open access publication

Article, 2024

A Census of Star Formation Histories of Massive Galaxies at 0.6 < z < 1 from Spectrophotometric Modeling Using Bagpipes and Prospector

ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, ISSN 0004-637X, 0004-637X, Volume 961, 1, 10.3847/1538-4357/ad0c4e

Contributors

Kaushal, Yasha (Corresponding author) [1] [2] Nersesian, Angelos 0000-0001-6843-409X [3] Bezanson, Rachel 0000-0001-5063-8254 [1] [2] van der Wel, Arjen [3] Leja, Joel 0000-0001-6755-1315 [1] [4] [5] Carnall, Adam [6] Gallazzi, Anna 0000-0002-9656-1800 [7] Zibetti, Stefano [7] Khullar, G. 0000-0002-3475-7648 [1] [2] Franx, Marijn [8] [9] Muzzin, Adam [10] de Graaff, Anna 0000-0002-2380-9801 [8] [9] [11] Pacifici, Camilla 0000-0003-4196-0617 [12] Whitaker, Katherine E. [13] [14] [15] [16] Bell, Eric F. [17] [18] Martorano, Marco 0000-0003-2373-0404 [3]

Affiliations

  1. [1] Penn State Univ, Dept Astron & Astrophys, University Pk, PA 16802 USA
  2. [NORA names: United States; America, North; OECD];
  3. [2] Univ Pittsburgh, Dept Phys & Astron & PITT PACC, 3941 OHara St, Pittsburgh 15213, PA USA
  4. [NORA names: United States; America, North; OECD];
  5. [3] Univ Ghent, Sterrenkundig Observatorium, Ghent B-9000, Belgium
  6. [NORA names: Belgium; Europe, EU; OECD];
  7. [4] Penn State Univ, Dept Astron & Astrophys, University Pk, PA 16802 USA
  8. [NORA names: United States; America, North; OECD];
  9. [5] Penn State Univ, Dept Astron & Astrophys, University Pk, PA 16802 USA
  10. [NORA names: United States; America, North; OECD];

Abstract

We present individual star formation histories (SFHs) of similar to 3000 massive galaxies (log(M-*/M-circle dot) > 10.5) from the Large Early Galaxy Astrophysics Census spectroscopic survey at a lookback time of similar to 7 billion yr and quantify the population trends leveraging 20 hr deep-integrated spectra of these similar to 1800 star-forming and similar to 1200 quiescent galaxies at 0.6 < z < 1.0. Essentially all galaxies at this epoch contain stars of age <3 Gyr, in contrast with older massive galaxies today, facilitating better recovery of previous generations of star formation at cosmic noon and earlier. We conduct spectrophotometric analysis using parametric and nonparametric Bayesian stellar population synthesis modeling tools-Bagpipes and Prospector-to constrain the median SFHs of this mass complete sample and characterize population trends. A consistent picture arises for the late-time stellar mass growth when quantified as t(50) and t(90), corresponding to the age of the Universe when galaxies formed 50% and 90% of their total stellar mass, although the two methods disagree at the earliest formation times (e.g., t(10)). Our results reveal trends in both stellar mass and stellar velocity dispersion as in the local Universe-low-mass galaxies with shallower potential wells grow their stellar masses later in cosmic history compared to high-mass galaxies. Unlike local quiescent galaxies, the median duration of late-time star formation (tau(SF,late) = t(90)-t(50)) does not consistently depend on the stellar mass. This census sets a benchmark for future deep spectrophotometric studies of the more distant Universe.

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