TY - JOUR

T1 - Tightly coupled morpho-kinematic evolution for massive star-forming and quiescent galaxies across 7 Gyr of cosmic time

AU - Graaff, Anna de

AU - Bezanson, Rachel

AU - Franx, Marijn

AU - Wel, Arjen van der

AU - Bell, Eric F.

AU - D'Eugenio, Francesco

AU - Holden, Bradford

AU - Maseda, Michael V.

AU - Muzzin, Adam

AU - Pacifici, Camilla

AU - Sande, Jesse van de

AU - Sobral, David

AU - Straatman, Caroline M. S.

AU - Wu, Po-Feng

N1 - This is an author-created, un-copyedited version of an article accepted for publication/published in Astrophysical Journal Letters. 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:10.3847/2041-8213/abc428

PY - 2020/11/30

Y1 - 2020/11/30

N2 - We use the Fundamental Plane (FP) to measure the redshift evolution of the dynamical mass-to-light ratio (M dyn/L) and the dynamical-to-stellar mass ratio (M dyn/M *). Although conventionally used to study the properties of early-type galaxies, we here obtain stellar kinematic measurements from the Large Early Galaxy Astrophysics Census (LEGA-C) Survey for a sample of ~1400 massive (log(M*/M(.)) galaxies at 0.6 < z < 1.0 that span a wide range in star formation activity. In line with previous studies, we find a strong evolution in M dyn/L g with redshift. In contrast, we find only a weak dependence of the mean value of M dyn/M * on the specific star formation rate, and a redshift evolution that likely is explained by systematics. Therefore, we demonstrate that star-forming and quiescent galaxies lie on the same, stable mass FP across 0 < z < 1, and that the decrease in M dyn/L g toward high redshift can be attributed entirely to evolution of the stellar populations. Moreover, we show that the growth of galaxies in size and mass is constrained to occur within the mass FP. Our results imply either minimal structural evolution in massive galaxies since z ~ 1, or a tight coupling in the evolution of their morphological and dynamical properties, and establish the mass FP as a tool for studying galaxy evolution with low impact from progenitor bias.

AB - We use the Fundamental Plane (FP) to measure the redshift evolution of the dynamical mass-to-light ratio (M dyn/L) and the dynamical-to-stellar mass ratio (M dyn/M *). Although conventionally used to study the properties of early-type galaxies, we here obtain stellar kinematic measurements from the Large Early Galaxy Astrophysics Census (LEGA-C) Survey for a sample of ~1400 massive (log(M*/M(.)) galaxies at 0.6 < z < 1.0 that span a wide range in star formation activity. In line with previous studies, we find a strong evolution in M dyn/L g with redshift. In contrast, we find only a weak dependence of the mean value of M dyn/M * on the specific star formation rate, and a redshift evolution that likely is explained by systematics. Therefore, we demonstrate that star-forming and quiescent galaxies lie on the same, stable mass FP across 0 < z < 1, and that the decrease in M dyn/L g toward high redshift can be attributed entirely to evolution of the stellar populations. Moreover, we show that the growth of galaxies in size and mass is constrained to occur within the mass FP. Our results imply either minimal structural evolution in massive galaxies since z ~ 1, or a tight coupling in the evolution of their morphological and dynamical properties, and establish the mass FP as a tool for studying galaxy evolution with low impact from progenitor bias.

KW - astro-ph.GA

U2 - 10.3847/2041-8213/abc428

DO - 10.3847/2041-8213/abc428

M3 - Journal article

VL - 903

JO - Astrophysical Journal Letters

JF - Astrophysical Journal Letters

SN - 2041-8205

M1 - L30

ER -