Bridging between the integrated and resolved main sequence of star formation

Abstract

The position of galaxies on the stellar mass, star formation rate (SFR) plane with respect to the star-forming main sequence at each redshift is a convenient way to infer where the galaxy is in its evolution compared to the rest of the population. We use Hubble Space Telescope high-resolution images in the GOODS-S field from the the Cosmic Assembly Near-IR Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) and fit multiwavelength lights in resolution elements of galaxies with stellar population synthesis models. We then construct resolved kpc-scale stellar mass, SFR surface density curves for galaxies at z ~ 1. Fitting these resolved main sequence curves with Schechter functions, we parameterize and explain the multiwavelength structure of galaxies with three variables: φ*, α, and M*. For quenched galaxies below the main sequence, we find an average high-mass slope (α) of the resolved main sequence curves to be ~−0.4. The scatter of this slope is higher among the lower mass star-forming galaxies and those above the main sequence compared to quenched galaxies, due to lack of an evolved bulge. Our findings agree well with an inside-out quenching of star formation. We find that the knee of the Schechter fits (M*) for galaxies below the main sequence occurs at lower stellar mass surface densities compared to star-forming galaxies, which hints at how far quenching has proceeded outward.

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