A Uniform History for Galaxy Evolution

Abstract

Recent observations indicate a remarkable similarity in the properties of evolving galaxies at fixed mass and redshift, prompting us to consider the possibility that most galaxies may evolve with a common history encompassing star formation, quasar accretion, and eventual quiescence. We quantify this by defining a synchronization timescale for galaxies as a function of mass and redshift that characterizes the extent to which different galaxies of a common mass are evolving in the same manner at various cosmic epochs. We measure this synchronization timescale using nine different star-forming galaxy observations from the literature and Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasar observations spanning 0 < z ≾ 6. Surprisingly, this synchronization timescale is a constant, approximately 1.5 Gyr for all combinations of mass and time. We also find that the ratio between the stellar mass of galaxies turning off star formation and black hole mass of turnoff quasars is approximately 30:1, much lower than the 500:1 for quiescent galaxies at low redshift. As a result, we propose a model in which the star-forming "main sequence," analogous quasar behavior, and other observations form a galactic evolution "main sequence," in which star formation occurs earliest, followed by supermassive black hole accretion, and feedback between the two are dominated by deterministic rather than stochastic processes.

Files

Additional details