The nearby universe observed in far-infrared and in ultraviolet: an analysis of the dust attenuation and the star formation activity

Abstract

We discuss the dust attenuation and the star formation rates in the nearby universe obtained from a comparison of far-infrared (IRAS) and ultraviolet (GALEX) observations. The ratio of the dust to UV flux ratio is used to derive the dust attenuation: this dust attenuation is found to increase with the luminosity of the galaxies and from z=0 to z=1. The slope of the UV continuum is found to be a very poor tracer of the dust attenuation in "normal" galaxies. Galaxies selected by their UV emission are found to be rather quiescent with a recent star formation rate equal to only 25-30% of the past averaged one. Galaxies selected in FIR appear slightly more active in star formation.

10 pages, invited conference, The Spectral Energy Distribution of Gas Rich Galaxies: Confronting Models with Data Heidelberg, Germany October 4-8, 2004