Revisiting the Integrated Star Formation Law. Paper I: Non-Starbursting Galaxies. (arXiv:1901.01283v1 [astro-ph.GA])
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Reyes_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">Mithi A. C. de los Reyes</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Kennicutt_R/0/1/0/all/0/1">Robert C. Kennicutt</a>
We use new and updated gas and dust-corrected SFR surface densities to
revisit the integrated star formation law for local “quiescent” spiral, dwarf,
and low-surface-brightness galaxies. Using UV-based SFRs with individual
IR-based dust corrections, we find that “normal” spiral galaxies alone define a
tight $Sigma_{(textrm{HI}+textrm{H}_{2})}$-$Sigma_{textrm{SFR}}$ relation
described by a $n=1.41^{+0.07}_{-0.07}$ power law with a dispersion of
$0.28^{+0.02}_{-0.02}$ (errors reflect fitting and statistical uncertainties).
The SFR surface densities are only weakly correlated with HI surface densities
alone, but exhibit a stronger and roughly linear correlation with H$_{2}$
surface densities, similar to what is seen in spatially-resolved measurements
of disks. However, many dwarf galaxies lie below the star formation law defined
by spirals, suggesting a low-density threshold in the integrated star formation
law. We consider alternative scaling laws that better describe both spirals and
dwarfs. Our improved measurement precision also allows us to determine that
much of the scatter in the star formation law is intrinsic, and we search for
correlations between this intrinsic scatter and secondary physical parameters.
We find that dwarf galaxies exhibit second-order correlations with total gas
fraction, stellar mass surface density, and dynamical time that may explain
much of the scatter in the star formation law. Finally, we discuss various
systematic uncertainties that should be kept in mind when interpreting any
study of the star formation law, particularly the $X(textrm{CO})$ conversion
factor and the diameter chosen to define the star-forming disk in a galaxy.
We use new and updated gas and dust-corrected SFR surface densities to
revisit the integrated star formation law for local “quiescent” spiral, dwarf,
and low-surface-brightness galaxies. Using UV-based SFRs with individual
IR-based dust corrections, we find that “normal” spiral galaxies alone define a
tight $Sigma_{(textrm{HI}+textrm{H}_{2})}$-$Sigma_{textrm{SFR}}$ relation
described by a $n=1.41^{+0.07}_{-0.07}$ power law with a dispersion of
$0.28^{+0.02}_{-0.02}$ (errors reflect fitting and statistical uncertainties).
The SFR surface densities are only weakly correlated with HI surface densities
alone, but exhibit a stronger and roughly linear correlation with H$_{2}$
surface densities, similar to what is seen in spatially-resolved measurements
of disks. However, many dwarf galaxies lie below the star formation law defined
by spirals, suggesting a low-density threshold in the integrated star formation
law. We consider alternative scaling laws that better describe both spirals and
dwarfs. Our improved measurement precision also allows us to determine that
much of the scatter in the star formation law is intrinsic, and we search for
correlations between this intrinsic scatter and secondary physical parameters.
We find that dwarf galaxies exhibit second-order correlations with total gas
fraction, stellar mass surface density, and dynamical time that may explain
much of the scatter in the star formation law. Finally, we discuss various
systematic uncertainties that should be kept in mind when interpreting any
study of the star formation law, particularly the $X(textrm{CO})$ conversion
factor and the diameter chosen to define the star-forming disk in a galaxy.
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