming a satellite (“pre-processing”). Delay times appear to be halo mass dependent, with a significantly stronger dependence required without pre-processing. We conclude that our results support models in which environmental quenching begins in low-mass (<1014M⊙) haloes at z > 1. 
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  2. ABSTRACT We model satellite quenching at z ∼ 1 by combining 14 massive (1013.8 < Mhalo/M⊙ < 1015) clusters at 0.8 < z < 1.3 from the GOGREEN and GCLASS surveys with accretion histories of 56 redshift-matched analogues from the IllustrisTNG simulation. Our fiducial model, which is parametrized by the satellite quenching time-scale (τquench), accounts for quenching in our simulated satellite population both at the time of infall by using the observed coeval field quenched fraction and after infall by tuning τquench to reproduce the observed satellite quenched fraction versus stellar mass trend. This model successfully reproduces the observed satellite quenched fraction as a function of stellar mass (by construction), projected cluster-centric radius, and redshift and is consistent with the observed field and cluster stellar mass functions at z ∼ 1. We find that the satellite quenching time-scale is mass dependent, in conflict with some previous studies at low and intermediate redshift. Over the stellar mass range probed (M⋆ > 1010 M⊙), we find that the satellite quenching time-scale decreases with increasing satellite stellar mass from ∼1.6 Gyr at 1010 M⊙ to ∼0.6−1 Gyr at 1011 M⊙ and is roughly consistent with the total cold gas (HI + H2) depletion time-scales at intermediate z, suggesting that starvation may be the dominant driver of environmental quenching at z < 2. Finally, while environmental mechanisms are relatively efficient at quenching massive satellites, we find that the majority ($$\sim 65{\!-\!}80{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$$) of ultra-massive satellites (M⋆ > 1011 M⊙) are quenched prior to infall. 
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  3. ABSTRACT We measure the rate of environmentally driven star formation quenching in galaxies at z ∼ 1, using eleven massive ($$M\approx 2\times 10^{14}\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$$) galaxy clusters spanning a redshift range 1.0 < z < 1.4 from the GOGREEN sample. We identify three different types of transition galaxies: ‘green valley’ (GV) galaxies identified from their rest-frame (NUV − V) and (V − J) colours; ‘blue quiescent’ (BQ) galaxies, found at the blue end of the quiescent sequence in (U − V) and (V − J) colour; and spectroscopic post-starburst (PSB) galaxies. We measure the abundance of these galaxies as a function of stellar mass and environment. For high-stellar mass galaxies (log M/M⊙ > 10.5) we do not find any significant excess of transition galaxies in clusters, relative to a comparison field sample at the same redshift. It is likely that such galaxies were quenched prior to their accretion in the cluster, in group, filament, or protocluster environments. For lower stellar mass galaxies (9.5 < log M/M⊙ < 10.5) there is a small but significant excess of transition galaxies in clusters, accounting for an additional ∼5–10 per cent of the population compared with the field. We show that our data are consistent with a scenario in which 20–30 per cent of low-mass, star-forming galaxies in clusters are environmentally quenched every Gyr, and that this rate slowly declines from z = 1 to z = 0. While environmental quenching of these galaxies may include a long delay time during which star formation declines slowly, in most cases this must end with a rapid (τ < 1 Gyr) decline in star formation rate. 
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  4. ABSTRACT Recent observations have shown that the environmental quenching of galaxies at z ∼ 1 is qualitatively different to that in the local Universe. However, the physical origin of these differences has not yet been elucidated. In addition, while low-redshift comparisons between observed environmental trends and the predictions of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations are now routine, there have been relatively few comparisons at higher redshifts to date. Here we confront three state-of-the-art suites of simulations (BAHAMAS+MACSIS, EAGLE+Hydrangea, IllustrisTNG) with state-of-the-art observations of the field and cluster environments from the COSMOS/UltraVISTA and GOGREEN surveys, respectively, at z ∼ 1 to assess the realism of the simulations and gain insight into the evolution of environmental quenching. We show that while the simulations generally reproduce the stellar content and the stellar mass functions of quiescent and star-forming galaxies in the field, all the simulations struggle to capture the observed quenching of satellites in the cluster environment, in that they are overly efficient at quenching low-mass satellites. Furthermore, two of the suites do not sufficiently quench the highest mass galaxies in clusters, perhaps a result of insufficient feedback from AGN. The origin of the discrepancy at low stellar masses ($$M_* \lesssim 10^{10}$$ M⊙), which is present in all the simulations in spite of large differences in resolution, feedback implementations, and hydrodynamical solvers, is unclear. The next generation of simulations, which will push to significantly higher resolution and also include explicit modelling of the cold interstellar medium, may help us to shed light on the low-mass tension. 
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  5. Abstract The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be a transformative experiment for gravitational wave astronomy, and, as such, it will offer unique opportunities to address many key astrophysical questions in a completely novel way. The synergy with ground-based and space-born instruments in the electromagnetic domain, by enabling multi-messenger observations, will add further to the discovery potential of LISA. The next decade is crucial to prepare the astrophysical community for LISA’s first observations. This review outlines the extensive landscape of astrophysical theory, numerical simulations, and astronomical observations that are instrumental for modeling and interpreting the upcoming LISA datastream. To this aim, the current knowledge in three main source classes for LISA is reviewed; ultra-compact stellar-mass binaries, massive black hole binaries, and extreme or interme-diate mass ratio inspirals. The relevant astrophysical processes and the established modeling techniques are summarized. Likewise, open issues and gaps in our understanding of these sources are highlighted, along with an indication of how LISA could help making progress in the different areas. New research avenues that LISA itself, or its joint exploitation with upcoming studies in the electromagnetic domain, will enable, are also illustrated. Improvements in modeling and analysis approaches, such as the combination of numerical simulations and modern data science techniques, are discussed. This review is intended to be a starting point for using LISA as a new discovery tool for understanding our Universe. 
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