Blending and obscuration in weak lensing magnification

We test the impact of some systematic errors in weak lensing magnification measurements with the COSMOS 30-band photo-z Survey flux limited to Iauto < 25.0 using correlations of both source galaxy counts and magnitudes. Systematic obscuration effects are measured by comparing counts and magnification correlations. We use the ACS-HST catalogs to identify potential blending objects (close pairs) and perform the magnification analyses with and without blended objects. We find that blending effects start to be important (∼ 0.04 mag obscuration) at angular scales smaller than 0.1 arcmin. Extinction and other systematic obscuration effects can be as large as 0.10 mag (U-band) but are typically smaller than 0.02 mag depending on the band. After applying these corrections, we measure a 3.9σ magnification signal that is consistent for both counts and magnitudes. The corresponding projected mass profiles of galaxies at redshift z ≃ 0.6 (MI ≃ −21) is Σ = 25 ± 6M⊙h3/pc2 at 0.1 Mpc/h, consistent with NFW type profile with M200 ≃ 2 × 1012M⊙h/pc2. Tangential shear and flux-size magnification over the same lenses show similar mass profiles. We conclude that magnification from counts and fluxes using photometric redshifts has the potential to provide complementary weak lensing information in future wide field surveys once we carefully take into account systematic effects, such as obscuration and blending.

New criteria for the selection of galaxy close pairs from cosmological simulations: evolution of the major and minor merger fraction in MUSE deep fields

It remains a challenge to assess the merger fraction of galaxies at different cosmic epochs in order to probe the evolution of their mass assembly. Using the ILLUSTRIS cosmological simulation project, we investigate the relation between the separation of galaxies in a pair, both in velocity and projected spatial separation space, and the probability that these interacting galaxies will merge in the future. From this analysis, we propose a new set of criteria to select close pairs of galaxies along with a new corrective term to be applied to the computation of the galaxy merger fraction. We then probe the evolution of the major and minor merger fraction using the latest Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) deep observations over the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, Hubble Deep Field South, COSMOS-Gr30, and Abell 2744 regions. From a parent sample of 2483 galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts, we identify 366 close pairs spread over a large range of redshifts (0.2 < z < 6) and stellar masses (107 − 1011M⊙). Using the stellar mass ratio between the secondary and primary galaxy as a proxy to split the sample into major, minor, and very minor mergers, we found a total of 183 major, 142 minor, and 47 very minor close pairs corresponding to a mass ratio range of 1:1–1:6, 1:6–1:100, and lower than 1:100, respectively. Due to completeness issues, we do not consider the very minor pairs in the analysis. Overall, the major merger fraction increases up to z ≈ 2−3 reaching 25% for pairs where the most massive galaxy has a stellar mass M⋆ ≥ 109.5 M⊙. Beyond this redshift, the fraction decreases down to ∼5% at z ≈ 6. The major merger fraction for lower-mass primary galaxies with M⋆ ≤ 109.5 M⊙ seems to follow a more constant evolutionary trend with redshift. Thanks to the addition of new MUSE fields and new selection criteria, the increased statistics of the pair samples allow us to significantly shorten the error bars compared to our previous analysis. The evolution of the minor merger fraction is roughly constant with cosmic time, with a fraction of 20% at z < 3 and a slow decrease to 8−13% in the redshift range 3 ≤ z ≤ 6.

Assembly bias evidence in close galaxy pairs

ABSTRACT The growth channel of massive galaxies involving mergers can be studied via close pairs as putative merger progenitors, where the stellar populations of the satellite galaxies will be eventually incorporated into the massive primaries. We extend our recent analysis of the GAMA-based sample of close pairs presented in Ferreras et al. to the general spectroscopic data set of SDSS galaxies (DR14), for which the high S/N of the data enables a detailed analysis of the differences between satellite galaxies with respect to the mass of the primary galaxy. A sample of approximately 2000 satellites of massive galaxies is carefully selected within a relatively narrow redshift range (0.07&lt;z&lt;0.14). Two main parameters are considered as major drivers of the star formation history of these galaxies, namely: the stellar velocity dispersion of the satellite (σ), as a proxy of ‘local’ drivers, and the ratio between the stellar mass of the satellite and the primary, μ = MSAT/MPRI, meant to serve as an indicator of environment. Consistently with the independent, GAMA-based work, we find that satellites around the most massive primaries appear older, at fixed velocity dispersion, than satellites of lower mass primaries. This trend is more marked in lower mass satellites (σ ∼ 100 km s−1), with SSP-equivalent age differences up to ∼0.5 Gyr, and can be interpreted as a one-halo assembly bias, so that satellites corresponding to smaller values of μ represent older structures, akin to fossil groups.

Social Networks as Contract Enforcement: Evidence from a Lab Experiment in the Field

Lack of well-functioning formal institutions leads to reliance on social networks to enforce informal contracts. Social proximity and network centrality may affect cooperation. To assess the extent to which networks substitute for enforcement, we conducted high-stakes games across 34 Indian villages. We randomized subjects’ partners and whether contracts were enforced to estimate how partners’ relative network position differentially matters across contracting environments. While socially close pairs cooperate even without enforcement, distant pairs do not. Individuals with more central partners behave more cooperatively without enforcement. Capacity for cooperation in the absence of contract enforcement therefore depends on the subjects’ network position. (JEL C93, D86, K12, O15, O17, Z13)

The MUSEHubbleUltra Deep Field Survey

We provide, for the first time, robust observational constraints on the galaxy major merger fraction up toz≈ 6 using spectroscopic close pair counts. Deep Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) observations in theHubbleUltra Deep Field (HUDF) andHubbleDeep Field South (HDF-S) are used to identify 113 secure close pairs of galaxies among a parent sample of 1801 galaxies spread over a large redshift range (0.2 <z< 6) and stellar masses (107−1011M⊙), thus probing about 12 Gyr of galaxy evolution. Stellar masses are estimated from spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting over the extensive UV-to-NIR HST photometry available in these deepHubblefields, addingSpitzerIRAC bands to better constrain masses for high-redshift (z⩾ 3) galaxies. These stellar masses are used to isolate a sample of 54 major close pairs with a galaxy mass ratio limit of 1:6. Among this sample, 23 pairs are identified at high redshift (z⩾ 3) through their Lyαemission. The sample of major close pairs is divided into five redshift intervals in order to probe the evolution of the merger fraction with cosmic time. Our estimates are in very good agreement with previous close pair counts with a constant increase of the merger fraction up toz≈ 3 where it reaches a maximum of 20%. At higher redshift, we show that the fraction slowly decreases down to about 10% atz≈ 6. The sample is further divided into two ranges of stellar masses using either a constant separation limit of 109.5M⊙or the median value of stellar mass computed in each redshift bin. Overall, the major close pair fraction for low-mass and massive galaxies follows the same trend. These new, homogeneous, and robust estimates of the major merger fraction sincez≈ 6 are in good agreement with recent predictions of cosmological numerical simulations.

Effects of mergers on non-parametric morphologies

We study the effects of mergers on non-parametric morphologies of galaxies. We compute the Gini index, M20, asymmetry and concentration statistics for z = 0 galaxies in the Illustris simulation and compare non-parametric morphologies of major mergers, minor merges, close pairs, distant pairs and unperturbed galaxies. We determine the effectiveness of observational methods based on these statistics to select merging galaxies.