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 -