THE ROLE OF GALAXY INTERACTION IN ENVIRONMENTAL DEPENDENCE OF THE STAR FORMATION ACTIVITY AT z {approx_equal} 1.2

In order to understand environmental effects on star formation in high-redshift galaxies, we investigate the physical relationships between the star formation activity, stellar mass, and environment for z {approx_equal} 1.2 galaxies in the 2 deg{sup 2} COSMOS field. We estimate star formation using the [O II]{lambda}3727 emission line and environment from the local galaxy density. Our analysis shows that for massive galaxies (M{sub *} {approx}> 10{sup 10} M{sub Sun }), the fraction of [O II] emitters in high-density environments ({Sigma}{sub 10th} {approx}> 3.9 Mpc{sup -2}) is 1.7 {+-} 0.4 times higher than in low-density environments ({Sigma}{sub 10th} {approx} 10{sup 10} M{sub Sun }. In addition, massive galaxies are more likely to have companions in high-density environments. However, although the number of star-forming galaxies increases for massive galaxies withmore » close companions and in dense environments, the average star formation rate of star-forming galaxies at a given mass is independent of environment and the presence/absence of a close companion. These results suggest that interactions and/or mergers in a high-density environment could induce star formation in massive galaxies at z {approx} 1.2, increasing the fraction of star-forming galaxies with M{sub *} {approx}> 10{sup 10} M{sub Sun }.« less