The SDSS u-band Galaxy Survey: Luminosity functions and evolution
Baldry et al. 2005, published in MNRAS, Vol. 358, pp. 441-456 (link:
ADS).
Abstract
We construct and analyze a u-band selected galaxy sample from the SDSS
Southern Survey, which covers 275 sq. deg. The sample includes 43223 galaxies
with spectroscopic redshifts in the range 0.005 < z < 0.3 and with
14.5 < u < 20.5. The S/N in the u-band Petrosian aperture is improved by coadding
multiple epochs of imaging data and by including sky-subtraction corrections.
Luminosity functions for the near-UV ^0.1-u band (322+-26 nm) are determined
in redshift slices of width 0.02, which show a highly significant evolution in
M^star of -0.8+-0.1 mag between z=0 and 0.3; with M^star = -18.84+-0.05
(AB mag), log phi^star = -2.06+-0.03 (Mpc^-3) and log rho_L = 19.11+-0.02
(W Hz^-1 Mpc^-3) at z=0.1. The faint-end slope determined for z < 0.06 is
given by alpha = -1.05+-0.08. This is in agreement with recent determinations
from GALEX at shorter wavelengths. Comparing our z < 0.3 luminosity density
measurements with 0.2 < z < 1.2 from COMBO-17, we find that the 280-nm density
evolves as rho_L proportional to (1+z)^beta with beta = 2.1+-0.2; and find no
evidence for any change in slope over this redshift range. By comparing with
other measurements of cosmic star formation history, we estimate that the
effective dust attenuation at 280 nm has increased by 0.8+-0.3 mag between z=0
and 1.
Data:
LF Schechter parameters and luminosity densities
as per Table A1
u-band Galaxy Survey catalogues
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