The evolution of the galaxy gas-phase mass-metallicity relation from z=15 to z=0 in the COLIBRE cosmological simulations

arXiv:2606.25995 · astro-ph.GA, astro-ph.CO, astro-ph.SR · Submitted 2026-06-24 · Read on arXiv

Piyush Sharda, Joop Schaye, Robert J. McGibbon, Alejandro Benítez-Llambay, Evgenii Chaikin, Carlos S. Frenk, Jacqueline Hodge, Filip Huško, Sylvia Ploeckinger, Alexander J. Richings, Matthieu Schaller

astro-ph.GA, astro-ph.CO, astro-ph.SR

Submitted: 2026-06-24

Comments: 26 pages, 17 figures, submitted to MNRAS. To access the data underlying all the plots in the paper, visit https://github.com/psharda/colibre_mzr_sharda26

Code: https://github.com/psharda/colibre_mzr_sharda26

Project page: https://colibre-simulations.org

License: http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/

Terminology

• Metallicity — 120× in this paper · explained in 3 episodes
• AGN — 54× in this paper · explained in 1 episode
• Abundance — 46× in this paper · explained in 1 episode
• Aperture — 36× in this paper · explained in 1 episode
• AGN Feedback — 33× in this paper · explained in 1 episode
• Calibration — 11× in this paper · explained in 7 episodes
• Core — 6× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Trace — 3× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) — 2× in this paper · explained in 1 episode
• Benchmark — 2× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Diffusion Model — 2× in this paper · explained in 8 episodes
• Stellar Feedback — 2× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Clustering — 1× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Dust Attenuation — 1× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Gravitational Lensing — 1× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Initial Mass Function (IMF) — 1× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• James Webb Space Telescope — 1× in this paper
• Robustness — 1× in this paper · explained in 5 episodes
• Science and Technology Facilities Council — 1× in this paper
• Selection Bias — 1× in this paper · explained in 4 episodes

Sources

• PRISMS. UNCOVER-26185, a metal-poor SFG at z=10.05 with no evidence for a X-ray-luminous AGN
• The Gas-Phase Mass-Metallicity Relation of Dwarf Galaxies Across Large-Scale Environments Using the CAVITY Parent Sample
• Spatially resolved metallicity and ionization in the merging system Gz9p3 at z=9.3
• Unveiling the population of massive quenched galaxies at z 2 in the COLIBRE simulations - I. Galaxy demographics
• The morphologies of present-day galaxies in the COLIBRE simulations
• Shape of the direct-method mass-metallicity relation with JWST: Fast-Track Nitrogen and Helium Enrichment
• Revisiting the mass metallicity relation and the fundamental metallicity relation of dwarf galaxies at cosmic noon with NIRISS
• SAPPHIRES: Extremely Metal-Poor Galaxy Candidates with $12+{\rm log(O/H)}<7.0$ at $z\sim5-7$ from Deep JWST/NIRCam Grism Observations
• A Glimpse of the Low-Mass End of the Direct Mass-Metallicity Relation at $z\sim6-8$
• JADES: the mass-metallicity relation at $z=1-10$. New calibrations, extremely metal-poor galaxies, and chemical diversity
• MEGATRON: Reproducing the Diversity of High-Redshift Galaxy Spectra with Cosmological Radiation Hydrodynamics Simulations
• Metal Mayhem at z~7-10: Diversity and Evolution of Gas-Phase Metallicity Gradients
• ALESS--JWST: Dust-driven Morphologies and Hidden Stellar Mass in $z\sim3$ Sub-millimeter Galaxies
• Environmental dependence of the Mass-Metallicity Star Formation Relations at z=4-10 with JWST
• Galaxy luminosity functions from far-UV to submillimetre at z=0 in the COLIBRE simulations
• The evolution of the sizes and angular momentum content of galaxies in the COLIBRE simulations
• Evolution of the Stellar Mass-Metallicity Relation Since z=0.75
• CECILIA: The Mass-Metallicity Relation of Low-Mass Galaxies at Cosmic Noon
• CALIMA: On-the-fly dust and PAH evolution for radiation-hydrodynamics galaxy formation simulations
• The influence of galaxy mergers, black-hole growth, and gas processes on the evolution of the stellar mass-gas metallicity relation of galaxies in different cosmic environments

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