Variation of the nebular dust attenuation curve with the properties of local star-forming galaxies

Journal Article · 02 July 2021 · Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab1885 · OSTI ID:1810610

Rezaee, Saeed ; Reddy, Naveen; Shivaei, Irene; Fetherolf, Tara; Emami, Najmeh; Khostovan, A. A.

ABSTRACT We use a sample of 78 340 star-forming galaxies at z ≃ 0.04–0.1 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data release (DR8) survey to calculate the average nebular dust attenuation curve and its variation with the physical properties of galaxies. Using the first four low-order Balmer emission lines (H α, H β, H γ, and H δ) detected in the composite spectrum of all galaxies in the sample, we derive a nebular attenuation curve in the range of 0.41 to $$0.66\, \mu$$m that has a similar shape and normalization to that of the Galactic extinction curve (Milky Way curve), the SMC curve and the nebular attenuation curve derived recently for typical star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 2. We divide the galaxies into bins of stellar mass, gas-phase metallicity, and specific star formation rate, and derive the nebular attenuation curve in each of these bins. This analysis indicates that there is very little variation in the shape of the nebular dust attenuation curve with the properties used to bin the galaxies, and suggests a near universal shape of the nebular dust attenuation curve at least among the galaxies and the range of properties considered in our sample.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 1810610
• Journal Information: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Journal Name: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 506; ISSN 0035-8711
• Publisher: Oxford University PressCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United Kingdom
• Language: English