The radio-infrared correlation in galaxies

Abstract

The radio–infrared correlation holds within galaxies down to scales of about 50 pc (Hughes et al. 2006). It was explained as a direct and linear relationship between star formation and IR emission. However, one fact making the IR-star formation linkage less obvious is that the IR emission consists of at least two emission components, cold dust and warm dust. The cold dust emission may not be directly linked to the young stellar population. Furthermore, understanding the origin of the radio–IR correlation requires to discriminate between the two main components of the radio continuum emission, free-free and synchrotron emission. Although cosmic ray electrons originates also from the star forming regions (supernovae remnants; final episodes of massive stars), the synchrotron–IR correlation may not be as tight as thermal–IR correlation locally, as a result of convection and diffusion of the cosmic ray electrons from their place of birth. The magnetic field distribution may further modify the correlation.