2002/10/09 by Michael R. Blanton, David W. Hogg, J. Brinkmann +16 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/375776
published as Astrophys.J.592:819-838,2003 · submitted to ApJ
arxiv created 2002/10/09 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01
Using a catalog of 147,986 galaxy redshifts and fluxes from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) we measure the galaxy luminosity density at z=0.1 in five optical bandpasses corresponding to the SDSS bandpasses shifted to match their restframe shape at z=0.1. We denote the bands 0.1u, 0.1g, 0.1r, 0.1i, 0.1z, with λeff = [3216, 4240, 5595, 6792, 8111] Angstroms respectively. We use a maximum likelihood method which allows for a general form for the shape of the luminosity function, simple luminosity and number evolution, incorporates flux uncertainties, and accounts for the flux limits of the survey. We find luminosity densities at z=0.1 in absolute AB magnitudes in a Mpc3 of [-14.10 ± 0.15, -15.18 ± 0.03, -15.90 ± 0.03, -16.24 ± 0.03, -16.56 ± 0.02] in [0.1u, 0.1g, 0.1r, 0.1i, 0.1z], respectively, using Ω0 =0.3, ΩΛ=0.7, and h=1, and using Petrosian magnitudes. Similar results are obtained using Sersic model magnitudes, suggesting that flux from outside the Petrosian apertures is not a major correction. In the 0.1r band, the best fit Schechter function to our results has ϕ_∗ = (1.49 ± 0.04) × 10-2 h3 Mpc-3, M_∗ - 5log10 h = -20.44 ± 0.01, and α= -1.05± 0.01. In solar luminosities, the luminosity density in 0.1r is (1.84 ± 0.04) h 108 L_0.1r,\odot Mpc-3. Our results are consistent with other estimates of the luminosity density, from the Two-degree Field Galaxy Redshift Survey and the Millenium Galaxy Catalog. They represent a substantial change (∼ 0.5 mag) from earlier SDSS luminosity density results based on commissioning data, almost entirely because of the inclusion of evolution in the luminosity function model.