THE WYOMING SURVEY FOR H{alpha}. II. H{alpha} LUMINOSITY FUNCTIONS AT z{approx} 0.16, 0.24, 0.32, AND 0.40
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071 (United States)
- Department of Physics, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824 (United States)
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth University, Hanover, NH 03747 (United States)
- Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States)
- Department of Astronomy, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182 (United States)
- Department of Physics, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182 (United States)
The Wyoming Survey for H{alpha}, or WySH, is a large-area, ground-based imaging survey for H{alpha}-emitting galaxies at redshifts of z {approx} 0.16, 0.24, 0.32, and 0.40. The survey spans up to 4 deg{sup 2} in a set of fields of low Galactic cirrus emission, using twin narrowband filters at each epoch for improved stellar continuum subtraction. H{alpha} luminosity functions are presented for each {delta}z {approx} 0.02 epoch based on a total of nearly 1200 galaxies. These data clearly show an evolution with look-back time in the volume-averaged cosmic star formation rate. Integrals of Schechter fits to the incompleteness- and extinction-corrected H{alpha} luminosity functions indicate star formation rates per comoving volume of 0.010, 0.013, 0.020, 0.022 h {sub 70} M {sub sun} yr{sup -1} Mpc{sup -3} at z {approx} 0.16, 0.24, 0.32, and 0.40, respectively. Combined statistical and systematic measurement uncertainties are on the order of 25%, while the effects of cosmic variance are at the 20% level. The bulk of this evolution is driven by changes in the characteristic luminosity L {sub *} of the H{alpha} luminosity functions, with L {sub *} for the earlier two epochs being a factor of 2 larger than L {sub *} at the latter two epochs; it is more difficult with this data set to decipher systematic evolutionary differences in the luminosity function amplitude and faint-end slope. Coupling these results with a comprehensive compilation of results from the literature on emission line surveys, the evolution in the cosmic star formation rate density over 0 {approx}< z {approx}< 1.5 is measured.
- OSTI ID:
- 21305059
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 712, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/712/2/L189; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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