An Alternate Approach to Measure Specific Star Formation Rates at 2 < z < 7
- We trace the specific star formation rate (sSFR) of massive star-forming galaxies (greater than or similar to 10(10)M(circle dot)) from z similar to 2 to 7. Our method is substantially different from previous analyses, as it does not rely on direct estimates of star formation rate, but on the differential evolution of the galaxy stellar mass function (SMF). We show the reliability of this approach by means of semianalytical and hydrodynamical cosmological simulations. We then apply it to real data, using the SMFs derived in the COSMOS and CANDELS fields. We find that the sSFR is proportional to (1 + z)(1.1) (+/-) (0.2) at z > 2, in agreement with other observations but in tension with the steeper evolution predicted by simulations from z similar to 4 to 2. We investigate the impact of several sources of observational bias, which, however, cannot account for this discrepancy. Although the SMF of high-redshift galaxies is still affected by significant errors, we show that future large-area surveys will substantially reduce them, makingWe trace the specific star formation rate (sSFR) of massive star-forming galaxies (greater than or similar to 10(10)M(circle dot)) from z similar to 2 to 7. Our method is substantially different from previous analyses, as it does not rely on direct estimates of star formation rate, but on the differential evolution of the galaxy stellar mass function (SMF). We show the reliability of this approach by means of semianalytical and hydrodynamical cosmological simulations. We then apply it to real data, using the SMFs derived in the COSMOS and CANDELS fields. We find that the sSFR is proportional to (1 + z)(1.1) (+/-) (0.2) at z > 2, in agreement with other observations but in tension with the steeper evolution predicted by simulations from z similar to 4 to 2. We investigate the impact of several sources of observational bias, which, however, cannot account for this discrepancy. Although the SMF of high-redshift galaxies is still affected by significant errors, we show that future large-area surveys will substantially reduce them, making our method an effective tool to probe the massive end of the main sequence of star-forming galaxies.…
Author details: | Iary DavidzonORCiD, Olivier IlbertORCiD, Andreas L. FaisstORCiD, Martin SparreORCiDGND, Peter L. Capak |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aaa19e |
ISSN: | 0004-637X |
ISSN: | 1538-4357 |
Title of parent work (English): | The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics |
Publisher: | IOP Publ. Ltd. |
Place of publishing: | Bristol |
Publication type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Date of first publication: | 2018/01/12 |
Publication year: | 2018 |
Release date: | 2022/02/14 |
Tag: | galaxies: evolution; galaxies: high-redshift; galaxies: star formation |
Volume: | 852 |
Issue: | 2 |
Number of pages: | 11 |
Funding institution: | NASANational Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA); National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNational Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA); French Agence Nationale de la RechercheFrench |
Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Physik und Astronomie |
DDC classification: | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 53 Physik / 530 Physik |
Peer review: | Referiert |
Publishing method: | Open Access / Bronze Open-Access |