The MOSDEF Survey: The Dependence of H$alpha$-to-UV SFR Ratios on SFR and Size at $zsim2$


Abstract in English

We perform an aperture-matched analysis of dust-corrected H$alpha$ and UV SFRs using 303 star-forming galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts $1.36<z_text{spec}<2.66$ from the MOSFIRE Deep Evolution Field (MOSDEF) survey. By combining H$alpha$ and H$beta$ emission line measurements with multi-waveband resolved CANDELS/3D-HST imaging, we directly compare dust-corrected H$alpha$ and UV SFRs, inferred assuming a fixed attenuation curve shape and constant SFHs, within the spectroscopic aperture. Previous studies have found that H$alpha$ and UV SFRs inferred with these assumptions generally agree for typical star-forming galaxies, but become increasingly discrepant for galaxies with higher SFRs ($gtrsim$100 M$_odot$ yr$^{-1}$), with H$alpha$-to-UV SFR ratios being larger for these galaxies. Our analysis shows that this trend persists even after carefully accounting for the apertures over which H$alpha$ and UV-based SFRs (and the nebular and stellar continuum reddening) are derived. Furthermore, our results imply that H$alpha$ SFRs may be higher in the centers of large galaxies (i.e., where there is coverage by the spectroscopic aperture) compared to their outskirts, which could be indicative of inside-out galaxy growth. Overall, we suggest that the persistent difference between nebular and stellar continuum reddening and high H$alpha$-to-UV SFR ratios at the centers of large galaxies may be indicative of a patchier distribution of dust in galaxies with high SFRs.

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