Compact star forming galaxies as the progenitors of compact quiescent galaxies: Clustering result

We present a measurement of the spatial clustering of massive compact galaxies at 1.2 ≤ z ≤ 3 in CANDELS/3D-HST fields. We obtain the correlation length for compact quiescent galaxies (cQGs) at z   ∼ 1.6 of r0=7.1−2.6+2.3h−1Mpc and compact star forming galaxies (cSFGs) at z   ∼ 2.5 of r0=7.7−2.9+2.7h−1Mpc assuming a power-law slope γ=1.8γ=1.8. The characteristic dark matter halo masses MH of cQGs at z ∼ 1.6 and cSFGs at z   ∼ 2.5 are ∼7.1×1012h−1M⊙ and ∼4.4×1012h−1M⊙, respectively. Our clustering result suggests that cQGs at z ∼ 1.6 are possibly the progenitors of local luminous ETGs and the descendants of cSFGs and SMGs at z > 2. Thus an evolutionary connection involving SMGs, cSFGs, QSOs, cQGs and local luminous ETGs has been indicated by our clustering result.