Inside-out star formation quenching and the need for a revision of bulge-disk decomposition concepts for spiral galaxies

Abstract

Our knowledge about the photometric properties of bulges in late-type galaxies (LTGs) is founded upon image decomposition into a Sérsic model for the central luminosity excess of the bulge and an exponential model for the underlying disk. We argue that the standard practice of adopting an exponential model for the disk all the way to its center is inadequate because it implicitly neglects the fact of star formation (SF) quenching (SFQ) in the centers of LTGs. Extrapolating the fit for the observable star-forming zone of the disk (outside the bulge) inwardly overestimates the true surface brightness of the disk in its SF-quenched central zone. We refer to this effect as Dio. The primary consequence of the neglect of Dio in bulge-disk decomposition studies is the oversubtraction of the disk underneath the bulge, leading to a systematic underestimation of the luminosity of the latter. Framed in the picture of galaxy downsizing and inside-out SFQ, Dio is expected to differentially impact galaxies across redshift and stellar mass M*, thus leading to systematic and complex biases in the scatter and slope of various galaxy scaling relations. We conjecture that correction for Dio will lead to a downbending of the bulge vs. super-massive black hole (SMBH) relation for galaxies below log(M*/Msolar)~10.7. A decreasing M(SMBH)/M* ratio with decreasing M* would help consistently explain the scarcity and weakness of accretion-powered nuclear activity in low-mass spiral galaxies. A well detectable Dio (~2 r mag) can emerge early on through inward migration of SF clumps from the disk in combination with a strong contrast of emission-line equivalent widths between the quenched proto-bulge and its SF periphery. Spatially resolved studies with the JWST, ELT, and Euclid could therefore offer key insights into the chronology and physical drivers of SFQ in the early phase of galaxy assembly. (abridged)

arXiv comment20 pages, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

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