Galaxy Ecology: The Role of Neighbors

We investigate the influence of neighboring galaxies as a component of the local environment. Based on the SDSS data release 7 and the KIAS value-added galaxy catalog, we have constructed a galaxy pair catalog by matching each galaxy with its nearest and its most tidally-influential neighbor. In particular, we examine the star formation rate (SFR) derived from their optical u-r color and $H{\alpha}$ emission as functions of neighbor's distance, tidal force, and morphological type. The results are as follows. (1) The $H{\alpha}$-based SFR of galaxies with close companions is enhanced by up to a factor of three regardless of neighbor's morphology, when compared to isolated counterparts. (2) The mean u-r color of galaxies along with early-type galaxies is redder than that of isolated ones, yet bluer with late-types. (3) The galaxies with late-type companions mostly show higher SFR than those with early-types. The results suggest that the role played by neighboring galaxies are two-fold; (a) the tidal effect on the shorter scale of time and of distance, and (b) the hydrodynamic effect on the longer scale.