A transition mass in the local Tully-Fisher relation

Raymond C. Simons; Susan A. Kassin; Benjamin J. Weiner; Timothy M. Heckman; Janice C. Lee; Jennifer M. Lotz; Michaelh Peth; Kirill Tchernyshyov

doi:10.1093/mnras/stv1298

A transition mass in the local Tully-Fisher relation

Raymond C. Simons, Susan A. Kassin, Benjamin J. Weiner, Timothy M. Heckman, Janice C. Lee, Jennifer M. Lotz, Michaelh Peth, Kirill Tchernyshyov

Multiple Mirror Telescope Observatory

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

51 Scopus citations

Abstract

We study the stellar mass Tully-Fisher relation (TFR; stellar mass versus rotation velocity) for a morphologically blind selection of emission line galaxies in the field at redshifts 0.1 < z < 0.375. Kinematics (σ_g, V_rot) are measured from emission lines in Keck/DEIMOS spectra and quantitative morphology is measured from V- and I-band Hubble images. We find a transition stellar mass in the TFR, logM_*/M_⊙ = 9.5. Above this mass, nearly all galaxies are rotation dominated, on average more morphologically disc-like according to quantitative morphology, and lie on a relatively tight TFR. Below this mass, the TFR has significant scatter to low rotation velocity and galaxies can either be rotation-dominated discs on the TFR or asymmetric or compact galaxies which scatter off. We refer to this transition mass as the 'mass of disc formation', M_df because above it all star-forming galaxies form discs (except for a small number of major mergers and highly star-forming systems), whereas below it a galaxy may or may not form a disc.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	986-997
Number of pages	12
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	452
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stv1298
State	Published - Apr 28 2015

Keywords

Galaxies: evolution
Galaxies: formation
Galaxies: fundamental parameters
Galaxies: kinematics and dynamics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Access to Document

10.1093/mnras/stv1298

Cite this

@article{8e39549ec1bb405380d3cc536e0fe51e,

title = "A transition mass in the local Tully-Fisher relation",

abstract = "We study the stellar mass Tully-Fisher relation (TFR; stellar mass versus rotation velocity) for a morphologically blind selection of emission line galaxies in the field at redshifts 0.1 < z < 0.375. Kinematics (σg, Vrot) are measured from emission lines in Keck/DEIMOS spectra and quantitative morphology is measured from V- and I-band Hubble images. We find a transition stellar mass in the TFR, logM*/M⊙ = 9.5. Above this mass, nearly all galaxies are rotation dominated, on average more morphologically disc-like according to quantitative morphology, and lie on a relatively tight TFR. Below this mass, the TFR has significant scatter to low rotation velocity and galaxies can either be rotation-dominated discs on the TFR or asymmetric or compact galaxies which scatter off. We refer to this transition mass as the 'mass of disc formation', Mdf because above it all star-forming galaxies form discs (except for a small number of major mergers and highly star-forming systems), whereas below it a galaxy may or may not form a disc.",

keywords = "Galaxies: evolution, Galaxies: formation, Galaxies: fundamental parameters, Galaxies: kinematics and dynamics",

author = "Simons, {Raymond C.} and Kassin, {Susan A.} and Weiner, {Benjamin J.} and Heckman, {Timothy M.} and Lee, {Janice C.} and Lotz, {Jennifer M.} and Michaelh Peth and Kirill Tchernyshyov",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015 The Authors Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.",

year = "2015",

month = apr,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1093/mnras/stv1298",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "452",

pages = "986--997",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

issn = "0035-8711",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - A transition mass in the local Tully-Fisher relation

AU - Simons, Raymond C.

AU - Kassin, Susan A.

AU - Weiner, Benjamin J.

AU - Heckman, Timothy M.

AU - Lee, Janice C.

AU - Lotz, Jennifer M.

AU - Peth, Michaelh

AU - Tchernyshyov, Kirill

PY - 2015/4/28

Y1 - 2015/4/28

N2 - We study the stellar mass Tully-Fisher relation (TFR; stellar mass versus rotation velocity) for a morphologically blind selection of emission line galaxies in the field at redshifts 0.1 < z < 0.375. Kinematics (σg, Vrot) are measured from emission lines in Keck/DEIMOS spectra and quantitative morphology is measured from V- and I-band Hubble images. We find a transition stellar mass in the TFR, logM*/M⊙ = 9.5. Above this mass, nearly all galaxies are rotation dominated, on average more morphologically disc-like according to quantitative morphology, and lie on a relatively tight TFR. Below this mass, the TFR has significant scatter to low rotation velocity and galaxies can either be rotation-dominated discs on the TFR or asymmetric or compact galaxies which scatter off. We refer to this transition mass as the 'mass of disc formation', Mdf because above it all star-forming galaxies form discs (except for a small number of major mergers and highly star-forming systems), whereas below it a galaxy may or may not form a disc.

AB - We study the stellar mass Tully-Fisher relation (TFR; stellar mass versus rotation velocity) for a morphologically blind selection of emission line galaxies in the field at redshifts 0.1 < z < 0.375. Kinematics (σg, Vrot) are measured from emission lines in Keck/DEIMOS spectra and quantitative morphology is measured from V- and I-band Hubble images. We find a transition stellar mass in the TFR, logM*/M⊙ = 9.5. Above this mass, nearly all galaxies are rotation dominated, on average more morphologically disc-like according to quantitative morphology, and lie on a relatively tight TFR. Below this mass, the TFR has significant scatter to low rotation velocity and galaxies can either be rotation-dominated discs on the TFR or asymmetric or compact galaxies which scatter off. We refer to this transition mass as the 'mass of disc formation', Mdf because above it all star-forming galaxies form discs (except for a small number of major mergers and highly star-forming systems), whereas below it a galaxy may or may not form a disc.

KW - Galaxies: evolution

KW - Galaxies: formation

KW - Galaxies: fundamental parameters

KW - Galaxies: kinematics and dynamics

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84939840307&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84939840307&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/mnras/stv1298

DO - 10.1093/mnras/stv1298

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84939840307

SN - 0035-8711

VL - 452

SP - 986

EP - 997

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 1

ER -

A transition mass in the local Tully-Fisher relation

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this