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Paper: Properties of “Dry Mergers” at z > 1
Volume: 477, Galaxy Mergers in an Evolving Universe
Page: 189
Authors: Foucaud, S.; Almaini, O.; Pearce, H. J.; Chuter, R.; Grützbauch, R.; Bradshaw, E. J.; Cirasuolo, M.; Dunlop, J. S.; Hartley, W. G.; McLure, R. J.; Simpson, C.
Abstract: Dry mergers, i.e. gas-free mergers, are thought to be one of the major ways for the most massive galaxies to assemble their mass. However at high redshift it is still very challenging to detect, and to simplify the detection red pairs are usually assumed to be dry mergers. Making advantage of the unique combination of deep multi-wavelength data from the UKIDSS-Ultra Deep Survey, with our deep spectroscopic survey at z > 1 (UDSz), we investigate the properties of red mergers at z > 1. We demonstrate that red mergers are usually composed of two passive galaxy and with no indication of enhanced star-formation, globally assimilating them to dry mergers. However their morphology can present some perturbed features, and in some cases weak emission lines are detected in their spectra, demonstrating that red mergers at z > 1 are not totally gas free. Finally we demonstrated that “dry” mergers are major mergers, involving galaxies of similar masses, while “mixed” mergers are mainly minor mergers, with the “host” galaxy more massive.
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