Kavli Affiliate: Luis C. Ho
| First 5 Authors: Zhicheng He, Enci Wang, Luis C. Ho, Huiyuan Wang, Yong Shi
| Summary:
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.
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