Tracing Galaxy Evolution by Their Present-Day Luminosity Function

Abstract

Galaxy luminosity functions are derived for different morphological types and various colors of galaxies, to trace the evolutionary effects which a priori should be different for void and supercluster galaxies. We also analyse how the galaxy group content changes in the large-scale environment. One of the principal results is the conclusion that the evolution of spiral galaxies is almost independent of the global environment. Meanwhile, the luminosity function of elliptical galaxies depends strongly on the environment. This shows that the global environmental density is an important factor in the formation of elliptical galaxies. The results of the present study clearly show that, except the local/group environment, the global (supercluster-void) environment plays an important role in the formation and evolution of galaxies.

Keywords

• cosmology observations
• large scale structure of the universe
• galaxies luminosity function
• clusters
• formation