Exploring star formation using the filaments in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release Five

Abstract

We have quantified the average filamentarity of the galaxy distribution in seven nearly two-dimensional strips from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release Five (SDSS DR5) using a volume-limited sample in the absolute magnitude range −21 ≤Mr≤−20. The average filamentarity of star-forming (SF) galaxies, which are predominantly blue, is found to be more than that of other galaxies which are predominantly red. This difference is possibly an outcome of the fact that blue galaxies have a more filamentary distribution. Comparing the SF galaxies with only the other blue galaxies, we find that the two show nearly equal filamentarity. Separately analyzing the galaxies with high star formation rates (SFR) and low SFR, we find that the latter has a more filamentary distribution. We interpret this in terms of two effects. (i) A correlation between the SFR and individual galaxy properties like luminosity with the high-SFR galaxies being more luminous. (ii) A relation between the SFR and environmental effects like the density with the high-SFR galaxies preferentially occurring in high-density regions. These two effects are possibly not independent and are operating simultaneously. We do not find any difference in the filamentarity of SF galaxies and active galactic nuclei.