A Consistent Study of Metallicity Evolution at 0.8 lt z lt 2.6

E. Wuyts; J. Kurk; N. M. Förster Schreiber; R. Genzel; E. Wisnioski; K. Bandara; S. Wuyts; A. Beifiori; R. Bender; G. B. Brammer; A. Burkert; P. Buschkamp; C. M. Carollo; J. Chan; R. Davies; F. Eisenhauer; M. Fossati; S. K. Kulkarni; P. Lang; S. J. Lilly; D. Lutz; C. Mancini; J. T. Mendel; I. G. Momcheva; T. Naab; E. J. Nelson; A. Renzini; D. Rosario; R. P. Saglia; S. Seitz; R. M. Sharples; A. Sternberg; S. Tacchella; L. J. Tacconi; P. van Dokkum; D. J. Wilman

doi:10.1088/2041-8205/789/2/L40

A Consistent Study of Metallicity Evolution at 0.8 lt z lt 2.6

E. Wuyts, J. Kurk, N. M. Förster Schreiber, R. Genzel, E. Wisnioski, K. Bandara, S. Wuyts, A. Beifiori, R. Bender, G. B. Brammer, A. Burkert, P. Buschkamp, C. M. Carollo, J. Chan, R. Davies, F. Eisenhauer, M. Fossati, S. K. Kulkarni, P. Lang, S. J. LillyD. Lutz, C. Mancini, J. T. Mendel, I. G. Momcheva, T. Naab, E. J. Nelson, A. Renzini, D. Rosario, R. P. Saglia, S. Seitz, R. M. Sharples, A. Sternberg, S. Tacchella, L. J. Tacconi, P. van Dokkum, D. J. Wilman

Department of Physics

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Abstract

We present the correlations between stellar mass, star formation rate (SFR), and the [N II]/Hα flux ratio as an indicator of gas-phase metallicity for a sample of 222 galaxies at 0.8 < z < 2.6 and log (M */M ☉) = 9.0-11.5 from the LUCI, SINS/zC-SINF, and KMOS3D surveys. This sample provides a unique analysis of the mass-metallicity relation (MZR) over an extended redshift range using consistent data analysis techniques and a uniform strong-line metallicity indicator. We find a constant slope at the low-mass end of the relation and can fully describe its redshift evolution through the evolution of the characteristic turnover mass where the relation begins to flatten at the asymptotic metallicity. At a fixed mass and redshift, our data do not show a correlation between the [N II]/Hα ratio and SFR, which disagrees with the 0.2-0.3 dex offset in [N II]/Hα predicted by the "fundamental relation" between stellar mass, SFR, and metallicity discussed in recent literature. However, the overall evolution toward lower [N II]/Hα at earlier times does broadly agree with these predictions.

Original language	English
Article number	L40
Number of pages	6
Journal	The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume	789
Issue number	2
Early online date	26 Jun 2014
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/789/2/L40
Publication status	Published - 10 Jul 2014

Keywords

galaxies: evolution
galaxies: high-redshift
infrared: galaxies

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10.1088/2041-8205/789/2/L40

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Wuyts, E., Kurk, J., Förster Schreiber, N. M., Genzel, R., Wisnioski, E., Bandara, K., Wuyts, S., Beifiori, A., Bender, R., Brammer, G. B., Burkert, A., Buschkamp, P., Carollo, C. M., Chan, J., Davies, R., Eisenhauer, F., Fossati, M., Kulkarni, S. K., Lang, P., ... Wilman, D. J. (2014). A Consistent Study of Metallicity Evolution at 0.8 lt z lt 2.6. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 789(2), Article L40. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/789/2/L40

Wuyts, E, Kurk, J, Förster Schreiber, NM, Genzel, R, Wisnioski, E, Bandara, K, Wuyts, S, Beifiori, A, Bender, R, Brammer, GB, Burkert, A, Buschkamp, P, Carollo, CM, Chan, J, Davies, R, Eisenhauer, F, Fossati, M, Kulkarni, SK, Lang, P, Lilly, SJ, Lutz, D, Mancini, C, Mendel, JT, Momcheva, IG, Naab, T, Nelson, EJ, Renzini, A, Rosario, D, Saglia, RP, Seitz, S, Sharples, RM, Sternberg, A, Tacchella, S, Tacconi, LJ, van Dokkum, P & Wilman, DJ 2014, 'A Consistent Study of Metallicity Evolution at 0.8 lt z lt 2.6', The Astrophysical Journal Letters, vol. 789, no. 2, L40. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/789/2/L40

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title = "A Consistent Study of Metallicity Evolution at 0.8 lt z lt 2.6",

abstract = "We present the correlations between stellar mass, star formation rate (SFR), and the [N II]/Hα flux ratio as an indicator of gas-phase metallicity for a sample of 222 galaxies at 0.8 < z < 2.6 and log (M */M ☉) = 9.0-11.5 from the LUCI, SINS/zC-SINF, and KMOS3D surveys. This sample provides a unique analysis of the mass-metallicity relation (MZR) over an extended redshift range using consistent data analysis techniques and a uniform strong-line metallicity indicator. We find a constant slope at the low-mass end of the relation and can fully describe its redshift evolution through the evolution of the characteristic turnover mass where the relation begins to flatten at the asymptotic metallicity. At a fixed mass and redshift, our data do not show a correlation between the [N II]/Hα ratio and SFR, which disagrees with the 0.2-0.3 dex offset in [N II]/Hα predicted by the {"}fundamental relation{"} between stellar mass, SFR, and metallicity discussed in recent literature. However, the overall evolution toward lower [N II]/Hα at earlier times does broadly agree with these predictions.",

keywords = "galaxies: evolution, galaxies: high-redshift, infrared: galaxies",

author = "E. Wuyts and J. Kurk and {F{\"o}rster Schreiber}, {N. M.} and R. Genzel and E. Wisnioski and K. Bandara and S. Wuyts and A. Beifiori and R. Bender and Brammer, {G. B.} and A. Burkert and P. Buschkamp and Carollo, {C. M.} and J. Chan and R. Davies and F. Eisenhauer and M. Fossati and Kulkarni, {S. K.} and P. Lang and Lilly, {S. J.} and D. Lutz and C. Mancini and Mendel, {J. T.} and Momcheva, {I. G.} and T. Naab and Nelson, {E. J.} and A. Renzini and D. Rosario and Saglia, {R. P.} and S. Seitz and Sharples, {R. M.} and A. Sternberg and S. Tacchella and Tacconi, {L. J.} and {van Dokkum}, P. and Wilman, {D. J.}",

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doi = "10.1088/2041-8205/789/2/L40",

language = "English",

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journal = "The Astrophysical Journal Letters",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - A Consistent Study of Metallicity Evolution at 0.8 lt z lt 2.6

AU - Wuyts, E.

AU - Kurk, J.

AU - Förster Schreiber, N. M.

AU - Genzel, R.

AU - Wisnioski, E.

AU - Bandara, K.

AU - Wuyts, S.

AU - Beifiori, A.

AU - Bender, R.

AU - Brammer, G. B.

AU - Burkert, A.

AU - Buschkamp, P.

AU - Carollo, C. M.

AU - Chan, J.

AU - Davies, R.

AU - Eisenhauer, F.

AU - Fossati, M.

AU - Kulkarni, S. K.

AU - Lang, P.

AU - Lilly, S. J.

AU - Lutz, D.

AU - Mancini, C.

AU - Mendel, J. T.

AU - Momcheva, I. G.

AU - Naab, T.

AU - Nelson, E. J.

AU - Renzini, A.

AU - Rosario, D.

AU - Saglia, R. P.

AU - Seitz, S.

AU - Sharples, R. M.

AU - Sternberg, A.

AU - Tacchella, S.

AU - Tacconi, L. J.

AU - van Dokkum, P.

AU - Wilman, D. J.

PY - 2014/7/10

Y1 - 2014/7/10

N2 - We present the correlations between stellar mass, star formation rate (SFR), and the [N II]/Hα flux ratio as an indicator of gas-phase metallicity for a sample of 222 galaxies at 0.8 < z < 2.6 and log (M */M ☉) = 9.0-11.5 from the LUCI, SINS/zC-SINF, and KMOS3D surveys. This sample provides a unique analysis of the mass-metallicity relation (MZR) over an extended redshift range using consistent data analysis techniques and a uniform strong-line metallicity indicator. We find a constant slope at the low-mass end of the relation and can fully describe its redshift evolution through the evolution of the characteristic turnover mass where the relation begins to flatten at the asymptotic metallicity. At a fixed mass and redshift, our data do not show a correlation between the [N II]/Hα ratio and SFR, which disagrees with the 0.2-0.3 dex offset in [N II]/Hα predicted by the "fundamental relation" between stellar mass, SFR, and metallicity discussed in recent literature. However, the overall evolution toward lower [N II]/Hα at earlier times does broadly agree with these predictions.

AB - We present the correlations between stellar mass, star formation rate (SFR), and the [N II]/Hα flux ratio as an indicator of gas-phase metallicity for a sample of 222 galaxies at 0.8 < z < 2.6 and log (M */M ☉) = 9.0-11.5 from the LUCI, SINS/zC-SINF, and KMOS3D surveys. This sample provides a unique analysis of the mass-metallicity relation (MZR) over an extended redshift range using consistent data analysis techniques and a uniform strong-line metallicity indicator. We find a constant slope at the low-mass end of the relation and can fully describe its redshift evolution through the evolution of the characteristic turnover mass where the relation begins to flatten at the asymptotic metallicity. At a fixed mass and redshift, our data do not show a correlation between the [N II]/Hα ratio and SFR, which disagrees with the 0.2-0.3 dex offset in [N II]/Hα predicted by the "fundamental relation" between stellar mass, SFR, and metallicity discussed in recent literature. However, the overall evolution toward lower [N II]/Hα at earlier times does broadly agree with these predictions.

KW - galaxies: evolution

KW - galaxies: high-redshift

KW - infrared: galaxies

UR - http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2041-8205/789/2/L40/meta

U2 - 10.1088/2041-8205/789/2/L40

DO - 10.1088/2041-8205/789/2/L40

M3 - Article

SN - 2041-8205

VL - 789

JO - The Astrophysical Journal Letters

JF - The Astrophysical Journal Letters

IS - 2

M1 - L40

ER -

A Consistent Study of Metallicity Evolution at 0.8 lt z lt 2.6

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Keywords

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