Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) Survey: The Merging Potential of Brightest Group Galaxies. (arXiv:2108.05923v1 [astro-ph.GA])
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Banks_K/0/1/0/all/0/1">Kirsten Banks</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Brough_S/0/1/0/all/0/1">Sarah Brough</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Holwerda_B/0/1/0/all/0/1">Benne Holwerda</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Hopkins_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">Andrew Hopkins</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Lopez_Sanchez_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">&#xc1;ngel L&#xf3;pez-S&#xe1;nchez</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Phillipps_S/0/1/0/all/0/1">Steven Phillipps</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Pimbblet_K/0/1/0/all/0/1">Kevin Pimbblet</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Robotham_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">Aaron Robotham</a>

Using a volume-limited sample of 550 groups from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly
(GAMA) Galaxy Group Catalogue spanning the halo mass range $12.8 < log
[M_{h}/M] < 14.2$, we investigate the merging potential of central Brightest
Group Galaxies (BGGs). We use spectroscopically-confirmed close-companion
galaxies as an indication of the potential stellar mass build-up of
low-redshift BGGs, $z leq 0.2$. We identify 17 close-companion galaxies with
projected separations $r_{p} < 30$ kpc, relative velocities $Delta v leq 300$
km s$^{-1}$, and stellar-mass ratios $M_{BGG}/M_{CC} leq 4$ relative to the
BGG. These close-companion galaxies yield a total pair fraction of $0.03 pm
0.01$. Overall, we find that BGGs in our sample have the potential to grow in
stellar mass due to mergers by $2.2 pm 1.5%$ Gyr$^{-1}$. This is lower than
the stellar mass growth predicted by current galaxy evolution models.

Using a volume-limited sample of 550 groups from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly
(GAMA) Galaxy Group Catalogue spanning the halo mass range $12.8 < log
[M_{h}/M] < 14.2$, we investigate the merging potential of central Brightest
Group Galaxies (BGGs). We use spectroscopically-confirmed close-companion
galaxies as an indication of the potential stellar mass build-up of
low-redshift BGGs, $z leq 0.2$. We identify 17 close-companion galaxies with
projected separations $r_{p} < 30$ kpc, relative velocities $Delta v leq 300$
km s$^{-1}$, and stellar-mass ratios $M_{BGG}/M_{CC} leq 4$ relative to the
BGG. These close-companion galaxies yield a total pair fraction of $0.03 pm
0.01$. Overall, we find that BGGs in our sample have the potential to grow in
stellar mass due to mergers by $2.2 pm 1.5%$ Gyr$^{-1}$. This is lower than
the stellar mass growth predicted by current galaxy evolution models.

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