The dominance of quenching through cosmic times

Abstract

The evolution with cosmic time of the star formation rate density (SFRD) and of the mainsequence star formation rate-stellar mass relations are two well-established observational facts. In this Letter, the implications of these two relations combined are analytically explored, showing that quenching of star formation must start already at very early cosmic times and the quenched fraction then dominates ever since over the star-forming one. Thus, a simple picture of the cosmic evolution of the global SFRD is derived, in terms of the interplay between star formation and its quenching.