Understanding chemical evolution in resolved galaxies -- I The local star fraction-metallicity relation

Abstract

This work studies the relation between gas-phase oxygen abundance and stellar-to-gas fraction in nearby galaxies. We first derive the theoretical prediction, and argue that this relation is fundamental, in the sense that it must be verified regardless of the details of the gas accretion and star formation histories. Moreover, it should hold on "local" scales, i.e. in regions of the order of 1 kpc. These predictions are then compared with a set of spectroscopic observations, including both integrated and resolved data. Although the results depend somewhat on the adopted metallicity calibration, observed galaxies are consistent with the predicted relation, imposing tight constraints on the mass-loading factor of (enriched) galactic winds. The proposed parametrization of the star fraction-metallicity relation is able to describe the observed dependence of the oxygen abundance on gas mass at fixed stellar mass. However, the "local" mass-metallicity relation also depends on the relation between stellar and gas surface densities.

10 pages, 4 figures. Matches accepted version (significant typo corrected)

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• The Chemical Evolution Carousel of Spiral Galaxies: Azimuthal Variations of Oxygen Abundance in NGC1365
• From 'bathtub' galaxy evolution models to metallicity gradients
• The chemical evolution of local star forming galaxies: Radial profiles of ISM metallicity, gas mass, and stellar mass and constraints on galactic accretion and winds
• A single galaxy population? statistical evidence that the Star-Forming Main Sequence might be the tip of the iceberg
• Detection of the self-regulation of star formation in galaxy discs
• Star formation in outer rings of S0 galaxies. II. NGC 4513 -- a multi-spin ringed S0 galaxy
• A quantitative demonstration that stellar feedback locally regulates galaxy growth
• Star formation in outer rings of S0 galaxies. IV. NGC 254 -- a double-ringed S0 with gas counter-rotation
• Star formation in outer rings of S0 galaxies. III. UGC 5936 -- an S0 with currently accreted satellite matter
• Galaxy evolution on resolved scales: ageing and quenching in CALIFA