Search NASA⌕ Search
Home/Archive/DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI · 3685210

The gas-phase mass–metallicity relation of dwarf galaxies across large-scale environments using the CAVITY parent sample

Bidaran, Bahar [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada] (ORCID:0000000226432472)·Duarte Puertas, Salvador [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada; Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada; Département de Physique, de Génie Physique et d’Optique, Université Laval, and Centre de Recherche en Astrophysique du Québec (CRAQ)] (ORCID:0000000255421940)·Pérez, Isabel [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada; Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada] (ORCID:0000000316344628)·Zurita, Almudena [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada; Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada] (ORCID:0000000169286367)·Espada, Daniel [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada; Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada] (ORCID:0000000287267685)·Argudo-Fernández, María [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada; Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada] (ORCID:0000000207892326)·García-Benito, Rubén [Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía – CSIC] (ORCID:000000027077308X)·Sánchez-Menguiano, Laura [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada; Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada] (ORCID:0000000318886578)·Verley, Simon [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada; Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada] (ORCID:0000000206849115)·Sánchez, Sebastián F. [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias] (ORCID:0000000164449307)·Falcón-Barroso, Jesús [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias; Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna] (ORCID:0000000206089574)·Ferré-Mateu, Anna [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias; Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna] (ORCID:000000026411220X)·Villalba-Gonzalez, Pedro [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia] (ORCID:0000000173394117)·Jiménez, Andoni [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada] (ORCID:0000000252369278)·Peletier, Reynier F. [Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen] (ORCID:000000017621947X)·Ruiz-Lara, Tomás [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada; Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada] (ORCID:0000000169844795)
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Context. The gas-phase mass–metallicity relation (MZR) of galaxies shows a noticeable break in slope and an increased scatter at low stellar masses, suggesting that the physical processes governing chemical enrichment differ between dwarf and high-mass systems. Dwarf galaxies, in particular, are highly susceptible to both internal and environmental mechanisms due to their shallow potential wells. Aims. The primary aim of this work is to assess whether a single, universal MZR can describe dwarf galaxies across diverse large-scale environments, or whether systematic environmental variations emerge. To probe these, we examine the MZR and star formation rate (SFR) of dwarf galaxies with stellar masses in the range of 8.9 < log(M ★ /M ⊙ ) < 9.5. Methods. Using optical spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we measured the fluxes of key emission lines via the pyPipe3D full spectral fitting pipeline. Aperture-corrected fluxes, along with multiple metallicity indicators and calibrations, were used to derive the MZR and the SFR for 353, 311, and 22 dwarf galaxies located in voids, filaments, and clusters, respectively. Results. We find a systematic variation in the MZR slope, steeper in voids (0.28 ± 0.03) and progressively flatter in clusters (0.17 ± 0.08), indicating a dependence of the MZR on the large-scale environment in this mass regime. When galaxies are separated by local density, no significant differences are observed between isolated and non-isolated dwarfs in voids. Isolated dwarf galaxies in filaments also exhibit properties similar to those of their counterparts in voids. However, non-isolated filament galaxies exhibit similar MZR slopes comparable to those of cluster dwarfs and flatter slopes than their counterparts in voids. Conclusions. We report both large- and local-scale environmental dependencies in the gas-phase metallicity and in the slope of the MZR for dwarf galaxies. Consistent with the general consensus on the pre-processing of galaxies in filaments, our results indicate that the influence of the local environment becomes increasingly significant within the filamentary regions of the cosmic web, affecting the chemical enrichment and star formation activity of low-mass systems. These findings further suggest that a portion of the scatter commonly observed in the MZR of dwarf galaxies arises from environmental effects.

Keep this discovery

BibTeXRIS

Bidaran, Bahar [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada] (ORCID:0000000226432472), Duarte Puertas, Salvador [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada; Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada; Département de Physique, de Génie Physique et d’Optique, Université Laval, and Centre de Recherche en Astrophysique du Québec (CRAQ)] (ORCID:0000000255421940), Pérez, Isabel [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada; Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada] (ORCID:0000000316344628), Zurita, Almudena [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada; Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada] (ORCID:0000000169286367), Espada, Daniel [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada; Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada] (ORCID:0000000287267685), Argudo-Fernández, María [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada; Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada] (ORCID:0000000207892326), García-Benito, Rubén [Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía – CSIC] (ORCID:000000027077308X), Sánchez-Menguiano, Laura [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada; Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada] (ORCID:0000000318886578), Verley, Simon [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada; Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada] (ORCID:0000000206849115), Sánchez, Sebastián F. [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias] (ORCID:0000000164449307), Falcón-Barroso, Jesús [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias; Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna] (ORCID:0000000206089574), Ferré-Mateu, Anna [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias; Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna] (ORCID:000000026411220X), Villalba-Gonzalez, Pedro [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia] (ORCID:0000000173394117), Jiménez, Andoni [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada] (ORCID:0000000252369278), Peletier, Reynier F. [Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen] (ORCID:000000017621947X), Ruiz-Lara, Tomás [Dpto. de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Facultad de Ciencias (Edificio Mecenas), Universidad de Granada; Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada] (ORCID:0000000169844795). 2026-08-10. The gas-phase mass–metallicity relation of dwarf galaxies across large-scale environments using the CAVITY parent sample. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202658889

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related discoveries

DOE OSTI2024

Detection and characterization of detached tidal dwarf galaxies

Tidal interactions between galaxies often give rise to tidal tails, which can harbor concentrations of stars and interstellar gas resembling dwarf galaxies. Some of these tidal dwarf galaxies (TDGs) have the potential to detach from their parent galaxies and become independent entities, but their long-term survival is uncertain. In this study, we conducted a search for detached TDGs associated with a sample of 39 interacting galaxy pairs in the local Universe using infrared, ultraviolet, and optical images. We employed IR colors and UV/optical/IR spectral energy distributions to identify potential interlopers, such as foreground stars or background quasars. Through spectroscopic observations using the Boller and Chivens spectrograph at San Pedro Mártir Observatory, we confirmed that six candidate TDGs are at the same redshift as their putative parent galaxy pairs. We identified and measured emission lines in the optical spectra and calculated nebular oxygen abundances, which range from log(O/H) = 8.10 ± 0.01 to 8.51 ± 0.02. We have serendipitously discovered an additional detached TDG candidate in Arp72 using available spectra from SDSS. Utilizing the photometric data and the CIGALE code for stellar population and dust emission fitting, we derived the stellar masses, stellar population ages, and stellar metallicities for these detached TDGs. Compared to standard mass-metallicity relations for dwarf galaxies, five of the seven candidates have higher than expected metallicities, confirming their tidal origins. One of the seven candidates remains unclear due to large uncertainties in metallicity, and another has stellar and nebular metallicities compatible with those of a preexisting dwarf galaxy. The latter object is relatively compact in the optical relative to its stellar mass, in contrast to the other candidate TDGs, which have large diameters for their stellar masses compared to most dwarf galaxies. The derived stellar population ages range from 100 Myr to 900 Myr, while the inferred stellar masses are between 2 × 10 6 M ⊙ and 8 × 10 7 M ⊙ . Four of the six TDGs are associated with the gas-rich M51-like pair Arp 72, one TDG is associated with a second M51-like pair Arp 86, and another is associated with Arp 65, an approximately equal mass pair. In spite of the relatively low stellar masses of these TDGs, they have survived for at least 100–900 Myrs, suggesting that they are stable and in dynamical equilibrium. We conclude that encounters with a relatively low-mass companion (1/10th–1/4th of the mass of the primary) can also produce long-lasting TDGs.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2024

An Accreting Supermassive Black Hole Buried in a Faint Dwarf Galaxy

Abstract In the last decade, there have been several discoveries of active galactic nuclei (AGN) in dwarf galaxies including an AGN in an ultracompact dwarf galaxy with a black hole mass >10 6 M ⊙ . However, finding a supermassive black hole (SMBH) in a dwarf low surface brightness (LSB) galaxy is rare. We report the discovery of a Seyfert type 2 class AGN that is associated with a nuclear SMBH of mass ∼6.5 × 10 6 M ⊙ in a dwarf LSB galaxy (μ 0,r > 23.8 mag arcsec −2 ) that we denote by MJ0818+2257. The galaxy was previously thought to be an outlying emission blob around the large spiral galaxy LEDA 1678924. In our current analysis, which includes the detection of the optical counterpart of MJ0818+2257, we study its ionized gas kinematics and find that the dynamical mass within the ionized gas disk is ∼5.3 × 10 9 M ⊙ . This is comparable to its stellar mass, which is ∼3 × 10 9 M ⊙ , and suggests that MJ0818+2257 is moderately dark matter dominated within the stellar disk. The SMBH-mass-to-galaxy-stellar-mass ratio isM BH /M(*) > 0.022, which is high compared to disk galaxies. Our detection of an SMBH in a bulgeless LSB dwarf galaxy raises questions about the growth of SMBHs in low-luminosity galaxies and suggests the possibility of detecting heavy seed black holes from early epochs in LSB dwarf galaxies in the low-redshift Universe.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2024

O Corona, where art thou? eROSITA’s view of UV-optical-IR variability-selected massive black holes in low-mass galaxies

Finding massive black holes (MBHs,M BH ≈ 10 4 –10 7 M ⊙ ) in the nuclei of low-mass galaxies $\left( {{M_*}\mathop {\mathop < \limits_ }\limits_ {{10}^{10}}{M_ \odot }} \right)$ is crucial to constrain seeding and growth of black holes over cosmic time, but it is particularly challenging due to their low accretion luminosities. Variability selection via long-term photometric ultraviolet, optical, or infrared (UVOIR) light curves has proved effective and identifies lower-Eddington ratios compared to broad and narrow optical spectral lines searches. In the inefficient accretion regime, X-ray and radio searches are effective, but they have been limited to small samples. Therefore, differences between selection techniques have remained uncertain. Here, we present the first large systematic investigation of the X-ray properties of a sample of known MBH candidates in dwarf galaxies. We extracted X-ray photometry and spectra of a sample of ~200 UVOIR variability-selected MBHs and significantly detected 17 of them in the deepest available SRG/eROSITA image, of which four are newly discovered X-ray sources and two are new secure MBHs. This implies that tens to hundreds of LSST MBHs will have SRG/eROSITA counterparts, depending on the seeding model adopted. Surprisingly, the stacked X-ray images of the many non-detected MBHs are incompatible with standard disk-corona relations, typical of active galactic nuclei, inferred from both the optical and radio fluxes. They are instead compatible with the X-ray emission predicted for normal galaxies. After careful consideration of potential biases, we identified that this X-ray weakness needs a physical origin. A possibility is that a canonical X-ray corona might be lacking in the majority of this population of UVOIR-variability selected low-mass galaxies or that unusual accretion modes and spectral energy distributions are in place for MBHs in dwarf galaxies. This result reveals the potential for severe biases in occupation fractions derived from data from only one waveband combined with SEDs and scaling relations of more massive black holes and galaxies.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗