Using the EAGLE simulations to elucidate the origin of disc surface brightness profile breaks as a function of mass and environment

Author:

Pfeffer Joel L1ORCID,Bekki Kenji1,Forbes Duncan A2,Couch Warrick J2,Koribalski Bärbel S34ORCID

Affiliation:

1. International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), M468, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia

2. Centre for Astrophysics & Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia

3. Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, PO Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia

4. School of Science, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia

Abstract

ABSTRACT We analyse the surface brightness profiles of disc-type galaxies in the Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environment (EAGLE) simulations in order to investigate the effects of galaxy mass and environment on galaxy profile types. Following observational works, we classify the simulated galaxies by their disc surface brightness profiles into single exponential (Type I), truncated (Type II), and antitruncated (Type III) profiles. In agreement with previous observation and theoretical work, we find that Type II discs result from truncated star-forming discs that drive radial gradients in the stellar populations. In contrast, Type III profiles result from galaxy mergers, extended star-forming discs or the late formation of a steeper, inner disc. We find that the EAGLE simulations qualitatively reproduce the observed trends found between profile type frequency and galaxy mass, morphology and environment, such as the fraction of Type III galaxies increasing with galaxy mass, and the fraction of Type II galaxies increasing with Hubble type. We investigate the lower incidence of Type II galaxies in galaxy clusters, finding, in a striking similarity to observed galaxies, that almost no S0-like galaxies in clusters have Type II profiles. Similarly, the fraction of Type II profiles for disc-dominated galaxies in clusters is significantly decreased relative to field galaxies. This difference between field and cluster galaxies is driven by star formation quenching. Following the cessation of star formation upon entering a galaxy cluster, the young stellar populations of Type II galaxies simply fade, leaving behind Type I galaxies.

Funder

Australian Research Council

BIS

STFC

Durham University

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Subject

Space and Planetary Science,Astronomy and Astrophysics

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