The MOSDEF Survey: A Stellar Mass-SFR-Metallicity Relation Exists at z ∼ 2.3

Ryan L. Sanders; Alice E. Shapley; Mariska Kriek; William R. Freeman; Naveen A. Reddy; Brian Siana; Alison L. Coil; Bahram Mobasher; Romeel Davé; Irene Shivaei; Mojegan Azadi; Sedona H. Price; Gene Leung; Tara Fetherholf; Laura De Groot; Tom Zick; Francesca M. Fornasini; Guillermo Barro

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aabcbd

The MOSDEF Survey: A Stellar Mass-SFR-Metallicity Relation Exists at z ∼ 2.3

Ryan L. Sanders, Alice E. Shapley, Mariska Kriek, William R. Freeman, Naveen A. Reddy, Brian Siana, Alison L. Coil, Bahram Mobasher, Romeel Davé, Irene Shivaei, Mojegan Azadi, Sedona H. Price, Gene Leung, Tara Fetherholf, Laura De Groot, Tom Zick, Francesca M. Fornasini, Guillermo Barro

Physics And Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

95 Scopus citations

Abstract

We investigate the nature of the relation among stellar mass, star formation rate, and gas-phase metallicity (the M_∗-SFR-Z relation) at high redshifts using a sample of 260 star-forming galaxies at z∼2.3 from the MOSDEF survey. We present an analysis of the high-redshift M_∗-SFR-Z relation based on several emission-line ratios for the first time. We show that a M_∗-SFR-Z relation clearly exists at z∼2.3. The strength of this relation is similar to predictions from cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. By performing a direct comparison of stacks of z∼0 and z∼2.3 galaxies, we find that z∼2.3 galaxies have ∼0.1 dex lower metallicity at fixed M_∗ and SFR. In the context of chemical evolution models, this evolution of the M_∗-SFR-Z relation suggests an increase with redshift of the mass-loading factor at fixed M_∗, as well as a decrease in the metallicity of infalling gas that is likely due to a lower importance of gas recycling relative to accretion from the intergalactic medium at high redshifts. Performing this analysis simultaneously with multiple metallicity-sensitive line ratios allows us to rule out the evolution in physical conditions (e.g., N/O ratio, ionization parameter, and hardness of the ionizing spectrum) at fixed metallicity as the source of the observed trends with redshift and with SFR at fixed M_∗ at z∼2.3. While this study highlights the promise of performing high-order tests of chemical evolution models at high redshifts, detailed quantitative comparisons ultimately await a full understanding of the evolution of metallicity calibrations with redshift.

Original language	English
Article number	99
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	858
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aabcbd
State	Published - May 10 2018

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We acknowledge support from NSF AAG grants AST-1312780, 1312547, 1312764, and 1313171, archival grant AR-13907 provided by NASA through the Space Telescope Science Institute, and grant NNX16AF54G from the NASA ADAP program. R.L.S. is supported by a UCLA Graduate Division Dissertation Year Fellowship. We additionally acknowledge the 3D-HST collaboration for providing spectroscopic and photometric catalogs used in the MOSDEF survey. We wish to extend special thanks to those of Hawaiian ancestry, on whose sacred mountain we are privileged to be guests. Without their generous hospitality, the work presented herein would not have been possible.

Funding Information:
We acknowledge support from NSF AAG grants AST- 1312780, 1312547, 1312764, and 1313171, archival grant AR- 13907 provided by NASA through the Space Telescope Science Institute, and grant NNX16AF54G from the NASA ADAP program.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Keywords

galaxies: abundances
galaxies: high redshift

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Access to Document

10.3847/1538-4357/aabcbd

Cite this

Sanders, R. L., Shapley, A. E., Kriek, M., Freeman, W. R., Reddy, N. A., Siana, B., Coil, A. L., Mobasher, B., Davé, R., Shivaei, I., Azadi, M., Price, S. H., Leung, G., Fetherholf, T., Groot, L. D., Zick, T., Fornasini, F. M., & Barro, G. (2018). The MOSDEF Survey: A Stellar Mass-SFR-Metallicity Relation Exists at z ∼ 2.3. Astrophysical Journal, 858(2), Article 99. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aabcbd

@article{4d256c4ce22a4910a56629b7be507c1d,

title = "The MOSDEF Survey: A Stellar Mass-SFR-Metallicity Relation Exists at z ∼ 2.3",

abstract = "We investigate the nature of the relation among stellar mass, star formation rate, and gas-phase metallicity (the M∗-SFR-Z relation) at high redshifts using a sample of 260 star-forming galaxies at z∼2.3 from the MOSDEF survey. We present an analysis of the high-redshift M∗-SFR-Z relation based on several emission-line ratios for the first time. We show that a M∗-SFR-Z relation clearly exists at z∼2.3. The strength of this relation is similar to predictions from cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. By performing a direct comparison of stacks of z∼0 and z∼2.3 galaxies, we find that z∼2.3 galaxies have ∼0.1 dex lower metallicity at fixed M∗ and SFR. In the context of chemical evolution models, this evolution of the M∗-SFR-Z relation suggests an increase with redshift of the mass-loading factor at fixed M∗, as well as a decrease in the metallicity of infalling gas that is likely due to a lower importance of gas recycling relative to accretion from the intergalactic medium at high redshifts. Performing this analysis simultaneously with multiple metallicity-sensitive line ratios allows us to rule out the evolution in physical conditions (e.g., N/O ratio, ionization parameter, and hardness of the ionizing spectrum) at fixed metallicity as the source of the observed trends with redshift and with SFR at fixed M∗ at z∼2.3. While this study highlights the promise of performing high-order tests of chemical evolution models at high redshifts, detailed quantitative comparisons ultimately await a full understanding of the evolution of metallicity calibrations with redshift.",

keywords = "galaxies: abundances, galaxies: high redshift",

author = "Sanders, {Ryan L.} and Shapley, {Alice E.} and Mariska Kriek and Freeman, {William R.} and Reddy, {Naveen A.} and Brian Siana and Coil, {Alison L.} and Bahram Mobasher and Romeel Dav{\'e} and Irene Shivaei and Mojegan Azadi and Price, {Sedona H.} and Gene Leung and Tara Fetherholf and Groot, {Laura De} and Tom Zick and Fornasini, {Francesca M.} and Guillermo Barro",

note = "Funding Information: We acknowledge support from NSF AAG grants AST-1312780, 1312547, 1312764, and 1313171, archival grant AR-13907 provided by NASA through the Space Telescope Science Institute, and grant NNX16AF54G from the NASA ADAP program. R.L.S. is supported by a UCLA Graduate Division Dissertation Year Fellowship. We additionally acknowledge the 3D-HST collaboration for providing spectroscopic and photometric catalogs used in the MOSDEF survey. We wish to extend special thanks to those of Hawaiian ancestry, on whose sacred mountain we are privileged to be guests. Without their generous hospitality, the work presented herein would not have been possible. Funding Information: We acknowledge support from NSF AAG grants AST- 1312780, 1312547, 1312764, and 1313171, archival grant AR- 13907 provided by NASA through the Space Telescope Science Institute, and grant NNX16AF54G from the NASA ADAP program. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.",

year = "2018",

month = may,

day = "10",

doi = "10.3847/1538-4357/aabcbd",

language = "English",

volume = "858",

number = "2",

}

Sanders, RL, Shapley, AE, Kriek, M, Freeman, WR, Reddy, NA, Siana, B, Coil, AL, Mobasher, B, Davé, R, Shivaei, I, Azadi, M, Price, SH, Leung, G, Fetherholf, T, Groot, LD, Zick, T, Fornasini, FM & Barro, G 2018, 'The MOSDEF Survey: A Stellar Mass-SFR-Metallicity Relation Exists at z ∼ 2.3', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 858, no. 2, 99. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aabcbd

TY - JOUR

T1 - The MOSDEF Survey

T2 - A Stellar Mass-SFR-Metallicity Relation Exists at z ∼ 2.3

AU - Sanders, Ryan L.

AU - Shapley, Alice E.

AU - Kriek, Mariska

AU - Freeman, William R.

AU - Reddy, Naveen A.

AU - Siana, Brian

AU - Coil, Alison L.

AU - Mobasher, Bahram

AU - Davé, Romeel

AU - Shivaei, Irene

AU - Azadi, Mojegan

AU - Price, Sedona H.

AU - Leung, Gene

AU - Fetherholf, Tara

AU - Groot, Laura De

AU - Zick, Tom

AU - Fornasini, Francesca M.

AU - Barro, Guillermo

N1 - Funding Information: We acknowledge support from NSF AAG grants AST-1312780, 1312547, 1312764, and 1313171, archival grant AR-13907 provided by NASA through the Space Telescope Science Institute, and grant NNX16AF54G from the NASA ADAP program. R.L.S. is supported by a UCLA Graduate Division Dissertation Year Fellowship. We additionally acknowledge the 3D-HST collaboration for providing spectroscopic and photometric catalogs used in the MOSDEF survey. We wish to extend special thanks to those of Hawaiian ancestry, on whose sacred mountain we are privileged to be guests. Without their generous hospitality, the work presented herein would not have been possible. Funding Information: We acknowledge support from NSF AAG grants AST- 1312780, 1312547, 1312764, and 1313171, archival grant AR- 13907 provided by NASA through the Space Telescope Science Institute, and grant NNX16AF54G from the NASA ADAP program. Publisher Copyright: © 2018. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

PY - 2018/5/10

Y1 - 2018/5/10

N2 - We investigate the nature of the relation among stellar mass, star formation rate, and gas-phase metallicity (the M∗-SFR-Z relation) at high redshifts using a sample of 260 star-forming galaxies at z∼2.3 from the MOSDEF survey. We present an analysis of the high-redshift M∗-SFR-Z relation based on several emission-line ratios for the first time. We show that a M∗-SFR-Z relation clearly exists at z∼2.3. The strength of this relation is similar to predictions from cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. By performing a direct comparison of stacks of z∼0 and z∼2.3 galaxies, we find that z∼2.3 galaxies have ∼0.1 dex lower metallicity at fixed M∗ and SFR. In the context of chemical evolution models, this evolution of the M∗-SFR-Z relation suggests an increase with redshift of the mass-loading factor at fixed M∗, as well as a decrease in the metallicity of infalling gas that is likely due to a lower importance of gas recycling relative to accretion from the intergalactic medium at high redshifts. Performing this analysis simultaneously with multiple metallicity-sensitive line ratios allows us to rule out the evolution in physical conditions (e.g., N/O ratio, ionization parameter, and hardness of the ionizing spectrum) at fixed metallicity as the source of the observed trends with redshift and with SFR at fixed M∗ at z∼2.3. While this study highlights the promise of performing high-order tests of chemical evolution models at high redshifts, detailed quantitative comparisons ultimately await a full understanding of the evolution of metallicity calibrations with redshift.

AB - We investigate the nature of the relation among stellar mass, star formation rate, and gas-phase metallicity (the M∗-SFR-Z relation) at high redshifts using a sample of 260 star-forming galaxies at z∼2.3 from the MOSDEF survey. We present an analysis of the high-redshift M∗-SFR-Z relation based on several emission-line ratios for the first time. We show that a M∗-SFR-Z relation clearly exists at z∼2.3. The strength of this relation is similar to predictions from cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. By performing a direct comparison of stacks of z∼0 and z∼2.3 galaxies, we find that z∼2.3 galaxies have ∼0.1 dex lower metallicity at fixed M∗ and SFR. In the context of chemical evolution models, this evolution of the M∗-SFR-Z relation suggests an increase with redshift of the mass-loading factor at fixed M∗, as well as a decrease in the metallicity of infalling gas that is likely due to a lower importance of gas recycling relative to accretion from the intergalactic medium at high redshifts. Performing this analysis simultaneously with multiple metallicity-sensitive line ratios allows us to rule out the evolution in physical conditions (e.g., N/O ratio, ionization parameter, and hardness of the ionizing spectrum) at fixed metallicity as the source of the observed trends with redshift and with SFR at fixed M∗ at z∼2.3. While this study highlights the promise of performing high-order tests of chemical evolution models at high redshifts, detailed quantitative comparisons ultimately await a full understanding of the evolution of metallicity calibrations with redshift.

KW - galaxies: abundances

KW - galaxies: high redshift

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85047259846&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85047259846&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3847/1538-4357/aabcbd

DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/aabcbd

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85047259846

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 858

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2

M1 - 99

ER -

The MOSDEF Survey: A Stellar Mass-SFR-Metallicity Relation Exists at z ∼ 2.3

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this