Stellar Masses of Clumps in Gas-rich, Turbulent Disk Galaxies

TL;DR

This study uses HST observations and stellar population modeling to measure the stellar masses of clumps in gas-rich, turbulent disk galaxies, providing insights into their properties and comparison with high-redshift galaxies and simulations.

Contribution

It presents a novel method for accurately determining clump stellar masses in DYNAMO galaxies, which are analogous to high-redshift disks, and compares these with simulations.

Findings

Clump stellar masses are typically 10^7-10^8 solar masses.

Clump mass functions follow a power law with slope ~ -1.4.

Clump properties resemble long-lived clumps in simulations.

Abstract

In this paper we use HST/WFC3 observations of 6 galaxies from the DYNAMO survey, combined with stellar population modelling of the SED, to determine the stellar masses of DYNAMO clumps. The DYNAMO sample has been shown to have properties similar to $z\approx1.5$ turbulent, clumpy disks. DYNAMO sample clump masses offer a useful comparison for studies of $z>1$ in that the galaxies have the same properties, yet the observational biases are significantly different. Using DYNAMO we can more easily probe rest-frame near-IR wavelengths and also probe finer spatial scales. We find that the stellar mass of DYNAMO clumps is typically $10^{7}-10^8 \mathrm{M}_\odot$. We employ a technique that makes non-parametric corrections in removal of light from nearby clumps, and carries out a locally determined disk subtraction. The process of disk subtraction is the dominant effect, and can alter clump masses at the 0.3~dex level. Using these masses, we investigate the stellar mass function of clumps in DYNAMO galaxies. DYNAMO stellar mass functions follow a declining power law with slope $\alpha \approx -1.4$, which is slightly shallower than, but similar to what is observed in $z>1$ lensed galaxies. We compare DYNAMO clump masses to results of simulations. The masses and galactocentric position of clumps in DYNAMO galaxies are more similar to long-lived clumps in simulations. Similar to recent DYNAMO results on the stellar population gradients, these results are consistent with simulations that do not employ strong "early" radiative feedback prescriptions.