MUSE-DARK. III. The evolution of the radial acceleration relation at intermediate redshifts

Context. The radial acceleration relation (RAR) is a tight empirical correlation between the observed radial acceleration (a_ tot ) and the baryonic radial acceleration (a_ bar ) measured across galaxy radii; these two accelerations start to deviate significantly from each other below a characteristic acceleration scale, a_0. To date, observational studies of the RAR have predominantly focused on galaxies in the local Universe, leaving its evolution with cosmic time largely unexplored. Aims. Using high signal-to-noise data from the MUSE Hubble Ultra Deep Field survey, we investigated the RAR with a sample of 79 star-forming galaxies (complete above M_⋆>10^8.8 ) and the baryonic acceleration (a_ at intermediate redshifts (0.33 < z < 1.44). Methods. We estimated the observed intrinsic acceleration (a_ tot bar ) from a disk-halo decomposition that incorporates stellar, gas, and dark matter components, with corrections for pressure support, using 3D forward modelling. Results. We find a RAR in our intermediate-z sample offset from the local relation, with a higher characteristic acceleration scale (a_0|_ z = 2.38 ^ +0.12 _ -0.10 10^ -10 m/s^2 ) and a larger intrinsic scatter (sim0.17 dex). Dividing the sample into redshift bins and refitting the RAR in each bin, we find a characteristic acceleration scale that systematically increases with z. Parametrising the z-dependence as a_0(z) = a_ (0) + a_ 1 ⋅ z, we obtain a_1 = 1.59^ +0.11 _ -0.10 10^ -10 m/s^2 , providing evidence for a z-evolution. We find similar results using various dark matter halo profiles as well as the modified Newtonian dynamics framework in our 3D forward modelling. Conclusions. Our results show that the RAR persists at intermediate redshifts, with statistically significant redshift evolution of the characteristic acceleration, pointing to a possible evolution of the baryon-missing mass connection over cosmic time.