New Constraints on the Evolution of the <i>M</i> <sub>H <scp>i</scp> </sub>−<i>M</i> <sub>⋆</sub> Scaling Relation Combining CHILES and MIGHTEE-H <scp>i</scp> Data
Abstract The improved sensitivity of interferometric facilities to the 21 cm line of atomic hydrogen (H i ) enables studies of its properties in galaxies beyond the local Universe. In this work, we perform a 21 cm line spectral stacking analysis combining the MeerKAT International GigaHertz Tiered Extragalactic Exploration and COSMOS H i Large Extra-galactic Survey surveys in the COSMOS field to derive a robust H i –stellar mass relation at z ≈ 0.36. In particular, by stacking thousands of star-forming galaxies subdivided into stellar mass bins, we optimize the signal-to-noise ratio of targets and derive mean H i masses in the different stellar mass intervals for the investigated galaxy population. We combine spectra from the two surveys, estimate H i masses, and derive the scaling relation <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>log</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>10</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>M</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">H</mml:mi> <mml:mi mathsize="small" mathvariant="normal">I</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.32</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.04</mml:mn> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>log</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>10</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>M</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>⋆</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mn>6.65</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.36</mml:mn> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> </mml:math> . Our findings indicate that galaxies at z ≈ 0.36 are H i richer than those at z ≈ 0 but H i poorer than those at z ≈ 1, with a slope consistent across redshift, suggesting that stellar mass does not significantly affect H i exchange mechanisms. We also observe a slower growth rate H i relative to the molecular gas, supporting the idea that the accretion of cold gas is slower than the rate of consumption of molecular gas to form stars. This study contributes to understanding the role of atomic gas in galaxy evolution and sets the stage for future development of the field in the upcoming Square Kilometre Array era.
Authors
- Laura Bisigello (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0492-4924)
- G. Rodighiero
- Nicholas Luber
- Ali Ahmad Khostovan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0101-336X)
- M. Vaccari (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6748-0577)
- Danielle Lucero (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9288-9331)
- A. Renzini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7093-7355)
- Kelley M. Hess (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9662-9089)
- I. Prandoni (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9680-7092)
- Ed Elson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9359-0713)
- L. J. M. Davies (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3085-0922)
- F. M. Maccagni (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9930-1844)
- M. Baes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3930-2757)
- Tom Oosterloo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0616-6971)
- Min S. Yun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7095-7543)
- M. Salvato (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7116-9303)
- D. J. Pisano (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7996-7860)
- Elizabeth A. K. Adams (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9798-5111)
- Francesco Sinigaglia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0639-8043)
- Hengxing Pan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9160-391X)
- Hansung B. Gim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1436-7658)
- O. Ilbert (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7303-4397)
- Richard Dodson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0392-3604)
- B. S. Frank (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3599-1521)
- Emmanuel Momjian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3168-5922)
- Alessandro Bianchetti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8916-3430)
Publication Details
- Journal
- The Astrophysical Journal
- Published
- 2025-03-20
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adb1b8
- Citations
- 9
- Primary Topic
- Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 10.39
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory
- Department of Science and Innovation, South Africa
- National Research Foundation
- University of Pretoria
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
- Belgian Federal Science Policy Office
- Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología
- Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca
- Università degli Studi di Padova
- University of the Western Cape
- Cape Peninsula University of Technology
- Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives
- Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale
- University of Cape Town
- Vlaamse regering
- Office of Science
- Australian Research Council
- Division of Astronomical Sciences
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory