No Arabic abstract
We estimate the current extinction-corrected H$alpha$ star formation rate (SFR) of the different morphological components that shape galaxies (bulges, bars, and disks). We use a multi-component photometric decomposition based on SDSS imaging to CALIFA Integral Field Spectroscopy datacubes for a sample of 219 galaxies. This analysis reveals an enhancement of the central SFR and specific SFR (sSFR $=$ SFR/$M_{star}$) in barred galaxies. Along the Main Sequence, we find more massive galaxies in total have undergone efficient suppression (quenching) of their star formation, in agreement with many studies. We discover that more massive disks have had their star formation quenched as well. We evaluate which mechanisms might be responsible for this quenching process. The presence of type-2 AGNs plays a role at damping the sSFR in bulges and less efficiently in disks. Also, the decrease in the sSFR of the disk component becomes more noticeable for stellar masses around 10$^{10.5}$ M$_{odot}$; for bulges, it is already present at $sim$10$^{9.5}$ M$_{odot}$. The analysis of the line-of-sight stellar velocity dispersions ($sigma$) for the bulge component and of the corresponding Faber-Jackson relation shows that AGNs tend to have slightly higher $sigma$ values than star-forming galaxies for the same mass. Finally, the impact of environment is evaluated by means of the projected galaxy density, $Sigma$$_{5}$. We find that the SFR of both bulges and disks decreases in intermediate-to-high density environments. This work reflects the potential of combining IFS data with 2D multi-component decompositions to shed light on the processes that regulate the SFR.
We use a sample built on the SDSS DR7 catalogue and the bulge-disc decomposition of Simard et al. (2011) to study how the bulge and disc components contribute to the parent galaxys star formation activity, by determining its position in the star formation rate (SFR) - stellar mass (M$_{star}$) plane at 0.02$<z<$0.1. We use the bulge and disc colours as proxy for their SFRs. We study the mean galaxy bulge-total mass ratio (B/T) as a function of the residual from the MS ($Delta_{MS}$) and find that the B/T-$Delta_{MS}$ relation exhibits a parabola-like shape with the peak of the MS corresponding to the lowest B/Ts at any stellar mass. The lower and upper envelop of the MS are populated by galaxies with similar B/T, velocity dispersion and concentration ($R_{90}/R_{50}$) values. Bulges above the MS are characterised by blue colours or, when red, by a high level of dust obscuration, thus indicating that in both cases they are actively star forming. When on the MS or below it, bulges are mostly red and dead. At stellar masses above $10^{10.5} $M$_{odot}$, bulges on the MS or in the green valley tend to be significantly redder than their counterparts in the quiescence region, despite similar levels of dust obscuration. The disc color anti-correlates at any mass with the distance from the MS, getting redder when approaching the MS lower envelope and the quiescence region. We conclude that the position of a galaxy in the LogSFR-LogM$_{star}$ plane depends on the star formation activity of its components: above the MS both bulge and disk are actively star forming. The nuclear activity is the first to be suppressed, moving the galaxies on the MS. Once the disk stops forming stars as well, the galaxy moves below the MS and eventually to the quiescence region. This is confirmed by a large fraction ($sim45%$) of passive galaxies with a secure two component morphology.
Using observations from the GASS and COLD GASS surveys and complementary data from SDSS and GALEX, we investigate the nature of variations in gas depletion time observed across the local massive galaxy population. The large and unbiased COLD GASS sample allows us to assess the relative importance of galaxy interactions, bar instabilities, morphologies and the presence of AGN in regulating star formation efficiency. Both the H2 mass fraction and depletion time vary as a function of the distance of a galaxy from the main sequence in the SFR-M* plane. The longest gas depletion times are found in below-main sequence bulge-dominated galaxies that are either gas-poor, or else on average less efficient than disk-dominated galaxy at converting into stars any cold gas they may have. We find no link between AGN and these long depletion times. The galaxies undergoing mergers or showing signs of morphological disruptions have the shortest molecular gas depletion times, while those hosting strong stellar bars have only marginally higher global star formation efficiencies as compared to matched control samples. Our interpretation is that depletion time variations are caused by changes in the ratio between the gas mass traced by the CO(1-0) observations, and the gas mass in high density star-forming cores, with interactions, mergers and bar instabilities able to locally increase pressure and raise the ratio of efficiently star-forming gas to CO-detected gas. Building a sample representative of the local massive galaxy population, we derive a global Kennicutt-Schmidt relation of slope 1.18+/-0.24, and observe structure within the scatter around this relation, with galaxies having low (high) stellar mass surface densities lying systematically above (below) the mean relation, suggesting that gas surface density is not the only parameter driving the global star formation ability of a galaxy.
Star formation and quenching are two of the most important processes in galaxy formation and evolution. We explore in the local Universe the interrelationships among key integrated galaxy properties, including stellar mass $M_*$, star formation rate (SFR), specific SFR (sSFR), molecular gas mass $M_{rm H_2}$, star formation efficiency (SFE) of the molecular gas and molecular gas to stellar mass ratio $mu$. We aim to identify the most fundamental scaling relations among these key galaxy properties and their interrelationships. We show the integrated $M_{rm H_2}$-SFR, SFR-$M_*$ and $M_{rm H_2}$-$M_*$ relation can be simply transformed from the $mu$-sSFR, SFE-$mu$ and SFE-sSFR relation, respectively. The transformation, in principle, can increase or decrease the scatter of each relation. Interestingly, we find the latter three relations all have significantly smaller scatter than the former three corresponding relations. We show the probability to achieve the observed small scatter by accident is extremely close to zero. This suggests that the smaller scatters of the latter three relations are driven by a more fundamental physical connection among these quantities. We then show the large scatters in the former relations are due to their systematic dependence on other galaxy properties, and on star formation and quenching process. We propose the sSFR-$mu$-SFE relation as the Fundamental Formation Relation (FFR), which governs the star formation and quenching process, and provides a simple framework to study galaxy evolution. Other scaling relations, including integrated Kennicutt-Schmidt law, star-forming main sequence and molecular gas main sequence, can all be derived from the FFR.
The Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area survey (CALIFA survey) is providing Integral Field Spectroscopy (IFS) data in the entire optical window for a diameter-limited sample of 600 objects in the Local Universe (0.005$<$z$<$0.03). One of the main goals of this survey is to explore the spatial distribution of the star formation in nearby galaxies free from the limitations associated to either UV (dust attenuation) or narrow-band H$alpha$ imaging (underlying H$beta$ absorption). These are limitations that have prevented (until now) carrying out a detailed study of the evolution of the SFR by components (nuclei, bulges, disks), even locally. This kind of studies are key, for example, for understanding how galaxies really evolve from the Blue Cloud to the Red Sequence. We will first discuss in detail the validity of the assumption that the SFR given by the extincion-corrected H$alpha$ is a good measure of the total SFR by means of cross-comparing this with other SFR estimators, namely the integrated UV+22$mu$m, UV+TIR, H$alpha_{rm{obs}}$+22$mu$m, or H$alpha_{rm{obs}}$+TIR. Only once these effects are properly accounted for we can obtain preliminary results from the spatially-resolved analysis of the contribution of disks to the total SFR in the Local Universe, as a local benchmark for future studies of disks at high redshift. Our analysis shows that at least in the Local Universe the H$alpha$ luminosity derived from observations of the CALIFA IFS survey can be used to trace the SFR and that the disk to total (disk + bulge) SFR ratio is on average $sim$88 $%$.
Radial age gradients hold the cumulative record of the multitude of physical processes driving the build-up of stellar populations and the ensuing star formation (SF) quenching process in galaxy bulges, therefore potentially sensitive discriminators between competing theoretical concepts on bulge formation and evolution. Based on spectral modeling of integral field spectroscopy data from the CALIFA survey, we derive mass- and light-weighted stellar age gradients ($ abla$(t,B)L,M) within the photometrically determined bulge radius (RB) of a representative sample of local face-on late-type galaxies that span 2.6 dex in stellar mass. Our analysis documents a trend for decreasing $ abla$(t,B)L,M with increasing M,T, with high-mass bulges predominantly showing negative age gradients and vice versa. The inversion from positive to negative $ abla$(t,B)L,M occurs at logM,T ~ 10, which roughly coincides with the transition from lower-mass bulges whose gas excitation is powered by SF to bulges classified as Composite, LINER or Seyfert. We discuss two limiting cases for the origin of radial age gradients in massive LTG bulges. The first assumes that the stellar age in the bulge is initially spatially uniform, thus the observed age gradients arise from an inside-out SF quenching (ioSFQ) front that is radially expanding with a mean velocity vq. In this case, the age gradients translate into a slow ioSFQ that lasts until z~2, suggesting mild negative feedback by SF or an AGN. If negative age gradients in massive bulges are not due to ioSFQ but primarily due to their inside-out formation process, then the standard hypothesis of quasi-monolithic bulge formation has to be discarded in favor of a scenario that involves gradual buildup of stellar mass over 2-3 Gyr through, e.g., inside-out SF and inward migration of SF clumps from the disk. In this case, rapid AGN-driven ioSFQ cannot be ruled out.