Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): Galaxies at the faint end of the Hα luminosity function

S. Brough; A. M. Hopkins; R. G. Sharp; M. Gunawardhana; D. Wijesinghe; A. S.G. Robotham; S. P. Driver; I. K. Baldry; S. P. Bamford; J. Liske; J. Loveday; P. Norberg; J. A. Peacock; J. Bland-Hawthorn; M. J.I. Brown; E. Cameron; S. M. Croom; C. S. Frenk; C. Foster; D. T. Hill; D. H. Jones; L. S. Kelvin; K. Kuijken; R. C. Nichol; H. R. Parkinson; K. Pimbblet; C. C. Popescu; M. Prescott; W. J. Sutherland; E. Taylor; D. Thomas; R. J. Tuffs; E. van Kampen

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18210.x

Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): Galaxies at the faint end of the Hα luminosity function

S. Brough^*, A. M. Hopkins, R. G. Sharp, M. Gunawardhana, D. Wijesinghe, A. S.G. Robotham, S. P. Driver, I. K. Baldry, S. P. Bamford, J. Liske, J. Loveday, P. Norberg, J. A. Peacock, J. Bland-Hawthorn, M. J.I. Brown, E. Cameron, S. M. Croom, C. S. Frenk, C. Foster, D. T. HillD. H. Jones, L. S. Kelvin, K. Kuijken, R. C. Nichol, H. R. Parkinson, K. Pimbblet, C. C. Popescu, M. Prescott, W. J. Sutherland, E. Taylor, D. Thomas, R. J. Tuffs, E. van Kampen

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

We present an analysis of the properties of the lowest Hα-luminosity galaxies (L_Hα≤ 4 × 10³² W; SFR < 0.02 M_⊙yr^-1, with SFR denoting the star formation rate) in the Galaxy And Mass Assembly survey. These galaxies make up the rise above a Schechter function in the number density of systems seen at the faint end of the Hα luminosity function. Above our flux limit, we find that these galaxies are principally composed of intrinsically low stellar mass systems (median stellar mass = 2.5 × 10⁸M_⊙) with only 5/90 having stellar masses M > 10¹⁰M_⊙. The low-SFR systems are found to exist predominantly in the lowest-density environments (median density ∼0.02galaxyMpc^-2) with none in environments more dense than ∼1.5galaxyMpc^-2. Their current specific SFRs (SSFRs; -8.5 < log[SSFR (yr ^-1)] < -12) are consistent with their having had a variety of star formation histories. The low-density environments of these galaxies demonstrate that such low-mass, star-forming systems can only remain as low mass and form stars if they reside sufficiently far from other galaxies to avoid being accreted, dispersed through tidal effects or having their gas reservoirs rendered ineffective through external processes.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1236-1243
Number of pages	8
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	413
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18210.x
Publication status	Published - May 2011
Externally published	Yes

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10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18210.x

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Brough, S., Hopkins, A. M., Sharp, R. G., Gunawardhana, M., Wijesinghe, D., Robotham, A. S. G., Driver, S. P., Baldry, I. K., Bamford, S. P., Liske, J., Loveday, J., Norberg, P., Peacock, J. A., Bland-Hawthorn, J., Brown, M. J. I., Cameron, E., Croom, S. M., Frenk, C. S., Foster, C., ... van Kampen, E. (2011). Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): Galaxies at the faint end of the Hα luminosity function. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 413(2), 1236-1243. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18210.x

@article{05193ed8347846a9bdc36abe73ab9317,

title = "Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): Galaxies at the faint end of the Hα luminosity function",

abstract = "We present an analysis of the properties of the lowest Hα-luminosity galaxies (LHα≤ 4 × 1032 W; SFR < 0.02 M⊙yr-1, with SFR denoting the star formation rate) in the Galaxy And Mass Assembly survey. These galaxies make up the rise above a Schechter function in the number density of systems seen at the faint end of the Hα luminosity function. Above our flux limit, we find that these galaxies are principally composed of intrinsically low stellar mass systems (median stellar mass = 2.5 × 108M⊙) with only 5/90 having stellar masses M > 1010M⊙. The low-SFR systems are found to exist predominantly in the lowest-density environments (median density ∼0.02galaxyMpc-2) with none in environments more dense than ∼1.5galaxyMpc-2. Their current specific SFRs (SSFRs; -8.5 < log[SSFR (yr -1)] < -12) are consistent with their having had a variety of star formation histories. The low-density environments of these galaxies demonstrate that such low-mass, star-forming systems can only remain as low mass and form stars if they reside sufficiently far from other galaxies to avoid being accreted, dispersed through tidal effects or having their gas reservoirs rendered ineffective through external processes.",

keywords = "Galaxies: dwarf, Galaxies: evolution, Galaxies: luminosity function, mass function",

author = "S. Brough and Hopkins, {A. M.} and Sharp, {R. G.} and M. Gunawardhana and D. Wijesinghe and Robotham, {A. S.G.} and Driver, {S. P.} and Baldry, {I. K.} and Bamford, {S. P.} and J. Liske and J. Loveday and P. Norberg and Peacock, {J. A.} and J. Bland-Hawthorn and Brown, {M. J.I.} and E. Cameron and Croom, {S. M.} and Frenk, {C. S.} and C. Foster and Hill, {D. T.} and Jones, {D. H.} and Kelvin, {L. S.} and K. Kuijken and Nichol, {R. C.} and Parkinson, {H. R.} and K. Pimbblet and Popescu, {C. C.} and M. Prescott and Sutherland, {W. J.} and E. Taylor and D. Thomas and Tuffs, {R. J.} and {van Kampen}, E.",

year = "2011",

month = may,

doi = "10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18210.x",

language = "English",

volume = "413",

pages = "1236--1243",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

issn = "0035-8711",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

number = "2",

}

Brough, S, Hopkins, AM, Sharp, RG, Gunawardhana, M, Wijesinghe, D, Robotham, ASG, Driver, SP, Baldry, IK, Bamford, SP, Liske, J, Loveday, J, Norberg, P, Peacock, JA, Bland-Hawthorn, J, Brown, MJI, Cameron, E, Croom, SM, Frenk, CS, Foster, C, Hill, DT, Jones, DH, Kelvin, LS, Kuijken, K, Nichol, RC, Parkinson, HR, Pimbblet, K, Popescu, CC, Prescott, M, Sutherland, WJ, Taylor, E, Thomas, D, Tuffs, RJ & van Kampen, E 2011, 'Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): Galaxies at the faint end of the Hα luminosity function', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 413, no. 2, pp. 1236-1243. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18210.x

TY - JOUR

T1 - Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA)

T2 - Galaxies at the faint end of the Hα luminosity function

AU - Brough, S.

AU - Hopkins, A. M.

AU - Sharp, R. G.

AU - Gunawardhana, M.

AU - Wijesinghe, D.

AU - Robotham, A. S.G.

AU - Driver, S. P.

AU - Baldry, I. K.

AU - Bamford, S. P.

AU - Liske, J.

AU - Loveday, J.

AU - Norberg, P.

AU - Peacock, J. A.

AU - Bland-Hawthorn, J.

AU - Brown, M. J.I.

AU - Cameron, E.

AU - Croom, S. M.

AU - Frenk, C. S.

AU - Foster, C.

AU - Hill, D. T.

AU - Jones, D. H.

AU - Kelvin, L. S.

AU - Kuijken, K.

AU - Nichol, R. C.

AU - Parkinson, H. R.

AU - Pimbblet, K.

AU - Popescu, C. C.

AU - Prescott, M.

AU - Sutherland, W. J.

AU - Taylor, E.

AU - Thomas, D.

AU - Tuffs, R. J.

AU - van Kampen, E.

PY - 2011/5

Y1 - 2011/5

N2 - We present an analysis of the properties of the lowest Hα-luminosity galaxies (LHα≤ 4 × 1032 W; SFR < 0.02 M⊙yr-1, with SFR denoting the star formation rate) in the Galaxy And Mass Assembly survey. These galaxies make up the rise above a Schechter function in the number density of systems seen at the faint end of the Hα luminosity function. Above our flux limit, we find that these galaxies are principally composed of intrinsically low stellar mass systems (median stellar mass = 2.5 × 108M⊙) with only 5/90 having stellar masses M > 1010M⊙. The low-SFR systems are found to exist predominantly in the lowest-density environments (median density ∼0.02galaxyMpc-2) with none in environments more dense than ∼1.5galaxyMpc-2. Their current specific SFRs (SSFRs; -8.5 < log[SSFR (yr -1)] < -12) are consistent with their having had a variety of star formation histories. The low-density environments of these galaxies demonstrate that such low-mass, star-forming systems can only remain as low mass and form stars if they reside sufficiently far from other galaxies to avoid being accreted, dispersed through tidal effects or having their gas reservoirs rendered ineffective through external processes.

AB - We present an analysis of the properties of the lowest Hα-luminosity galaxies (LHα≤ 4 × 1032 W; SFR < 0.02 M⊙yr-1, with SFR denoting the star formation rate) in the Galaxy And Mass Assembly survey. These galaxies make up the rise above a Schechter function in the number density of systems seen at the faint end of the Hα luminosity function. Above our flux limit, we find that these galaxies are principally composed of intrinsically low stellar mass systems (median stellar mass = 2.5 × 108M⊙) with only 5/90 having stellar masses M > 1010M⊙. The low-SFR systems are found to exist predominantly in the lowest-density environments (median density ∼0.02galaxyMpc-2) with none in environments more dense than ∼1.5galaxyMpc-2. Their current specific SFRs (SSFRs; -8.5 < log[SSFR (yr -1)] < -12) are consistent with their having had a variety of star formation histories. The low-density environments of these galaxies demonstrate that such low-mass, star-forming systems can only remain as low mass and form stars if they reside sufficiently far from other galaxies to avoid being accreted, dispersed through tidal effects or having their gas reservoirs rendered ineffective through external processes.

KW - Galaxies: dwarf

KW - Galaxies: evolution

KW - Galaxies: luminosity function, mass function

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79955136079&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18210.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18210.x

M3 - Article

SN - 0035-8711

VL - 413

SP - 1236

EP - 1243

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 2

ER -

Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): Galaxies at the faint end of the Hα luminosity function

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