2006/11/28 by Luis C. Ho, Eric Keto · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/511260
published as Astrophys.J.658:314-318,2007 · To appear in ApJ. 8 pages
arxiv created 2006/11/28 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01
The fine-structure lines of singly ([Ne II] 12.8 micron) and doubly ([Ne III] 15.6 micron) ionized neon are among the most prominent features in the mid-infrared spectra of star-forming regions, and have the potential to be a powerful new indicator of the star formation rate in galaxies. Using a sample of star-forming galaxies with measurements of the fine-structure lines available from the literature, we show that the sum of the [Ne II] and [Ne III] luminosities obeys a tight, linear correlation with the total infrared luminosity, over 5 orders of magnitude in luminosity. We discuss the formation of the lines and their relation with the Lyman continuum luminosity. A simple calibration between star formation rate and the [Ne II]+[Ne III] luminosity is presented.