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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0The Astrophysical Journal

The Role of Small-scale Environments in the Quenching of Massive Galaxies at 1 < z < 5

  • Takumi Kakimoto1,2
  • Masayuki Tanaka1,2
  • Makoto Ando2,3
  • Kei Ito4,5
  • Ken Mawatari6,7
  • Masato Onodera1,8
  • Rhythm Shimakawa7
  • Francesco Valentino4,5
  • Po-Feng Wu9,10
  • Kiyoto Yabe1,8
  • Shuowen Jin4,5
  • Mariko Kubo11,12
1 more authors
  • Sune Toft4,13
13 affiliations
  1. 1The Graduate University for Advanced Studies
  2. 2National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
  3. 3The University of Tokyo
  4. 4Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)
  5. 5Technical University of Denmark
  6. 6Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University
  7. 7Waseda University
  8. 8National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS)
  9. 9National Taiwan University
  10. 10Physics Division
  11. 11Kwansei Gakuin University
  12. 12Tohoku University
  13. 13University of Copenhagen
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Abstract

Massive quiescent galaxies (QGs) at high redshifts are likely progenitors of massive elliptical galaxies in the local Universe. Recent discoveries of high-redshift QGs in overdensities (galaxy groups and protoclusters) have highlighted the relationship between massive galaxy quenching and their surrounding environment. We spectroscopically confirm a galaxy group associated with a massive QG at z spec = 4.53 from the Lyman break feature using Subaru/FOCAS. This group consists of at least three star-forming galaxies within 150 pkpc of the QG, suggesting a physical association necessary for galaxy quenching. To investigate the role of the surrounding environment, we also perform a statistical analysis to characterize the typical environment of QGs at high redshifts. By selecting QGs using a star formation rate-based selection in the COSMOS field, we find that the quiescent fraction is higher in overdensities than in the field at 1 < z < 5. In particular, the elevated quiescent fraction within small-scale overdensities (∼200 pkpc) demonstrates that environmental quenching, possibly driven by galaxy mergers and interactions, plays a major role in the evolution of massive QGs at high redshifts. By extending the low-redshift mass and environmental quenching model up to z ∼ 5, we confirm similar trends to those inferred from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey red galaxy fraction at z < 1. While environmental dependence weakens at z ≳ 3 for the overall population, a clear correlation persists specifically for more massive galaxies. This mass-dependent environmental effect suggests a downsizing trend, highlighting that the accelerated evolution of massive galaxies in high-density regions is already in place in the early Universe.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{kakimoto2026role,
  title = {{The Role of Small-scale Environments in the Quenching of Massive Galaxies at 1 < z < 5}},
  author = {Takumi Kakimoto and Masayuki Tanaka and Makoto Ando and Kei Ito and Ken Mawatari and Masato Onodera and Rhythm Shimakawa and Francesco Valentino and Po-Feng Wu and Kiyoto Yabe and Shuowen Jin and Mariko Kubo and Sune Toft},
  journal = {The Astrophysical Journal},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.3847/1538-4357/aeaadf},
  url = {https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/aeaadf},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - The Role of Small-scale Environments in the Quenching of Massive Galaxies at 1 < z < 5
AU  - Takumi Kakimoto
AU  - Masayuki Tanaka
AU  - Makoto Ando
AU  - Kei Ito
AU  - Ken Mawatari
AU  - Masato Onodera
AU  - Rhythm Shimakawa
AU  - Francesco Valentino
AU  - Po-Feng Wu
AU  - Kiyoto Yabe
AU  - Shuowen Jin
AU  - Mariko Kubo
AU  - Sune Toft
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/04
JO  - The Astrophysical Journal
DO  - 10.3847/1538-4357/aeaadf
UR  - https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/aeaadf
AB  - Massive quiescent galaxies (QGs) at high redshifts are likely progenitors of massive elliptical galaxies in the local Universe. Recent discoveries of high-redshift QGs in overdensities (galaxy groups and protoclusters) have highlighted the relationship between massive galaxy quenching and their surrounding environment. We spectroscopically confirm a galaxy group associated with a massive QG at z spec = 4.53 from the Lyman break feature using Subaru/FOCAS. This group consists of at least three star-forming galaxies within 150 pkpc of the QG, suggesting a physical association necessary for galaxy quenching. To investigate the role of the surrounding environment, we also perform a statistical analysis to characterize the typical environment of QGs at high redshifts. By selecting QGs using a star formation rate-based selection in the COSMOS field, we find that the quiescent fraction is higher in overdensities than in the field at 1 < z < 5. In particular, the elevated quiescent fraction within small-scale overdensities (∼200 pkpc) demonstrates that environmental quenching, possibly driven by galaxy mergers and interactions, plays a major role in the evolution of massive QGs at high redshifts. By extending the low-redshift mass and environmental quenching model up to z ∼ 5, we confirm similar trends to those inferred from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey red galaxy fraction at z < 1. While environmental dependence weakens at z ≳ 3 for the overall population, a clear correlation persists specifically for more massive galaxies. This mass-dependent environmental effect suggests a downsizing trend, highlighting that the accelerated evolution of massive galaxies in high-density regions is already in place in the early Universe.
SN  - 1538-4357
SN  - 0004-637X
ER  -