SDSS-IV MaNGA: the impact of diffuse ionized gas on emission-line ratios, interpretation of diagnostic diagrams and gas metallicity measurements

Abstract Diffuse ionized gas (DIG) is prevalent in star-forming galaxies. Using a sample of 365 nearly face-on star-forming galaxies observed by Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO, we demonstrate how DIG in star-forming galaxies impacts the measurements of emission-line ratios, hence the interpretation...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 2017-04, Vol.466 (3), p.3217-3243
Main Authors:	Zhang, Kai, Yan, Renbin, Bundy, Kevin, Bershady, Matthew, Haffner, L. Matthew, Walterbos, René, Maiolino, Roberto, Tremonti, Christy, Thomas, Daniel, Drory, Niv, Jones, Amy, Belfiore, Francesco, Sánchez, Sebastian F, Diamond-Stanic, Aleksandar M, Bizyaev, Dmitry, Nitschelm, Christian, Andrews, Brett, Brinkmann, Jon, Brownstein, Joel R, Cheung, Edmond, Li, Cheng, Law, David R, Roman Lopes, Alexandre, Oravetz, Daniel, Pan, Kaike, Storchi Bergmann, Thaisa, Simmons, Audrey
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Aluminum Astronomy Bias Diagnostic systems Galaxies Ionization Measurement Metallicity Optimization Star & galaxy formation Star formation
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Summary:	Abstract Diffuse ionized gas (DIG) is prevalent in star-forming galaxies. Using a sample of 365 nearly face-on star-forming galaxies observed by Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO, we demonstrate how DIG in star-forming galaxies impacts the measurements of emission-line ratios, hence the interpretation of diagnostic diagrams and gas-phase metallicity measurements. At fixed metallicity, DIG-dominated low ΣHα regions display enhanced [S ii]/Hα, [N ii]/Hα, [O ii]/Hβ and [O i]/Hα. The gradients in these line ratios are determined by metallicity gradients and ΣHα. In line ratio diagnostic diagrams, contamination by DIG moves H ii regions towards composite or low-ionization nuclear emission-line region (LI(N)ER)-like regions. A harder ionizing spectrum is needed to explain DIG line ratios. Leaky H ii region models can only shift line ratios slightly relative to H ii region models, and thus fail to explain the composite/LI(N)ER line ratios displayed by DIG. Our result favours ionization by evolved stars as a major ionization source for DIG with LI(N)ER-like emission. DIG can significantly bias the measurement of gas metallicity and metallicity gradients derived using strong-line methods. Metallicities derived using N2O2 are optimal because they exhibit the smallest bias and error. Using O3N2, R 23, N2 = [N ii]/Hα and N2S2Hα to derive metallicities introduces bias in the derived metallicity gradients as large as the gradient itself. The strong-line method of Blanc et al. (IZI hereafter) cannot be applied to DIG to get an accurate metallicity because it currently contains only H ii region models that fail to describe the DIG.
ISSN:	0035-8711 1365-2966