Galaxy downsizing and the redshift evolution of oxygen and nitrogen abundances: origin of the scatter in the N/H-O/H diagram

Abstract

The oxygen and nitrogen abundance evolutions with redshift of emission-line galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey are considered for four intervals of galaxy stellar masses, ranging from 10^11.3 M_sun to 10^10.2 M_sun. We have measured their line fluxes and derived the O and N abundances using recent calibrations. The evolution of O and N abundances with redshift clearly shows the galaxy downsizing effect, where enrichment (and hence star formation) ceases in high-mass galaxies at earlier times and shifts to lower-mass galaxies at later epochs. The origin of the scatter in the N/H - O/H diagram has been examined. The most massive galaxies, where O and N enrichment and star formation has already stopped, occupy a narrow band in the N/H -- O/H diagram, defining an upper envelope. The less massive galaxies which are still undergoing star formation at the current epoch are shifted downwards, towards lower N/H values in the N/H - O/H diagram. This downward shift is caused by the time delay between N and O enrichment. This time delay together with the different star formation histories in galaxies is responsible for the large scatter in the N/H -- O/H diagram.