The atomic gas sequence and mass–metallicity relation from dwarfs to massive galaxies

ABSTRACT Galaxy scaling relations provide insights into the processes that drive galaxy evolution. The extension of these scaling relations into the dwarf galaxy regime is of particular interest. This is because dwarf galaxies represent a crucial stage in galaxy evolution, and understanding them could also shed light on their role in reionizing the early Universe. There is currently no consensus on the processes that dominate the evolution of dwarfs. In this work, we constrain the atomic gas sequence (stellar mass versus atomic gas fraction) and mass–metallicity relation (stellar mass versus gas-phase metallicity) from dwarf ($10^{6.5} \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$) to massive ($10^{11.5} \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$) galaxies in the local Universe. The combined optical and 21-cm spectroscopic observations of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument and Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA surveys allow us to constrain both scaling relations simultaneously. We find a slope change of the atomic gas sequence at a stellar mass of ${\sim} 10^{9} \, \textrm{M}_{\odot }$. We also find that the shape and scatter of the atomic gas sequence and mass–metallicity relation are strongly linked for both dwarfs and more massive galaxies. Consequently, the low-mass slope change of the atomic gas sequence is imprinted onto the mass–metallicity relation of dwarf galaxies. The mass scale of the measured slope change is consistent with a predicted escape velocity threshold below which low-mass galaxies experience significant supernova-driven gas loss, as well as with a reduction in cold gas accretion onto more massive galaxies.

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Publication Details

Journal
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Published
2024-11-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stae2477
Citations
13
Primary Topic
Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
4.31

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article

The atomic gas sequence and mass–metallicity relation from dwarfs to massive galaxies

Andrew Lambert, Abhijeet Anand, Paul Martini, S. Juneau et al.
13 citations
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
4.31
article

The atomic gas sequence and mass–metallicity relation from dwarfs to massive galaxies

Andrew Lambert, Abhijeet Anand, Paul Martini, S. Juneau, Michael S. Schubnell, P U Förster, Claudia Maraston, Fabio Speranza, Chiara Circosta, Gregory Tarlé, D. Scholte, Andreu Font-Ribera, Robert Blum, Rita Tojeiro, Martin Landriau, A. Saintonge, Barbara Catinella, Jundan Nie, J. Aguilar, Eusebio Sanchez, Satya Gontcho A Gontcho, ENRIQUE GAZTAÑAGA, M. Siudek, J. Silber, J. E. Forero-Romero, Steven P. Ahlen, Aaron Meisner, Sergey E. Koposov, R. Miquel, Theodore S. Kisner, Biprateep Dey, Mehdi Rezaie, R. Kehoe, John Moustakas, Claire Poppett, Hu Zou, T. Claybaugh, P. Doel, F. Prada, B. A. Weaver, Adam D. Myers, Donal Brooks, D. Sprayberry, A. S. Mighty
article en
13 citations

Abstract

ABSTRACT Galaxy scaling relations provide insights into the processes that drive galaxy evolution. The extension of these scaling relations into the dwarf galaxy regime is of particular interest. This is because dwarf galaxies represent a crucial stage in galaxy evolution, and understanding them could also shed light on their role in reionizing the early Universe. There is currently no consensus on the processes that dominate the evolution of dwarfs. In this work, we constrain the atomic gas sequence (stellar mass versus atomic gas fraction) and mass–metallicity relation (stellar mass versus gas-phase metallicity) from dwarf ($10^{6.5} \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$) to massive ($10^{11.5} \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$) galaxies in the local Universe. The combined optical and 21-cm spectroscopic observations of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument and Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA surveys allow us to constrain both scaling relations simultaneously. We find a slope change of the atomic gas sequence at a stellar mass of ${\sim} 10^{9} \, \textrm{M}_{\odot }$. We also find that the shape and scatter of the atomic gas sequence and mass–metallicity relation are strongly linked for both dwarfs and more massive galaxies. Consequently, the low-mass slope change of the atomic gas sequence is imprinted onto the mass–metallicity relation of dwarf galaxies. The mass scale of the measured slope change is consistent with a predicted escape velocity threshold below which low-mass galaxies experience significant supernova-driven gas loss, as well as with a reduction in cold gas accretion onto more massive galaxies.

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical SocietyVol. 535(3)
Boston University (US), Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ES), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (ES), University of Wyoming (US), Institute of Space Sciences (ES), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US), Universidad de Los Andes (CO), University of St Andrews (GB), University of Pittsburgh (US), The University of Western Australia (AU), Southern Methodist University (US), Institute for High Energy Physics (ES), Kansas State University (US), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), University of Cambridge (GB), University of Michigan (US), Sejong University (KR), ASTRO-3D (AU), Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (ES), Royal Observatory (GB), Institute of Space Sciences (ES), Institute of Astronomy (RU), Community Science and Data Center (US), NSF NOIRLab (US), Universidad de Los Andes (BO), ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (AU), Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (ES), International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (AU), National Astronomical Observatories (CN), Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (ES), Institute of Science and Technology, University College London (GB), The Ohio State University (US), University of Portsmouth (GB), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (MX), Siena College (US), University of California, Berkeley (US), University of Edinburgh (GB)
National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, American Society for Radiation Oncology, California Institute of Technology, Heising-Simons Foundation, National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Paraguay, Office of Science, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Science and Technology Facilities Council, National Key Research and Development Program of China, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Division of Astronomical Sciences, High Energy Physics, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Openalex Percentile: Top 6%
Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
4.31
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