Probing Hierarchical Galaxy Formation with SDSS-IV MaNGA.

Abstract: In the current cosmological picture, the formation and evolution of galaxies is closely connected to the growth of the dark matter halos in which they form. Although this relationship has been extensively studied in the theory, our observational understanding of the galaxy-halo connection is far more limited. In this talk, I will present observational evidence of this connection through spatially resolved spectroscopy for thousands of nearby galaxies from SDSS-IV MaNGA. I will show that the stellar metallicity profiles of massive galaxies contain signatures of minor mergers, a key feature of late-time halo growth. I will also show that the stellar populations of passive central galaxies depend not only on stellar mass, but also on halo mass. This result suggests that the impact of dark matter halos in galaxy formation extends beyond dictating star formation efficiency. Finally, I will also show that the assembly histories of satellite galaxies strongly depend on the mass of the parent halo, evidencing that environment is key to how satellite galaxies quench.