GAMA/H-ATLAS: The ultraviolet spectral slope and obscuration in galaxies

Dinuka Wijesinghe; Elisabete Cunha; Andrew Hopkins; L Dunne; Robert Sharp; Madusha Gunawardhana; Sarah Brough; Elaine Sadler; Simon Driver; Ivan Baldry; Steven Bamford; J Liske; J Loveday; Peder Norberg; John Peacock; Cristina Popescu; R Tuffs; E Andrae; R Auld; M Baes; Jonathan Bland-Hawthorn; S Buttiglione; A Cava; Ewan Cameron; Christopher Conselice; Asantha Cooray; Scott Croom; A Dariush; G De Zotti; S Dye; S Eales; C Frenk; J Fritz; D Hill; R Hopwood; E Ibar; R Ivison; Matt Jarvis; David Jones; E van Kampen; L Kelvin; K Kuijken; S Maddox; Barry Madore; M Michalowski; B Nichol; H Parkinson; Enzo Pascale; Kevin Pimbblet; M Pohlen; Matthew Prescott; G Rhodighiero; A Robotham; E Rigby; M Seibert; S Sergeant; D Smith; P Temi; W Sutherland; Edward Taylor; D Thomas; P van der Werf

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18615.x

GAMA/H-ATLAS: The ultraviolet spectral slope and obscuration in galaxies

Dinuka Wijesinghe, Elisabete Cunha, Andrew Hopkins, L Dunne, Robert Sharp, Madusha Gunawardhana, Sarah Brough, Elaine Sadler, Simon Driver, Ivan Baldry, Steven Bamford, J Liske, J Loveday, Peder Norberg, John Peacock, Cristina Popescu, R Tuffs, E Andrae, R Auld, M BaesJonathan Bland-Hawthorn, S Buttiglione, A Cava, Ewan Cameron, Christopher Conselice, Asantha Cooray, Scott Croom, A Dariush, G De Zotti, S Dye, S Eales, C Frenk, J Fritz, D Hill, R Hopwood, E Ibar, R Ivison, Matt Jarvis, David Jones, E van Kampen, L Kelvin, K Kuijken, S Maddox, Barry Madore, M Michalowski, B Nichol, H Parkinson, Enzo Pascale, Kevin Pimbblet, M Pohlen, Matthew Prescott, G Rhodighiero, A Robotham, E Rigby, M Seibert, S Sergeant, D Smith, P Temi, W Sutherland, Edward Taylor, D Thomas, P van der Werf

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Abstract

We use multiwavelength data from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) and Herschel-ATLAS (H-ATLAS) surveys to compare the relationship between various dust obscuration measures in galaxies. We explore the connections between the ultraviolet (UV) spectral slope, I?, the Balmer decrement and the far-infrared (FIR) to 150nm far-ultraviolet (FUV) luminosity ratio. We explore trends with galaxy mass, star formation rate (SFR) and redshift in order to identify possible systematics in these various measures. We reiterate the finding of other authors that there is a large scatter between the Balmer decrement and the I? parameter, and that I? may be poorly constrained when derived from only two broad passbands in the UV. We also emphasize that FUV-derived SFRs, corrected for dust obscuration using I?, will be overestimated unless a modified relation between I? and the attenuation factor is used. Even in the optimum case, the resulting SFRs have a significant scatter, well over an order of magnitude. While there is a stronger correlation between the IR-to-FUV luminosity ratio and I? parameter than with the Balmer decrement, neither of these correlations are particularly tight, and dust corrections based on I? for high-redshift galaxy SFRs must be treated with caution. We conclude with a description of the extent to which the different obscuration measures are consistent with each other as well as the effects of including other galactic properties on these correlations.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1002 - 1012
Number of pages	11
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	415
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18615.x
Publication status	Published - 2011

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10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18615.x

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Wijesinghe, D., Cunha, E., Hopkins, A., Dunne, L., Sharp, R., Gunawardhana, M., Brough, S., Sadler, E., Driver, S., Baldry, I., Bamford, S., Liske, J., Loveday, J., Norberg, P., Peacock, J., Popescu, C., Tuffs, R., Andrae, E., Auld, R., ... van der Werf, P. (2011). GAMA/H-ATLAS: The ultraviolet spectral slope and obscuration in galaxies. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 415(2), 1002 - 1012. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18615.x

@article{d8d6ec25ce70455f8c0e0075e7754247,

title = "GAMA/H-ATLAS: The ultraviolet spectral slope and obscuration in galaxies",

abstract = "We use multiwavelength data from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) and Herschel-ATLAS (H-ATLAS) surveys to compare the relationship between various dust obscuration measures in galaxies. We explore the connections between the ultraviolet (UV) spectral slope, I?, the Balmer decrement and the far-infrared (FIR) to 150nm far-ultraviolet (FUV) luminosity ratio. We explore trends with galaxy mass, star formation rate (SFR) and redshift in order to identify possible systematics in these various measures. We reiterate the finding of other authors that there is a large scatter between the Balmer decrement and the I? parameter, and that I? may be poorly constrained when derived from only two broad passbands in the UV. We also emphasize that FUV-derived SFRs, corrected for dust obscuration using I?, will be overestimated unless a modified relation between I? and the attenuation factor is used. Even in the optimum case, the resulting SFRs have a significant scatter, well over an order of magnitude. While there is a stronger correlation between the IR-to-FUV luminosity ratio and I? parameter than with the Balmer decrement, neither of these correlations are particularly tight, and dust corrections based on I? for high-redshift galaxy SFRs must be treated with caution. We conclude with a description of the extent to which the different obscuration measures are consistent with each other as well as the effects of including other galactic properties on these correlations.",

author = "Dinuka Wijesinghe and Elisabete Cunha and Andrew Hopkins and L Dunne and Robert Sharp and Madusha Gunawardhana and Sarah Brough and Elaine Sadler and Simon Driver and Ivan Baldry and Steven Bamford and J Liske and J Loveday and Peder Norberg and John Peacock and Cristina Popescu and R Tuffs and E Andrae and R Auld and M Baes and Jonathan Bland-Hawthorn and S Buttiglione and A Cava and Ewan Cameron and Christopher Conselice and Asantha Cooray and Scott Croom and A Dariush and {De Zotti}, G and S Dye and S Eales and C Frenk and J Fritz and D Hill and R Hopwood and E Ibar and R Ivison and Matt Jarvis and David Jones and {van Kampen}, E and L Kelvin and K Kuijken and S Maddox and Barry Madore and M Michalowski and B Nichol and H Parkinson and Enzo Pascale and Kevin Pimbblet and M Pohlen and Matthew Prescott and G Rhodighiero and A Robotham and E Rigby and M Seibert and S Sergeant and D Smith and P Temi and W Sutherland and Edward Taylor and D Thomas and {van der Werf}, P",

year = "2011",

doi = "10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18615.x",

language = "English",

volume = "415",

pages = "1002 -- 1012",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

issn = "0035-8711",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

number = "2",

}

Wijesinghe, D, Cunha, E, Hopkins, A, Dunne, L, Sharp, R, Gunawardhana, M, Brough, S, Sadler, E, Driver, S, Baldry, I, Bamford, S, Liske, J, Loveday, J, Norberg, P, Peacock, J, Popescu, C, Tuffs, R, Andrae, E, Auld, R, Baes, M, Bland-Hawthorn, J, Buttiglione, S, Cava, A, Cameron, E, Conselice, C, Cooray, A, Croom, S, Dariush, A, De Zotti, G, Dye, S, Eales, S, Frenk, C, Fritz, J, Hill, D, Hopwood, R, Ibar, E, Ivison, R, Jarvis, M, Jones, D, van Kampen, E, Kelvin, L, Kuijken, K, Maddox, S, Madore, B, Michalowski, M, Nichol, B, Parkinson, H, Pascale, E, Pimbblet, K, Pohlen, M, Prescott, M, Rhodighiero, G, Robotham, A, Rigby, E, Seibert, M, Sergeant, S, Smith, D, Temi, P, Sutherland, W, Taylor, E, Thomas, D & van der Werf, P 2011, 'GAMA/H-ATLAS: The ultraviolet spectral slope and obscuration in galaxies', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 415, no. 2, pp. 1002 - 1012. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18615.x

TY - JOUR

T1 - GAMA/H-ATLAS: The ultraviolet spectral slope and obscuration in galaxies

AU - Wijesinghe, Dinuka

AU - Cunha, Elisabete

AU - Hopkins, Andrew

AU - Dunne, L

AU - Sharp, Robert

AU - Gunawardhana, Madusha

AU - Brough, Sarah

AU - Sadler, Elaine

AU - Driver, Simon

AU - Baldry, Ivan

AU - Bamford, Steven

AU - Liske, J

AU - Loveday, J

AU - Norberg, Peder

AU - Peacock, John

AU - Popescu, Cristina

AU - Tuffs, R

AU - Andrae, E

AU - Auld, R

AU - Baes, M

AU - Bland-Hawthorn, Jonathan

AU - Buttiglione, S

AU - Cava, A

AU - Cameron, Ewan

AU - Conselice, Christopher

AU - Cooray, Asantha

AU - Croom, Scott

AU - Dariush, A

AU - De Zotti, G

AU - Dye, S

AU - Eales, S

AU - Frenk, C

AU - Fritz, J

AU - Hill, D

AU - Hopwood, R

AU - Ibar, E

AU - Ivison, R

AU - Jarvis, Matt

AU - Jones, David

AU - van Kampen, E

AU - Kelvin, L

AU - Kuijken, K

AU - Maddox, S

AU - Madore, Barry

AU - Michalowski, M

AU - Nichol, B

AU - Parkinson, H

AU - Pascale, Enzo

AU - Pimbblet, Kevin

AU - Pohlen, M

AU - Prescott, Matthew

AU - Rhodighiero, G

AU - Robotham, A

AU - Rigby, E

AU - Seibert, M

AU - Sergeant, S

AU - Smith, D

AU - Temi, P

AU - Sutherland, W

AU - Taylor, Edward

AU - Thomas, D

AU - van der Werf, P

PY - 2011

Y1 - 2011

N2 - We use multiwavelength data from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) and Herschel-ATLAS (H-ATLAS) surveys to compare the relationship between various dust obscuration measures in galaxies. We explore the connections between the ultraviolet (UV) spectral slope, I?, the Balmer decrement and the far-infrared (FIR) to 150nm far-ultraviolet (FUV) luminosity ratio. We explore trends with galaxy mass, star formation rate (SFR) and redshift in order to identify possible systematics in these various measures. We reiterate the finding of other authors that there is a large scatter between the Balmer decrement and the I? parameter, and that I? may be poorly constrained when derived from only two broad passbands in the UV. We also emphasize that FUV-derived SFRs, corrected for dust obscuration using I?, will be overestimated unless a modified relation between I? and the attenuation factor is used. Even in the optimum case, the resulting SFRs have a significant scatter, well over an order of magnitude. While there is a stronger correlation between the IR-to-FUV luminosity ratio and I? parameter than with the Balmer decrement, neither of these correlations are particularly tight, and dust corrections based on I? for high-redshift galaxy SFRs must be treated with caution. We conclude with a description of the extent to which the different obscuration measures are consistent with each other as well as the effects of including other galactic properties on these correlations.

AB - We use multiwavelength data from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) and Herschel-ATLAS (H-ATLAS) surveys to compare the relationship between various dust obscuration measures in galaxies. We explore the connections between the ultraviolet (UV) spectral slope, I?, the Balmer decrement and the far-infrared (FIR) to 150nm far-ultraviolet (FUV) luminosity ratio. We explore trends with galaxy mass, star formation rate (SFR) and redshift in order to identify possible systematics in these various measures. We reiterate the finding of other authors that there is a large scatter between the Balmer decrement and the I? parameter, and that I? may be poorly constrained when derived from only two broad passbands in the UV. We also emphasize that FUV-derived SFRs, corrected for dust obscuration using I?, will be overestimated unless a modified relation between I? and the attenuation factor is used. Even in the optimum case, the resulting SFRs have a significant scatter, well over an order of magnitude. While there is a stronger correlation between the IR-to-FUV luminosity ratio and I? parameter than with the Balmer decrement, neither of these correlations are particularly tight, and dust corrections based on I? for high-redshift galaxy SFRs must be treated with caution. We conclude with a description of the extent to which the different obscuration measures are consistent with each other as well as the effects of including other galactic properties on these correlations.

UR - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.lib.monash.edu.au/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18615.x/abstract;jsessionid=D01A86A754876818A6FCBFB99E71A3AC.d03

U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18615.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18615.x

M3 - Article

SN - 0035-8711

VL - 415

SP - 1002

EP - 1012

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 2

ER -

GAMA/H-ATLAS: The ultraviolet spectral slope and obscuration in galaxies

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