The SAMI Galaxy Survey: Gravitational Potential and Surface Density Drive Stellar Populations. I. Early-type Galaxies
The well-established correlations between the mass of a galaxy and the properties of its stars are considered to be evidence for mass driving the evolution of the stellar population (SP). However, for early-type galaxies (ETGs), we find that g − i color and stellar metallicity [Z/H] correlate more s...
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Online Access: | https://authors.library.caltech.edu/85476/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/85476/1/Barone_2018_ApJ_856_64.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/85476/2/1802.04807.pdf https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20180328-133306568 |
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ftcaltechauth:oai:authors.library.caltech.edu:85476 2023-05-15T18:13:10+02:00 The SAMI Galaxy Survey: Gravitational Potential and Surface Density Drive Stellar Populations. I. Early-type Galaxies Barone, Tania M. D’Eugenio, Francesco Colless, Matthew Scott, Nicholas van de Sande, Jesse Bland-Hawthorn, Joss Brough, Sarah Bryant, Julia J. Cortese, Luca Croom, Scott M. Foster, Caroline Goodwin, Michael Konstantopoulos, Iraklis S. Lawrence, Jon S. Lorente, Nuria P. F. Medling, Anne M. Owers, Matt S. Richards, Samuel N. 2018-03-20 application/pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/85476/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/85476/1/Barone_2018_ApJ_856_64.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/85476/2/1802.04807.pdf https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20180328-133306568 en eng American Astronomical Society https://authors.library.caltech.edu/85476/1/Barone_2018_ApJ_856_64.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/85476/2/1802.04807.pdf Barone, Tania M. and D’Eugenio, Francesco and Colless, Matthew and Scott, Nicholas and van de Sande, Jesse and Bland-Hawthorn, Joss and Brough, Sarah and Bryant, Julia J. and Cortese, Luca and Croom, Scott M. and Foster, Caroline and Goodwin, Michael and Konstantopoulos, Iraklis S. and Lawrence, Jon S. and Lorente, Nuria P. F. and Medling, Anne M. and Owers, Matt S. and Richards, Samuel N. (2018) The SAMI Galaxy Survey: Gravitational Potential and Surface Density Drive Stellar Populations. I. Early-type Galaxies. Astrophysical Journal, 856 (1). Art. No. 64. ISSN 1538-4357. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aaaf6e. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20180328-133306568 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20180328-133306568> other Article PeerReviewed 2018 ftcaltechauth https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aaaf6e 2021-11-18T18:45:21Z The well-established correlations between the mass of a galaxy and the properties of its stars are considered to be evidence for mass driving the evolution of the stellar population (SP). However, for early-type galaxies (ETGs), we find that g − i color and stellar metallicity [Z/H] correlate more strongly with gravitational potential Φ than with mass M, whereas SP age correlates best with surface density Σ. Specifically, for our sample of 625 ETGs with integral-field spectroscopy from the Sydney-AAO Multi-object Integral-field Galaxy Survey, compared to correlations with mass, the color–Φ, [Z/H]–Φ, and age–Σ relations show both a smaller scatter and a lower residual trend with galaxy size. For the star formation duration proxy [α/Fe], we find comparable results for trends with Φ and Σ, with both being significantly stronger than the [α/Fe]–M relation. In determining the strength of a trend, we analyze both the overall scatter, and the observational uncertainty on the parameters, in order to compare the intrinsic scatter in each correlation. These results lead us to the following inferences and interpretations: (1) the color–Φ diagram is a more precise tool for determining the developmental stage of the SP than the conventional color–mass diagram; and (2) gravitational potential is the primary regulator of global stellar metallicity, via its relation to the gas escape velocity. Furthermore, we propose the following two mechanisms for the age and [α/Fe] relations with Σ: (a) the age–Σ and [α/Fe]–Σ correlations arise as results of compactness-driven quenching mechanisms; and/or (b) as fossil records of the Σ_(SFR) ∝ Σ_(gas) relation in their disk-dominated progenitors. Article in Journal/Newspaper sami Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) The Astrophysical Journal 856 1 64 |
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Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) |
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English |
description |
The well-established correlations between the mass of a galaxy and the properties of its stars are considered to be evidence for mass driving the evolution of the stellar population (SP). However, for early-type galaxies (ETGs), we find that g − i color and stellar metallicity [Z/H] correlate more strongly with gravitational potential Φ than with mass M, whereas SP age correlates best with surface density Σ. Specifically, for our sample of 625 ETGs with integral-field spectroscopy from the Sydney-AAO Multi-object Integral-field Galaxy Survey, compared to correlations with mass, the color–Φ, [Z/H]–Φ, and age–Σ relations show both a smaller scatter and a lower residual trend with galaxy size. For the star formation duration proxy [α/Fe], we find comparable results for trends with Φ and Σ, with both being significantly stronger than the [α/Fe]–M relation. In determining the strength of a trend, we analyze both the overall scatter, and the observational uncertainty on the parameters, in order to compare the intrinsic scatter in each correlation. These results lead us to the following inferences and interpretations: (1) the color–Φ diagram is a more precise tool for determining the developmental stage of the SP than the conventional color–mass diagram; and (2) gravitational potential is the primary regulator of global stellar metallicity, via its relation to the gas escape velocity. Furthermore, we propose the following two mechanisms for the age and [α/Fe] relations with Σ: (a) the age–Σ and [α/Fe]–Σ correlations arise as results of compactness-driven quenching mechanisms; and/or (b) as fossil records of the Σ_(SFR) ∝ Σ_(gas) relation in their disk-dominated progenitors. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Barone, Tania M. D’Eugenio, Francesco Colless, Matthew Scott, Nicholas van de Sande, Jesse Bland-Hawthorn, Joss Brough, Sarah Bryant, Julia J. Cortese, Luca Croom, Scott M. Foster, Caroline Goodwin, Michael Konstantopoulos, Iraklis S. Lawrence, Jon S. Lorente, Nuria P. F. Medling, Anne M. Owers, Matt S. Richards, Samuel N. |
spellingShingle |
Barone, Tania M. D’Eugenio, Francesco Colless, Matthew Scott, Nicholas van de Sande, Jesse Bland-Hawthorn, Joss Brough, Sarah Bryant, Julia J. Cortese, Luca Croom, Scott M. Foster, Caroline Goodwin, Michael Konstantopoulos, Iraklis S. Lawrence, Jon S. Lorente, Nuria P. F. Medling, Anne M. Owers, Matt S. Richards, Samuel N. The SAMI Galaxy Survey: Gravitational Potential and Surface Density Drive Stellar Populations. I. Early-type Galaxies |
author_facet |
Barone, Tania M. D’Eugenio, Francesco Colless, Matthew Scott, Nicholas van de Sande, Jesse Bland-Hawthorn, Joss Brough, Sarah Bryant, Julia J. Cortese, Luca Croom, Scott M. Foster, Caroline Goodwin, Michael Konstantopoulos, Iraklis S. Lawrence, Jon S. Lorente, Nuria P. F. Medling, Anne M. Owers, Matt S. Richards, Samuel N. |
author_sort |
Barone, Tania M. |
title |
The SAMI Galaxy Survey: Gravitational Potential and Surface Density Drive Stellar Populations. I. Early-type Galaxies |
title_short |
The SAMI Galaxy Survey: Gravitational Potential and Surface Density Drive Stellar Populations. I. Early-type Galaxies |
title_full |
The SAMI Galaxy Survey: Gravitational Potential and Surface Density Drive Stellar Populations. I. Early-type Galaxies |
title_fullStr |
The SAMI Galaxy Survey: Gravitational Potential and Surface Density Drive Stellar Populations. I. Early-type Galaxies |
title_full_unstemmed |
The SAMI Galaxy Survey: Gravitational Potential and Surface Density Drive Stellar Populations. I. Early-type Galaxies |
title_sort |
sami galaxy survey: gravitational potential and surface density drive stellar populations. i. early-type galaxies |
publisher |
American Astronomical Society |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://authors.library.caltech.edu/85476/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/85476/1/Barone_2018_ApJ_856_64.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/85476/2/1802.04807.pdf https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20180328-133306568 |
genre |
sami |
genre_facet |
sami |
op_relation |
https://authors.library.caltech.edu/85476/1/Barone_2018_ApJ_856_64.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/85476/2/1802.04807.pdf Barone, Tania M. and D’Eugenio, Francesco and Colless, Matthew and Scott, Nicholas and van de Sande, Jesse and Bland-Hawthorn, Joss and Brough, Sarah and Bryant, Julia J. and Cortese, Luca and Croom, Scott M. and Foster, Caroline and Goodwin, Michael and Konstantopoulos, Iraklis S. and Lawrence, Jon S. and Lorente, Nuria P. F. and Medling, Anne M. and Owers, Matt S. and Richards, Samuel N. (2018) The SAMI Galaxy Survey: Gravitational Potential and Surface Density Drive Stellar Populations. I. Early-type Galaxies. Astrophysical Journal, 856 (1). Art. No. 64. ISSN 1538-4357. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aaaf6e. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20180328-133306568 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20180328-133306568> |
op_rights |
other |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aaaf6e |
container_title |
The Astrophysical Journal |
container_volume |
856 |
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1 |
container_start_page |
64 |
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1766185653058404352 |