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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 541 records · Page 30
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DOE OSTI2012

QUALITATIVE INTERPRETATION OF GALAXY SPECTRA

We describe a simple step-by-step guide to qualitative interpretation of galaxy spectra. Rather than an alternative to existing automated tools, it is put forward as an instrument for quick-look analysis and for gaining physical insight when interpreting the outputs provided by automated tools. Though the recipe is for general application, it was developed for understanding the nature of the Automatic Spectroscopic K-means-based (ASK) template spectra. They resulted from the classification of all the galaxy spectra in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey data release 7, thus being a comprehensive representation of the galaxy spectra in the local universe. Using the recipe, we give a description of the properties of the gas and the stars that characterize the ASK classes, from those corresponding to passively evolving galaxies, to H II galaxies undergoing a galaxy-wide starburst. The qualitative analysis is found to be in excellent agreement with quantitative analyses of the same spectra. We compare the mean ages of the stellar populations with those inferred using the code STARLIGHT. We also examine the estimated gas-phase metallicity with the metallicities obtained using electron-temperature-based methods. A number of byproducts follow from the analysis. There is a tight correlation between the age of the stellar population and the metallicity of the gas, which is stronger than the correlations between galaxy mass and stellar age, and galaxy mass and gas metallicity. The galaxy spectra are known to follow a one-dimensional sequence, and we identify the luminosity-weighted mean stellar age as the affine parameter that describes the sequence. All ASK classes happen to have a significant fraction of old stars, although spectrum-wise they are outshined by the youngest populations. Old stars are metal-rich or metal-poor depending on whether they reside in passive galaxies or in star-forming galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

A STELLAR MASS THRESHOLD FOR QUENCHING OF FIELD GALAXIES

We demonstrate that dwarf galaxies (10{sup 7} < M{sub stellar} < 10{sup 9} M{sub Sun }, -12 > M{sub r} > -18) with no active star formation are extremely rare (<0.06%) in the field. Our sample is based on the NASA-Sloan Atlas which is a reanalysis of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 8. We examine the relative number of quenched versus star-forming dwarf galaxies, defining quenched galaxies as having no H{alpha} emission (EW{sub H{alpha}} < 2 A) and a strong 4000 A break. The fraction of quenched dwarf galaxies decreases rapidly with increasing distance from a massive host, leveling off for distances beyond 1.5 Mpc. We define galaxies beyond 1.5 Mpc of a massive host galaxy to be in the field. We demonstrate that there is a stellar mass threshold of M{sub stellar} < 1.0 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 9} M{sub Sun} below which quenched galaxies do not exist in the field. Below this threshold, we find that none of the 2951 field dwarf galaxies are quenched; all field dwarf galaxies show evidence for recent star formation. Correcting for volume effects, this corresponds to a 1{sigma} upper limit on the quenched fraction of 0.06%. In more dense environments, quenched galaxies account for 23% of the dwarf population over the same stellar mass range. The majority of quenched dwarf galaxies (often classified as dwarf elliptical galaxies) are within 2 virial radii of a massive galaxy, and only a few percent of quenched dwarf galaxies exist beyond 4 virial radii. Thus, for galaxies with stellar mass less than 1.0 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 9} M{sub Sun }, ending star formation requires the presence of a more massive neighbor, providing a stringent constraint on models of star formation feedback.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE AGE-REDSHIFT RELATION FOR LUMINOUS RED GALAXIES OBTAINED FROM FULL SPECTRUM FITTING AND ITS COSMOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

The relative age of galaxies at different redshifts can be used to infer the Hubble parameter and put constraints on cosmological models. We select luminous red galaxies (LRGs) from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 and then cross match it with the MPA/JHU catalog of galaxies to obtain a large sample of quiescent LRGs at redshift z {approx} 0.03-0.39. The total number of quiescent LRGs, 23,883, is divided into four sub-samples according to their velocity dispersions and each sub-sample is further divided into 12 redshift bins. The spectra of the LRGs in each redshift and velocity bin are co-added in order to obtain a combined spectrum with a relatively high signal-to-noise ratio. Adopting the GalexEV/SteLib model, we estimate the mean ages of the LRGs from these combined spectra by using the full-spectrum fitting method. We check the reliability of the estimated age by using Monte Carlo simulations and find that the estimates are robust and reliable. Assuming that the LRGs in each sub-sample and each redshift bin were on average formed at the same time, the Hubble parameter at the present time H {sub 0} is estimated from the age-redshift relation obtained for each sub-sample, which is compatible with the H {sub 0} value measured by other methods. We demonstrate that a systematic bias (up to {approx}20%) may be introduced to the H {sub 0} estimation because of recent star formation in the LRGs due to the later major mergers at z {approx}< 0.4, but this bias may be negligible for those sub-samples with large velocity dispersions. Using the age-redshift relations obtained from the sub-sample with the largest velocity dispersion or the two sub-samples with high velocity dispersions, we find H {sub 0} = 65{sup +7} {sub -3} km s{sup -1} Mpc{sup -1} or H {sub 0} = 74{sup +5} {sub -4} km s{sup -1} Mpc{sup -1} by assuming a spatially flat {Lambda}CDM cosmology. With upcoming surveys, such as the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey, even larger samples of quiescent massive LRGs may be obtained, and thus the Hubble parameter can be measured with high accuracy usimg the age-redshift relation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

SPECTRAL VARIABILITY OF FIRST BRIGHT QSOs WITH SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY OBSERVATIONS

For some samples, it has been shown that spectra of QSOs with low redshift are bluer during their brighter phases. For the FIRST bright QSO sample, we assemble their spectra from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 (SDSS DR7) to investigate variability between the spectra from White et al. and from the SDSS for a long rest-frame time lag, up to 10 years. There are 312 radio-loud (RL) QSOs and 232 radio-quiet (RQ) QSOs in this sample, up to z {approx} 3.5. With two-epoch variation, it is found that the spectra of half of the QSOs appear redder during their brighter phases. There is no obvious difference in slope variability between subsamples of RQ and RL QSOs. This result implies that the presence of a radio jet does not affect the slope variability on 10 year timescales. The arithmetic composite difference spectrum for variable QSOs is steep blueward of {approx}2500 A. The variability for the region blueward of 2500 A is different to that for the region redward of 2500 A.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE PAL 5 STAR STREAM GAPS

Pal 5 is a low-mass, low-velocity-dispersion, globular cluster with spectacular tidal tails. We use the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 8 data to extend the density measurements of the trailing star stream to 23 deg distance from the cluster, at which point the stream runs off the edge of the available sky coverage. The size and the number of gaps in the stream are measured using a filter which approximates the structure of the gaps found in stream simulations. We find 5 gaps that are at least 99% confidence detections with about a dozen gaps at 90% confidence. The statistical significance of a gap is estimated using bootstrap resampling of the control regions on either side of the stream. The density minimum closest to the cluster is likely the result of the epicyclic orbits of the tidal outflow and has been discounted. To create the number of 99% confidence gaps per unit length at the mean age of the stream requires a halo population of nearly a thousand dark matter sub-halos with peak circular velocities above 1 km s{sup -1} within 30 kpc of the galactic center. These numbers are a factor of about three below cold stream simulation at this sub-halo mass or velocity but, given the uncertainties in both measurement and more realistic warm stream modeling, are in substantial agreement with the LCDM prediction.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

EFFECT OF MODEL-DEPENDENT COVARIANCE MATRIX FOR STUDYING BARYON ACOUSTIC OSCILLATIONS

Large-scale structures in the universe are a powerful tool to test cosmological models and constrain cosmological parameters. A particular feature of interest comes from baryon acoustic oscillations (BAOs), which are sound waves traveling in the hot plasma of the early universe that stopped at the recombination time. This feature can be observed as a localized bump in the correlation function at the scale of the sound horizon r{sub s} . As such, it provides a standard ruler and a lot of constraining power in the correlation function analysis of galaxy surveys. Moreover, the detection of BAOs at the expected scale gives strong support to cosmological models. Both of these studies (BAO detection and parameter constraints) rely on a statistical modeling of the measured correlation function {xi}-circumflex. Usually {xi}-circumflex is assumed to be Gaussian, with a mean {xi}{sub {theta}} depending on the cosmological model and a covariance matrix C generally approximated as a constant (i.e., independent of the model). In this article, we study whether a realistic model-dependent C {sub {theta}} changes the results of cosmological parameter constraints compared to the approximation of a constant covariance matrix C. For this purpose, we use a new procedure to generate lognormal realizations of the luminous red galaxy sample of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 to obtain a model-dependent C {sub {theta}} in a reasonable time. The approximation of C {sub {theta}} as a constant creates small changes in the cosmological parameter constraints on our sample. We quantify this modeling error using a lot of simulations and find that it only has a marginal influence on cosmological parameter constraints for current and next-generation galaxy surveys. It can be approximately taken into account by extending the 1{sigma} intervals by a factor Almost-Equal-To 1.3.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

A PUBLIC VOID CATALOG FROM THE SDSS DR7 GALAXY REDSHIFT SURVEYS BASED ON THE WATERSHED TRANSFORM

We produce the most comprehensive public void catalog to date using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 main sample out to redshift z = 0.2 and the luminous red galaxy sample out to z = 0.44. Using a modified version of the parameter-free void finder ZOBOV, we fully take into account the presence of the survey boundary and masks. Our strategy for finding voids is thus appropriate for any survey configuration. We produce two distinct catalogs: a complete catalog including voids near any masks, which would be appropriate for void galaxy surveys, and a bias-free catalog of voids away from any masks, which is necessary for analyses that require a fair sampling of void shapes and alignments. Our discovered voids have effective radii from 5 to 135 h {sup -1} Mpc. We discuss basic catalog statistics such as number counts and redshift distributions and describe some additional data products derived from our catalog, such as radial density profiles and projected density maps. We find that radial profiles of stacked voids show a qualitatively similar behavior across nearly two decades of void radii and throughout the full redshift range.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE REDSHIFT EVOLUTION OF THE RELATION BETWEEN STELLAR MASS, STAR FORMATION RATE, AND GAS METALLICITY OF GALAXIES

We investigate the relation between stellar mass (M{sub *}), star formation rate (SFR), and metallicity (Z) of galaxies, the so-called fundamental metallicity relation, in the galaxy sample of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7. We separate the galaxies into narrow redshift bins and compare the relation at different redshifts and find statistically significant (>99%) evolution. We test various observational effects that might cause seeming Z evolution and find it difficult to explain the evolution of the relation only by the observational effects. In the current sample of low-redshift galaxies, galaxies with different M{sub *} and SFR are sampled from different redshifts, and there is degeneracy between M{sub *}/SFR and redshift. Hence, it is not straightforward to distinguish a relation between Z and SFR from a relation between Z and redshift. The separation of the intrinsic relation from the redshift evolution effect is a crucial issue in the understanding of the evolution of galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

A FIRST APPLICATION OF THE ALCOCK-PACZYNSKI TEST TO STACKED COSMIC VOIDS

We report on the first application of the Alcock-Paczynski test to stacked voids in spectroscopic galaxy redshift surveys. We use voids from the Sutter et al. void catalog, which was derived from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 main sample and luminous red galaxy catalogs. The construction of that void catalog removes potential shape measurement bias by using a modified version of the ZOBOV algorithm and by removing voids near survey boundaries and masks. We apply the shape-fitting procedure presented in Lavaux and Wandelt to 10 void stacks out to redshift z = 0.36. Combining these measurements, we determine the mean cosmologically induced ''stretch'' of voids in three redshift bins, with 1{sigma} errors of 5%-15%. The mean stretch is consistent with unity, providing no indication of a distortion induced by peculiar velocities. While the statistical errors are too large to detect the Alcock-Paczynski effect over our limited redshift range, this proof-of-concept analysis defines procedures that can be applied to larger spectroscopic galaxy surveys at higher redshifts to constrain dark energy using the expected statistical isotropy of structures that are minimally affected by uncertainties in galaxy velocity bias.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE BALDWIN EFFECT IN THE NARROW EMISSION LINES OF ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

The anti-correlations between the equivalent widths of emission lines and the continuum luminosity in active galactic nuclei (AGNs), known as the Baldwin effect, are well established for broad lines, but are less well studied for narrow lines. In this paper we explore the Baldwin effect of narrow emission lines over a wide range of ionization levels and critical densities using a large sample of broad-line, radio-quiet AGNs taken from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 4. These type 1 AGNs span three orders of magnitude in continuum luminosity. We show that most narrow lines show a similar Baldwin effect slope of about -0.2, while the significant deviations of the slopes for [N II] {lambda}6583, [O II] {lambda}3727, [Ne V] {lambda}3425, and the narrow component of H{alpha} can be explained by the influence of metallicity, star formation contamination, and possibly by the difference in the shape of the UV-optical continuum. The slopes do not show any correlation with either the ionization potential or the critical density. We show that a combination of 50% variations in continuum near 5100 A and a lognormal distribution of observed luminosity can naturally reproduce a constant Baldwin effect slope of -0.2 for all narrow lines. The variations of the continuum could be due to variability, intrinsic anisotropic emission, or an inclination effect.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

LOW-IONIZATION OUTFLOWS IN HIGH EDDINGTON RATIO QUASARS

The broad Mg II {lambda}2800 doublet has been frequently studied in connection with its potentially important role as a virial estimator of black hole mass in high-redshift quasars. An important task, therefore, is the identification of any line components that are likely related to broadening by non-virial motions. High signal-to-noise median composite spectra (binned in the {sup f}our-dimensional eigenvector 1'' context of Sulentic et al.) were constructed for the brightest 680 Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 quasars in the 0.4 {<=} z {<=} 0.75 range where both Mg II {lambda}2800 and H{beta} are recorded in the same spectra. Composite spectra representing 90% of the quasars confirm previous findings that FWHM(Mg II {lambda}2800) is about 20% narrower than FWHM(H{beta}). The situation is clearly different for the most extreme (Population A) sources, which are the highest Eddington radiators in the sample. In the median spectra of these sources, FWHM Mg II {lambda}2800 is equal to or greater than FWHM(H{beta}) and shows a significant blueshift relative to H{beta}. We interpret the Mg II {lambda}2800 blueshift as the signature of a radiation-driven wind or outflow in the highest accreting quasars. In this interpretation, the Mg II {lambda}2800 line width-affected by blueshifted emission-is unsuitable for virial mass estimation in Almost-Equal-To 10% of quasars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE z = 5 QUASAR LUMINOSITY FUNCTION FROM SDSS STRIPE 82

We present a measurement of the Type I quasar luminosity function at z = 5 using a large sample of spectroscopically confirmed quasars selected from optical imaging data. We measure the bright end (M{sub 1450} < -26) with Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data covering {approx}6000 deg{sup 2}, then extend to lower luminosities (M{sub 1450} < -24) with newly discovered, faint z {approx} 5 quasars selected from 235 deg{sup 2} of deep, coadded imaging in the SDSS Stripe 82 region (the celestial equator in the Southern Galactic Cap). The faint sample includes 14 quasars with spectra obtained as ancillary science targets in the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey, and 59 quasars observed at the MMT and Magellan telescopes. We construct a well-defined sample of 4.7 < z < 5.1 quasars that is highly complete, with 73 spectroscopic identifications out of 92 candidates. Our color selection method is also highly efficient: of the 73 spectra obtained, 71 are high-redshift quasars. These observations reach below the break in the luminosity function (M{sub 1450}{sup *}{approx}-27). The bright-end slope is steep ({beta} {approx}< -4), with a constraint of {beta} < -3.1 at 95% confidence. The break luminosity appears to evolve strongly at high redshift, providing an explanation for the flattening of the bright-end slope reported previously. We find a factor of {approx}2 greater decrease in the number density of luminous quasars (M{sub 1450} < -26) from z = 5 to z = 6 than from z = 4 to z = 5, suggesting a more rapid decline in quasar activity at high redshift than found in previous surveys. Our model for the quasar luminosity function predicts that quasars generate {approx}30% of the ionizing photons required to keep hydrogen in the universe ionized at z = 5.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

ACTIVITY IN GALACTIC NUCLEI OF COMPACT GROUP GALAXIES IN THE LOCAL UNIVERSE

We study the nuclear activity of galaxies in local compact groups. We use a spectroscopic sample of 238 galaxies in 58 compact groups from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey data release 7 to estimate the fraction of active galactic nucleus (AGN) host galaxies in compact groups, and to compare it with those in cluster and field regions. We use emission-line ratio diagrams to identify AGN host galaxies and find that the AGN fraction of compact group galaxies is 17%-42% depending on the AGN classification method. The AGN fraction in compact groups is not the highest among the galaxy environments. This trend remains even if we use several subsamples segregated by galaxy morphology and optical luminosity. The AGN fraction for early-type galaxies decreases with increasing galaxy number density, but the fraction for late-type galaxies changes little. We find no mid-infrared detected AGN host galaxies in our sample of compact groups using Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer data. These results suggest that the nuclear activity of compact group galaxies (mostly early types) is not strong because of lack of gas supply even though they may experience frequent galaxy-galaxy interactions and mergers that could trigger nuclear activity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

STUDYING INTERCLUSTER GALAXY FILAMENTS THROUGH STACKING gmBCG GALAXY CLUSTER PAIRS

We present a method to study the photometric properties of galaxies in filaments by stacking the galaxy populations between pairs of galaxy clusters. Using Sloan Digital Sky Survey data, this method can detect the intercluster filament galaxy overdensity with a significance of {approx}5{sigma} out to z = 0.40. Using this approach, we study the g - r color and luminosity distribution of filament galaxies as a function of redshift. Consistent with expectation, filament galaxies are bimodal in their color distribution and contain a larger blue galaxy population than clusters. Filament galaxies are also generally fainter than cluster galaxies. More interestingly, the observed filament population seems to show redshift evolution at 0.12 < z < 0.40: the blue galaxy fraction has a trend to increase at higher redshift; such evolution is parallel to the ''Butcher-Oemler effect'' of galaxy clusters. We test the dependence of the observed filament density on the richness of the cluster pair: richer clusters are connected by higher density filaments. We also test the spatial dependence of filament galaxy overdensity: this quantity decreases when moving away from the intercluster axis between a cluster pair. This method provides an economical way to probe the photometric properties of filament galaxies and should prove useful for upcoming projects like the Dark Energy Survey.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

QUASAR-GALAXY CLUSTERING THROUGH PROJECTED GALAXY COUNTS AT z = 0.6-1.2

We investigate the spatial clustering of galaxies around quasars at z = 0.6-1.2 using photometric data from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Stripe 82. The quasar and galaxy cross-correlation functions are measured through the projected galaxy number density n(r{sub p} ) on scales of 0.05 < r{sub p} < 20 h {sup -1} Mpc around quasars for a sample of 2300 quasars from Schneider et al. We detect strong clustering signals at all redshifts and find that the clustering amplitude increases significantly with redshift. We examine the dependence of quasar-galaxy clustering on quasar and galaxy properties and find that the clustering amplitude is significantly larger for quasars with more massive black holes or with bluer colors, while there is no dependence on quasar luminosity. We also show that quasars have a stronger correlation amplitude with blue galaxies than with red galaxies. We finally discuss the implications of our findings.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

ON THE GALACTIC SPIN OF BARRED DISK GALAXIES

We present a study of the connection between the galactic spin parameter (λ{sub d}) and the bar fraction in a volume-limited sample of 10,674 disk galaxies drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7. The galaxies in our sample are visually classified into one of three groups: non-barred galaxies and galaxies hosting long or short bars, respectively. We find that the spin distributions of these three classes are statistically different, with galaxies hosting long bars having the lowest λ{sub d} values, followed by non-barred galaxies, while galaxies with short bars present typically high spin parameters. The bar fraction presents its maximum at low to intermediate λ{sub d} values for the case of long bars, while the maximum for short bars is at high λ{sub d}. This bimodality is in good agreement with previous studies finding longer bars hosted by luminous, massive, red galaxies with a low content of cold gas, while short bars were found in low luminosity, low mass, blue galaxies that were typically gas rich. In addition, the rise and fall of the bar fraction as a function of λ{sub d}, within the long-bar sample shown in our results, can be explained as a result of two competing factors: the self-gravity of the disk that enhances bar instabilities and the support by random motions, instead of ordered rotational motion, that prevents the formation/growth of bars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

UPDATE ON THE CETUS POLAR STREAM AND ITS PROGENITOR

We trace the Cetus Polar Stream (CPS) with blue horizontal branch and red giant stars from Data Release 8 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Using a larger data set than was available previously, we are able to refine the measured distance and velocity to this tidal debris star stream in the south Galactic cap. Assuming that the tidal debris traces the progenitor's orbit, we fit an orbit to the CPS and find that the stream is confined between ∼24 and 36 kpc on a rather polar orbit inclined 87° to the Galactic plane. The eccentricity of the orbit is 0.20, and the period is ∼700 Myr. If we instead matched N-body simulations to the observed tidal debris, these orbital parameters would change by 10% or less. The CPS stars travel in the opposite direction to those from the Sagittarius tidal stream in the same region of the sky. Through N-body models of satellites on the best-fitting orbit, and assuming that mass follows light, we show that the stream width, line-of-sight depth, and velocity dispersion imply a progenitor of ∼> 10{sup 8} M{sub ☉}. However, the density of stars along the stream requires either a disruption time on the order of one orbit or a stellar population that is more centrally concentrated than the dark matter. We suggest that an ultrafaint dwarf galaxy progenitor could reproduce a large stream width and velocity dispersion without requiring a very recent deflection of the progenitor into its current orbit. We find that most Cetus stars have metallicities of –2.5 < [Fe/H] <–2.0, similar to the observed metallicities of the ultrafaint dwarfs. Our simulations suggest that the parameters of the dwarf galaxy progenitors, including their dark matter content, could be constrained by observations of their tidal tails through comparison of the debris with N-body simulations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

STELLAR MASS-GAP AS A PROBE OF HALO ASSEMBLY HISTORY AND CONCENTRATION: YOUTH HIDDEN AMONG OLD FOSSILS

We investigate the use of the halo mass-gap statistic—defined as the logarithmic difference in mass between the host halo and its most massive satellite subhalo—as a probe of halo age and concentration. A cosmological N-body simulation is used to study N ∼ 25, 000 group/cluster-sized halos in the mass range 10{sup 12.5} < M{sub halo}/M{sub ☉} < 10{sup 14.5}. In agreement with previous work, we find that halo mass-gap is related to halo formation time and concentration. On average, older and more highly concentrated halos have larger halo mass-gaps, and this trend is stronger than the mass-concentration relation over a similar dynamic range. However, there is a large amount of scatter owing to the transitory nature of the satellite subhalo population, which limits the use of the halo mass-gap statistic on an object-by-object basis. For example, we find that 20% of very large halo mass-gap systems (akin to {sup f}ossil groups{sup )} are young and have likely experienced a recent merger between a massive satellite subhalo and the central subhalo. We relate halo mass-gap to the observable stellar mass-gap via abundance matching. Using a galaxy group catalog constructed from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7, we find that the star formation and structural properties of galaxies at fixed mass show no trend with stellar mass-gap. This is despite a variation in halo age of ≈2.5 Gyr over ≈1.2 dex in stellar mass-gap. Thus, we find no evidence to suggest that the halo formation history significantly affects galaxy properties.

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