Beyond galaxy bimodality: the complex interplay between kinematic morphology and star formation in the local Universe

TL;DR

This study reveals that galaxy kinematic morphologies in the local Universe are more complex than a simple bimodal classification, with a significant presence of passive disks and a continuous distribution of rotational support.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of galaxy kinematic states, challenging the traditional bimodal view and highlighting the diversity of galaxy structures and quenching pathways.

Findings

Distribution of V/σ is not bimodal at fixed stellar mass.

Passive galaxies include a substantial fraction of passive disks (~30%).

Star-forming galaxies are predominantly disk-like, while passive galaxies are more mixed.

Abstract

It is generally assumed that galaxies are a bimodal population in both star formation and structure: star-forming galaxies are disks, while passive galaxies host large bulges or are entirely spheroidal. Here, we test this scenario by presenting a full census of the kinematic morphologies of a volume-limited sample of galaxies in the local Universe extracted from the MaNGA galaxy survey. We measure the integrated stellar line-of-sight velocity to velocity dispersion ratio ($V/\sigma$) for 4574 galaxies in the stellar mass range $9.75 < \log M_{\star}[\rm{M}_{\odot}] < 11.75$. We show that at fixed stellar mass, the distribution of $V/\sigma$ is not bimodal, and that a simple separation between fast and slow rotators is over-simplistic. Fast rotators are a mixture of at least two populations, referred to here as dynamically-cold disks and intermediate systems, with disks dominating in both total stellar mass and number. When considering star-forming and passive galaxies separately, the star-forming population is almost entirely made up of disks, while the passive population is mixed, implying an array of quenching mechanisms. Passive disks represent $\sim$30% (both in number and mass) of passive galaxies, nearly a factor of two higher than that of slow rotators, reiterating that these are an important population for understanding galaxy quenching. These results paint a picture of a local Universe dominated by disky galaxies, most of which become somewhat less rotation-supported upon or after quenching. While spheroids are present to a degree, they are certainly not the evolutionary end-point for the majority of galaxies.