Symmetry in Fundamental Parameters of Galaxies on the Star-forming Main Sequence

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: He, Zhicheng, Wang, Enci, Ho, Luis C., Wang, Huiyuan, Shi, Yong, Kong, Xu, Wang, Tinggui
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author He, Zhicheng
Wang, Enci
Ho, Luis C.
Wang, Huiyuan
Shi, Yong
Kong, Xu
Wang, Tinggui
author_facet He, Zhicheng
Wang, Enci
Ho, Luis C.
Wang, Huiyuan
Shi, Yong
Kong, Xu
Wang, Tinggui
contents The Star-Forming Main Sequence (SFMS) serves as a critical framework for understanding galaxy evolution, highlighting the relationship between star formation rates (SFR) and stellar masses M_* across cosmic time. Despite its significance, the origin of the 0.3-0.4 dex dispersion in the SFMS remains a key unresolved question. Uncovering the origin of dispersion is crucial for understanding the evolution of galaxies. Using a large sample of approximately 500,000 galaxies, we reveal an unprecedented symmetry in the distribution of key structural properties-effective radius (R_{\rm e}), stellar surface density (M_*/R_{\rm e}^2), and morphology on the SFMS. This symmetry implies that galaxies with high (above SFMS) and low (below SFMS) SFRs share similar fundamental parameters. Moreover, galaxies with smaller R_{\rm e} or higher M_*/R_{\rm e}^2 exhibit greater dispersion in SFR. This dispersion reflects the response to fluctuations in cosmic accretion flows, while the SFR itself represents the time-averaged effect over the gas consumption timescale. Shorter gas consumption timescales, associated with higher M_*/R_{\rm e}^2, lead to greater SFR dispersion. Our results reveal that the variation of SFR originates from the oscillation of accretion flow and is regulated by the stellar surface density.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_06868
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Symmetry in Fundamental Parameters of Galaxies on the Star-forming Main Sequence
He, Zhicheng
Wang, Enci
Ho, Luis C.
Wang, Huiyuan
Shi, Yong
Kong, Xu
Wang, Tinggui
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
The Star-Forming Main Sequence (SFMS) serves as a critical framework for understanding galaxy evolution, highlighting the relationship between star formation rates (SFR) and stellar masses M_* across cosmic time. Despite its significance, the origin of the 0.3-0.4 dex dispersion in the SFMS remains a key unresolved question. Uncovering the origin of dispersion is crucial for understanding the evolution of galaxies. Using a large sample of approximately 500,000 galaxies, we reveal an unprecedented symmetry in the distribution of key structural properties-effective radius (R_{\rm e}), stellar surface density (M_*/R_{\rm e}^2), and morphology on the SFMS. This symmetry implies that galaxies with high (above SFMS) and low (below SFMS) SFRs share similar fundamental parameters. Moreover, galaxies with smaller R_{\rm e} or higher M_*/R_{\rm e}^2 exhibit greater dispersion in SFR. This dispersion reflects the response to fluctuations in cosmic accretion flows, while the SFR itself represents the time-averaged effect over the gas consumption timescale. Shorter gas consumption timescales, associated with higher M_*/R_{\rm e}^2, lead to greater SFR dispersion. Our results reveal that the variation of SFR originates from the oscillation of accretion flow and is regulated by the stellar surface density.
title Symmetry in Fundamental Parameters of Galaxies on the Star-forming Main Sequence
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.06868