Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): a deeper view of the mass, metallicity and SFR relationships

M. A. Lara-Lopez*, A. M. Hopkins, A. R. Lopez-Sanchez, S. Brough, M. L. P. Gunawardhana, M. Colless, A. S. G. Robotham, A. E. Bauer, J. Bland-Hawthorn, M. Cluver, S. Driver, C. Foster, L. S. Kelvin, J. Liske, J. Loveday, M. S. Owers, T. J. Ponman, R. G. Sharp, O. Steele, E. N. TaylorD. Thomas

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

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 approximate to 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 similar to 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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)451-470
Number of pages20
JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume434
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2013

Keywords

  • galaxies: abundances
  • galaxies: evolution
  • galaxies: fundamental parameters
  • galaxies: star formation
  • galaxies: statistics
  • STAR-FORMING GALAXIES
  • DIGITAL SKY SURVEY
  • OXYGEN ABUNDANCE CALIBRATIONS
  • FORMATION RATE INDICATORS
  • H II REGIONS
  • STELLAR MASS
  • FORMATION HISTORY
  • FORMATION RATES
  • CHEMICAL ENRICHMENT
  • STARBURST GALAXIES

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