The Star Formation Rate Function of the Local Universe
Abstract
We have derived the bivariate luminosity function for the far ultraviolet (1530Angstroms) and far infrared (60 microns). We used matched GALEX and IRAS data, and redshifts from NED and PSC-z. We have derived a total star formation luminosity function phi(L_{tot}), with L_{tot} = L_{FUV}+L_{FIR}. Using these, we determined the cosmic ``star formation rate'' function and density for the local universe. The total SFR function is fit very well by a log-normal distribution over five decades of luminosity. We find that the bivariate luminosity function phi(L_{FUV},L_{FIR}) shows a bimodal behavior, with L_{FIR} tracking L_{FUV} for L_{TOT}< 10^10 L_sun, and L_{FUV} saturating at 10^10 L_sun, while L_{TOT} L_{FIR} for higher luminosities. We also calculate the SFR density and compare it to other measurements.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0411307,
title = {The Star Formation Rate Function of the Local Universe},
author = {D. Christopher Martin and Mark Seibert and Veronique Buat and Jorge Inglesias-Paramo and Tom A. Barlow and Luciana Bianchi and Yong-Ik Byun and Jose Donas and Karl Forster and Peter G. Friedman and Timothy M. Heckman and Patrick N. Jelinsky and Young-Wook Lee and Barry F. Madore and Roger F. Malina and Bruno Milliard and Patrick F. Morrissey and Susan G. Neff and R. Michael Rich and David Schiminovich and Oswald H. W. Siegmund and Todd Small and Alex S. Szalay and Barry Y. Welsh and Ted K. Wyder},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0411307},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
This paper will be published as part of the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) Astrophysical Journal Letters Special Issue. Links to the full set of papers will be available at http:/www.galex.caltech.edu/PUBLICATIONS/ after November 22, 2004