Marino, R. A.R. A.MarinoGil de Paz, A.A.Gil de PazSánchez, S. F.S. F.SánchezSánchez-Blázquez, P.P.Sánchez-BlázquezCardiel, N.N.CardielCastillo-Morales, A.A.Castillo-MoralesPascual, S.S.PascualVílchez, J.J.VílchezKehrig, C.C.KehrigMollá, M.M.MolláMendez-Abreu, J.J.Mendez-AbreuCatalán-Torrecilla, C.C.Catalán-TorrecillaFlorido, E.E.FloridoPerez, I.I.PerezRuiz-Lara, T.T.Ruiz-LaraEllis, S.S.EllisLópez-Sánchez, A. R.A. R.López-SánchezGonzález Delgado, R. M.R. M.González Delgadode Lorenzo-Cáceres, A.A.de Lorenzo-CáceresGarcía-Benito, R.R.García-BenitoGalbany, L.L.GalbanyZIBETTI, StefanoStefanoZIBETTICortijo, C.C.CortijoKalinova, V.V.KalinovaMast, D.D.MastIglesias-Páramo, J.J.Iglesias-PáramoPapaderos, P.P.PapaderosWalcher, C. J.C. J.WalcherBland-Hawthorn, J.J.Bland-Hawthorn2020-06-052020-06-0520160004-6361http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12386/25939We study, for the first time in a statistically significant and well-defined sample, the relation between the outer-disk ionized-gas metallicity gradients and the presence of breaks in the surface brightness profiles of disk galaxies. Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) g'- and r'-band surface brightness, (g' - r') color, and ionized-gasoxygen abundance profiles for 324 galaxies within the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area (CALIFA) survey are used for this purpose. We perform a detailed light-profile classification, finding that 84% of our disks show down- or up-bending profiles (Type II and Type III, respectively), while the remaining 16% are well fitted by one single exponential (Type I). The analysis of the color gradients at both sides of this break shows a U-shaped profile for most Type II galaxies with an average minimum (g' - r') color of ~0.5 mag and an ionized-gas metallicity flattening associated with it only in the case of low-mass galaxies. Comparatively, more massive systems show a rather uniform negative metallicity gradient. The correlation between metallicity flattening and stellar mass for these systems results in p-values as low as 0.01. Independent of the mechanism having shaped the outer light profiles of these galaxies, stellar migration or a previous episode of star formation in a shrinking star-forming disk, it is clear that the imprint in their ionized-gas metallicity was different for low- and high-mass Type II galaxies. In the case of Type III disks, a positive correlation between the change in color and abundance gradient is found (the null hypothesis is ruled out with a p-value of 0.02), with the outer disks of Type III galaxies with masses ≤10<SUP>10</SUP> M<SUB>☉</SUB> showing a weak color reddening or even a bluing. This is interpreted as primarily due to a mass downsizing effect on the population of Type III galaxies that recently experienced an enhanced inside-out growth.STAMPAenArticle10.1051/0004-6361/2015269862-s2.0-84951781079000369710300054https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/abs/2016/01/aa26986-15/aa26986-15.html2016A&A...585A..47MFIS/05 - ASTRONOMIA E ASTROFISICAERC sectors::Physical Sciences and Engineering::PE9 Universe sciences: astro-physics/chemistry/biology; solar systems; stellar, galactic and extragalactic astronomy, planetary systems, cosmology, space science, instrumentation::PE9_8 Formation and evolution of galaxies