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 $1.2\le z\le 3$ in CANDELS/3D-HST fields. We obtain the correlation length for compact quiescent galaxies (cQGs) at $z\sim 1.6$ of $r_0=7.1_{-2.6}^{+2.3}{h}^{-1}Mpc$ and compact star forming galaxies (cSFGs) at $z\sim 2.5$ of $r_0=7.7_{-2.9}^{+2.7}{h}^{-1}Mpc$ assuming a power-law slope $\gamma =1.8$. The characteristic dark matter halo masses $M_H$ of cQGs at $z\sim 1.6$ and cSFGs at $z\sim 2.5$ are $\sim7.1\times 10^{12}\ h^{-1} M_\odot$and$\sim4.4\times10^{12}\ h^{-1} M_\odot$, respectively. Our clustering result suggests that cQGs at $z\sim 1.6$ 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.