Properties of galaxies at the faint end of the Hα luminosity function at z ~ 0.62
Abstract
Context. Studies measuring the star formation rate density, luminosity function, and properties of star-forming galaxies are numerous. However, it exists a gap at 0.5 < z < 0.8 in Hα-based studies.
Aims: Our main goal is to study the properties of a sample of faint Hα emitters at z ~ 0.62. We focus on their contribution to the faint end of the luminosity function and derived star formation rate density, characterising their morphologies and basic photometric and spectroscopic properties.
Methods: We use a narrow-band technique in the near-infrared, with a filter centred at 1.06 μm. The data come from ultra-deep VLT/HAWK-I observations in the GOODS-S field with a total of 31.9 h in the narrow-band filter. In addition to our survey, we mainly make use of ancillary data coming from the CANDELS and Rainbow Cosmological Surveys Database, from the 3D-HST for comparison, and also spectra from the literature. We perform a visual classification of the sample and study their morphologies from structural parameters available in CANDELS. In order to obtain the luminosity function, we apply a traditional V/Vmax method and perform individual extinction corrections for each object to accurately trace the shape of the function.
Results: Our 28 Hα-selected sample of faint star-forming galaxies reveals a robust faint-end slope of the luminosity function α = - 1.46-0.08+0.16 . The derived star formation rate density at z ~ 0.62 is ρSFR = 0.036-0.008+0.012 M⊙ yr-1 Mpc-3 . The sample is mainly composed of disks, but an important contribution of compact galaxies with Sérsic indexes n ~ 2 display the highest specific star formation rates.
Conclusions: The luminosity function at z ~ 0.62 from our ultra-deep data points towards a steeper α when an individual extinction correction for each object is applied. Compact galaxies are low-mass, low-luminosity, and starburst-dominated objects with a light profile in an intermediate stage from early to late types.
- Publication:
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Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- July 2016
- DOI:
- 10.1051/0004-6361/201526746
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1604.04632
- Bibcode:
- 2016A&A...591A.151G
- Keywords:
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- galaxies: fundamental parameters;
- galaxies: star formation;
- galaxies: luminosity function;
- mass function;
- galaxies: evolution;
- Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies
- E-Print:
- Published in Astronomy &