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We study the dependence of star formation quenching on galaxy mass and environment, in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS; z ∼ 0.1) and the All-Wavelength Extended Groth Strip International Survey (AEGIS; z ∼ 1). It is crucial that we define quenching by low star formation rate rather than by red colour, given that one-third of the red galaxies are star forming. We address stellar mass M*, halo mass Mh, density over the nearest N neighbours δN and distance to the halo centre D. The fraction of quenched galaxies appears more strongly correlated with Mh at fixed M* than with M* at fixed Mh, while for satellites quenching also depends on D. We present the M*–Mh relation for centrals at z ∼ 1. At z ∼ 1, the dependence of quenching on M* at fixed Mh is somewhat more pronounced than at z ∼ 0, but the quenched fraction is low (10 per cent) and the haloes are less massive. For satellites, M*-dependent quenching is noticeable at high D, suggesting a quenching dependence on subhalo mass for recently captured satellites. At small D, where satellites likely fell in more than a few Gyr ago, quenching strongly depends on Mh and not on M*. The Mh dependence of quenching is consistent with theoretical wisdom where virial shock heating in massive haloes shuts down accretion and triggers ram-pressure stripping, causing quenching. The interpretation of δN is complicated by the fact that it depends on the number of observed group members compared to N, motivating the use of D as a better measure of local environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-starburst (also known as K+A) galaxies exhibit spectroscopic signatures indicating that their star formation was recently quenched; they are candidates for galaxies in transition from a star-forming phase to a passively evolving phase. We have spectroscopically identified large samples of post-starburst galaxies both in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) at and in the DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey at , using a uniform and robust selection method based on a cut in Hβ line emission rather than the more problematic [O ii]λ3727. Based on measurements of the overdensity of galaxies around each object, we find that post-starburst galaxies brighter than at low redshift have a similar, statistically indistinguishable environment distribution as blue galaxies, preferring underdense environments, but dramatically different from that of red galaxies. However, at higher- z, the environment distribution of post-starburst galaxies is more similar to red galaxies than to blue galaxies. We conclude that the quenching of star formation and the build-up of the red sequence through the K+A phase is happening in relatively overdense environments at but in relatively underdense environments at . Although the relative environments where quenching occurs are decreasing with time, the corresponding absolute environment may have stayed the same along with the quenching mechanisms, because the mean absolute environments of all galaxies has to grow with time. In addition, we do not find any significant dependence on luminosity in the environment distribution of K+As. The existence of a large K+A population in the field at both redshifts indicates that cluster-specific mechanisms cannot be the dominant route by which these galaxies are formed. Our work also demonstrates that studying post-starburst–environment relations by measuring the K+A fraction in different environments, as is the common practice, is highly non-robust; modest changes in the comparison population used to define the fraction can drastically alter conclusions. Statistical comparisons of the overall environment distributions of different populations are much better behaved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using galaxy samples drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey, we study the relationship between star formation and environment at and 1. We estimate the total star formation rate (SFR) and specific star formation rate (sSFR) for each galaxy according to the measured [O ii]λ 3727 Å nebular line luminosity, corrected using empirical calibrations to match more robust SFR indicators. Echoing previous results, we find that in the local Universe star formation depends on environment such that galaxies in regions of higher overdensity, on average, have lower SFRs and longer star formation time-scales than their counterparts in lower density regions. At , we show that the relationship between sSFR and environment mirrors that found locally. However, we discover that the relationship between total SFR and overdensity at is inverted relative to the local relation. This observed evolution in the SFR–density relation is driven, in part, by a population of bright, blue galaxies in dense environments at . This population, which lacks a counterpart at , is thought to evolve into members of the red sequence from to ∼0. Finally, we conclude that environment does not play a dominant role in the cosmic star formation history at : the dependence of the mean galaxy SFR on local galaxy density at constant redshift is small compared to the decline in the global SFR space density over the last 7 Gyr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the mean environment of galaxies in the DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey as a function of rest-frame colour, luminosity, and [O ii] 3727 Å equivalent width. The local galaxy overdensity for >14 000 galaxies at is estimated using the projected third-nearest-neighbour surface density. Of the galaxy properties studied, mean environment is found to depend most strongly on galaxy colour; all major features of the correlation between mean overdensity and rest-frame colour observed in the local universe were already in place at . In contrast to local results, we find a substantial slope in the mean dependence of environment on luminosity for blue, star forming galaxies at , with brighter blue galaxies being found on average in regions of greater overdensity. We discuss the roles of galaxy clusters and groups in establishing the observed correlations between environment and galaxy properties at high redshift, and we also explore the evidence for a ‘downsizing of quenching’ from to ∼0. Our results add weight to existing evidence that the mechanism(s) that result in star formation quenching are efficient in group environments as well as clusters. This work is the first of its kind at high redshift and represents the first in a series of papers addressing the role of environment in galaxy formation at . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the design and data analysis of the DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey, the densest and largest high-precision redshift survey of galaxies at z ~ 1 completed to date. The survey was designed to conduct a comprehensive census of massive galaxies, their properties, environments, and large-scale structure down to absolute magnitude MB = –20 at z ~ 1 via ~90 nights of observation on the Keck telescope. The survey covers an area of 2.8 deg2 divided into four separate fields observed to a limiting apparent magnitude of R AB = 24.1. Objects with z lesssim 0.7 are readily identifiable using BRI photometry and rejected in three of the four DEEP2 fields, allowing galaxies with z > 0.7 to be targeted ~2.5 times more efficiently than in a purely magnitude-limited sample. Approximately 60% of eligible targets are chosen for spectroscopy, yielding nearly 53,000 spectra and more than 38,000 reliable redshift measurements. Most of the targets that fail to yield secure redshifts are blue objects that lie beyond z ~ 1.45, where the [O II] 3727 Å doublet lies in the infrared. The DEIMOS 1200 line mm–1 grating used for the survey delivers high spectral resolution (R ~ 6000), accurate and secure redshifts, and unique internal kinematic information. Extensive ancillary data are available in the DEEP2 fields, particularly in the Extended Groth Strip, which has evolved into one of the richest multiwavelength regions on the sky. This paper is intended as a handbook for users of the DEEP2 Data Release 4, which includes all DEEP2 spectra and redshifts, as well as for the DEEP2 DEIMOS data reduction pipelines. Extensive details are provided on object selection, mask design, biases in target selection and redshift measurements, the spec2d two-dimensional data-reduction pipeline, the spec1d automated redshift pipeline, and the zspec visual redshift verification process, along with examples of instrumental signatures or other artifacts that in some cases remain after data reduction. Redshift errors and catastrophic failure rates are assessed through more than 2000 objects with duplicate observations. Sky subtraction is essentially photon-limited even under bright OH sky lines; we describe the strategies that permitted this, based on high image stability, accurate wavelength solutions, and powerful B-spline modeling methods. We also investigate the impact of targets that appear to be single objects in ground-based targeting imaging but prove to be composite in Hubble Space Telescope data; they constitute several percent of targets at z ~ 1, approaching ~5%-10% at z > 1.5. Summary data are given that demonstrate the superiority of DEEP2 over other deep high-precision redshift surveys at z ~ 1 in terms of redshift accuracy, sample number density, and amount of spectral information. We also provide an overview of the scientific highlights of the DEEP2 survey thus far., Astronomy