Figuring Out Gas and Galaxies In Enzo (FOGGIE). VIII. Complex and Stochastic Metallicity Gradients at z > 2
Gas-phase metallicity gradients are a crucial element in understanding the chemical evolution of galaxies. We use the FOGGIE simulations to study the metallicity gradients (∇ Z ) of six Milky Way–like galaxies throughout their evolution. FOGGIE galaxies generally exhibit steep negative gradients for...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad9dd8 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832591623900364800 |
|---|---|
| author | Ayan Acharyya Molly S. Peeples Jason Tumlinson Brian W. O’Shea Cassandra Lochhaas Anna C. Wright Raymond C. Simons Ramona Augustin Britton D. Smith Eugene Hyeonmin Lee |
| author_facet | Ayan Acharyya Molly S. Peeples Jason Tumlinson Brian W. O’Shea Cassandra Lochhaas Anna C. Wright Raymond C. Simons Ramona Augustin Britton D. Smith Eugene Hyeonmin Lee |
| author_sort | Ayan Acharyya |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Gas-phase metallicity gradients are a crucial element in understanding the chemical evolution of galaxies. We use the FOGGIE simulations to study the metallicity gradients (∇ Z ) of six Milky Way–like galaxies throughout their evolution. FOGGIE galaxies generally exhibit steep negative gradients for most of their history, with only a few short-lived instances reaching positive slopes that appear to arise mainly from interactions with other galaxies. FOGGIE concurs with other simulation results but disagrees with the robust observational finding that flat and positive gradients are common at z > 1. By tracking the metallicity gradient at a rapid cadence of simulation outputs (∼5–10 Myr), we find that theoretical gradients are highly stochastic: the FOGGIE galaxies spend ∼30%–50% of their time far away from a smoothed trajectory inferred from analytic models or other, less high-cadence simulations. This rapid variation makes instantaneous gradients from observations more difficult to interpret in terms of physical processes. Because of these geometric and stochastic complications, we explore nonparametric methods of quantifying the evolving metallicity distribution at z > 1. We investigate how efficiently nonparametric measures of the 2D metallicity distribution respond to metal production and mixing. Our results suggest that new methods of quantifying and interpreting gas-phase metallicity will be needed to relate trends in upcoming high- z James Webb Space Telescope observations with the underlying physics of gas accretion, expulsion, and recycling in early galaxies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8f0b39fd8b3f4846896c044e3306bff0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-8f0b39fd8b3f4846896c044e3306bff02025-01-22T08:36:57ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572025-01-01979212910.3847/1538-4357/ad9dd8Figuring Out Gas and Galaxies In Enzo (FOGGIE). VIII. Complex and Stochastic Metallicity Gradients at z > 2Ayan Acharyya0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4804-7142Molly S. Peeples1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1455-8788Jason Tumlinson2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7982-412XBrian W. O’Shea3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2786-0348Cassandra Lochhaas4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1785-8022Anna C. Wright5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1685-5818Raymond C. Simons6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6386-7299Ramona Augustin7https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7472-3824Britton D. Smith8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6804-630XEugene Hyeonmin Lee9https://orcid.org/0009-0001-8366-7606Department of Physics & Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University , 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA ; ayan.acharyya@inaf.it; INAF—Astronomical Observatory of Padova , Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 5, IT-35122 Padova, ItalyDepartment of Physics & Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University , 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA ; ayan.acharyya@inaf.it; Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USADepartment of Physics & Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University , 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA ; ayan.acharyya@inaf.it; Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USADepartment of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering, Department of Physics and Astronomy, National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, Michigan State University , USASpace Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Center for Astrophysics , Harvard & Smithsonian, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; NASA Hubble FellowDepartment of Physics & Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University , 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA ; ayan.acharyya@inaf.itSpace Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Physics, University of Connecticut , 196A Auditorium Road Unit 3046, Storrs, CT 06269, USASpace Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) , An der Sternwarte 16, Potsdam 14482, GermanyInstitute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Royal Observatory, EH9 3HJ, UKSpace Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; University of Texas at Austin , Physics, Math, and Astronomy Building, 2515 Speedway, Austin, TX 78712, USAGas-phase metallicity gradients are a crucial element in understanding the chemical evolution of galaxies. We use the FOGGIE simulations to study the metallicity gradients (∇ Z ) of six Milky Way–like galaxies throughout their evolution. FOGGIE galaxies generally exhibit steep negative gradients for most of their history, with only a few short-lived instances reaching positive slopes that appear to arise mainly from interactions with other galaxies. FOGGIE concurs with other simulation results but disagrees with the robust observational finding that flat and positive gradients are common at z > 1. By tracking the metallicity gradient at a rapid cadence of simulation outputs (∼5–10 Myr), we find that theoretical gradients are highly stochastic: the FOGGIE galaxies spend ∼30%–50% of their time far away from a smoothed trajectory inferred from analytic models or other, less high-cadence simulations. This rapid variation makes instantaneous gradients from observations more difficult to interpret in terms of physical processes. Because of these geometric and stochastic complications, we explore nonparametric methods of quantifying the evolving metallicity distribution at z > 1. We investigate how efficiently nonparametric measures of the 2D metallicity distribution respond to metal production and mixing. Our results suggest that new methods of quantifying and interpreting gas-phase metallicity will be needed to relate trends in upcoming high- z James Webb Space Telescope observations with the underlying physics of gas accretion, expulsion, and recycling in early galaxies.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad9dd8Galaxy chemical evolutionGalaxy evolutionMetallicityChemical abundances |
| spellingShingle | Ayan Acharyya Molly S. Peeples Jason Tumlinson Brian W. O’Shea Cassandra Lochhaas Anna C. Wright Raymond C. Simons Ramona Augustin Britton D. Smith Eugene Hyeonmin Lee Figuring Out Gas and Galaxies In Enzo (FOGGIE). VIII. Complex and Stochastic Metallicity Gradients at z > 2 The Astrophysical Journal Galaxy chemical evolution Galaxy evolution Metallicity Chemical abundances |
| title | Figuring Out Gas and Galaxies In Enzo (FOGGIE). VIII. Complex and Stochastic Metallicity Gradients at z > 2 |
| title_full | Figuring Out Gas and Galaxies In Enzo (FOGGIE). VIII. Complex and Stochastic Metallicity Gradients at z > 2 |
| title_fullStr | Figuring Out Gas and Galaxies In Enzo (FOGGIE). VIII. Complex and Stochastic Metallicity Gradients at z > 2 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Figuring Out Gas and Galaxies In Enzo (FOGGIE). VIII. Complex and Stochastic Metallicity Gradients at z > 2 |
| title_short | Figuring Out Gas and Galaxies In Enzo (FOGGIE). VIII. Complex and Stochastic Metallicity Gradients at z > 2 |
| title_sort | figuring out gas and galaxies in enzo foggie viii complex and stochastic metallicity gradients at z 2 |
| topic | Galaxy chemical evolution Galaxy evolution Metallicity Chemical abundances |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad9dd8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ayanacharyya figuringoutgasandgalaxiesinenzofoggieviiicomplexandstochasticmetallicitygradientsatz2 AT mollyspeeples figuringoutgasandgalaxiesinenzofoggieviiicomplexandstochasticmetallicitygradientsatz2 AT jasontumlinson figuringoutgasandgalaxiesinenzofoggieviiicomplexandstochasticmetallicitygradientsatz2 AT brianwoshea figuringoutgasandgalaxiesinenzofoggieviiicomplexandstochasticmetallicitygradientsatz2 AT cassandralochhaas figuringoutgasandgalaxiesinenzofoggieviiicomplexandstochasticmetallicitygradientsatz2 AT annacwright figuringoutgasandgalaxiesinenzofoggieviiicomplexandstochasticmetallicitygradientsatz2 AT raymondcsimons figuringoutgasandgalaxiesinenzofoggieviiicomplexandstochasticmetallicitygradientsatz2 AT ramonaaugustin figuringoutgasandgalaxiesinenzofoggieviiicomplexandstochasticmetallicitygradientsatz2 AT brittondsmith figuringoutgasandgalaxiesinenzofoggieviiicomplexandstochasticmetallicitygradientsatz2 AT eugenehyeonminlee figuringoutgasandgalaxiesinenzofoggieviiicomplexandstochasticmetallicitygradientsatz2 |