Open AccessThe environmental dependence of clustering in hierarchical models
Author(s) -
Abbas Ummi,
Sheth Ravi K.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.09654.x
Subject(s) - physics , halo , cluster analysis , astrophysics , correlation , galaxy , statistical physics , hierarchical clustering , scale (ratio) , galaxy formation and evolution , statistics , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics
ABSTRACT In hierarchical models, density fluctuations on different scales are correlated. This induces correlations between dark halo masses, their formation histories, and their larger‐scale environments. In turn, this produces a correlation between galaxy properties and environment. This correlation is entirely statistical in nature. We show how the observed clustering of galaxies can be used to quantify the importance of this statistical correlation relative to other physical effects which may also give rise to correlations between the properties of galaxies and their surroundings. We also develop a halo model description of this environmental dependence of clustering.