The spatially resolved star formation history of CALIFA galaxies: Cosmic time scales

Abstract

This paper presents the mass assembly time scales of nearby galaxies observed by CALIFA at the 3.5m telescope in Calar Alto. We apply the fossil record method of the stellar populations to the complete sample of the 3rd CALIFA data release, with a total of 661 galaxies, covering stellar masses from 10${}^{8.4}$ to 10${}^{12}$ M${}_{\odot }$ and a wide range of Hubble types. We apply spectral synthesis techniques to the datacubes and process the results to produce the mass growth time scales and mass weighted ages, from which we obtain temporal and spatially resolved information in seven bins of galaxy morphology and six bins of stellar mass (M${}_{\star }$) and stellar mass surface density (${\Sigma }_{\star }$). We use three different tracers of the spatially resolved star formation history (mass assembly curves, ratio of half mass to half light radii, and mass-weighted age gradients) to test if galaxies grow inside-out, and its dependence with galaxy stellar mass, ${\Sigma }_{\star }$, and morphology. Our main results are as follows: (a) The innermost regions of galaxies assemble their mass at an earlier time than regions located in the outer parts; this happens at any given M${}_{\star }$, ${\Sigma }_{\star }$, or Hubble type, including the lowest mass systems. (b) Galaxies present a significant diversity in their characteristic formation epochs for lower-mass systems. This diversity shows a strong dependence of the mass assembly time scales on ${\Sigma }_{\star }$ and Hubble type in the lower-mass range (10${}^{8.4}$ to 10${}^{10.4}$), but a very mild dependence in higher-mass bins. (c) All galaxies show negative $⟨$log age${⟩}_M$ gradients in the inner 1 HLR. The profile flattens with increasing values of ${\Sigma }_{\star }$. There is no significant dependence on M${}_{\star }$ within a particular ${\Sigma }_{\star }$ bin, except for the lowest bin, where the gradients becomes steeper.

15 pages, 13 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. *Abridged abstract*

References in corpus (21)

• The NumPy array: a structure for efficient numerical computation
• Cold streams in early massive hot haloes as the main mode of galaxy formation
• Overview of the SDSS-IV MaNGA Survey: Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory
• The GALEX Ultraviolet Atlas of Nearby Galaxies
• From rings to bulges: evidence for rapid secular galaxy evolution at z~2 from integral field spectroscopy in the SINS survey
• Size evolution of the most massive galaxies at 1.7<z<3 from GOODS NICMOS survey imaging
• Evolutionary stellar population synthesis with MILES - II. Scaled-solar and α-enhanced models
• Bulge Formation by the Coalescence of Giant Clumps in Primordial Disk Galaxies
• Reconstructing the Subsurface Three-Dimensional Magnetic Structure of A Solar Active Region Using SDO/HMI Observations
• Natural Downsizing in Hierarchical Galaxy Formation
• CALIFA: a diameter-selected sample for an integral field spectroscopy galaxy survey
• CALIFA, the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area survey. III. Second public data release
• Bursting and Quenching in Massive Galaxies without Major Mergers or AGNs
• Stellar Population gradients in galaxy discs from the CALIFA survey
• Specific SFR profiles in nearby spiral galaxies: quantifying the inside-out formation of disks
• Insights on the stellar mass-metallicity relation from the CALIFA survey
• SDSS IV MaNGA: The global and local stellar mass assemby histories of galaxies
• SDSS-IV MaNGA: environmental dependence of stellar age and metallicity gradients in nearby galaxies
• P-MaNGA: Full spectral fitting and stellar population maps from prototype observations
• Mapping a stellar disk into a boxy bulge: The outside-in part of the Milky Way bulge formation
• The diverse formation histories of simulated disc galaxies

Cited by in corpus (22)

• SDSS-IV MaNGA: Effects of Morphology in the global and local Star Formation Main Sequences
• The spatially-resolved star formation histories of CALIFA galaxies: Implications for galaxy formation
• The CALIFA view on stellar angular momentum across the Hubble sequence
• The EDGE-CALIFA Survey: Exploring the Star Formation Law through Variable Selection
• SDSS-IV MaNGA: drivers of stellar metallicity in nearby galaxies
• Milky Way Analogues in MaNGA: Multi-Parameter Homogeneity and Comparison to the Milky Way
• Star formation quenching stages of active and non-active galaxies
• HII regions in CALIFA survey: II. The relation between their physical properties and galaxy evolution
• SDSS-IV MaStar: Data-driven Parameter Derivation for the MaStar Stellar Library
• Inverted metallicity gradients in two Virgo cluster star-forming dwarf galaxies: evidence of recent merging?
• Which galaxy property is the best gauge of the oxygen abundance?
• Revisiting the hardening of the stellar ionizing radiation in galaxy disks
• The Most Predictive Physical Properties for the Stellar Population Radial Profiles of Nearby Galaxies
• AGN and Star-Formation Properties of Inside-out Assembled Galaxy Candidates at z<0.1
• The differences between mass- and light-derived structural parameters over time for MaNGA Elliptical galaxies
• The age gradients of galaxies in EAGLE: outside-in quenching as the origin of young bulges in cluster galaxies
• Size, shade or shape? The contribution of galaxies of different types to the star-formation history of the Universe from SDSS-IV MaNGA
• The physical properties of S0 galaxy PGC 26218: the origin of starburst and star formation
• Star Formation in CALIFA survey perturbed galaxies. II. Star Formation Histories and Oxygen Abundances
• Time-average properties of $z\sim 0.6$ major mergers: mergers significantly scatter high-z scaling relations
• A spectroscopic study of 14 structures behind Holm15A: Detecting a galaxy group candidate at z=0.58
• Galaxy evolution on resolved scales: ageing and quenching in CALIFA