1109.1005 (O. Cucciati et al.)

The Star Formation Rate Density and Dust Attenuation Evolution over 12 Gyr with the VVDS Surveys    [PDF]

O. Cucciati, L. Tresse, O. Ilbert, O. Le Fevre, B. Garilli, V. Le Brun, P. Cassata, P. Franzetti, D. Maccagni, M. Scodeggio, E. Zucca, G. Zamorani, S. Bardelli, M. Bolzonella, R. M. Bielby, H. J. McCracken, A. Zanichelli, D. Vergani

[Abridged] We investigate the global galaxy evolution over 12 Gyr (0.051.7, we set alpha steepening with (1+z). The absolute magnitude M*_FUV brightens in the entire range 02 it is on average brighter than in the literature, while phi* is smaller. Our total LD shows a peak at z=2, present also when considering all sources of uncertainty. The SFRD history peaks as well at z=2. It rises by a factor of 6 during 2 Gyr (from z=4.5 to z=2), and then decreases by a factor of 12 during 10 Gyr down to z=0.05. This peak is mainly produced by a similar peak within the population of galaxies with -21.5<=M_FUV<=-19.5 mag. As times goes by, the total SFRD is dominated by fainter and fainter galaxies. The presence of a clear peak at z=2 and a fast rise at z>2 of the SFRD is compelling for models of galaxy formation. The mean dust attenuation A_FUV of the global galaxy population rises by 1 mag during 2 Gyr from z=4.5 to z=2, reaches its maximum at z=1 (A_FUV=2.2 mag), and then decreases by 1.1 mag during 7 Gyr down to z=0. The dust attenuation maximum is reached 2 Gyr after the SFRD peak, implying a contribution from the intermediate-mass stars to the dust production at z<2.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1109.1005