The star-forming main sequence and the contribution of dust-obscured star formation since $z\sim4$ from the FUV+IR luminosity functions

TL;DR

This paper presents an analytical model of star formation and dust obscuration in galaxies up to redshift 4, linking UV and IR data to galaxy evolution and dust effects.

Contribution

It introduces a new analytical framework combining FUV and IR luminosity functions with galaxy mass functions to study star formation and dust obscuration evolution.

Findings

The star formation main sequence evolves consistently with observations.

Dust-obscured fractions depend strongly on galaxy mass, with minimal redshift dependence at z>1.2.

Significant changes in dust obscuration occur at low masses and low redshifts.

Abstract

An analytical approach is proposed to study the evolution of the star-forming galaxy (SFG) main sequence (MS) and the fraction of dust-obscured SF up to $z\sim4$. Far-ultraviolet (FUV) and infrared (IR) star formation rates, SFRs, are described as conditional probability functions of $M_{\ast}$. We convolve them with the galaxy stellar mass function (GSMF) of SFGs to derive the FUV and IR LFs. The 2 SF modes formalism is used to describe starburst galaxies. By fitting observed FUV and IR LFs, the parametrization of SFR$_{\rm FUV}-M_{\ast}$ and SFR$_{\rm IR}-M_{\ast}$ are constrained. Our derived SFR$_{\rm FUV+IR}-M_{\ast}$ reproduces the evolution of the MS as compared to other observational inferences. At any redshift, we find that the sSFR$_{\rm FUV+IR}-M_{\ast}$ relation for MS SFGs approaches to a power law at the high-mass end. At lower masses, it bends and eventually the slope sign changes from negative to positive at very low masses. At $z\sim0$, this change of sign is at $M_{\ast}\sim5\times10^{8}{\rm M}_{\odot}$ close to dust-obscured SF regime, $M_{\ast}\sim6\times10^{8}{\rm M}_{\odot}$. The slope sign change is related to the knee of the FUV LF. Our derived dust-obscured fractions agree with previous determinations at $0\leq z\leq2.5$. Dust-obscured fractions depend strongly on mass with almost no dependence with redshift at $z\gtrsim1.2$. At $z\lesssim0.75$ high-mass galaxies become more "transparent" compared to their high redshift counterparts. On the opposite, low- and intermediate-mass galaxies have become more obscured by dust. The joint evolution of the GSMF and the FUV and IR LFs is a promising approach to study mass growth and dust formation/destruction mechanisms.