TY - JOUR
T1 - Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA)
T2 - a deeper view of the mass, metallicity and SFR relationships
AU - Lara-Lopez, M. A.
AU - Hopkins, Andrew M.
AU - Lopez-Sanchez, Angel R.
AU - Brough, Sarah
AU - Gunawardhana, M. L. P.
AU - Colless, Matthew
AU - Robotham, Aaron S. G.
AU - Bauer, A. E.
AU - Bland-Hawthorn, Joss
AU - Cluver, M. E.
AU - Driver, Simon P.
AU - Foster, C.
AU - Kelvin, Lee S.
AU - Liske, Jochen
AU - Loveday, Jon
AU - Owers, M. S.
AU - Ponman, T. J.
AU - Sharp, Robert G.
AU - Steele, Oliver
AU - Taylor, Edward N.
AU - Thomas, Daniel
PY - 2013/9/1
Y1 - 2013/9/1
N2 - A full appreciation of the role played by gas metallicity (Z), star formation rate (SFR) and stellar mass (M*) is fundamental to understanding how galaxies form and evolve. The connections between these three parameters at different redshifts significantly affect galaxy evolution, and thus provide important constraints for galaxy evolution models. Using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey–Data Release 7 (SDSS–DR7) and the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) surveys, we study the relationships and dependences between SFR, Z and M*, as well as the Fundamental Plane for star-forming galaxies. We combine both surveys using volume-limited samples up to a redshift of z ≈ 0.36. The GAMA and SDSS surveys complement each other when analysing the relationships between SFR, M* and Z. We present evidence for SFR and metallicity evolution to z ∼ 0.2. We study the dependences between SFR, M*, Z and specific SFR (SSFR) on the M*–Z, M*–SFR, M*–SSFR, Z–SFR and Z–SSFR relations, finding strong correlations between all. Based on those dependences, we propose a simple model that allows us to explain the different behaviour observed between low- and high-mass galaxies. Finally, our analysis allows us to confirm the existence of a Fundamental Plane, for which M* = f(Z, SFR) in star-forming galaxies.
AB - A full appreciation of the role played by gas metallicity (Z), star formation rate (SFR) and stellar mass (M*) is fundamental to understanding how galaxies form and evolve. The connections between these three parameters at different redshifts significantly affect galaxy evolution, and thus provide important constraints for galaxy evolution models. Using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey–Data Release 7 (SDSS–DR7) and the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) surveys, we study the relationships and dependences between SFR, Z and M*, as well as the Fundamental Plane for star-forming galaxies. We combine both surveys using volume-limited samples up to a redshift of z ≈ 0.36. The GAMA and SDSS surveys complement each other when analysing the relationships between SFR, M* and Z. We present evidence for SFR and metallicity evolution to z ∼ 0.2. We study the dependences between SFR, M*, Z and specific SFR (SSFR) on the M*–Z, M*–SFR, M*–SSFR, Z–SFR and Z–SSFR relations, finding strong correlations between all. Based on those dependences, we propose a simple model that allows us to explain the different behaviour observed between low- and high-mass galaxies. Finally, our analysis allows us to confirm the existence of a Fundamental Plane, for which M* = f(Z, SFR) in star-forming galaxies.
KW - galaxies: abundances
KW - galaxies: evolution
KW - galaxies: fundamental parameters
KW - galaxies: star formation
KW - galaxies: statistics
U2 - 10.1093/mnras/stt1031
DO - 10.1093/mnras/stt1031
M3 - Article
SN - 0035-8711
VL - 434
SP - 451
EP - 470
JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
IS - 1
ER -