The Evolution of the IR Luminosity Function and Dust-obscured Star Formation over the Past 13 Billion Years
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The Evolution of the IR Luminosity Function and Dust-obscured Star Formation over the Past 13 Billion Years. / Zavala, J. A.; Casey, C. M.; Manning, S. M.; Aravena, M.; Bethermin, M.; Caputi, K. I.; Clements, D. L.; Cunha, E. da; Drew, P.; Finkelstein, S. L.; Fujimoto, S.; Hayward, C.; Hodge, J.; Kartaltepe, J. S.; Knudsen, K.; Koekemoer, A. M.; Long, A. S.; Magdis, G. E.; Man, A. W. S.; Popping, G.; Sanders, D.; Scoville, N.; Sheth, K.; Staguhn, J.; Toft, S.; Treister, E.; Vieira, J. D.; Yun, M. S.
In: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 909, No. 2, 165, 03.2021.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - The Evolution of the IR Luminosity Function and Dust-obscured Star Formation over the Past 13 Billion Years
AU - Zavala, J. A.
AU - Casey, C. M.
AU - Manning, S. M.
AU - Aravena, M.
AU - Bethermin, M.
AU - Caputi, K. I.
AU - Clements, D. L.
AU - Cunha, E. da
AU - Drew, P.
AU - Finkelstein, S. L.
AU - Fujimoto, S.
AU - Hayward, C.
AU - Hodge, J.
AU - Kartaltepe, J. S.
AU - Knudsen, K.
AU - Koekemoer, A. M.
AU - Long, A. S.
AU - Magdis, G. E.
AU - Man, A. W. S.
AU - Popping, G.
AU - Sanders, D.
AU - Scoville, N.
AU - Sheth, K.
AU - Staguhn, J.
AU - Toft, S.
AU - Treister, E.
AU - Vieira, J. D.
AU - Yun, M. S.
PY - 2021/3
Y1 - 2021/3
N2 - We present the first results from the Mapping Obscuration to Reionization with ALMA (MORA) survey, the largest Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) blank-field contiguous survey to date (184 arcmin(2)) and the only at 2 mm to search for dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs). We use the 13 sources detected above 5 sigma to estimate the first ALMA galaxy number counts at this wavelength. These number counts are then combined with the state-of-the-art galaxy number counts at 1.2 and 3 mm and with a backward evolution model to place constraints on the evolution of the IR luminosity function and dust-obscured star formation in the past 13 billion years. Our results suggest a steep redshift evolution on the space density of DSFGs and confirm the flattening of the IR luminosity function at faint luminosities, with a slope of alpha(LF) = -0.42(-0.04)(+0.02). We conclude that the dust-obscured component, which peaks at z approximate to 2-2.5, has dominated the cosmic history of star formation for the past similar to 12 billion years, back to z similar to 4. At z = 5, the dust-obscured star formation is estimated to be similar to 35% of the total star formation rate density and decreases to 25%-20% at z = 6-7, implying a minor contribution of dusten-shrouded star formation in the first billion years of the universe. With the dust-obscured star formation history constrained up to the end of the epoch of reionization, our results provide a benchmark to test galaxy formation models, to study the galaxy mass assembly history, and to understand the dust and metal enrichment of the universe at early times.
AB - We present the first results from the Mapping Obscuration to Reionization with ALMA (MORA) survey, the largest Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) blank-field contiguous survey to date (184 arcmin(2)) and the only at 2 mm to search for dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs). We use the 13 sources detected above 5 sigma to estimate the first ALMA galaxy number counts at this wavelength. These number counts are then combined with the state-of-the-art galaxy number counts at 1.2 and 3 mm and with a backward evolution model to place constraints on the evolution of the IR luminosity function and dust-obscured star formation in the past 13 billion years. Our results suggest a steep redshift evolution on the space density of DSFGs and confirm the flattening of the IR luminosity function at faint luminosities, with a slope of alpha(LF) = -0.42(-0.04)(+0.02). We conclude that the dust-obscured component, which peaks at z approximate to 2-2.5, has dominated the cosmic history of star formation for the past similar to 12 billion years, back to z similar to 4. At z = 5, the dust-obscured star formation is estimated to be similar to 35% of the total star formation rate density and decreases to 25%-20% at z = 6-7, implying a minor contribution of dusten-shrouded star formation in the first billion years of the universe. With the dust-obscured star formation history constrained up to the end of the epoch of reionization, our results provide a benchmark to test galaxy formation models, to study the galaxy mass assembly history, and to understand the dust and metal enrichment of the universe at early times.
KW - Galaxy evolution
KW - Galaxies
KW - Dust continuum emission
KW - Millimeter astronomy
KW - Submillimeter astronomy
KW - Star formation
KW - High-redshift galaxies
KW - Surveys
KW - Galaxy counts
KW - Luminosity function
KW - COSMOLOGY LEGACY SURVEY
KW - SUBMILLIMETER NUMBER COUNTS
KW - FORMATION RATE DENSITY
KW - DEEP FIELD SOUTH
KW - ALMA SURVEY
KW - REDSHIFT DISTRIBUTION
KW - PHYSICAL-PROPERTIES
KW - GALAXY FORMATION
KW - MU-M
KW - UNIVERSE
U2 - 10.3847/1538-4357/abdb27
DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/abdb27
M3 - Journal article
VL - 909
JO - Astrophysical Journal
JF - Astrophysical Journal
SN - 0004-637X
IS - 2
M1 - 165
ER -
ID: 258657354