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$\mu$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

References in corpus (13)

• Mass and environment as drivers of galaxy evolution in SDSS and zCOSMOS and the origin of the Schechter function
• Star Formation in AEGIS Field Galaxies since z=1.1 : The Dominance of Gradually Declining Star Formation, and the Main Sequence of Star-Forming Galaxies
• 3D-HST+CANDELS: The Evolution of the Galaxy Size-Mass Distribution since $z=3$
• 3D-HST WFC3-selected Photometric Catalogs in the Five CANDELS/3D-HST Fields: Photometry, Photometric Redshifts and Stellar Masses
• Constraining the Low-Mass Slope of the Star Formation Sequence at 0.5<z<2.5
• The Herschel view of the dominant mode of galaxy growth from z=4 to the present day
• Structure and star formation in galaxies out to z=3: evidence for surface density dependent evolution and upsizing
• Bulge Formation by the Coalescence of Giant Clumps in Primordial Disk Galaxies
• Stellar populations from spectroscopy of a large sample of quiescent galaxies at z > 1: Measuring the contribution of progenitor bias to early size growth
• ZFOURGE/CANDELS: On the Evolution of M* Galaxy Progenitors from z=3 to 0.5
• The Assembly Histories of Quiescent Galaxies Since z=0.7 from Absorption Line Spectroscopy
• Dense cores in galaxies out to z=2.5 in SDSS, UltraVISTA, and the five 3D-HST/CANDELS fields
• The Decomposed Bulge and Disk Size-Mass Relations of Massive Galaxies at 1<z<3 in CANDELS

Cited by in corpus (99)

• Where stars form: inside-out growth and coherent star formation from HST Halpha maps of 2676 galaxies across the main sequence at z~1
• MOSFIRE Spectroscopy of Quiescent Galaxies at 1.5 < z < 2.5. II - Star Formation Histories and Galaxy Quenching
• Dust temperature and mid-to-total infrared color distributions for star-forming galaxies at 0<z<4
• COSMOS-DASH: The Evolution of the Galaxy Size-Mass Relation Since z~3 from new Wide Field WFC3 Imaging Combined with CANDELS/3DHST
• The Star Formation Main Sequence in the Hubble Space Telescope Frontier Fields
• The VLT LEGA-C Spectroscopic Survey: The Physics of Galaxies at a Lookback Time of 7 Gyr
• SDSS IV MaNGA - sSFR profiles and the slow quenching of discs in green valley galaxies
• The angular momentum distribution and baryon content of star forming galaxies at z~1-3
• When the Milky Way turned off the lights: APOGEE provides evidence of star formation quenching in our Galaxy
• Non-parametric Star Formation History Reconstruction with Gaussian Processes I: Counting Major Episodes of Star Formation
• The VLA-COSMOS 3 GHz Large Project: Evolution of specific star formation rates out to $z\sim 5$
• The role of mergers in driving morphological transformation over cosmic time
• Predicting Quiescence: The Dependence of Specific Star Formation Rate on Galaxy Size and Central Density at 0.5<z<2.5
• Bulge-forming galaxies with an extended rotating disk at z~2
• The main sequence of star forming galaxies I. The local relation and its bending
• The MUSE Hubble Ultra Deep Field Survey XI. Constraining the low-mass end of the stellar mass - star formation rate relation at $z<1$
• Morpheus: A Deep Learning Framework For Pixel-Level Analysis of Astronomical Image Data
• The three phases of galaxy formation
• Observational evidence of a slow downfall of star formation efficiency in massive galaxies during the last 10 Gyr
• Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): The mechanisms for quiescent galaxy formation at $z<1$
• Structural evolution in massive galaxies at z~2
• ALMA reveals starburst-like interstellar medium conditions in a compact star-forming galaxy at z ~ 2 using [CI] and CO
• The Evolution of the Fractions of Quiescent and Star-forming Galaxies as a Function of Stellar Mass Since z=3: Increasing Importance of Massive, Dusty Star-forming Galaxies in the Early Universe
• Return to [Log-]Normalcy: Rethinking Quenching, The Star Formation Main Sequence, and Perhaps Much More
• SDSS-IV MaNGA: Inside-out vs. outside-in quenching in different local environments
• The Galaxy End Sequence
• The Relation between Galaxy Structure and Spectral Type: Implications for the Buildup of the Quiescent Galaxy Population at 0.5<z<2.0
• The intrinsic characteristics of galaxies on the SFR-stellar mass plane at 1.2<z<4: I. the correlation between stellar age, central density and position relative to the main sequence
• KMOS-3D Reveals Low-Level Star Formation Activity in Massive Quiescent Galaxies at 0.7 < z < 2.7
• Knocking on giants' doors: I. The evolution of the dust-to-stellar mass ratio in distant dusty galaxies
• Star formation in the local Universe from the CALIFA sample. II. Activation and quenching mechanisms in bulges, bars, and disks
• The rest-frame optical (900nm) galaxy luminosity function at z~4-7: abundance matching points to limited evolution in the Mstar/Mhalo ratio at z>4
• The SCUBA-2 Cosmology Legacy Survey: galaxies in the deep 850-micron survey, and the star-forming `main sequence'
• Resolved galaxy scaling relations in the EAGLE simulation: star formation, metallicity and stellar mass on kpc scales
• The star formation rate and stellar content contributions of morphological components in the EAGLE simulations
• The Relationship Between Star-formation Activity and Galaxy Structural Properties in CANDELS and a Semi-analytic Model
• Rejuvenated galaxies with very old bulges at the origin of the bending of the main sequence and of the "green valley"
• The main sequence of star forming galaxies II. A non evolving slope at the high mass end
• Coincidence between morphology and star-formation activity through cosmic time: the impact of the bulge growth
• The structural and size evolution of star-forming galaxies over the last 11 Gyrs
• The Infrared Emission and Vigorous Star Formation of Low-redshift Quasars
• The Evolving Interstellar Medium of Star-Forming Galaxies, as traced by $\text{Stardust}$
• Hierarchical Galaxy Growth and Scatter in the Stellar Mass - Halo Mass Relation
• Galaxy interactions in IllustrisTNG-100, I: The power and limitations of visual identification
• Galaxy mergers up to z < 2.5 II: AGN incidence of merging galaxies at separations of 3-15 kpc
• Diagnosing DASH: A Catalog of Structural Properties for the COSMOS-DASH Survey
• Galaxy mergers up to z<2.5 I : The star formation properties of merging galaxies at separations 3-15 kpc
• CLASH-VLT: Strangulation of cluster galaxies in MACSJ0416.1-2403 as seen from their chemical enrichment
• The Number Densities and Stellar Populations of Massive Galaxies at 3 < z < 6: A Diverse, Rapidly Forming Population in the Early Universe
• SDSS IV MaNGA: Dependence of Global and Spatially-resolved SFR-M* Relations on Galaxy Properties
• A SAMI and MaNGA view on the stellar kinematics of galaxies on the star-forming main sequence
• Towards a census of high-redshift dusty galaxies with $Herschel$: A selection of "500 $\mu$m-risers"
• VIS3COS: II. Nature and nurture in galaxy structure and morphology
• Evolution of star formation rate-density relation over cosmic time in a simulated universe: the observed reversal reproduced
• The structural properties of classical bulges and discs from z~2
• xGASS: The Role of Bulges Along and Across the Local Star-Forming Main Sequence
• Unique Tracks Drive the Scatter of the Spatially-Resolved Star Formation Main Sequence
• Stellar masses, metallicity gradients and suppressed star formation revealed in a new sample of absorption selected galaxies
• Quantifying the suppression of the (un)-obscured star formation in galaxy cluster cores at 0.2$\lesssim$$z$$\lesssim$0.9
• DustPedia - the relationships between stars, gas and dust for galaxies residing in different environments
• Merging Galaxies with Tidal Tails in COSMOS to z=1
• Galaxy inclination and the IRX-beta relation: Effects on UV star-formation rate measurements at intermediate to high redshifts
• The Type II AGN-host galaxy connection: insights from the VVDS and VIPERS surveys
• Missing Giants: Predictions on Dust-Obscured Galaxy Stellar Mass Assembly Throughout Cosmic Time
• Galaxy Structure, Stellar Populations, and Star Formation Quenching at 0.6 $\lesssim$ $z$ $\lesssim$ 1.2
• ZFIRE: Similar Stellar Growth in H$\alpha$-emitting Cluster and Field Galaxies at z~2
• High-resolution, 3D radiative transfer modelling V. A detailed model of the M51 interacting pair
• Spatially-resolved NUV-r color of local star-forming galaxies and clues for quenching
• Probing star formation and ISM properties using galaxy disk inclination I: Evolution in disk opacity since $z\sim 0.7$
• A binning-free method reveals a continuous relationship between galaxies' AGN power and offset from main sequence
• Simulations Find Our Accounting of Dust-Obscured Star Formation May Be Incomplete
• Dissecting the Main Sequence: AGN Activity and Bulge Growth in the Local Universe
• Variations in the slope of the resolved star-forming main sequence: a tool for constraining the mass of star-forming regions
• SAGAN-II : Molecular gas content of giant radio galaxies
• Deep Extragalactic VIsible Legacy Survey (DEVILS): Stellar Mass Growth by Morphological Type since $z=1$
• Absorption-selected galaxies trace the low-mass, late-type, star-forming population at $z\sim 2-3$
• Differential attenuation in star-forming galaxies at 0.3 $\lesssim$ $z$ $\lesssim$ 1.5 in the SHARDS/CANDELS field
• The quenched mass portion of star-forming galaxies and the origin of the star formation sequence slope
• The mass dependence of structure, star formation rate, and mass assembly mode at 0.5<z< 2.5
• HI study of isolated and pair galaxies: the MIR SFR-M$\star$ sequence
• Detection of an ionized gas outflow in the extreme UV-luminous star-forming galaxy BOSS-EUVLG1 at z=2.47
• Bulgeless galaxies in the COSMOS field: environment and star formation evolution at $z<1$
• Galaxy And Mass Assembly: Group and field galaxy morphologies in the star-formation rate - stellar mass plane
• Bayesian fitting of multi-Gaussian expansion models to galaxy images
• Getting ready for the LSST data -- estimating the physical properties of $z<2.5$ main sequence galaxies
• The effect of the morphological quenching mechanism on star formation activity at 0.5 < z < 1.5 in 3D-HST/CANDELS
• Evolution of the Sérsic Index up to z=2.5 from JWST and HST
• Near-infrared spectroscopy of 5 ultra-massive galaxies at 1.7 < z < 2.7
• Probing the link between quenching and morphological evolution
• Resolved star formation in TNG100 central and satellite galaxies
• Cosmic reflections I: the structural diversity of simulated and observed low-mass galaxy analogues
• Investigating the Dominant Environmental Quenching Process in UVCANDELS/COSMOS Groups
• The breakBRD Breakdown: Using IllustrisTNG to Track the Quenching of an Observationally-Motivated Sample of Centrally Star-Forming Galaxies
• Transforming galaxies with EASE: widespread structural changes enabled by short-lived spirals
• MIGHTEE-HI: The star-forming properties of HI selected galaxies
• The effects of star formation history in the SFR-M relation of HII galaxies
• The 5 Gyr evolution of sub-M* galaxies
• Structural evolution of quiescent galaxies at intermediate redshifts at UV and red rest-frame wavelengths
• The Evolution of the SFR-M_* relation at 0.1<z<4: Environmental and Morphological Dependencies