The Main Sequence at z ∼ 1.3 Contains a Sizable Fraction of Galaxies with Compact Star Formation Sizes: A New Population of Early Post-starbursts?

Puglisi, A.; Daddi, E.; Liu, D.; Bournaud, F.; Silverman, J. D.; Circosta, C.; Calabrò, A.; Aravena, M.; Cibinel, A.; Dannerbauer, H.; Delvecchio, I.; Elbaz, D.; Gao, Y.; Gobat, R.; Jin, S.; Le Floc’h, E.; Magdis, G. E.; Mancini, C.; Riechers, D. A.; Rodighiero, G.; Sargent, M.; Valentino, F.; Zanisi, L.
Bibliographical reference

The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Volume 877, Issue 2, article id. L23, 6 pp. (2019).

Advertised on:
6
2019
Number of authors
23
IAC number of authors
1
Citations
53
Refereed citations
52
Description
Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) measurements for 93 Herschel-selected galaxies at 1.1 ≤ z ≤ 1.7 in COSMOS reveal a sizable (>29%) population with compact star formation (SF) sizes, lying on average >×3.6 below the optical stellar mass (M ⋆)–size relation of disks. This sample widely spans the star-forming main sequence (MS), having 108 ≤ M ⋆ ≤ 1011.5 M ⊙ and 20 ≤ star formation rate (SFR) ≤ 680 M ⊙ yr‑1. The 32 size measurements and 61 upper limits are measured on ALMA images that combine observations of CO(5–4), CO(4–3), CO(2–1), and λ obs ∼ 1.1–1.3 mm continuum, all tracing the star-forming molecular gas. These compact galaxies have instead normally extended K band sizes, suggesting strong specific SFR gradients. Compact galaxies comprise the 50 ± 18% of MS galaxies at M ⋆ > 1011 M ⊙. This is not expected in standard bimodal scenarios, where MS galaxies are mostly steadily growing extended disks. We suggest that compact MS objects are early post-starburst galaxies in which the merger-driven boost of SF has subsided. They retain their compact SF size until either further gas accretion restores premerger galaxy-wide SF, or until becoming quenched. The fraction of merger-affected SF inside the MS seems thus larger than anticipated and might reach ∼50% at the highest M ⋆. The presence of large galaxies above the MS demonstrates an overall poor correlation between galaxy SF size and specific SFR.
Related projects
Galaxy proto-cluster
Molecular Gas and Dust in Galaxies Across Cosmic Time
Two of the most fundamental questions in astrophysics are the conversion of molecular gas into stars and how this physical process is a function of environments on all scales, ranging from planetary systems, stellar clusters, galaxies to galaxy clusters. The main goal of this internal project is to get insight into the formation and evolution of
Helmut
Dannerbauer