TY - JOUR

T1 - The Fundamental Plane in the LEGA-C Survey

T2 - Unraveling the M/L Ratio Variations of Massive Star-forming and Quiescent Galaxies at z ∼ 0.8

AU - De Graaff, A.

AU - Bezanson, R.

AU - Franx, M.

AU - Van Der Wel, A.

AU - Holden, B.

AU - Van De Sande, J.

AU - Bell, E.F.

AU - D'Eugenio, F.

AU - Maseda, M.V.

AU - Muzzin, A.

AU - Sobral, D.

AU - Straatman, C.M.S.

AU - Wu, P.-F.

N1 - This is an author-created, un-copyedited version of an article accepted for publication/published in The Astrophysical Journal. IOP Publishing Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it. The Version of Record is available online at doi:10.3847/1538-4357/abf1e7

PY - 2021/5/28

Y1 - 2021/5/28

N2 - We explore the connection between the kinematics, structures and stellar populations of massive galaxies at 0.6 <z <1.0 using the fundamental plane (FP). Combining stellar kinematic data from the Large Early Galaxy Astrophysics Census (LEGA-C) survey with structural parameters measured from deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging, we obtain a sample of 1419 massive () galaxies that span a wide range in morphology, star formation activity, and environment, and therefore is representative of the massive galaxy population at z ∼ 0.8. We find that quiescent and star-forming galaxies occupy the parameter space of the g-band FP differently and thus have different distributions in the dynamical mass-to-light ratio (M dyn/L g ), largely owing to differences in the stellar age and recent star formation history, and to a lesser extent, the effects of dust attenuation. In contrast, we show that both star-forming and quiescent galaxies lie on the same mass FP at z ∼ 0.8, with a comparable level of intrinsic scatter about the plane. We examine the variation in M dyn/M ∗ through the thickness of the mass FP, finding no significant residual correlations with stellar population properties, Sérsic index, or galaxy overdensity. Our results suggest that, at fixed size and velocity dispersion, the variations in M dyn/L g of massive galaxies reflect an approximately equal contribution of variations in M ∗/L g , and variations in the dark matter fraction or initial mass function. 

AB - We explore the connection between the kinematics, structures and stellar populations of massive galaxies at 0.6 <z <1.0 using the fundamental plane (FP). Combining stellar kinematic data from the Large Early Galaxy Astrophysics Census (LEGA-C) survey with structural parameters measured from deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging, we obtain a sample of 1419 massive () galaxies that span a wide range in morphology, star formation activity, and environment, and therefore is representative of the massive galaxy population at z ∼ 0.8. We find that quiescent and star-forming galaxies occupy the parameter space of the g-band FP differently and thus have different distributions in the dynamical mass-to-light ratio (M dyn/L g ), largely owing to differences in the stellar age and recent star formation history, and to a lesser extent, the effects of dust attenuation. In contrast, we show that both star-forming and quiescent galaxies lie on the same mass FP at z ∼ 0.8, with a comparable level of intrinsic scatter about the plane. We examine the variation in M dyn/M ∗ through the thickness of the mass FP, finding no significant residual correlations with stellar population properties, Sérsic index, or galaxy overdensity. Our results suggest that, at fixed size and velocity dispersion, the variations in M dyn/L g of massive galaxies reflect an approximately equal contribution of variations in M ∗/L g , and variations in the dark matter fraction or initial mass function. 

U2 - 10.3847/1538-4357/abf1e7

DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/abf1e7

M3 - Journal article

VL - 913

JO - The Astrophysical Journal

JF - The Astrophysical Journal

SN - 0004-637X

IS - 2

M1 - 103

ER -