Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): Deconstructing the galaxy stellar mass function by star formation and environment

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Authors: A. Sbaffoni, J. Liske, A.S.G. Robotham, L.J.M. Davies, Simon P. Driver, E.N. Taylor
Cited by: 0
References: 131

Abstract

Using the equatorial Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) dataset, we investigate how the low-redshift galaxy stellar mass function (GSMF) varies across different galaxy populations and as a function of halo mass. We find that: (i) the GSMF of passive and star-forming galaxies are well described by a double and a single Schechter function, respectively, although the inclusion of a second component for the star-forming population yields a more accurate description. Furthermore, star-forming galaxies dominate the low-mass end of the total GSMF, whereas passive galaxies mainly shape the intermediate-to-high-mass regime; (ii) the GSMF of central galaxies dominates the high-mass end, whereas satellites and ungrouped galaxies shape the intermediate-to-low-mass regime. Additionally, we find a relative increase in the abundance of low-mass galaxies moving from dense group environments to isolated systems; (iii) more massive halos host more massive galaxies, have a higher fraction of passive systems, and show a steeper decline in the number of intermediate-mass galaxies. Finally, our results reveal larger differences between passive and star-forming GSMFs than predicted by a phenomenological quenching model, but generally confirm the environmental quenching trends for central and satellite galaxies reported in other works.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Galaxies: Formation Evolution Phenomena Astronomy and Astrophysical Research Statistical Mechanics and Entropy

Publication details

Journal / source
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Volume
706
Pages
A202–A202
Publication date
5 January 2026
Language
EN