Year: 2009
Type: article
Abstract: We show that measures of star formation rates (SFRs) for infrared galaxies using either single-band 24 μm or extinction-corrected Paα luminosities are consistent in the total infrared luminosity = L (TIR) ∼ 10 10 L ☉ range. MIPS 24 μm photometry can yield SFRs accurately from this luminosity upward: SFR( M ☉ yr −1 ) = 7.8 × 10 −10 L (24 μm, L ☉ ) from L (TIR) = 5 × 10 9 L ☉ to 10 11 L ☉ and SFR = 7.8 × 10 −10 L (24 μm, L ☉ )(7.76 × 10 −11 L (24)) 0.048 for higher L (TIR). For galaxies with L (TIR) ⩾ 10 10 L ☉ , these new expressions should provide SFRs to within 0.2 dex. For L (TIR) ⩾ 10 11 L ☉ , we find that the SFR of infrared galaxies is significantly underestimated using extinction-corrected Paα (and presumably using any other optical or near-infrared recombination lines). As a part of this work, we constructed spectral energy distribution templates for eleven luminous and ultraluminous purely star forming infrared galaxies and over the spectral range 0.4 μm to 30 cm. We use these templates and the SINGS data to construct average templates from 5 μm to 30 cm for infrared galaxies with L (TIR) = 5 × 10 9 to 10 13 L ☉ . All of these templates are made available online.
Source: The Astrophysical Journal
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Awards: The DEEP Survey of the Distant Universe, Collaborative Research: The DEEP Survey--Emergence of the Modern Universe, Collaborative Research: The DEEP Survey of the Distant Universe, MID INFRARED INSTRUMENT (MIRI) PRINCIPAL INVESTIGA TOR FOR THE NEXT GENERATION SPACE TELESCOPE, G7196655912, Collaborative Research: The DEEP Survey--Emergence of the Modern Universe, STAR FORMATION AND GALAXY DYNAMICS AT Z-1: SIRTF, GALEX, & THE DEEP2 GALAXY REDSHIFT SURVEY, G8928012068
OpenAlex ID: W2083821946