Effects of environment on sSFR profiles of late-type galaxies in the CALIFA survey

• Published in: Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin) 2019-01, Vol.621, p.A98
• Main Authors: Coenda, Valeria, Mast, Damián, Martínez, Héctor J., Muriel, Hernán, Merchán, Manuel E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Dependence; Environmental effects; Galactic evolution; Galaxies; galaxies: groups: general; galaxies: star formation; Galaxy: formation; Galaxy: general; Space telescopes; Star & galaxy formation; Star formation rate; Stellar mass
• ISSN: 0004-6361; 1432-0746
• DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201834017

Aims. We explore the effects of environment on star formation in late-type galaxies by studying the dependence of the radial profiles of specific star formation rate (sSFR) on environment and the stellar mass, using a sample of 275 late-type galaxies drawn from the CALIFA survey. Methods. We consider three different discrete environments: field galaxies, galaxies in pairs, and galaxies in groups, with stellar masses 9 ≤ log(M⋆/M⊙) ≤ 12, and compare their sSFR profiles across the environments. Results. Our results suggest that the stellar mass is the main factor determining the sSFR profiles of late-type galaxies; the influence of AGNs and bars are secondary. We find that the relative size of the bulge plays a key role in depressing star formation towards the center of late-type galaxies. The group environment determines clear differences in the sSFR profiles of galaxies. We find evidence of an outside-in action upon galaxies with stellar masses 9 ≤ log(M⋆/M⊙) ≤ 10 in groups. We find a much stronger suppression of star formation in the inner regions of massive galaxies in groups, which may be an indication of a different merger history.