Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

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

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.; Lilly, S.J.; Lutz, D.; Mancini, C.; Mendel, J.T.; Momcheva, I.G.; Naab, T.; Nelson, E.J.; Renzini, A.; Rosario, D.; Saglia, R.P.; Seitz, S.; Sharples, R.M.; Sternberg, A.; Tacchella, S.; Tacconi, L.J.; van Dokkum, P.; Wilman, D.J.

A Consistent Study of Metallicity Evolution at 0.8 < z < 2.6 Thumbnail


Authors

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

A. Sternberg

S. Tacchella

L.J. Tacconi

P. van Dokkum

D.J. Wilman



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.

Citation

Wuyts, E., Kurk, J., Förster Schreiber, N., Genzel, R., Wisnioski, E., Bandara, K., …Wilman, D. (2014). A Consistent Study of Metallicity Evolution at 0.8 < z < 2.6. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 789(2), Article L40. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/789/2/l40

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jun 17, 2014
Online Publication Date Jun 26, 2014
Publication Date Jul 10, 2014
Deposit Date Oct 19, 2014
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Astrophysical Journal Letters
Print ISSN 2041-8205
Electronic ISSN 2041-8213
Publisher American Astronomical Society
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 789
Issue 2
Article Number L40
DOI https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/789/2/l40
Keywords Galaxies: evolution, Galaxies: high-redshift, Infrared: galaxies.
Related Public URLs http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014ApJ...789L..40W

Files

Published Journal Article (559 Kb)
PDF

Copyright Statement
© 2014. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.





You might also like



Downloadable Citations