The SAMI galaxy survey: Galaxy size can explain the offset between star-forming and passive galaxies in the mass–metallicity relationship
ABSTRACT In this work, we investigate how the central stellar metallicity ([Z/H]) of 1363 galaxies from the SAMI galaxy survey is related to their stellar mass and a proxy for the gravitational potential, $\Phi = \log _{10}\left(\frac{M_*}{M_{\odot }} \right) - \log _{10}\left(\frac{r_e}{\mathrm{kpc...
Published in: | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society |
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Oxford University Press (OUP)
2022
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac2304 https://academic.oup.com/mnras/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/mnras/stac2304/45497044/stac2304.pdf https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-pdf/516/2/2971/45845239/stac2304.pdf |
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croxfordunivpr:10.1093/mnras/stac2304 2024-04-28T08:37:21+00:00 The SAMI galaxy survey: Galaxy size can explain the offset between star-forming and passive galaxies in the mass–metallicity relationship Vaughan, Sam P Barone, Tania M Croom, Scott M Cortese, Luca D’Eugenio, Francesco Brough, Sarah Colless, Matthew McDermid, Richard M van de Sande, Jesse Scott, Nicholas Bland-Hawthorn, Joss Bryant, Julia J Lawrence, J S López-Sánchez, Ángel R Lorente, Nuria P F Owers, Matt S Richards, Samuel N NASA University of Sydney Australian Astronomical Observatory Australian Research Council ERC Science and Technology Facilities Council Anglo-Australian Observatory 2022 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac2304 https://academic.oup.com/mnras/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/mnras/stac2304/45497044/stac2304.pdf https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-pdf/516/2/2971/45845239/stac2304.pdf en eng Oxford University Press (OUP) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society volume 516, issue 2, page 2971-2987 ISSN 0035-8711 1365-2966 Space and Planetary Science Astronomy and Astrophysics journal-article 2022 croxfordunivpr https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac2304 2024-04-09T07:55:05Z ABSTRACT In this work, we investigate how the central stellar metallicity ([Z/H]) of 1363 galaxies from the SAMI galaxy survey is related to their stellar mass and a proxy for the gravitational potential, $\Phi = \log _{10}\left(\frac{M_*}{M_{\odot }} \right) - \log _{10}\left(\frac{r_e}{\mathrm{kpc}} \right)$. In agreement with previous studies, we find that passive and star-forming galaxies occupy different areas of the [Z/H]–M* plane, with passive galaxies having higher [Z/H] than star-forming galaxies at fixed mass (a difference of 0.23 dex at log10(M*/M⊙) = 10.3). We show for the first time that all galaxies lie on the same relation between [Z/H] and Φ, and show that the offset in [Z/H] between passive and star-forming galaxies at fixed Φ is smaller than or equal to the offset in [Z/H] at fixed mass (an average Δ[Z/H] of 0.11 dex at fixed Φ compared to 0.21 dex at fixed mass). We then build a simple model of galaxy evolution to explain and understand our results. By assuming that [Z/H] traces Φ over cosmic time and that the probability that a galaxy quenches depends on both its mass and size, we are able to reproduce these offsets in stellar metallicity with a model containing instantaneous quenching. We therefore conclude that an offset in metallicity at fixed mass cannot by itself be used as evidence of slow quenching processes, in contrast to previous studies. Instead, our model implies that metal-rich galaxies have always been the smallest objects for their mass in a population. Our findings reiterate the need to consider galaxy size when studying stellar populations. Article in Journal/Newspaper sami Oxford University Press Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Oxford University Press |
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croxfordunivpr |
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English |
topic |
Space and Planetary Science Astronomy and Astrophysics |
spellingShingle |
Space and Planetary Science Astronomy and Astrophysics Vaughan, Sam P Barone, Tania M Croom, Scott M Cortese, Luca D’Eugenio, Francesco Brough, Sarah Colless, Matthew McDermid, Richard M van de Sande, Jesse Scott, Nicholas Bland-Hawthorn, Joss Bryant, Julia J Lawrence, J S López-Sánchez, Ángel R Lorente, Nuria P F Owers, Matt S Richards, Samuel N The SAMI galaxy survey: Galaxy size can explain the offset between star-forming and passive galaxies in the mass–metallicity relationship |
topic_facet |
Space and Planetary Science Astronomy and Astrophysics |
description |
ABSTRACT In this work, we investigate how the central stellar metallicity ([Z/H]) of 1363 galaxies from the SAMI galaxy survey is related to their stellar mass and a proxy for the gravitational potential, $\Phi = \log _{10}\left(\frac{M_*}{M_{\odot }} \right) - \log _{10}\left(\frac{r_e}{\mathrm{kpc}} \right)$. In agreement with previous studies, we find that passive and star-forming galaxies occupy different areas of the [Z/H]–M* plane, with passive galaxies having higher [Z/H] than star-forming galaxies at fixed mass (a difference of 0.23 dex at log10(M*/M⊙) = 10.3). We show for the first time that all galaxies lie on the same relation between [Z/H] and Φ, and show that the offset in [Z/H] between passive and star-forming galaxies at fixed Φ is smaller than or equal to the offset in [Z/H] at fixed mass (an average Δ[Z/H] of 0.11 dex at fixed Φ compared to 0.21 dex at fixed mass). We then build a simple model of galaxy evolution to explain and understand our results. By assuming that [Z/H] traces Φ over cosmic time and that the probability that a galaxy quenches depends on both its mass and size, we are able to reproduce these offsets in stellar metallicity with a model containing instantaneous quenching. We therefore conclude that an offset in metallicity at fixed mass cannot by itself be used as evidence of slow quenching processes, in contrast to previous studies. Instead, our model implies that metal-rich galaxies have always been the smallest objects for their mass in a population. Our findings reiterate the need to consider galaxy size when studying stellar populations. |
author2 |
NASA University of Sydney Australian Astronomical Observatory Australian Research Council ERC Science and Technology Facilities Council Anglo-Australian Observatory |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Vaughan, Sam P Barone, Tania M Croom, Scott M Cortese, Luca D’Eugenio, Francesco Brough, Sarah Colless, Matthew McDermid, Richard M van de Sande, Jesse Scott, Nicholas Bland-Hawthorn, Joss Bryant, Julia J Lawrence, J S López-Sánchez, Ángel R Lorente, Nuria P F Owers, Matt S Richards, Samuel N |
author_facet |
Vaughan, Sam P Barone, Tania M Croom, Scott M Cortese, Luca D’Eugenio, Francesco Brough, Sarah Colless, Matthew McDermid, Richard M van de Sande, Jesse Scott, Nicholas Bland-Hawthorn, Joss Bryant, Julia J Lawrence, J S López-Sánchez, Ángel R Lorente, Nuria P F Owers, Matt S Richards, Samuel N |
author_sort |
Vaughan, Sam P |
title |
The SAMI galaxy survey: Galaxy size can explain the offset between star-forming and passive galaxies in the mass–metallicity relationship |
title_short |
The SAMI galaxy survey: Galaxy size can explain the offset between star-forming and passive galaxies in the mass–metallicity relationship |
title_full |
The SAMI galaxy survey: Galaxy size can explain the offset between star-forming and passive galaxies in the mass–metallicity relationship |
title_fullStr |
The SAMI galaxy survey: Galaxy size can explain the offset between star-forming and passive galaxies in the mass–metallicity relationship |
title_full_unstemmed |
The SAMI galaxy survey: Galaxy size can explain the offset between star-forming and passive galaxies in the mass–metallicity relationship |
title_sort |
sami galaxy survey: galaxy size can explain the offset between star-forming and passive galaxies in the mass–metallicity relationship |
publisher |
Oxford University Press (OUP) |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac2304 https://academic.oup.com/mnras/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/mnras/stac2304/45497044/stac2304.pdf https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-pdf/516/2/2971/45845239/stac2304.pdf |
genre |
sami |
genre_facet |
sami |
op_source |
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society volume 516, issue 2, page 2971-2987 ISSN 0035-8711 1365-2966 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac2304 |
container_title |
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society |
_version_ |
1797568795980595200 |