THE MASS-METALLICITY RELATION AT Z ≳ 2

THE MASS-METALLICITY RELATION AT Z ≳ 2

21 Feb 2006 | DAWN K. ERB2,3, ALICE E. SHAPLEY4,5, MAX PETTINI6, CHARLES C. STEIDEL2, NAVEEN A. REDDY2, KURT L. ADELBERGER7
This paper investigates the correlation between metallicity and stellar mass in galaxies at high redshifts ($z \sim 2$) using a sample of 87 star-forming galaxies. The galaxies are selected based on their rest-frame ultraviolet colors and spectroscopic redshifts, with mean redshift $\langle z \rangle = 2.26 \pm 0.17$. Stellar masses are determined from spectral energy distribution fitting, and the galaxies are divided into six bins based on their stellar mass. Composite H$\alpha$ + [N II] spectra are constructed for each bin, and the mean oxygen abundance is estimated from the [N II]/H$\alpha$ ratio. The results show a monotonic increase in metallicity with increasing stellar mass, from $12 + \log(\text{O/H}) < 8.2$ for galaxies with $\langle M_s \rangle = 2.7 \times 10^9 \text{M}_\odot$ to $12 + \log(\text{O/H}) = 8.6$ for galaxies with $\langle M_s \rangle = 1.0 \times 10^{11} \text{M}_\odot$. The mass-metallicity relation at $z \sim 2$ is offset from the local relation by $\sim 0.3$ dex, indicating that galaxies of a given stellar mass have lower metallicity at high redshift. A corresponding metallicity-luminosity relation constructed by binning the galaxies according to rest-frame $B$ magnitude shows no significant correlation, which is attributed to the large variation in the rest-frame optical mass-to-light ratio at $z \sim 2$. The study also examines the gas fractions of the galaxies, finding an increase in gas fraction with decreasing stellar mass, which provides a natural explanation for the lower metallicities of $z \sim 2$ galaxies. The effective yield $y_{\text{eff}}$ is estimated as a function of stellar mass, showing a slight increase with decreasing mass, contrary to observations in the local universe. The authors conclude that the mass-metallicity relation at high redshift is driven by the decrease in gas fraction through star formation and is modulated by metal loss from strong outflows in galaxies of all masses.This paper investigates the correlation between metallicity and stellar mass in galaxies at high redshifts ($z \sim 2$) using a sample of 87 star-forming galaxies. The galaxies are selected based on their rest-frame ultraviolet colors and spectroscopic redshifts, with mean redshift $\langle z \rangle = 2.26 \pm 0.17$. Stellar masses are determined from spectral energy distribution fitting, and the galaxies are divided into six bins based on their stellar mass. Composite H$\alpha$ + [N II] spectra are constructed for each bin, and the mean oxygen abundance is estimated from the [N II]/H$\alpha$ ratio. The results show a monotonic increase in metallicity with increasing stellar mass, from $12 + \log(\text{O/H}) < 8.2$ for galaxies with $\langle M_s \rangle = 2.7 \times 10^9 \text{M}_\odot$ to $12 + \log(\text{O/H}) = 8.6$ for galaxies with $\langle M_s \rangle = 1.0 \times 10^{11} \text{M}_\odot$. The mass-metallicity relation at $z \sim 2$ is offset from the local relation by $\sim 0.3$ dex, indicating that galaxies of a given stellar mass have lower metallicity at high redshift. A corresponding metallicity-luminosity relation constructed by binning the galaxies according to rest-frame $B$ magnitude shows no significant correlation, which is attributed to the large variation in the rest-frame optical mass-to-light ratio at $z \sim 2$. The study also examines the gas fractions of the galaxies, finding an increase in gas fraction with decreasing stellar mass, which provides a natural explanation for the lower metallicities of $z \sim 2$ galaxies. The effective yield $y_{\text{eff}}$ is estimated as a function of stellar mass, showing a slight increase with decreasing mass, contrary to observations in the local universe. The authors conclude that the mass-metallicity relation at high redshift is driven by the decrease in gas fraction through star formation and is modulated by metal loss from strong outflows in galaxies of all masses.
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