The MAGPI survey: using kinematic asymmetries in stars and gas to dissect drivers of galaxy dynamical evolution

We present a study of kinematic asymmetries from the integral field spectroscopic surveys MAGPI and SAMI. By comparing the asymmetries in the ionized gas and stars, we aim to disentangle the physical processes that contribute to kinematic disturbances. We normalize deviations from circular motion by S₀₅, allowing us to study kinematic asymmetries in the stars and gas, regardless of kinematic temperature. We find a similar distribution of stellar asymmetries in galaxies where we do and do not detect ionized gas, suggesting that whatever is driving the stellar asymmetries does not always lead to gas removal. In both MAGPI and SAMI, we find an anticorrelation between stellar asymmetry and stellar mass, that is absent in the gas asymmetries. After stellar mass and mean-stellar-age matching distributions, we find that at all stellar masses, MAGPI galaxies display larger stellar asymmetry compared to SAMI galaxies. In both MAGPI and SAMI galaxies, we find that star-forming galaxies with old mean-stellar-ages typically have larger asymmetries in their gas compared to their stars, whereas galaxies with young mean-stellar-ages have larger asymmetries in their stars compared to their gas. We suggest that this results from continuous, clumpy accretion of gas.