Environmental Impact on Star-forming Galaxies in a z similar to 0.9 Cluster during the Course of Galaxy Accretion

Abstract

Galaxies change their properties as they assemble into clusters. In order to understand the physics behind that, we need to go back in time and observe directly what is occurring in galaxies as they fall into a cluster. We have conducted a narrowband and J-band imaging survey on a cluster CL1604-D at z = 0.923 using a new infrared instrument SWIMS installed at the Subaru Telescope. The narrowband filter, NB1261, matches to H alpha emission from the cluster at z = 0.923. Combined with a wide range of existing data from various surveys, we have investigated galaxy properties in and around this cluster in great detail. We have identified 27 H alpha emitters associated with the cluster. They have significant overlap with MIPS 24 mu m sources and are located exclusively in the star-forming regime on the rest-frame UVJ diagram. We have identified two groups of galaxies near the cluster in the 2D spatial distribution and the phase-space diagram, which are likely to be in-falling to the cluster main body. We have compared various physical properties of star-forming galaxies, such as specific star formation rates (burstiness) and morphologies (merger) as a function of environment, cluster center, older group, younger group, and the field. As a result, a global picture has emerged on how the galaxy properties are altered as they assemble into a denser region. This includes the occurrence of mergers, enhancement of star formation activity, excursion to the dusty starburst phase, and eventual quenching to a passive phase.