The Absence of an Environmental Dependence in the Mass-Metallicity Relation at z=2

Abstract

We investigate the environmental dependence of the mass-metallicity relation at z=2 with MOSFIRE/Keck as part of the ZFIRE survey. Here, we present the chemical abundance of a Virgo-like progenitor at z=2.095 that has an established red sequence. We identified 43 cluster ($<z>=2.095\pm 0.004$) and 74 field galaxies ($<z>=2.195\pm 0.083$) for which we can measure metallicities. For the first time, we show that there is no discernible difference between the mass-metallicity relation of field and cluster galaxies to within 0.02dex. Both our field and cluster galaxy mass-metallicity relations are consistent with recent field galaxy studies at z~2. We present hydrodynamical simulations for which we derive mass-metallicity relations for field and cluster galaxies. We find at most a 0.1dex offset towards more metal-rich simulated cluster galaxies. Our results from both simulations and observations are suggestive that environmental effects, if present, are small and are secondary to the ongoing inflow and outflow processes that are governed by galaxy halo mass.

5 pages, 3 figures; accepted for publication in ApJ Letters

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Cited by in corpus (9)

• MAHALO Deep Cluster Survey I. Accelerated and enhanced galaxy formation in the densest regions of a protocluster at z=2.5
• ZFIRE: A KECK/MOSFIRE Spectroscopic Survey of Galaxies in Rich Environments at z~2
• Cold-Mode Accretion: Driving the Fundamental Mass-Metallicity Relation at z~2
• The origin of the enhanced metallicity of satellite galaxies
• Cluster induced quenching of galaxies in the massive cluster XMMXCSJ2215.9-1738 at z~1.5 traced by enhanced metallicities inside half R200
• On the influence of the environment on galactic chemical abundances
• ZFIRE: Similar Stellar Growth in H$\alpha$-emitting Cluster and Field Galaxies at z~2
• Radial Distribution Of ISM Gas-phase Metallicity In CLASH Clusters at z~0.35: A New Outlook On Environmental Impact On Galaxy Evolution
• A spectroscopic study of a rich cluster at z=1.52 with Subaru $\&$ LBT: the environmental impacts on the mass-metallicity relation