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PreprintCC BY 4.0arXiv

Evolution of bar-induced dark gaps in galaxy discs: evidence of strong bar-driven effects already at z > 2

  • Susnata Chattopadhyay
  • Soumavo Ghosh
  • Dimitri A. Gadotti
  • Zoe A. Le Conte
  • Taehyun Kim
  • Virginia Cuomo
  • Camila de Sá-Freitas
  • E. Athanassoula
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Abstract

The properties of stellar bars play a crucial role in determining the bar-driven secular evolution in disc galaxies. However, a systematic observational study of the evolution of several bar properties (such as strength and length) across cosmic time is largely missing. In this paper, using a sample of $625$ barred galaxies, taken from SDSS, HST COSMOS, and JWST CEERS surveys, we systematically investigate the evolution of bar properties over redshifts (0.02 ≲ z < 3) by making a novel usage of dark gap (preferential light deficit along the bar minor axis) properties as a proxy for bar properties. We show that the dark gap strength (Δμmax) exhibits a weak evolution, increasing from higher redshifts (z ∼ 2.5) and slightly declining towards lower redshifts (z < 0.05). Conversely, the extent of dark gaps (RDG, Rdark; normalised by bar length) decreases moderately from z ≥ 1.4 and remains constant thereafter. Our results suggest that bar formation and the initial rapid growth phase occur before z ∼ 3, followed by mild growth towards lower redshifts. We also find Rdark to be a better proxy (as compared to RDG) for estimating bar length, supporting earlier theoretical studies. Furthermore, the Δμmax shows a weak but statistically significant correlation with bar-to-total light ratio (Bar/T) and bar ellipticity (εbar). Studies of the redshift evolution of bar properties over such an extensive redshift range as done here are instrumental in constraining the bar-driven evolution at early cosmic times.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@misc{chattopadhyay2026evolution,
  title = {{Evolution of bar-induced dark gaps in galaxy discs: evidence of strong bar-driven effects already at $z > 2$}},
  author = {Susnata Chattopadhyay and Soumavo Ghosh and Dimitri A. Gadotti and Zoe A. Le Conte and Taehyun Kim and Virginia Cuomo and Camila de Sá-Freitas and E. Athanassoula},
  howpublished = {arXiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.03022},
  eprint = {2609.03022},
  archivePrefix = {arXiv},
  url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.03022},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - UNPB
TI  - Evolution of bar-induced dark gaps in galaxy discs: evidence of strong bar-driven effects already at z > 2
AU  - Susnata Chattopadhyay
AU  - Soumavo Ghosh
AU  - Dimitri A. Gadotti
AU  - Zoe A. Le Conte
AU  - Taehyun Kim
AU  - Virginia Cuomo
AU  - Camila de Sá-Freitas
AU  - E. Athanassoula
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/02
PB  - arXiv
DO  - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.03022
UR  - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.03022
AB  - The properties of stellar bars play a crucial role in determining the bar-driven secular evolution in disc galaxies. However, a systematic observational study of the evolution of several bar properties (such as strength and length) across cosmic time is largely missing. In this paper, using a sample of $625$ barred galaxies, taken from SDSS, HST COSMOS, and JWST CEERS surveys, we systematically investigate the evolution of bar properties over redshifts (0.02 ≲ z < 3) by making a novel usage of dark gap (preferential light deficit along the bar minor axis) properties as a proxy for bar properties. We show that the dark gap strength (Δμ_max) exhibits a weak evolution, increasing from higher redshifts (z ∼ 2.5) and slightly declining towards lower redshifts (z < 0.05). Conversely, the extent of dark gaps (R_DG, R_dark; normalised by bar length) decreases moderately from z ≥ 1.4 and remains constant thereafter. Our results suggest that bar formation and the initial rapid growth phase occur before z ∼ 3, followed by mild growth towards lower redshifts. We also find R_dark to be a better proxy (as compared to R_DG) for estimating bar length, supporting earlier theoretical studies. Furthermore, the Δμ_max shows a weak but statistically significant correlation with bar-to-total light ratio (Bar/T) and bar ellipticity (ε_bar). Studies of the redshift evolution of bar properties over such an extensive redshift range as done here are instrumental in constraining the bar-driven evolution at early cosmic times.
ER  -