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Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): galaxies at the faint end of the Hα luminosity function

Brough, S. ; Hopkins, A. M. ; Sharp, R. G. ; Gunawardhana, M. ; Wijesinghe, D. ; Robotham, A. S. G. ; Driver, S. P. ; Baldry, I. K. ; Bamford, S. P. ; Liske, J. ; Loveday, J. ; Norberg, P. ; Peacock, J. A. ; Bland-Hawthorn, J. ; Brown, M. J. I. ; Cameron, E. ; Croom, S. M. ; Frenk, C. S. ; Foster, C. ; Hill, D. T. ; Jones, D. H. ; Kelvin, L. S. ; Kuijken, K. ; Nichol, R. C. ; Parkinson, H. R. ; Pimbblet, K. ; Popescu, C. C. ; Prescott, M. ; Sutherland, W. J. ; Taylor, E. ; Thomas, D. ; Tuffs, R. J. ; van Kampen, E.

In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2011, vol. 413, no. 2, p. 1236-1243

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    Title
    • Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): galaxies at the faint end of the Hα luminosity function
    Author
    • Brough, S.. Australian Astronomical Observatory, PO Box 296, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia
    • Hopkins, A. M.. Australian Astronomical Observatory, PO Box 296, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia
    • Sharp, R. G.. Australian Astronomical Observatory, PO Box 296, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia
    • Gunawardhana, M.. Australian Astronomical Observatory, PO Box 296, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia
    • Wijesinghe, D.. Sydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
    • Robotham, A. S. G.. SUPA, School of Physics & Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9SS
    • Driver, S. P.. SUPA, School of Physics & Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9SS
    • Baldry, I. K.. Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Twelve Quays House, Egerton Wharf, Birkenhead CH41 1LD
    • Bamford, S. P.. Centre for Astronomy and Particle Theory, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD
    • Liske, J.. European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
    • Loveday, J.. Astronomy Centre, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QH
    • Norberg, P.. SUPA, Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ
    • Peacock, J. A.. SUPA, Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ
    • Bland-Hawthorn, J.. Sydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
    • Brown, M. J. I.. School of Physics, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
    • Cameron, E.. Department of Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH-Zürich), 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
    • Croom, S. M.. Sydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
    • Frenk, C. S.. Department of Physics, Institute for Computational Cosmology, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE
    • Foster, C.. Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia
    • Hill, D. T.. SUPA, School of Physics & Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9SS
    • Jones, D. H.. Australian Astronomical Observatory, PO Box 296, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia
    • Kelvin, L. S.. SUPA, School of Physics & Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9SS
    • Kuijken, K.. Leiden University, PO Box 9500, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands
    • Nichol, R. C.. Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG), University of Portsmouth, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth PO1 3FX
    • Parkinson, H. R.. SUPA, Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ
    • Pimbblet, K.. School of Physics, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
    • Popescu, C. C.. Jeremiah Horrocks Institute, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE
    • Prescott, M.. Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Twelve Quays House, Egerton Wharf, Birkenhead CH41 1LD
    • Sutherland, W. J.. Astronomy Unit, Queen Mary University London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS
    • Taylor, E.. Sydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
    • Thomas, D.. Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG), University of Portsmouth, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth PO1 3FX
    • Tuffs, R. J.. Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK), Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
    • van Kampen, E.. European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
    Document Type
    • Postprint
    OAI-PMH Identifier
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:290135
    Summary
    We present an analysis of the properties of the lowest Hα-luminosity galaxies (LHα≤ 4 × 1032 W; SFR < 0.02 M⊙ yr−1, with SFR denoting the star formation rate) in the Galaxy And Mass Assembly survey. These galaxies make up the rise above a Schechter function in the number density of systems seen at the faint end of the Hα luminosity function. Above our flux limit, we find that these galaxies are principally composed of intrinsically low stellar mass systems (median stellar mass = 2.5 × 108 M⊙) with only 5/90 having stellar masses M > 1010 M⊙. The low-SFR systems are found to exist predominantly in the lowest-density environments (median density ∼0.02 galaxy Mpc−2) with none in environments more dense than ∼1.5 galaxy Mpc−2. Their current specific SFRs (SSFRs; −8.5 < log [SSFR (yr −1)] < −12) are consistent with their having had a variety of star formation histories. The low-density environments of these galaxies demonstrate that such low-mass, star-forming systems can only remain as low mass and form stars if they reside sufficiently far from other galaxies to avoid being accreted, dispersed through tidal effects or having their gas reservoirs rendered ineffective through external processes