The MOSDEF Survey: Differences in SFR and Metallicity for
  Morphologically-Selected Mergers at z~2
  We study the properties of 55 morphologically-identified merging galaxy
systems at z~2. These systems are flagged as mergers based on features such as
tidal tails, double nuclei, and asymmetry. Our sample is drawn from the MOSFIRE
Deep Evolution Field (MOSDEF) survey, along with a control sample of isolated
galaxies at the same redshift. We consider the relationships between stellar
mass, star formation rate (SFR), and gas-phase metallicity for both merging and
non-merging systems. In the local universe, merging systems are characterized
by an elevated SFR and depressed metallicity compared to isolated systems at a
given mass. Our results indicate SFR enhancement and metallicity deficit for
merging systems relative to non-merging systems for a fixed stellar mass at
z~2, though larger samples are required to establish these preliminary results
with higher statistical significance. In future work, it will be important to
establish if the enhanced SFR and depressed metallicity in high-redshift
mergers deviate from the "fundamental metallicity relation," as is observed in
mergers in the local universe, and therefore shed light on gas flows during
galaxy interactions.
