Sargent, M T, Daddi, E, Béthermin, M and Elbaz, D (2013) The contribution of starbursts and normal galaxies to IR luminosity functions and the molecular gas content of the Universe at z<2. In: Proceedings of the Second Workshop on Numerical and Observational Astrophysics: From the First Structures to the Universe Today. A.A.A. Book Series of the Argentine Astronomical Society, 4 . Argentine Astronomical Society, p. 116.

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Abstract

We present a parameter-less approach capable of predicting
the shape of the infrared luminosity function at redshifts z ≤2. It relies on
three observables: (1) the redshift evolution of the stellar mass function
for star-forming galaxies, (2) the evolution of the specific star formation
rate of main-sequence galaxies, and (3) the double-Gaussian decomposition
of the specific star formation rate distribution at fixed stellar mass
into the contributions (assumed to be redshift- and mass-invariant) from
main-sequence and starburst activity.
Using this self-consistent and simple framework, we identify the contributions
of main-sequence and starburst activity to the global infrared luminosity
function and find a constant or only weakly redshift-dependent
contribution (8–14%) of starbursts to the star formation rate density at
z ≤2. Over the same redshift range, we also infer the evolution of the
cosmic abundance of molecular gas in star-forming galaxies, based on the
relations between star formation rate and molecular gas mass followed by
normal and starburst galaxies.

Item Type:	Book Section
Schools and Departments:	School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences > Physics and Astronomy
Subjects:	Q Science > QB Astronomy
Depositing User:	Mark Sargent
Date Deposited:	21 May 2014 14:56
Last Modified:	25 Jan 2018 09:01
URI:	http://srodev.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/48764

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