MSA-3D: Connecting the Chemical and Kinematic Structures of Galaxies at $z \sim 1$

TL;DR

This study explores how gas kinematics influence metallicity gradients in galaxies at redshift 0.5-1.7, revealing that turbulent mixing and galaxy dynamics shape chemical distribution.

Contribution

It demonstrates a correlation between galaxy kinematic properties and metallicity gradient flattening, emphasizing the role of radial mixing at cosmic noon.

Findings

Dynamically hotter disks have flatter metallicity gradients.

Stronger anti-correlation between metallicity gradient and R_e/σ than with v/σ.

Metallicity gradients are generally shallow, indicating efficient turbulent mixing.

Abstract

We investigate the connection between ionized gas kinematics and gas-phase metallicity gradients in 21 star-forming galaxies at $0.5 < z < 1.7$ from the MSA-3D survey, using spatially resolved JWST/NIRSpec slit-stepping observations. Galaxy kinematics are characterized by the ratio of rotational velocity to intrinsic velocity dispersion, $v/\sigma$, measured at $1.5\,R_e$, where $R_e$ is the effective radius. We find that dynamically hotter disks exhibit systematically flatter metallicity gradients, with a moderate anti-correlation between metallicity gradient and $v/\sigma$ (Pearson $r=-0.43$, $p=0.05$) and a linear fit yields a slope of $\sim 0.005$ dex per dex in $v/\sigma$, weaker than the dependence on stellar mass. A significantly stronger anti-correlation is observed with $R_e/\sigma$, interpreted as a proxy for the radial mixing timescale ($r=-0.59$, $p=0.005$), indicating that cumulative radial mixing more directly regulates chemical stratification. The metallicity gradients in our sample are uniformly shallow, indicating that efficient turbulent mixing in kinematically settled disks regulates the chemical structure of typical star-forming galaxies at $z\sim1$.