Article

# IMAGES IV: Strong evolution of the oxygen abundance in gaseous phases of intermediate mass galaxies from z ∼ 0.8

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(Impact Factor: 4.38). 12/2008; 492(2). DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:200810435
Source: arXiv

ABSTRACT

Context. Intermediate mass galaxies (> 10$^{10}$ $M_\odot$) at $z$ ~ 0.6 are the likeliest progenitors of the present-day, numerous population of spirals. There is growing evidence that they have evolved rapidly in the last 6 to 8 Gyr, and likely already have formed a significant fraction of their stellar mass, often showing perturbed morphologies and kinematics.Aims. We have gathered a representative sample of 88 such galaxies and have provided robust estimates of their gas phase metallicity.Methods. We used moderate spectral resolution spectroscopy at VLT/FORS2 with an unprecedentedly high $S/N$ allowing us to remove biases coming from interstellar absorption lines and extinction, to establish robust values of $R_{23}$ = ([OII]$\lambda$3727 + [OIII]$\lambda\lambda$4959, 5007)/H$\beta$.Results. We definitively confirm that the predominant population of $z$ ~ 0.6 starbursts and luminous IR galaxies (LIRGs) are on average two times less metal rich than the local galaxies at a given stellar mass. We do find that the metal abundance of the gaseous phase of galaxies evolves linearly with time, from $z = 1$ to $z = 0$ and after comparing with other studies, from $z = 3$ to $z = 0$. Combining our results with the reported evolution of the Tully Fisher relation, we find that such an evolution requires that ~30% of the stellar mass of local galaxies have been formed through an external supply of gas, thus excluding the closed box model. Distant starbursts & LIRGs have properties (metal abundance, star formation efficiency & morphologies) similar to those of local LIRGs. Their underlying physics is likely dominated by gas infall, probably through merging or interactions.Conclusions. Our study further supports the rapid evolution of $z$ ~ 0.4–1 galaxies. Gas exchange between galaxies is likely the main cause of this evolution.

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Available from: Isaura Fuentes-Carrera
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##### Article: LSD: Lyman-break galaxies Stellar populations and Dynamics. I: Mass, metallicity and gas at z~3.1
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ABSTRACT: We present the first results of a project, Lyman-break galaxies Stellar populations and Dynamics (LSD), aimed at obtaining spatially resolved, near-infrared (IR) spectroscopy of a complete sample of Lyman-break galaxies at z∼ 3. Deep observations with adaptive optics resulted in the detection of the main optical lines, such as [O ii]λ3727, Hβ and [O iii]λ5007, which are used to study sizes, star formation rates (SFRs), morphologies, gas-phase metallicities, gas fractions and effective yields. Optical, near-IR and Spitzer/Infrared Array Camera photometry are used to measure stellar mass. We obtain that morphologies are usually complex, with the presence of several peaks of emissions and companions that are not detected in broad-band images. Typical metallicities are 10–50 per cent solar, with a strong evolution of the mass–metallicity relation from lower redshifts. Stellar masses, gas fraction and evolutionary stages vary significantly among the galaxies, with less massive galaxies showing larger fractions of gas. In contrast with observations in the local universe, effective yields decrease with stellar mass and reach solar values at the low-mass end of the sample. This effect can be reproduced by gas infall with rates of the order of the SFRs. Outflows are present but are not needed to explain the mass–metallicity relation. We conclude that a large fraction of these galaxies is actively creating stars after major episodes of gas infall or merging.
Full-text · Article · Feb 2009 · Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
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##### Article: A forming, dust-enshrouded disk at z = 0.43: The first example of a massive, late-type spiral rebuilt after a major merger?
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ABSTRACT: By combining Ultra Deep Field imagery from HST/ACS with kinematics from VLT/GIRAFFE, we derive a physical model of distant galaxies in a way similar to that achievable for nearby galaxies. A significant part of the evolution in the density of cosmic star formation is related to the rapid evolution of both luminous IR galaxies (LIRGs) and Luminous Compact galaxies: here we study the properties of a distant, compact galaxy, J033245.11-274724.0, which is also a LIRG. Given the photometric and spectrophotometric accuracies of data of all wavelengths, we can decompose the galaxy into sub-components and correct them for reddening. Combination of deep imagery and kinematics provides a reasonable physical model of the galaxy. The galaxy is dominated by a dust-enshrouded disk revealed by UDF imagery. The disk radius is half that of the Milky Way and the galaxy forms stars at a rate of 20 M&sun;/yr. Morphology and kinematics show that both gas and stars spiral inwards rapidly to feed the disk and the central regions. A combined system of a bar and two nonrotating spiral arms regulates the material accretion, induces high velocity dispersions, with sigma larger than 100 km s-1 and redistributes the angular momentum. The detailed physical properties of J033245.11-274724.0 resemble the expectations of modeling the merger of two equal-mass, gaseous-rich galaxies, 0.5 Gyr after the merger. They cannot be reproduced by any combination of intrinsic disk perturbations alone, given the absence of any significant outflow mechanisms. In its later evolution, J033245.11-274724.0 could become a massive, late-type spiral that evolves to become part of the Tully-Fisher relation, with an angular momentum induced mostly by the orbital angular-momentum of the merger.
Full-text · Article · Mar 2009 · Astronomy and Astrophysics
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##### Article: The baryonic content and Tully-Fisher Relation at z ∼ 0.6
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ABSTRACT: [abr.] Using the multi-integral-field spectrograph GIRAFFE at VLT, we previsouly derived the stellar-mass Tully-Fisher Relation (smTFR) at z~0.6, and found that the distant relation is systematically offset by roughly a factor of two toward lower masses. We extend the study of the evolution of the TFR by establishing the first distant baryonic TFR. To derive gas masses in distant galaxies, we estimate a gas radius and invert the Schmidt-Kennicutt law between star formation rate and gas surface densities. We find that gas extends farther out than the UV light from young stars, a median of ~30%. We present the first baryonic TFR (bTFR) ever established at intermediate redshift and show that, within an uncertainty of +/-0.08 dex, the zeropoint of the bTFR does not appear to evolve between z~0.6 and z=0. The absence of evolution in the bTFR over the past 6 Gyr implies that no external gas accretion is required for distant rotating disks to sustain star formation until z=0 and convert most of their gas into stars. Finally, we confirm that the larger scatter found in the distant smTFR, and hence in the bTFR, is caused entirely by major mergers. This scatter results from a transfer of energy from bulk motions in the progenitors, to random motions in the remnants, generated by shocks during the merging. Shocks occurring during these events naturally explain the large extent of ionized gas found out to the UV radius in z~0.6 galaxies. All the results presented in this paper support the spiral rebuilding scenario'' of Hammer and collaborators, i.e., that a large fraction of local spiral disks have been reprocessed during major mergers in the past 8 Gyr. Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, v3 addressing comments from the referee
Full-text · Article · Mar 2009 · Astronomy and Astrophysics