We have compiled a sample of early-type cluster galaxies from 0 < z < 1.3 and measured the evolution of their ellipticity distributions. Our sample contains 487 galaxies in 17 z > 0.3 clusters with high-quality space-based imaging and a comparable sample of 210 galaxies in 10 clusters at z < 0.05. We select early-type galaxies (elliptical and S0 galaxies) that fall within the cluster R-200, and which lie on the red-sequence in the magnitude range -19.3 > M-B > -21, after correcting for luminosity evolution as measured by the fundamental plane. Our ellipticity measurements are made in a consistent manner over our whole sample. We perform extensive simulations to quantify the systematic and statistical errors, and find that it is crucial to use point-spread function (PSF)-corrected model fits; determinations of the ellipticity from Hubble Space Telescope image data that do not account for the PSF "blurring" are systematically and significantly biased to rounder ellipticities at redshifts z > 0.3. We find that neither the median ellipticity, nor the shape of the ellipticity distribution of cluster early-type galaxies evolves with redshift from z similar to 0 to z > 1 (i.e., over the last similar to 8 Gyr). The median ellipticity at z > 0.3 is statistically identical with that at z < 0.05, being higher by only 0.01 +/- 0.02 or 3 +/- 6%, while the distribution of ellipticities at z > 0.3 agrees with the shape of the z < 0.05 distribution at the 1-2% level (i.e., the probability that they are drawn from the same distribution is 98-99%). These results are strongly suggestive of an unchanging overall bulge-to-disk ratio distribution for cluster early-type galaxies over the last similar to 8 Gyr from z similar to 1 to z similar to 0. This result contrasts with that from visual classifications which show that the fraction of morphologically-selected disk-dominated early-type galaxies, or S0s, is significantly lower at z > 0.4 than at z similar to 0. We find that the median disk-dominated early-type, or S0, galaxy has a somewhat higher ellipticity at z > 0.3, suggesting that rounder S0s are being assigned as ellipticals. Taking the ellipticity measurements and assuming, as in all previous studies, that the intrinsic ellipticity distribution of both elliptical and S0 galaxies remains constant, then we conclude from the lack of evolution in the observed early-type ellipticity distribution that the relative fractions of ellipticals and S0s do not evolve from z similar to 1 to z = 0 for a red-sequence selected samples of galaxies in the cores of clusters of galaxies.

We use extensive new observations of the very rich z similar to 0.4 cluster of galaxies A851 to examine the nature and origin of starburst galaxies in intermediate-redshift clusters. New HST observations, 24 mu m Spitzer photometry and ground-based spectroscopy cover most of a region of the cluster about 10' across, corresponding to a cluster-centric radial distance of about 1.6 Mpc. This spatial coverage allows us to confirm the existence of a morphology-density relation within this cluster, and to identify several large, presumably infalling, subsystems. We confirm our previous conclusion that a very large fraction of the star-forming galaxies in A851 has recently undergone starbursts. We argue that starbursts are mostly confined to two kinds of sites: infalling groups and the cluster center. At the cluster center, it appears that infalling galaxies are undergoing major mergers, resulting in starbursts whose optical-emission lines are completely buried beneath dust. The aftermath of this process appears to be proto-S0 galaxies devoid of star formation. In contrast, major mergers do not appear to be the cause of most of the starbursts in infalling groups, and fewer of these events result in the transformation of the galaxy into an S0. Some recent theoretical work provides possible explanations for these two distinct processes, but it is not clear whether they can operate with the very high efficiency needed to account for the very large starburst rate observed.

We present the first results from the largest spectroscopic survey to date of an intermediate redshift galaxy cluster, the z = 0.834 cluster RX J0152.7-1357. We use the colors of galaxies, assembled from a D similar to 12 Mpc region centered on the cluster, to investigate the properties of the red sequence as a function of density and clustercentric radius. Our wide-field multislit survey with a low-dispersion prism in the Inamori Magellan Areal Camera and Spectrograph at the 6.5 m Baade telescope allowed us to identify 475 new members of the cluster and its surrounding large-scale structure with a redshift accuracy of sigma(z)/(1 + z) approximate to 1% and a contamination rate of similar to 2% for galaxies with i' < 23.75 mag. We combine these new members with the 279 previously known spectroscopic members to give a total of 754 galaxies from which we obtain a mass-limited sample of 300 galaxies with stellar masses M > 4 x 10(10) M-circle dot (log M/M-circle dot > 10.6). We find that the red galaxy fraction is 93 +/- 3% in the two merging cores of the cluster and declines to a level of 64 +/- 3% at projected clustercentric radii R greater than or similar to 3 Mpc. At these large projected distances, the correlation between clustercentric radius and local density is nonexistent. This allows an assessment of the influence of the local environment on galaxy evolution, as opposed to mechanisms that operate on cluster scales (e.g., harassment, ram-pressure stripping). Even beyond R > 3 Mpc we find an increasing fraction of red galaxies with increasing local density. The red galaxy fraction at the highest local densities in two large groups at R > 3 Mpc matches the red galaxy fraction found in the two cores. Strikingly, galaxies at intermediate densities at R > 3 Mpc, that are not obvious members of groups, also show signs of an enhanced red galaxy fraction. Our results point to such intermediate-density regions and the groups in the outskirts of the cluster, as sites where the local environment influences the transition of galaxies onto the red sequence.

We examine the star formation rates (SFRs) of galaxies in a redshift slice encompassing the z = 0.834 cluster RX J0152.7-1357. We used a low-dispersion prism in the Inamori Magellan Areal Camera and Spectrograph to identify galaxies with z(AB) < 23.3 mag in diverse environments around the cluster out to projected distances of similar to 8 Mpc from the cluster center. We utilize a mass-limited sample (M > 2 x 10(10) M(circle dot)) of 330 galaxies that were imaged by Spitzer MIPS at 24 mu m to derive SFRs and study the dependence of specific SFR (SSFR) on stellar mass and environment. We find that the SFR and SSFR show a strong decrease with increasing local density, similar to the relation at z similar to 0. Our result contrasts with other work at z similar to 1 that finds the SFR-density trend to reverse for luminosity-limited samples. These other results appear to be driven by star formation (SF) in lower mass systems (M similar to 10(10) M(circle dot)). Our results imply that the processes that shut down SF are present in groups and other dense regions in the field. Our data also suggest that the lower SFRs of galaxies in higher density environments may reflect a change in the ratio of star-forming to non-star-forming galaxies, rather than a change in SFRs. As a consequence, the SFRs of star-forming galaxies, in environments ranging from small groups to clusters, appear to be similar and largely unaffected by the local processes that truncate SF at z similar to 0.8.

Modern population synthesis models estimate that 50% of the rest-frame K-band light is produced by thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) stars during the first Gyr of a stellar population, with a substantial fraction continuing to be produced by the TP-AGB over a Hubble time. Between 0.2 and 1.5 Gyr, intermediate-mass stars evolve into TP-AGB C stars which, due to significant amounts of circumstellar dust, emit half their energy in the mid-IR. We combine these results using published mid-IR colors of Galactic TP-AGB M and C stars to construct simple models for exploring the contribution of the TP-AGB to 24 mu m data as a function of stellar population age. We compare these empirical models with an ensemble of galaxies in the Chandra Deep Field South from z = 0 to z = 2, and with high-quality imaging in M81. Within the uncertainties, the TP-AGB appears responsible for a substantial fraction of the mid-IR luminosities of galaxies from z = 0 to z = 2, the maximum redshift to which we can test our hypothesis, while, at the same time, our models reproduce much of the detailed structure observed in mid-IR imaging of M81. The mid-IR is a good diagnostic of star formation over timescales of similar to 1.5 Gyr, but this implies that ongoing star formation rates at z = 1 may be overestimated by factors of similar to 1.5-6, depending on the nature of star formation events. Our results, if confirmed through subsequent work, have strong implications for the star formation rate density of the universe and the growth of stellar mass over time.

We have measured velocity dispersions (sigma) for a sample of 36 galaxies with J < 21.2 or M-r < -20.6 mag in MS 1054-03, a massive cluster of galaxies at z = 0.83. Our data are of uniformly high quality down to our selection limit, our 16 hr exposures typically yielding errors of only delta(sigma) similar to 10% for L* and fainter galaxies. By combining our measurements with data from the literature, we have 53 cluster galaxies with measured dispersions, and HST/ACS-derived sizes, colors and surface brightness. This sample is complete for the typical L-star galaxy at z similar to 1, unlike most previous z similar to 1 cluster samples which are complete only for the massive cluster members (>10(11) M-circle dot). We find no evidence for a change in the tilt of the fundamental plane (FP). Nor do we find evidence for evolution in the slope of the color-sigma relation and M/L-B-sigma relations; measuring evolution at a fixed sigma should minimize the impact of structural evolution found in other work. The M/L-B at fixed sigma evolves by Delta log(10) M/L-B = -0.50 +/- 0.03 between z = 0.83 and z = 0.02 or d log(10) M/L-B = -0.60 +/- 0.04 dz, and we find Delta(U-V)(z) = -0.24 +/- 0.02 mag at fixed sigma in the rest frame, matching the expected evolution in M/LB within 2.25 standard deviations. The implied formation redshift from both the color and M/L-B evolution is z(star) = 2.0+/-0.2+/-0.3(sys), during the epoch in which the cosmic star formation activity peaked, with the systematic uncertainty showing the dependence of z(star) on the assumptions we make about the stellar populations. The lack of evolution in either the tilt of the FP or in the M/L-sigma and color-sigma relations imply that the formation epoch depends weakly on mass, ranging from z(star) = 2.3(-0.3)(+1.3) at sigma = 300 km s(-1) to z(star) = 1.7(-0.2)(+0.3) at sigma = 160 km s(-1) and implies that the initial mass function similarly varies slowly with galaxy mass.

Clusters of galaxies have long been used as laboratories for the study of galaxy evolution, but despite intense, recent interest in feedback between active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and their hosts, the impact of environment on these relationships remains poorly constrained. We present results from a study of AGNs and their host galaxies found in low-redshift galaxy clusters. We fit model spectral energy distributions (SEDs) to the combined visible and mid-infrared (MIR) photometry of cluster members and use these model SEDs to determine stellar masses and star formation rates (SFRs). We identify two populations of AGNs, the first based on their X-ray luminosities (X-ray AGNs) and the second based on the presence of a significant AGN component in their model SEDs (IR AGNs). We find that the two AGN populations are nearly disjoint; only 8 out of 44 AGNs are identified with both techniques. We further find that IR AGNs are hosted by galaxies with similar masses and SFRs but higher specific SFRs (sSFRs) than X-ray AGN hosts. The relationship between AGN accretion and host star formation in cluster AGN hosts shows no significant difference compared to the relationship between field AGNs and their hosts. The projected radial distributions of both AGN populations are consistent with the distribution of other cluster members. We argue that the apparent dichotomy between X-ray and IR AGNs can be understood as a combination of differing extinction due to cold gas in the host galaxies of the two classes of AGNs and the presence of weak star formation in X-ray AGN hosts.

We study the star formation rates (SFRs) of galaxies as a function of local galaxy density at 0.6 < z < 0.9. We used a low-dispersion prism in IMACS on the 6.5 m Baade (Magellan I) telescope to obtain spectra and measured redshifts to a precision of sigma(z)/(1 + z) similar to 1% for galaxies with z(AB) < 23.3 mag. We utilized a stellar mass-limited sample of 977 galaxies above M > 1.8 x 10(10) M-circle dot (logM/M-circle dot > 10.25) to conduct our main analysis. With three different SFR indicators, (1) Spitzer MIPS 24 mu m imaging, (2) spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting, and (3) [OII]lambda 3727 emission, we find the median specific SFR (SSFR) and SFR to decline from the low-density field to the cores of groups and a rich cluster. For the SED- and [OII]-based SFRs, the decline in SSFR is roughly an order of magnitude while for the MIPS-based SFRs, the decline is a factor of similar to 4. We find approximately the same magnitude of decline in SSFR even after removing the sample of galaxies near the cluster. Galaxies in groups and a cluster at these redshifts therefore have lower star formation (SF) activity than galaxies in the field, as is the case at z similar to 0. We investigated whether the decline in SFR with increasing density is caused by a change in the proportion of quiescent and star-forming galaxies (SFGs) or by a decline in the SFRs of SFGs. Using the rest-frame U-V and V-J colors to distinguish quiescent galaxies from SFGs (including both unattenuated blue galaxies and reddened ones), we find that the fraction of quiescent galaxies increases from similar to 32% to 79% from low to high density. In addition, we find the SSFRs of SFGs, selected based on U-V and V-J colors, to decline with increasing density by factors of similar to 5-6 for the SED-and [OII]-based SFRs. The MIPS-based SSFRs for SFGs decline with a shallower slope. The declining SFRs of SFGs with density are paralleled by a decline in the median AV, providing indirect evidence that the cold gas content that fuels future SF is diminished in higher density environments. The order of magnitude decline in the SSFR-density relation at 0.6 < z < 0.9 is therefore driven by both a combination of declining SFRs of SFGs as well as a changing mix of SFGs and quiescent galaxies.

We examine the inner mass distribution of the relaxed galaxy cluster A383 (z = 0.189), in deep 16 band Hubble Space Telescope/ACS+WFC3 imaging taken as part of the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) multi-cycle treasury program. Our program is designed to study the dark matter distribution in 25 massive clusters, and balances depth with a wide wavelength coverage, 2000-16000 angstrom, to better identify lensed systems and generate precise photometric redshifts. This photometric information together with the predictive strength of our strong-lensing analysis method identifies 13 new multiply lensed images and candidates, so that a total of 27 multiple images of nine systems are used to tightly constrain the inner mass profile gradient, d log Sigma/d log r similar or equal to -0.6 +/- 0.1 (r < 160 kpc). We find consistency with the standard distance-redshift relation for the full range spanned by the lensed images, 1.01 < z < 6.03, with the higher-redshift sources deflected through larger angles as expected. The inner mass profile derived here is consistent with the results of our independent weak-lensing analysis of wide-field Subaru images, with good agreement in the region of overlap (similar to 0.7-1 arcmin). Combining weak and strong lensing, the overall mass profile is well fitted by a Navarro-Frenk-White profile with M-vir = (5.37(-0.63)(+0.70) +/- 0.26) x 10(14) M-circle dot h(-1) and a relatively high concentration, c(vir) = 8.77(-0.42)(+0.44) +/- 0.23, which lies above the standard c-M relation similar to other well-studied clusters. The critical radius of A383 is modest by the standards of other lensing clusters, r(E) similar or equal to 16 +/- 2 '' (for z(s) = 2.55), so the relatively large number of lensed images uncovered here with precise photometric redshifts validates our imaging strategy for the CLASH survey. In total we aim to provide similarly high-quality lensing data for 25 clusters, 20 of which are X-ray-selected relaxed clusters, enabling a precise determination of the representative mass profile free from lensing bias.