The Origin of the Mass--Metallicity Relation: Insights from 53,000 Star-Forming Galaxies in the SDSS

Details The Origin of the Mass--Metallicity Relation: Insights from 53,000 Star-Forming Galaxies in the SDSS The Origin of the Mass--Metallicity Relation: Insights from 53,000 Star-Forming Galaxies in the SDSS

2004-05-27

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0405537v1

Astrophys.J.613:898-913,2004

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

ApJ accepted, 15 pages, 9 figures, emulateapj.sty

Scientific paper

10.1086/423264

We utilize Sloan Digital Sky Survey imaging and spectroscopy of ~53,000 star-forming galaxies at z~0.1 to study the relation between stellar mass and gas-phase metallicity. We derive gas-phase oxygen abundances and stellar masses using new techniques which make use of the latest stellar evolutionary synthesis and photoionization models. We find a tight (+/-0.1 dex) correlation between stellar mass and metallicity spanning over 3 orders of magnitude in stellar mass and a factor of 10 in metallicity. The relation is relatively steep from 10^{8.5} - 10^{10.5} M_sun, in good accord with known trends between luminosity and metallicity, but flattens above 10^{10.5} M_sun. We use indirect estimates of the gas mass based on the H-alpha luminosity to compare our data to predictions from simple closed box chemical evolution models. We show that metal loss is strongly anti-correlated with baryonic mass, with low mass dwarf galaxies being 5 times more metal-depleted than L* galaxies at z~0.1. Evidence for metal depletion is not confined to dwarf galaxies, but is found in galaxies with masses as high as 10^{10} M_sun. We interpret this as strong evidence both of the ubiquity of galactic winds and of their effectiveness in removing metals from galaxy potential wells.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

The Origin of the Mass--Metallicity Relation: Insights from 53,000 Star-Forming Galaxies in the SDSS does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with The Origin of the Mass--Metallicity Relation: Insights from 53,000 Star-Forming Galaxies in the SDSS, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The Origin of the Mass--Metallicity Relation: Insights from 53,000 Star-Forming Galaxies in the SDSS will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-269697