CECILIA: The Mass-Metallicity Relation of Low-Mass Galaxies at Cosmic Noon

TL;DR

This study uses JWST spectroscopy to measure the mass-metallicity relation of low-mass galaxies at redshifts 2-3, revealing a steep relation and little evolution from earlier cosmic times, informing galaxy evolution models.

Contribution

First measurement of the low-mass end of the mass-metallicity relation at z~2-3 using JWST, providing new insights into metal enrichment and outflows in early low-mass galaxies.

Findings

Steep MZR slope of 0.48 ± 0.11 indicating rapid metal retention increase with mass.

No significant evolution in MZR between z~2 and the Epoch of Reionization.

Galaxies serve as analogs for reionization-era systems, aiding understanding of early galaxy evolution.

Abstract

A galaxy's metallicity and its relation to stellar mass encode the history of gas accretion, star formation, and outflows within cosmic ecosystems. We present new constraints on the low-mass end of the mass-metallicity relation (MZR) at $z\sim2-3$ from ultra-deep JWST/NIRSpec spectroscopy of seven continuum-faint galaxies in the Chemical Evolution Constrained using Ionized Lines in Interstellar Aurorae (CECILIA) Faint sample (Raptis et al. 2025). Our sample includes Ly$\alpha$-selected and other low-luminosity star-forming galaxies with stellar masses $\log(M_\star / M_\odot)\sim7.2-9.7$ and moderately faint rest-UV magnitudes ($-20.7 \lesssim M_{\rm UV} \lesssim -17.3$). Gas-phase oxygen abundances, calculated using empirical calibrations of [O III]/H$\beta$ together with [N II]/H$\alpha$ constraints, span $\sim0.04-0.5$ $Z_\odot$. We measure a steep MZR slope of $\gamma = 0.48 \pm 0.11$, suggesting a rapid increase in metal retention efficiency with mass, consistent with energy-driven outflows. Comparison with lower- and higher-redshift studies indicates an evolution in normalization from $z\sim0$ to $z\sim2$, reflecting less metal enrichment in early galaxies. We find no significant evolution in the MZR between $z\sim2$ and the Epoch of Reionization, suggesting that our galaxies may serve as useful analogs of reionization-era systems. Expanded samples and direct $T_e$-based abundance measurements will be crucial to fully trace the build-up of metals in low-mass galaxies during the peak epoch of cosmic star formation and to test the reliability of strong-line calibrations in these galaxies.