SIMBAD references

Using cosmological N-body simulations of critical and open cold dark matter (CDM) models, we have identified galaxy-sized dark matter halos originated by major binary mergers. Remnants of major merging events between redshift z=1 and the present have typically not yet been accreted into groups and clusters, and hence they can be linked to bright early-type field galaxies. The rate of formation of binary merger remnants is 1.9x10^–13(1+z)^3.1±0.2 and 1.6x10^–14(1+z)^2.5±0.4 h³ Mpc^–3.yr^–1 for a critical tilted CDM and an open CDM model, respectively. The average age of these merger remnants is about 6 Gyr, 40% of the age of the universe. In an open universe, field early-type galaxies formed at z<1 by major mergers would account for only ∼5% of the total population of early-type galaxies. This fraction is much higher (∼55%) in critical models. These results are discussed together with present observational constraints.