The build-up of mass in UV-selected sub-L* galaxies at z~2

TL;DR

This study uses broadband SED fitting to analyze UV-selected sub-L* galaxies at z~2, revealing their lower dust content, significant contribution to cosmic mass, and a proportional relationship between star formation rates and stellar mass.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the mass buildup and star formation processes of sub-L* galaxies at high redshift through detailed spectral energy distribution analysis.

Findings

Sub-L* galaxies are less dusty than L* galaxies.

They contribute more to the cosmic mass budget at z~2 than previously thought.

Star formation rates are proportional to stellar masses over three orders of magnitude.

Abstract

Broadband spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting is used to study a deep sample of UV-selected sub-L* galaxies at z~2. They are found to be less dusty than L* galaxies, and to contribute more mass to the cosmic mass budget at this epoch than is inferred from shallower high-z surveys. Additionally, SFRs are found to be proportional to stellar masses over three orders of magnitude in mass; this phenomenon can be explained by assuming that new stars form out of gas that co-accretes along with dark matter onto the galaxies' dark matter halos, a scenario that naturally leads to SFRs that gradually increase with time.