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arXiv · 2609.39940

The role of velocity dispersion in the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation

Chryssi Koukouraki·Konstantinos Tassis
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Abstract

The resolved Kennicutt-Schmidt (KS) relation is a power-law relation between the surface densities of the star formation rate ($Σ_\mathrm{SFR}$) and molecular gas ($Σ_\mathrm{mol}$) in star-forming galaxies on kiloparsec scales. Despite its apparent simplicity, it exhibits substantial scatter, suggesting the influence of additional physical parameters beyond gas surface density. We investigate whether molecular gas velocity dispersion ($Δv$) acts as a hidden parameter in the resolved KS relation in nearby galaxies. We use spatially resolved measurements of $Σ_\mathrm{SFR}$, $Σ_\mathrm{mol}$, and $Δv$ from the ALMaQUEST, EDGE-CALIFA, and PHANGS-ALMA surveys and from observations of the single galaxy M51. We identify two groups of galaxies based on the direction of the $Δv$ gradient with respect to the best-fit KS line: one in which the $Δv$ gradient is completely aligned with the KS line (group A) and thus does not contribute to the scatter, and one in which it has a component perpendicular to the line (group B) and contributes to the scatter. For each group, we fit the KS relation and examine the dependence of the residuals ($Res$) of the fit on $Δv$. In group B, we find a weak but statistically significant correlation between $Res$ and $Δv$, which is consistent across all surveys. A three-dimensional fit including $Δv$ yields $Σ_\mathrm{SFR} \propto Σ_\mathrm{mol}^{1.15} Δv^{-0.59}$. We conclude that there is a set of star-forming galaxies for which the velocity dispersion acts as a secondary parameter in the KS relation, with higher $Δv$ corresponding to lower $Σ_\mathrm{SFR}$ at fixed $Σ_\mathrm{mol}$. We find no obvious correlation between membership in this set and the other properties examined.

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Chryssi Koukouraki, Konstantinos Tassis. 2026-09-30. The role of velocity dispersion in the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation. https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.39940

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