{
  "id": "2409.01616",
  "version": "v2",
  "published": "2024-09-03T05:35:12.000Z",
  "updated": "2024-12-13T06:41:32.000Z",
  "title": "MSA-3D: Metallicity Gradients in Galaxies at $z\\sim1$ with JWST/NIRSpec Slit-stepping Spectroscopy",
  "authors": [
    "Mengting Ju",
    "Xin Wang",
    "Tucker Jones",
    "Ivana Barišić",
    "Themiya Nanayakkara",
    "Kevin Bundy",
    "Claude-André Faucher-Giguère",
    "Shuai Feng",
    "Karl Glazebrook",
    "Alaina Henry",
    "Matthew A. Malkan",
    "Danail Obreschkow",
    "Namrata Roy",
    "Ryan L. Sanders",
    "Xunda Sun",
    "Tommaso Treu",
    "Qianqiao Zhou"
  ],
  "comment": "24 pages, 6 figures, 1 table; Accepted for publication in ApJL,",
  "categories": [
    "astro-ph.GA"
  ],
  "abstract": "The radial gradient of gas-phase metallicity is a powerful probe of the chemical and structural evolution of star-forming galaxies, closely tied to disk formation and gas kinematics in the early universe. We present spatially resolved chemical and dynamical properties for a sample of 25 galaxies at $0.5 \\lesssim z \\lesssim 1.7$ from the \\msasd survey. These innovative observations provide 3D spectroscopy of galaxies at a spatial resolution approaching JWST's diffraction limit and a high spectral resolution of $R\\simeq2700$. The metallicity gradients measured in our galaxy sample range from $-$0.03 to 0.02 dex~kpc$^{-1}$. Most galaxies exhibit negative or flat radial gradients, indicating lower metallicity in the outskirts or uniform metallicity throughout the entire galaxy. We confirm a tight relationship between stellar mass and metallicity gradient at $z\\sim1$ with small intrinsic scatter of 0.02 dex~kpc$^{-1}$. Our results indicate that metallicity gradients become increasingly negative as stellar mass increases, likely because the more massive galaxies tend to be more ``disky\". This relationship is consistent with the predictions from cosmological hydrodynamic zoom-in simulations with strong stellar feedback. This work presents the effort to harness the multiplexing capability of JWST NIRSpec/MSA in slit-stepping mode to map the chemical and kinematic profiles of high-redshift galaxies in large samples and at high spatial and spectral resolution.",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "version": "v2",
      "updated": "2024-12-13T06:41:32.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "analyses": {
    "keywords": [
      "metallicity gradient",
      "jwst/nirspec slit-stepping spectroscopy",
      "approaching jwsts diffraction limit",
      "spatial resolution approaching jwsts diffraction",
      "stellar mass"
    ],
    "note": {
      "typesetting": "TeX",
      "pages": 24,
      "language": "en",
      "license": "arXiv",
      "status": "editable"
    }
  }
}