The evolution of gas-phase metallicity and resolved abundances in star-forming galaxies at z approximate to 0.6-1.8
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The evolution of gas-phase metallicity and resolved abundances in star-forming galaxies at z approximate to 0.6-1.8. / Gillman, S.; Tiley, A. L.; Swinbank, A. M.; Dudzeviciute, U.; Sharples, R. M.; Smail, Ian; Harrison, C. M.; Bunker, Andrew J.; Bureau, Martin; Cirasuolo, M.; Magdis, Georgios E.; Mendel, Trevor; Stott, John P.
In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 500, No. 3, 22.01.2021, p. 4229-4247.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - The evolution of gas-phase metallicity and resolved abundances in star-forming galaxies at z approximate to 0.6-1.8
AU - Gillman, S.
AU - Tiley, A. L.
AU - Swinbank, A. M.
AU - Dudzeviciute, U.
AU - Sharples, R. M.
AU - Smail, Ian
AU - Harrison, C. M.
AU - Bunker, Andrew J.
AU - Bureau, Martin
AU - Cirasuolo, M.
AU - Magdis, Georgios E.
AU - Mendel, Trevor
AU - Stott, John P.
PY - 2021/1/22
Y1 - 2021/1/22
N2 - We present an analysis of the chemical abundance properties of approximate to 650 star-forming galaxies at z approximate to 0.6-1.8. Using integral-field observations from the K-band multi-object spectrograph (KMOS), we quantify the [N II]/H alpha emission-line ratio, a proxy for the gas-phase oxygen abundance within the interstellar medium. We define the stellar mass-metallicity relation at z approximate to 0.6-1.0 and z approximate to 1.2-1.8 and analyse the correlation between the scatter in the relation and fundamental galaxy properties (e.g. H alpha star formation rate, H alpha specific star formation rate, rotation dominance, stellar continuum half-light radius, and Hubble-type morphology). We find that for a given stellar mass, more highly star-forming, larger, and irregular galaxies have lower gas-phase metallicities, which may be attributable to their lower surface mass densities and the higher gas fractions of irregular systems. We measure the radial dependence of gas-phase metallicity in the galaxies, establishing a median, beam smearing corrected, metallicity gradient of Delta Z/Delta R = 0.002 +/- 0.004 dex kpc(-1), indicating on average there is no significant dependence on radius. The metallicity gradient of a galaxy is independent of its rest-frame optical morphology, whilst correlating with its stellar mass and specific star formation rate, in agreement with an inside-out model of galaxy evolution, as well as its rotation dominance. We quantify the evolution of metallicity gradients, comparing the distribution of Delta Z/Delta R in our sample with numerical simulations and observations at z approximate to 0-3. Galaxies in our sample exhibit flatter metallicity gradients than local star-forming galaxies, in agreement with numerical models in which stellar feedback plays a crucial role redistributing metals.
AB - We present an analysis of the chemical abundance properties of approximate to 650 star-forming galaxies at z approximate to 0.6-1.8. Using integral-field observations from the K-band multi-object spectrograph (KMOS), we quantify the [N II]/H alpha emission-line ratio, a proxy for the gas-phase oxygen abundance within the interstellar medium. We define the stellar mass-metallicity relation at z approximate to 0.6-1.0 and z approximate to 1.2-1.8 and analyse the correlation between the scatter in the relation and fundamental galaxy properties (e.g. H alpha star formation rate, H alpha specific star formation rate, rotation dominance, stellar continuum half-light radius, and Hubble-type morphology). We find that for a given stellar mass, more highly star-forming, larger, and irregular galaxies have lower gas-phase metallicities, which may be attributable to their lower surface mass densities and the higher gas fractions of irregular systems. We measure the radial dependence of gas-phase metallicity in the galaxies, establishing a median, beam smearing corrected, metallicity gradient of Delta Z/Delta R = 0.002 +/- 0.004 dex kpc(-1), indicating on average there is no significant dependence on radius. The metallicity gradient of a galaxy is independent of its rest-frame optical morphology, whilst correlating with its stellar mass and specific star formation rate, in agreement with an inside-out model of galaxy evolution, as well as its rotation dominance. We quantify the evolution of metallicity gradients, comparing the distribution of Delta Z/Delta R in our sample with numerical simulations and observations at z approximate to 0-3. Galaxies in our sample exhibit flatter metallicity gradients than local star-forming galaxies, in agreement with numerical models in which stellar feedback plays a crucial role redistributing metals.
KW - galaxies: abundances
KW - galaxies: kinematics and dynamics
KW - galaxies: high-reshift
KW - DIGITAL SKY SURVEY
KW - MASS-METALLICITY
KW - SPECTROSCOPIC SURVEY
KW - CHEMICAL EVOLUTION
KW - COSMIC EVOLUTION
KW - GRADIENTS
KW - STELLAR
KW - ORIGIN
KW - MODEL
KW - KMOS
U2 - 10.1093/mnras/staa3400
DO - 10.1093/mnras/staa3400
M3 - Journal article
VL - 500
SP - 4229
EP - 4247
JO - Royal Astronomical Society. Monthly Notices
JF - Royal Astronomical Society. Monthly Notices
SN - 0035-8711
IS - 3
ER -
ID: 299501462