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Luminosity function (astronomy)

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for galaxies instead of the value given above which is closer to -1. The reason for this failure is that large halos tend to have a large host galaxy and many smaller satellites, and small halos may not host any galaxies with stars. See, e.g.,
701: 899: 221: 439: 1142:{\displaystyle \int _{a}^{b}\left({\frac {L}{L^{*}}}\right)^{\alpha }e^{-\left({\frac {L}{L^{*}}}\right)}d\left({\frac {L}{L^{*}}}\right)=\Gamma (\alpha +1,a)-\Gamma (\alpha +1,b)} 77:. Given a luminosity as input, the luminosity function essentially returns the abundance of objects with that luminosity (specifically, number density per luminosity interval). 599:
The galaxy luminosity function may have different parameters for different populations and environments; it is not a universal function. One measurement from field galaxies is
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stars with a given luminosity. As this is determined by the rates at which these stars form and cool, it is of interest for the information it gives about the
193: 602: 93:, with observations. Main sequence luminosity functions vary depending on their host galaxy and on selection criteria for the stars, for example in the 1480: 1228: 1408:
Sobral, David; Smail, Ian; Best, Philip N.; Geach, James E.; Matsuda, Yuichi; Stott, John P.; Cirasuolo, Michele; Kurk, Jaron (2013-01-01).
716: 364:{\displaystyle dn(L)=\phi ~dL=\phi ^{*}\left({\frac {L}{L^{*}}}\right)^{\alpha }\mathrm {e} ^{-L/L^{*}}d\left({\frac {L}{L^{*}}}\right),} 1515: 589:{\displaystyle dn(L)=\ln(10)\phi ^{*}\left({\frac {L}{L^{*}}}\right)^{\alpha +1}\mathrm {e} ^{-L/L^{*}}d\left(\log _{10}L\right).} 1560: 1153: 73:
Note that the term "function" is slightly misleading, and the luminosity function might better be described as a luminosity
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interval. Luminosity functions are used to study the properties of large groups or classes of objects, such as the
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stars according to their luminosity. It is used to compare star formation and death rates, and
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Schechter, P. (1976-01-01). "An analytic expression for the luminosity function for galaxies".
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per unit luminosity and is given by a power law with an exponential cut-off at high luminosity
17: 1550: 1511: 1476: 1449: 1390: 1289:; MacQueen, P. J. (1998). "The Texas Deep Sky Survey: Spectroscopy of Cool Degenerate Stars". 1224: 1156:. However, the connection between the two is not straight forward. If one assumes that every 90: 1503: 1439: 1382: 1337: 1265: 1216: 1157: 904:
Note that because the magnitude system is logarithmic, the power law has logarithmic slope
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is a characteristic galaxy luminosity controlling the cut-off, and the normalization
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provides an approximation of the abundance of galaxies in a luminosity interval
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Equivalently, this equation can be expressed in terms of log-quantities with
1286: 126: 35: 1444: 1409: 710:, rather than luminosities. In this case, the Schechter function becomes: 1220: 706:
It is often more convenient to rewrite the Schechter function in terms of
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The Encyclopedia of Cosmology, Volume 1: Galaxy Formation and Evolution
122: 894:{\displaystyle n(M)~dM=(0.4\ \ln 10)\ \phi ^{*}\ ^{\alpha +1}\exp~dM.} 63: 47: 1246:"A main-sequence luminosity function for the Large Magellanic Cloud" 1152:
Historically, the Schechter luminosity function was inspired by the
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hosts one galaxy, then the Press-Schechter model yields a slope
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The main sequence luminosity function maps the distribution of
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Integrals of the Schechter function can be expressed via the
195:. The luminosity function has units of a number density 1322:
Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
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of white dwarf cooling and the age and history of the
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(2004). 111:white dwarf luminosity function 105:White dwarf luminosity function 18:White dwarf luminosity function 1285:Claver, C. F.; Winget, D. E.; 1136: 1118: 1109: 1091: 876: 871: 852: 838: 817: 811: 792: 781: 762: 744: 729: 723: 473: 467: 455: 449: 237: 231: 182: 167: 1: 430:has units of number density. 423:{\displaystyle \,\!\phi ^{*}} 139:Schechter luminosity function 133:Schechter luminosity function 1192:halo occupation distribution 1577: 952:{\displaystyle \alpha =-1} 26: 1467:Longair, Malcolm (1998). 1367:The Astrophysical Journal 1250:The Astrophysical Journal 964:incomplete gamma function 923:{\displaystyle \alpha +1} 1496:Barkana, Rennan (2018). 1561:Equations of astronomy 1213:The Formation of Stars 1183: 1143: 953: 924: 895: 697: 590: 424: 395: 365: 209: 189: 154: 117:) gives the number of 99:Small Magellanic Cloud 1221:10.1002/9783527618675 1184: 1154:Press–Schechter model 1144: 954: 925: 896: 698: 591: 425: 396: 394:{\displaystyle L^{*}} 366: 210: 190: 155: 153:{\displaystyle \phi } 1445:10.1093/mnras/sts096 1244:Butcher, H. (1977). 1164: 972: 959:is said to be flat. 934: 908: 717: 603: 440: 405: 378: 222: 199: 164: 144: 42:gives the number of 1436:2013MNRAS.428.1128S 1379:1976ApJ...203..297S 1334:2001PASP..113..409F 1303:1998AAS...193.3702C 1262:1977ApJ...216..372B 989: 95:Solar neighbourhood 91:evolutionary models 40:luminosity function 29:Luminosity function 1179: 1139: 975: 949: 920: 891: 693: 586: 420: 391: 361: 205: 185: 150: 1546:Stellar astronomy 1482:978-3-540-63785-1 1230:978-3-527-61867-5 1079: 1049: 1010: 881: 780: 767: 752: 734: 671: 658: 623: 506: 352: 288: 248: 208:{\displaystyle n} 16:(Redirected from 1568: 1530: 1529: 1493: 1487: 1486: 1469:Galaxy Formation 1464: 1458: 1457: 1447: 1429: 1420:(2): 1128–1146. 1405: 1399: 1398: 1362: 1356: 1355: 1345: 1313: 1307: 1306: 1282: 1276: 1275: 1273: 1241: 1235: 1234: 1208: 1188: 1186: 1185: 1180: 1158:dark matter halo 1148: 1146: 1145: 1140: 1084: 1080: 1078: 1077: 1065: 1056: 1055: 1054: 1050: 1048: 1047: 1035: 1021: 1020: 1015: 1011: 1009: 1008: 996: 988: 983: 958: 956: 955: 950: 929: 927: 926: 921: 900: 898: 897: 892: 879: 875: 874: 864: 863: 831: 830: 815: 814: 804: 803: 778: 777: 776: 765: 750: 732: 702: 700: 699: 694: 692: 691: 683: 669: 668: 667: 656: 655: 654: 633: 632: 621: 595: 593: 592: 587: 582: 578: 571: 570: 553: 552: 551: 550: 541: 529: 523: 522: 511: 507: 505: 504: 492: 485: 484: 429: 427: 426: 421: 419: 418: 400: 398: 397: 392: 390: 389: 370: 368: 367: 362: 357: 353: 351: 350: 338: 329: 328: 327: 326: 317: 305: 299: 298: 293: 289: 287: 286: 274: 267: 266: 246: 214: 212: 211: 206: 194: 192: 191: 188:{\displaystyle } 186: 159: 157: 156: 151: 21: 1576: 1575: 1571: 1570: 1569: 1567: 1566: 1565: 1536: 1535: 1534: 1533: 1518: 1495: 1494: 1490: 1483: 1473:Springer-Verlag 1466: 1465: 1461: 1407: 1406: 1402: 1364: 1363: 1359: 1315: 1314: 1310: 1284: 1283: 1279: 1243: 1242: 1238: 1231: 1210: 1209: 1205: 1200: 1162: 1161: 1069: 1060: 1039: 1030: 1022: 1000: 991: 990: 970: 969: 932: 931: 906: 905: 855: 844: 816: 795: 784: 768: 715: 714: 672: 659: 643: 624: 601: 600: 562: 561: 557: 542: 524: 496: 487: 486: 476: 438: 437: 410: 403: 402: 381: 376: 375: 342: 333: 318: 300: 278: 269: 268: 258: 220: 219: 197: 196: 162: 161: 142: 141: 135: 107: 83: 32: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 1574: 1572: 1564: 1563: 1558: 1553: 1548: 1538: 1537: 1532: 1531: 1516: 1488: 1481: 1459: 1400: 1387:10.1086/154079 1357: 1343:10.1086/319535 1308: 1277: 1271:10.1086/155477 1236: 1229: 1202: 1201: 1199: 1196: 1178: 1175: 1172: 1169: 1150: 1149: 1138: 1135: 1132: 1129: 1126: 1123: 1120: 1117: 1114: 1111: 1108: 1105: 1102: 1099: 1096: 1093: 1090: 1087: 1083: 1076: 1072: 1068: 1063: 1059: 1053: 1046: 1042: 1038: 1033: 1029: 1025: 1019: 1014: 1007: 1003: 999: 994: 987: 982: 978: 948: 945: 942: 939: 919: 916: 913: 902: 901: 890: 887: 884: 878: 873: 870: 867: 862: 858: 854: 851: 847: 843: 840: 837: 834: 829: 826: 823: 819: 813: 810: 807: 802: 798: 794: 791: 787: 783: 775: 771: 764: 761: 758: 755: 749: 746: 743: 740: 737: 731: 728: 725: 722: 690: 687: 682: 679: 676: 666: 662: 653: 650: 646: 642: 639: 636: 631: 627: 620: 617: 614: 611: 608: 597: 596: 585: 581: 577: 574: 569: 565: 560: 556: 549: 545: 540: 536: 533: 528: 521: 518: 515: 510: 503: 499: 495: 490: 483: 479: 475: 472: 469: 466: 463: 460: 457: 454: 451: 448: 445: 417: 413: 388: 384: 372: 371: 360: 356: 349: 345: 341: 336: 332: 325: 321: 316: 312: 309: 304: 297: 292: 285: 281: 277: 272: 265: 261: 257: 254: 251: 245: 242: 239: 236: 233: 230: 227: 204: 184: 181: 178: 175: 172: 169: 149: 134: 131: 106: 103: 82: 79: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1573: 1562: 1559: 1557: 1554: 1552: 1549: 1547: 1544: 1543: 1541: 1527: 1523: 1519: 1517:9789814656221 1513: 1509: 1505: 1501: 1500: 1492: 1489: 1484: 1478: 1474: 1470: 1463: 1460: 1455: 1451: 1446: 1441: 1437: 1433: 1428: 1423: 1419: 1415: 1411: 1404: 1401: 1396: 1392: 1388: 1384: 1380: 1376: 1372: 1368: 1361: 1358: 1353: 1349: 1344: 1339: 1335: 1331: 1327: 1323: 1319: 1312: 1309: 1304: 1300: 1296: 1292: 1288: 1287:Nather, R. E. 1281: 1278: 1272: 1267: 1263: 1259: 1255: 1251: 1247: 1240: 1237: 1232: 1226: 1222: 1218: 1215:. Wiley VCH. 1214: 1207: 1204: 1197: 1195: 1193: 1176: 1173: 1170: 1167: 1159: 1155: 1133: 1130: 1127: 1124: 1121: 1112: 1106: 1103: 1100: 1097: 1094: 1085: 1081: 1074: 1070: 1066: 1061: 1057: 1051: 1044: 1040: 1036: 1031: 1027: 1023: 1017: 1012: 1005: 1001: 997: 992: 985: 980: 976: 968: 967: 966: 965: 960: 946: 943: 940: 937: 917: 914: 911: 888: 885: 882: 868: 865: 860: 856: 849: 845: 841: 835: 832: 827: 824: 821: 808: 805: 800: 796: 789: 785: 773: 769: 759: 756: 753: 747: 741: 738: 735: 726: 720: 713: 712: 711: 709: 704: 688: 685: 664: 660: 651: 648: 644: 640: 637: 634: 629: 625: 618: 615: 612: 609: 606: 583: 579: 575: 572: 567: 563: 558: 554: 547: 543: 538: 534: 531: 519: 516: 513: 508: 501: 497: 493: 488: 481: 477: 470: 464: 461: 458: 452: 446: 443: 436: 435: 434: 431: 415: 411: 386: 382: 358: 354: 347: 343: 339: 334: 330: 323: 319: 314: 310: 307: 295: 290: 283: 279: 275: 270: 263: 259: 255: 252: 249: 243: 240: 234: 228: 225: 218: 217: 216: 202: 179: 176: 173: 170: 147: 140: 132: 130: 128: 124: 120: 116: 112: 104: 102: 100: 96: 92: 88: 87:main sequence 80: 78: 76: 71: 69: 65: 61: 57: 53: 49: 45: 41: 37: 30: 19: 1508:10.1142/9496 1498: 1491: 1468: 1462: 1417: 1413: 1403: 1370: 1366: 1360: 1328:(782): 409. 1325: 1321: 1311: 1294: 1290: 1280: 1253: 1249: 1239: 1212: 1206: 1151: 961: 903: 705: 598: 432: 373: 138: 136: 114: 110: 108: 84: 75:distribution 74: 72: 39: 33: 1373:: 297–306. 119:white dwarf 68:Local Group 1556:Photometry 1540:Categories 1198:References 708:magnitudes 52:luminosity 1526:259542973 1454:0035-8711 1427:1202.3436 1395:0004-637X 1174:− 1171:∼ 1168:α 1122:α 1116:Γ 1113:− 1095:α 1089:Γ 1075:∗ 1045:∗ 1028:− 1018:α 1006:∗ 977:∫ 944:− 938:α 912:α 866:− 861:∗ 842:− 836:⁡ 822:α 806:− 801:∗ 774:∗ 770:ϕ 757:⁡ 686:− 649:− 641:× 630:∗ 626:ϕ 613:− 607:α 573:⁡ 548:∗ 532:− 514:α 502:∗ 482:∗ 478:ϕ 465:⁡ 416:∗ 412:ϕ 387:∗ 348:∗ 324:∗ 308:− 296:α 284:∗ 264:∗ 260:ϕ 244:ϕ 148:ϕ 36:astronomy 1551:Galaxies 1352:54970082 64:galaxies 60:clusters 48:galaxies 1432:Bibcode 1375:Bibcode 1330:Bibcode 1299:Bibcode 1258:Bibcode 1256:: 372. 123:physics 97:or the 66:in the 62:or the 1524:  1514:  1479:  1452:  1393:  1350:  1227:  880:  779:  766:  751:  733:  670:  657:  622:  374:where 247:  127:Galaxy 1522:S2CID 1422:arXiv 1348:S2CID 56:stars 44:stars 1512:ISBN 1477:ISBN 1450:ISSN 1391:ISSN 1225:ISBN 616:1.25 137:The 115:WDLF 109:The 50:per 38:, a 1504:doi 1440:doi 1418:428 1383:doi 1371:203 1338:doi 1326:113 1295:193 1266:doi 1254:216 1217:doi 1177:3.5 850:0.4 833:exp 790:0.4 748:0.4 638:1.2 564:log 70:. 58:in 46:or 34:In 1542:: 1520:. 1510:. 1475:. 1471:. 1448:. 1438:. 1430:. 1416:. 1412:. 1389:. 1381:. 1369:. 1346:. 1336:. 1324:. 1320:. 1297:. 1293:. 1264:. 1252:. 1248:. 1223:. 846:10 786:10 760:10 754:ln 703:. 645:10 568:10 471:10 462:ln 129:. 101:. 1528:. 1506:: 1485:. 1456:. 1442:: 1434:: 1424:: 1397:. 1385:: 1377:: 1354:. 1340:: 1332:: 1305:. 1301:: 1274:. 1268:: 1260:: 1233:. 1219:: 1137:) 1134:b 1131:, 1128:1 1125:+ 1119:( 1110:) 1107:a 1104:, 1101:1 1098:+ 1092:( 1086:= 1082:) 1071:L 1067:L 1062:( 1058:d 1052:) 1041:L 1037:L 1032:( 1024:e 1013:) 1002:L 998:L 993:( 986:b 981:a 947:1 941:= 918:1 915:+ 889:. 886:M 883:d 877:] 872:) 869:M 857:M 853:( 839:[ 828:1 825:+ 818:] 812:) 809:M 797:M 793:( 782:[ 763:) 745:( 742:= 739:M 736:d 730:) 727:M 724:( 721:n 689:3 681:c 678:p 675:M 665:3 661:h 652:2 635:= 619:, 610:= 584:. 580:) 576:L 559:( 555:d 544:L 539:/ 535:L 527:e 520:1 517:+ 509:) 498:L 494:L 489:( 474:) 468:( 459:= 456:) 453:L 450:( 447:n 444:d 383:L 359:, 355:) 344:L 340:L 335:( 331:d 320:L 315:/ 311:L 303:e 291:) 280:L 276:L 271:( 256:= 253:L 250:d 241:= 238:) 235:L 232:( 229:n 226:d 203:n 183:] 180:L 177:d 174:+ 171:L 168:[ 113:( 31:. 20:)

Index

White dwarf luminosity function
Luminosity function
astronomy
stars
galaxies
luminosity
stars
clusters
galaxies
Local Group
main sequence
evolutionary models
Solar neighbourhood
Small Magellanic Cloud
white dwarf
physics
Galaxy
magnitudes
incomplete gamma function
Press–Schechter model
dark matter halo
halo occupation distribution
doi
10.1002/9783527618675
ISBN
978-3-527-61867-5
"A main-sequence luminosity function for the Large Magellanic Cloud"
Bibcode
1977ApJ...216..372B
doi

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