The evolution and origin of ionized gas velocity dispersion from z ~ 2.6 to z ~ 0.6 with KMOS^3D

We present the 0.6 3D integral field spectroscopic survey. In a forward-modeling Bayesian framework including instrumental effects and beam-smearing, we fit simultaneously the observed galaxy velocity and velocity dispersion along the kinematic major axis to derive the intrinsic velocity dispersion σ0. We find a reduction of the average intrinsic velocity dispersion of disk galaxies as a function of cosmic time, from σ0 ~ 45 km s−1 at z ~ 2.3 to σ 0 ~ 30 km s−1 at z ~ 0.9. There is substantial intrinsic scatter (δσ 0int ≈ 10 km s−1) around the best-fit σ 0–z relation beyond what can be accounted for from the typical measurement uncertainties (δσ 0 ≈ 12 km s−1), independent of other identifiable galaxy parameters. This potentially suggests a dynamic mechanism such as minor mergers or variation in accretion being responsible for the scatter. Putting our data into the broader literature context, we find that ionized and atomic+molecular velocity dispersions evolve similarly with redshift, with the ionized gas dispersion being ~10–15 km s−1 higher on average. We investigate the physical driver of the on average elevated velocity dispersions at higher redshift and find that our galaxies are at most marginally Toomre-stable, suggesting that their turbulent velocities are powered by gravitational instabilities, while stellar feedback as a driver alone is insufficient. This picture is supported through comparison with a state-of-the-art analytical model of galaxy evolution