Galaxy Structure as a Driver of the Star Formation Sequence Slope and Scatter

Abstract

It is well established that (1) star-forming galaxies follow a relation between their star formation rate (SFR) and stellar mass (M${}_{\star }$), the "star-formation sequence", and (2) the SFRs of galaxies correlate with their structure, where star-forming galaxies are less concentrated than quiescent galaxies at fixed mass. Here, we consider whether the scatter and slope of the star-formation sequence is correlated with systematic variations in the Sersic indices, $n$, of galaxies across the SFR-M${}_{\star }$ plane. We use a mass-complete sample of 23,848 galaxies at $0.5<z<2.5$ selected from the 3D-HST photometric catalogs. Galaxy light profiles parameterized by $n$ are based on Hubble Space Telescope CANDELS near-infrared imaging. We use a single SFR indicator empirically-calibrated from stacks of Spitzer/MIPS 24$\hat{I}¼$m imaging, adding the unobscured and obscured star formation. We find that the scatter of the star-formation sequence is related in part to galaxy structure; the scatter due to variations in $n$ at fixed mass for star-forming galaxies ranges from 0.14$\pm$0.02 dex at $z\sim 2$ to 0.30$\pm$0.04 dex at $z<1$. While the slope of the log(SFR)-log(M${}_{\star }$) relation is of order unity for disk-like galaxies, galaxies with $n>2$ (implying more dominant bulges) have significantly lower SFR/M${}_{\star }$ than the main ridgeline of the star-formation sequence. These results suggest that bulges in massive $z\sim 2$ galaxies are actively building up, where the stars in the central concentration are relatively young. At $z<1$, the presence of older bulges within star-forming galaxies lowers global SFR/M${}_{\star }$, decreasing the slope and contributing significantly to the scatter of the star-formation sequence.

Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters