Title: Stellar Absorption Line Analysis of Local Star-Forming Galaxies: The Relation Between Stellar Mass, Metallicity, Dust Attenuation and Star Formation Rate,
Abstract: We analyze the optical continuum of star-forming galaxies in SDSS by fitting
stacked spectra with stellar population synthesis models to investigate the
relation between stellar mass, stellar metallicity, dust attenuation and star
formation rate. We fit models calculated with star formation and chemical
evolution histories that are derived empirically from multi-epoch observations
of the stellar mass---star formation rate and the stellar mass---gas-phase
metallicity relations, respectively. We also fit linear combinations of single
burst models with a range of metallicities and ages. Star formation and
chemical evolution histories are unconstrained for these models. The stellar
mass---stellar metallicity relations obtained from the two methods agree with
the relation measured from individual supergiant stars in nearby galaxies.
These relations are also consistent with the relation obtained from emission
line analysis of gas-phase metallicity after accounting for systematic offsets
in the gas-phase-metallicity. We measure dust attenuation of the stellar
continuum and show that its dependence on stellar mass and star formation rate
is consistent with previously reported results derived from nebular emission
lines. However, stellar continuum attenuation is smaller than nebular emission
line attenuation. The continuum-to-nebular attenuation ratio depends on stellar
mass and is smaller in more massive galaxies. Our consistent analysis of
stellar continuum and nebular emission lines paves the way for a comprehensive
investigation of stellar metallicities of star-forming and quiescent galaxies.