Probing the star formation main sequence down to 10 <sup>7</sup> <i>M</i> <sub>⊙</sub> at 1 < <i>z</i> < 9
The main sequence of star-forming galaxies (SFGMS or MS) is a fundamental scaling relation that provides a global framework for studying galaxy formation and evolution, as well as an insight into the complex star formation histories (SFHs) of individual galaxies. In this work, we combine large-area pre-JWST surveys (COSMOS2020, CANDELS), which probe high- M ★ sources (> 10 9 M ⊙ ), with SHARDS/CANDELS FAINT and JWST data from CANUCS, CEERS, JADES, and UNCOVER, to obtain a high- z , star formation rate (SFR) and stellar mass ( M ★ ) complete sample spanning both high- and low- M ★ regimes. Completeness in both M ★ and the SFR is key to avoiding biases introduced by low-mass, highly star-forming objects. Our combined dataset is 80% complete down to 10 7.6 M ⊙ at z ∼ 1 (10 8.8 M ⊙ at z ∼ 9). The overall intrinsic MS slope (based on the SFR 100 and M ★ derived with Dense Basis and nonparametric SFHs) shows little evolution up to z ∼ 5, with values ∼0.7 − 0.8. The slope in the low- M ★ regime becomes steeper than that in the high- M ★ end at least up to z ∼ 5, but the strength of this change is highly dependent on the assumptions made on the symmetry of the uncertainties in M ★ and SFR. If real, the steepening suggests reduced star formation efficiency or declining gas content with decreasing M ★ . The transition between the low- M ★ regime and the canonical MS occurs around 10 9.5 M ⊙ , independent of z . This critical value may coincide with the assembly of galaxies’ disks, which can provide a mechanism for self-regulation that stabilizes them against feedback. The intrinsic scatter is compatible with canonical estimates, also at low- M ★ , ranging from 0.2 − 0.3 dex. This is indicative of rapid variations in star formation being averaged out over ≲100 Myr.
Authors
- Gaël Noirot
- Anishya Harshan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9414-6382)
- Maruša Bradač (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5984-0395)
- G. Desprez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8325-1742)
- Adam Muzzin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9330-9108)
- Chris J. Willott (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4201-7367)
- Ghassan T. E. Sarrouh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8830-2166)
- Rosa M. Mérida (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8115-5845)
- Kartheik G. Iyer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9298-3523)
- Marcin Sawicki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7712-7857)
- Gaia Gaspar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9293-4449)
- Nicholas S. Martis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3243-9969)
- Gregor Rihtaršič (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4388-898X)
- Jeremy Favaro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6999-2073)
- Jon Judež (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2101-1938)
Institutions
- Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics (CA)
- Space Telescope Science Institute (US)
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (AR)
- University of Groningen (NL)
- York University (CA)
- Astronomical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SK)
- Columbia University (US)
- University of California, Davis (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Published
- 2026-01-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202557448
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Astronomy and Astrophysical Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 27.62