Linking Stellar Mass and Star Formation inSpitzerMIPS 24 μm Galaxies

Abstract

We present deep K-s 83 mu Jy ( the similar to 80% completeness limit of the Spitzer/GTO 24 mu m catalog); 36% of our galaxies have spectroscopic redshifts ( mostly at z 10(12) L-circle dot) at redshifts z less than or similar to 2-3. Massive star-forming galaxies at redshifts 2 less than or similar to z less than or similar to 3 are characterized by very high star formation rates (SFR > 500 M-circle dot yr(-1)), and some of them are able to construct a mass of approximate to 10(10) - 10(11) M-circle dot in a single burst lifetime ( similar to 0.01 - 0.1 Gyr). At lower redshifts z less than or similar to 2, massive star-forming galaxies are also present but appear to be building their stars on long timescales, either quiescently or in multiple modest burstlike episodes. At redshifts z similar to 1 2, the ability of the burstlike mode to produce entire galaxies in a single event is limited to some lower ( M less than or similar to 7; 10(10) M-circle dot) mass systems, and it is basically negligible at z less than or similar to 1. Our results support a scenario in which star formation activity is differential with assembled stellar mass and redshift, and where the relative importance of the burstlike mode proceeds in a downsizing way from high to low redshifts.