Local Group Dwarf Galaxies and the Star Formation Law at High Redshift
Astrophysics
2009-10-31 v1
Abstract
I show how the existing observational data on Local Group dwarf galaxies can be used to estimate the average star formation law during the first 3 Gyr of the history of the universe. I find that the observational data are consistent with the orthodox Schmidt law with a star formation efficiency of about 4 percent if the star formation is continuous (during the first 3 Gyr). The efficiency is proportionally higher if most of the gas in the dwarfs was consumed (and never replenished) in a short time interval well before the universe turned 3 Gyr.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0004189,
title = {Local Group Dwarf Galaxies and the Star Formation Law at High Redshift},
author = {Nickolay Y. Gnedin},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0004189},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
accepted for publication in ApJ Letters