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Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): the GAMA galaxy group catalogue (G3Cv1)

Robotham, A. S. G. ; Norberg, P. ; Driver, S. P. ; Baldry, I. K. ; Bamford, S. P. ; Hopkins, A. M. ; Liske, J. ; Loveday, J. ; Merson, A. ; Peacock, J. A. ; Brough, S. ; Cameron, E. ; Conselice, C. J. ; Croom, S. M. ; Frenk, C. S. ; Gunawardhana, M. ; Hill, D. T. ; Jones, D. H. ; Kelvin, L. S. ; Kuijken, K. ; Nichol, R. C. ; Parkinson, H. R. ; Pimbblet, K. A. ; Phillipps, S. ; Popescu, C. C. ; Prescott, M. ; Sharp, R. G. ; Sutherland, W. J. ; Taylor, E. N. ; Thomas, D. ; Tuffs, R. J. ; van Kampen, E. ; Wijesinghe, D.

In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2011, vol. 416, no. 4, p. 2640-2668

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    Title
    • Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): the GAMA galaxy group catalogue (G3Cv1)
    Author
    • Robotham, A. S. G.. Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9SS
    • Norberg, P.. Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ
    • Driver, S. P.. Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9SS
    • Baldry, I. K.. Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Egerton Wharf, Birkenhead CH41 1LD
    • Bamford, S. P.. Centre for Astronomy and Particle Theory, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD
    • Hopkins, A. M.. Australian Astronomical Observatory, PO Box 296, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia
    • Liske, J.. European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
    • Loveday, J.. Astronomy Centre, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QH
    • Merson, A.. Institute for Computational Cosmology, Department of Physics, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE
    • Peacock, J. A.. Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ
    • Brough, S.. Australian Astronomical Observatory, PO Box 296, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia
    • Cameron, E.. Department of Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH-Zürich), 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
    • Conselice, C. J.. Centre for Astronomy and Particle Theory, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD
    • Croom, S. M.. Sydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
    • Frenk, C. S.. Institute for Computational Cosmology, Department of Physics, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE
    • Gunawardhana, M.. Sydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
    • Hill, D. T.. Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9SS
    • Jones, D. H.. School of Physics, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
    • Kelvin, L. S.. Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9SS
    • Kuijken, K.. Leiden University, PO Box 9500, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands
    • Nichol, R. C.. Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG), University of Portsmouth, Dennis Sciama Building, Portsmouth PO1 3FX
    • Parkinson, H. R.. Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ
    • Pimbblet, K. A.. School of Physics, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
    • Phillipps, S.. HH Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL
    • Popescu, C. C.. Jeremiah Horrocks Institute, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE
    • Prescott, M.. Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Egerton Wharf, Birkenhead CH41 1LD
    • Sharp, R. G.. Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Mount Stromlo Observatory, Cotter Road, Western Creek, ACT 2611, Australia
    • Sutherland, W. J.. Astronomy Unit, Queen Mary University London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS
    • Taylor, E. N.. Sydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
    • Thomas, D.. Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG), University of Portsmouth, Dennis Sciama Building, Portsmouth PO1 3FX
    • Tuffs, R. J.. Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK), Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
    • van Kampen, E.. European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
    • Wijesinghe, D.. Sydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
    Document Type
    • Postprint
    OAI-PMH Identifier
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:304548
    Summary
    Using the complete Galaxy and Mass Assembly I (GAMA-I) survey covering ∼142 deg2 to rAB= 19.4, of which ∼47 deg2 is to rAB= 19.8, we create the GAMA-I galaxy group catalogue (G3Cv1), generated using a friends-of-friends (FoF) based grouping algorithm. Our algorithm has been tested extensively on one family of mock GAMA lightcones, constructed from Λ cold dark matter N-body simulations populated with semi-analytic galaxies. Recovered group properties are robust to the effects of interlopers and are median unbiased in the most important respects. G3Cv1 contains 14 388 galaxy groups (with multiplicity ≥2), including 44 186 galaxies out of a possible 110 192 galaxies, implying ∼40 per cent of all galaxies are assigned to a group. The similarities of the mock group catalogues and G3Cv1 are multiple: global characteristics are in general well recovered. However, we do find a noticeable deficit in the number of high multiplicity groups in GAMA compared to the mocks. Additionally, despite exceptionally good local spatial completeness, G3Cv1 contains significantly fewer compact groups with five or more members, this effect becoming most evident for high multiplicity systems. These two differences are most likely due to limitations in the physics included of the current GAMA lightcone mock. Further studies using a variety of galaxy formation models are required to confirm their exact origin. The G3Cv1 catalogue will be made publicly available as and when the relevant GAMA redshifts are made available at http://www.gama-survey.org