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The decline of star formation in massive low-redshift galaxies, oftenreferred to as quenching, has been attributed to a variety of factors. Someproposals suggest that erupting active galactic nuclei may strip galaxies oftheir interstellar medium, and thus the ability to form stars. Here, we notethat, whereas star formation is universal in small, low-redshift galaxies,fractional duty cycles of star formation steadily decline in galaxies ofincreasing mass, although star formation may not cease entirely. We show that,when infall of gas from extragalactic space ceases, galaxies of high stellarmass appear to sustain star formation on gas liberated in mass loss fromevolved low- and intermediate-mass stars admixed with occasional Type IIsupernova ejecta. This model quantitatively accounts for the universal limitingmetallicity plateau at a ratio of oxygen to hydrogen atoms, Z(O) = n(O)/n(H) =0.0013, characterizing high-mass intermittently star-forming galaxies. We showthat, when fractional duty cycles are specifically taken into account, the starformation rates of galaxies on this plateau correspond to mass loss rates fromevolving stars in rough agreement with observed estimates. Far-infraredcontinuum and fine-structure line observations, as well as molecular data, maysoon be able to resolve whether or not low levels of sporadic star formationcan be sustained indefinitely in massive galaxies.

Intermittent Self-Sustaining Star Formation in Low-Redshift Galaxies Exhibiting a Peak Metallicity Plateau