An Ultraviolet-Selected Galaxy Redshift Survey: New Estimates of the Local Star Formation Rate
arXiv:astro-ph/9806056 · doi:10.1046/j.1365-8711.1998.01909.x
Abstract
We present the first results of an ongoing spectroscopic survey of galaxies selected in the rest-frame ultraviolet (UV). The redshift distribution extends over 0<z<0.5 and a high fraction of the sources show intense nebular emission lines and UV-optical colours bluer than normal Hubble sequence galaxies. Although our sample is currently small, we derive a rest-frame UV luminosity function with a steep faint end slope consistent with that found for late-type galaxies in optical samples. However, the integrated luminosity density derived implies a volume-averaged star formation rate higher than other recent estimates, assuming a normal initial mass function. If representative of other UV fields, our data implies the local abundance of star-forming galaxies may have been underestimated and consequently claims for strong evolution in the global star formation rate in the range 0<z<1 overstated.
15 pages (Latex), 9 postscript figures, 1 table, uses mn.sty. To appear in MNRAS. Reason for replacement: missing dashed line added to Fig. 7