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

Sarah Brough; Andrew M. Hopkins; Robert G. Sharp; M. L. P. Gunawardhana; D. B. Wijesinghe; Aaron S. G. Robotham; Simon P. Driver; Ivan K. Baldry; Steven P. Bamford; Jochen Liske; Jon Loveday; Peder Norberg; John A. Peacock; Joss Bland-Hawthorn; Michael J. I. Brown; Ewan Cameron; Scott M. Croom; Carlos S. Frenk; C. Foster; David T. Hill; David Heath Jones; Lee S. Kelvin; Konrad Kuijken; Robert C. Nichol; Hannah R. Parkinson; Kevin A. Pimbblet; Cristina C. Popescu; Matthew Prescott; Will J. Sutherland; Edward N. Taylor; Daniel Thomas; Richard J. Tuffs; Eelco 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

Sarah Brough, Andrew M. Hopkins, Robert G. Sharp, M. L. P. Gunawardhana, D. B. Wijesinghe, Aaron S. G. Robotham, Simon P. Driver, Ivan K. Baldry, Steven P. Bamford, Jochen Liske, Jon Loveday, Peder Norberg, John A. Peacock, Joss Bland-Hawthorn, Michael J. I. Brown, Ewan Cameron, Scott M. Croom, Carlos S. Frenk, C. Foster, David T. HillDavid Heath Jones, Lee S. Kelvin, Konrad Kuijken, Robert C. Nichol, Hannah R. Parkinson, Kevin A. Pimbblet, Cristina C. Popescu, Matthew Prescott, Will J. Sutherland, Edward N. Taylor, Daniel Thomas, Richard J. Tuffs, Eelco Van Kampen

Institute of Cosmology & Gravitation

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Abstract

We present an analysis of the properties of the lowest Hα-luminosity galaxies (LHα ≤ 4 × 1032 W; SFR < 0.02 M_ʘ 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_ʘ) with only 5/90 having stellar masses
M > 10¹⁰M_ʘ. The low-SFR systems are found to exist predominantly in the lowest-density environments (median density ∼0.02 galaxy Mpc⁻²) with none in environments more dense than ∼1.5 galaxy Mpc⁻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
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 - 11 May 2011

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http://mnras.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18210.x

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Brough, S., Hopkins, A. M., Sharp, R. G., Gunawardhana, M. L. P., Wijesinghe, D. B., 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

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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 Mʘ 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 × 108Mʘ) with only 5/90 having stellar masses M > 1010Mʘ. The low-SFR systems are found to exist predominantly in the lowest-density environments (median density ∼0.02 galaxy Mpc−2) with none in environments more dense than ∼1.5 galaxy Mpc−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.",

author = "Sarah Brough and Hopkins, {Andrew M.} and Sharp, {Robert G.} and Gunawardhana, {M. L. P.} and Wijesinghe, {D. B.} and Robotham, {Aaron S. G.} and Driver, {Simon P.} and Baldry, {Ivan K.} and Bamford, {Steven P.} and Jochen Liske and Jon Loveday and Peder Norberg and Peacock, {John A.} and Joss Bland-Hawthorn and Brown, {Michael J. I.} and Ewan Cameron and Croom, {Scott M.} and Frenk, {Carlos S.} and C. Foster and Hill, {David T.} and Jones, {David Heath} and Kelvin, {Lee S.} and Konrad Kuijken and Nichol, {Robert C.} and Parkinson, {Hannah R.} and Pimbblet, {Kevin A.} and Popescu, {Cristina C.} and Matthew Prescott and Sutherland, {Will J.} and Taylor, {Edward N.} and Daniel Thomas and Tuffs, {Richard J.} and {Van Kampen}, Eelco",

year = "2011",

month = may,

day = "11",

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, MLP, Wijesinghe, DB, 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, KA, Popescu, CC, Prescott, M, Sutherland, WJ, Taylor, EN, 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, Sarah

AU - Hopkins, Andrew M.

AU - Sharp, Robert G.

AU - Gunawardhana, M. L. P.

AU - Wijesinghe, D. B.

AU - Robotham, Aaron S. G.

AU - Driver, Simon P.

AU - Baldry, Ivan K.

AU - Bamford, Steven P.

AU - Liske, Jochen

AU - Loveday, Jon

AU - Norberg, Peder

AU - Peacock, John A.

AU - Bland-Hawthorn, Joss

AU - Brown, Michael J. I.

AU - Cameron, Ewan

AU - Croom, Scott M.

AU - Frenk, Carlos S.

AU - Foster, C.

AU - Hill, David T.

AU - Jones, David Heath

AU - Kelvin, Lee S.

AU - Kuijken, Konrad

AU - Nichol, Robert C.

AU - Parkinson, Hannah R.

AU - Pimbblet, Kevin A.

AU - Popescu, Cristina C.

AU - Prescott, Matthew

AU - Sutherland, Will J.

AU - Taylor, Edward N.

AU - Thomas, Daniel

AU - Tuffs, Richard J.

AU - Van Kampen, Eelco

PY - 2011/5/11

Y1 - 2011/5/11

N2 - We present an analysis of the properties of the lowest Hα-luminosity galaxies (LHα ≤ 4 × 1032 W; SFR < 0.02 Mʘ 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 × 108Mʘ) with only 5/90 having stellar masses M > 1010Mʘ. The low-SFR systems are found to exist predominantly in the lowest-density environments (median density ∼0.02 galaxy Mpc−2) with none in environments more dense than ∼1.5 galaxy Mpc−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 Mʘ 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 × 108Mʘ) with only 5/90 having stellar masses M > 1010Mʘ. The low-SFR systems are found to exist predominantly in the lowest-density environments (median density ∼0.02 galaxy Mpc−2) with none in environments more dense than ∼1.5 galaxy Mpc−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.

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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