SDSS-IV MaNGA: The link between bars and the early cessation of star formation in spiral galaxies

Fraser-McKelvie, Amelia; Merrifield, Michael; Arag�n-Salamanca, Alfonso; Peterken, Thomas; Kraljic, Katarina; Masters, Karen; Stark, David; Fragkoudi, Francesca; Smethurst, Rebecca; Boardman, Nicholas Fraser; Drory, Niv; Lane, Richard R.

Abstract

Bars are common in low-redshift disc galaxies, and hence quantifying their influence on their host is of importance to the field of galaxy evolution. We determine the stellar populations and star formation histories of 245 barred galaxies from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO (MaNGA) galaxy survey, and compare them to a mass- and morphology-matched comparison sample of unbarred galaxies. At fixed stellar mass and morphology, barred galaxies are optically redder than their unbarred counterparts. From stellar population analysis using the full spectral fitting code STARLIGHT, we attribute this difference to both older and more metal-rich stellar populations. Dust attenuation however, is lower in the barred sample. The star formation histories of barred galaxies peak earlier than their non-barred counterparts, and the galaxies build up their mass at earlier times. We can detect no significant differences in the local environment of barred and unbarred galaxies in this sample, but find that the HI gas mass fraction is significantly lower in high-mass (M* > 1010 M⊙) barred galaxies than their non-barred counterparts.We speculate on the mechanisms that have allowed barred galaxies to be older, more metal-rich and more gas-poor today, including the efficient redistribution of galactic fountain byproducts, and a runaway bar formation scenario in gas-poor discs. While it is not possible to fully determine the effect of the bar on galaxy quenching, we conclude that the presence of a bar and the early cessation of star formation within a galaxy are intimately linked.

Citation

Fraser-McKelvie, A., Merrifield, M., Aragón-Salamanca, A., Peterken, T., Kraljic, K., Masters, K., Stark, D., Fragkoudi, F., Smethurst, R., Boardman, N. F., Drory, N., & Lane, R. R. (2020). SDSS-IV MaNGA: The link between bars and the early cessation of star formation in spiral galaxies. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 499(1), 1116-1125. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2866

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 10, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Sep 21, 2020
• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2020
• Deposit Date: Sep 23, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 23, 2020
• Journal: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
• Print ISSN: 0035-8711
• Electronic ISSN: 1365-2966
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 499
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 1116-1125
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2866
• Keywords: galaxies: evolution, galaxies: general, galaxies: stellar content, galaxies: spiral
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4921393
• Publisher URL: https://academic.oup.com/mnras/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/mnras/staa2866/5909609
• Additional Information: This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society following peer review. The version of record Amelia Fraser-McKelvie, Michael Merrifield, Alfonso Aragón-Salamanca, Thomas Peterken, Katarina Kraljic, Karen Masters, David Stark, Francesca Fragkoudi, Rebecca Smethurst, Nicholas Fraser Boardman, Niv Drory, Richard R Lane, SDSS-IV MaNGA: The link between bars and the early cessation of star formation in spiral galaxies, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 499, Issue 1, November 2020, Pages 1116–1125, https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2866 is available online at: https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-abstract/499/1/1116/5909609?