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Stellar Surface Density Modulates MgII Cool-gas Outflow Absorption in DESI Star-forming Galaxies

Astrophysics of Galaxies 2026-06-27 v1

Abstract

Galaxy outflows are usually ordered by stellar mass and star-formation rate (SFR), but the same feedback budget may couple differently to gas in diffuse and compact galaxies. We use Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Data Release 1 stacked spectra of massive star-forming galaxies at 0.35<z<1.00.35<z<1.0 to test whether stellar surface density, Σ=M/(2πRe2)\Sigma_\star=M_\star/(2\pi R_e^2), is an independent empirical coordinate of down-the-barrel singly ionized magnesium (\mgii) cool-gas absorption. In AGN-clean samples matched in stellar mass, and in a stricter sample matched in both stellar mass and a Balmer-line SFR proxy, the \mgii\ outflow equivalent width (EW) rises monotonically with Σ\Sigma_\star in every redshift bin. From the lowest to highest Σ\Sigma_\star tertile, EWout_{\rm out} increases by 0.370.37--0.610.61~\AA, while the absolute outflow velocity changes only weakly. DESI therefore shows that cool-gas outflow strength in massive star-forming galaxies is not set only by how much stellar mass or star formation a galaxy has, but also by how tightly the galaxy is built. The structural dependence points to changes in the absorbing velocity distribution and/or the effective covering fraction of cool outflowing gas.

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Cite

@article{arxiv.2606.28874,
  title  = {Stellar Surface Density Modulates MgII Cool-gas Outflow Absorption in DESI Star-forming Galaxies},
  author = {Yu Rong and Shihong Liu},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2606.28874},
  year   = {2026}
}

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