Using a sample of BzK -selected galaxies at z \sim 2 identified from the CFHT/WIRCAM near-infrared survey of GOODS-North , we discuss the relation between star formation rate ( SFR ) , specific star formation rate ( SSFR ) , and stellar mass ( M _ { * } ) , and the clustering of galaxies as a function of these parameters .
For star-forming galaxies ( sBzK s ) , the UV-based SFR , corrected for extinction , scales with the stellar mass as SFR \propto M _ { * } ^ { \alpha } with \alpha = 0.74 \pm 0.20 down to M _ { * } ~ { } \sim 10 ^ { 9 } M _ { \odot } , indicating a weak dependence on the stellar mass of the star formation rate efficiency , namely , SSFR .
We also measure the angular correlation function and hence infer the correlation length for sBzK galaxies as a function of M _ { * } , SFR , and SSFR , as well as K -band apparent magnitude .
We show that passive galaxies ( pBzK s ) are more strongly clustered than sBzK galaxies at a given stellar mass , mirroring the color - density relation seen at lower redshifts .
We also find that the correlation length of sBzK galaxies ranges from 4 to 20 h ^ { -1 } Mpc , being a strong function of M _ { K } , M _ { * } , and SFR .
On the other hand , the clustering dependence on SSFR changes abruptly at 2 \times 10 ^ { -9 } yr ^ { -1 } , which is the typical value for ‘ ‘ main sequence ’ ’ star-forming galaxies at z \sim 2 .
We show that the correlation length reaches a minimum at this characteristic value , and is larger for galaxies with both smaller and larger SSFRs ; a dichotomy that is only marginally implied from the predictions of the semi-analytical models .
Our results suggest that there are two types of environmental effects at work at z \sim 2 .
Stronger clustering for relatively quiescent galaxies implies that the environment has started to play a role in quenching star formation .
At the same time , stronger clustering for galaxies with elevated SSFRs ( ‘ ‘ starbursts ’ ’ ) might be attributed to an increased efficiency for galaxy interactions and mergers in dense environments .