THE MULTI-WAVELENGTH EXTREME STARBURST SAMPLE OF LUMINOUS GALAXIES. I. SAMPLE CHARACTERISTICS
- Space Science Applications Laboratory, The Aerospace Corporation, P.O. Box 92957, Los Angeles, CA 90009 (United States)
- Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, 601 Campbell Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States)
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92521 (United States)
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville, VA (United States)
This paper introduces the Multi-wavelength Extreme Starburst Sample (MESS), a new catalog of 138 star-forming galaxies (0.1 < z < 0.3) optically selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey using emission line strength diagnostics to have a high absolute star formation rate (SFR; minimum 11 M{sub sun} yr{sup -1} with median SFR {approx} 61 M{sub sun} yr{sup -1} based on a Kroupa initial mass function). The MESS was designed to complement samples of nearby star-forming galaxies such as the luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) and ultraviolet luminous galaxies (UVLGs). Observations using the Multi-band Imaging Photometer (24, 70, and 160 {mu}m channels) on the Spitzer Space Telescope indicate that the MESS galaxies have IR luminosities similar to those of LIRGs, with an estimated median L{sub TIR} {approx} 3 x 10{sup 11} L{sub sun}. The selection criteria for the MESS objects suggest they may be less obscured than typical far-IR-selected galaxies with similar estimated SFRs. Twenty out of 70 of the MESS objects detected in the Galaxy Evolution Explorer FUV band also appear to be UVLGs. We estimate the SFRs based directly on luminosities to determine the agreement for these methods in the MESS. We compare these estimates to the emission line strength technique, since the effective measurement of dust attenuation plays a central role in these methods. We apply an image stacking technique to the Very Large Array FIRST survey radio data to retrieve 1.4 GHz luminosity information for 3/4 of the sample covered by FIRST including sources too faint, and at too high a redshift, to be detected in FIRST. We also discuss the relationship between the MESS objects and samples selected through alternative criteria. Morphologies will be the subject of a forthcoming paper.
- OSTI ID:
- 21443137
- Journal Information:
- Astronomical Journal (New York, N.Y. Online), Vol. 140, Issue 6; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-6256/140/6/2052; ISSN 1538-3881
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
CATALOGS
DUSTS
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
GALAXIES
LUMINOSITY
MORPHOLOGY
PHOTOMETERS
RED SHIFT
STARS
TELESCOPES
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
WAVELENGTHS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EVOLUTION
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS