How well do local relations predict gas-phase metallicity gradients? Results from SDSS-IV MaNGA
Por:
Boardman, N., Zasowski, G., Newman, J. A., Sanchez, S. F., Andrews, B., Barrera-Ballesteros, J. K., Lian, J., Riffel, R., Riffel, R. A., Schaefer, A., Bundy, K.
Publicada:
16 jun 2022
Resumen:
Gas-phase metallicity gradients in galaxies provide important clues to
those galaxies' formation histories. Using SDSS-IV MaNGA data, we
previously demonstrated that gas metallicity gradients vary
systematically and significantly across the galaxy mass-size plane: at
stellar masses beyond approximately 10(10) M-circle dot, more extended
galaxies display steeper gradients (in units of dex/R-e) at a given
stellar mass. Here, we set out to develop a physical interpretation of
these findings by examining the ability of local similar to kpc-scale
relations to predict the gradient behaviour along the mass-size plane.
We find that local stellar mass surface density, when combined with
total stellar mass, is sufficient to reproduce the overall mass-size
trend in a qualitative sense. We further find that we can improve the
predictions by correcting for residual trends relating to the recent
star formation histories of star-forming regions. However, we find as
well that the most extended galaxies display steeper average gradients
than predicted, even after correcting for residual metallicity trends
with other local parameters. From these results, we argue that gas-phase
metallicity gradients can largely be understood in terms of known local
relations, but we also discuss some possible physical causes of
discrepant gradients.
Filiaciones:
Boardman, N.:
(Corresponding Author), Univ St Andrews, Sch Phys & Astron, St Andrews KY16 9SS, Fife, Scotland
Univ St Andrews, Sch Phys & Astron, St Andrews KY16 9SS, Fife, Scotland
Zasowski, G.:
Univ Utah, Dept Phys & Astron, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
Newman, J. A.:
Univ Pittsburgh, Dept Phys & Astron, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA
Univ Pittsburgh, PITT PACC, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA
Sanchez, S. F.:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Astron, AP 70 264, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
Andrews, B.:
Univ Pittsburgh, Dept Phys & Astron, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA
Univ Pittsburgh, PITT PACC, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA
Barrera-Ballesteros, J. K.:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Astron, AP 70 264, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
Lian, J.:
Max Planck Inst Astron, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
Riffel, R.:
Univ Fed Rio Grande Do Sul, Inst Fis, Dept Astron, CP 15051, BR-91501970 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
A
Riffel, R. A.:
A
Schaefer, A.:
Max Planck Inst Astrophys, Karl Schwarzschild Str 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
Bundy, K.:
Univ Calif Santa Cruz, UCO Lick Observ, 1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA 1156 USA
Green Submitted
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