Flux-limited Surveys Research Articles

Photometric prioritization of neutron star merger candidates

ABSTRACT Rapid identification of the optical counterparts of neutron star (NS) merger events discovered by gravitational wave detectors may require observing a large error region and sifting through a large number of transients to identify the object of interest. Given the expense of spectroscopic observations, a question arises: How can we utilize photometric observations for candidate prioritization, and what kinds of photometric observations are needed to achieve this goal? NS merger kilonova exhibits low ejecta mass (∼5 × 10−2 M⊙) and a rapidly evolving photospheric radius (with a velocity ∼0.2c). As a consequence, these sources display rapid optical-flux evolution. Indeed, selection based on fast flux variations is commonly used for young supernovae and NS mergers. In this study, we leverage the best currently available flux-limited transient survey – the Zwicky Transient Facility Bright Transient Survey – to extend and quantify this approach. We focus on selecting transients detected in a 3-day cadence survey and observed at a one-day cadence. We explore their distribution in the phase space defined by g–r, $\dot{g}$, and $\dot{r}$. Our analysis demonstrates that for a significant portion of the time during the first week, the kilonova AT 2017gfo stands out in this phase space. It is important to note that this investigation is subject to various biases and challenges; nevertheless, it suggests that certain photometric observations can be leveraged to identify transients with the highest probability of being fast-evolving events. We also find that a large fraction (≈75 per cent) of the transient candidates with $\vert\dot{g}\vert>0.7$ mag d−1, are cataclysmic variables or active galactic nuclei with radio counterparts.

An orientation bias in observations of submillimetre galaxies

ABSTRACT Recent high-resolution interferometric images of submillimetre galaxies (SMGs) reveal fascinatingly complex morphologies. This raises a number of questions: how does the relative orientation of a galaxy affect its observed submillimetre emission, and does this result in an ‘orientation bias’ in the selection and analysis of such galaxies in flux-limited cosmological surveys? We investigated these questions using the simba cosmological simulation paired with the dust radiative transfer code powderday. We selected eight simulated SMGs (S850 ≳ 2 mJy) at z = 2, and measured the variance of their ‘observed’ emission over 50 random orientations. Each galaxy exhibits significant scatter in its emission close to the peak of the thermal dust emission, with variation in flux density of up to a factor of 2.7. This results in an appreciable dispersion in the inferred dust temperatures and infrared luminosities (16th–84th percentile ranges of 5 K and 0.1 dex, respectively) and therefore a fundamental uncertainty in derived parameters such as dust mass and star formation rate (∼30 per cent for the latter using simple calibrations). Using a Monte Carlo simulation we also assessed the impact of orientation on flux-limited surveys, finding a bias in the selection of SMGs towards those with face-on orientations, as well as those at lower redshifts. We predict that the orientation bias will affect flux-limited single-dish surveys, most significantly at THz frequencies, and this bias should be taken into account when placing the results of targeted follow-up studies in a statistical context.

The eROSITA Final Equatorial-Depth Survey (eFEDS)

Context.The eROSITA Final Equatorial Depth Survey (eFEDS), completed in survey mode during the calibration and performance verification phase of the eROSITA instrument on Spectrum Roentgen Gamma, delivers data at and beyond the final depth of the 4-yr eROSITA all-sky survey (eRASS:8),f0.5–2 keV= 1.1 × 10−14erg s−1cm−2, over 140 deg2. It provides the first view of normal galaxy X-ray emission from X-ray binaries (XRBs) and the hot interstellar medium at the full depth of eRASS:8.Aims.We used the Heraklion Extragalactic Catalogue (HECATE) of galaxies to correlate with eFEDS X-ray sources and identify X-ray detected normal galaxies. This flux-limited X-ray survey is relatively free from selection effects and enables the study of integrated normal galaxy X-ray emission and its relation to galaxy parameters such as the stellar mass, star formation rate (SFR), and metallicity.Methods.We cross-correlated 32 646 eFEDS X-ray sources to 1181 HECATE normal galaxies and obtained 94 matches. We classified galaxies as star-forming, early-type, composite, and active galactic nuclei (AGN) using Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and Six-degree Field (6dF) optical spectroscopy.Results.The eFEDS field harbours 37 normal galaxies: 36 late-type (star-forming) galaxies and one early-type galaxy. There are 1.9 times as many normal galaxies as predicted by scaling relations via simulations, with an overabundance of late-type galaxies and a dearth of early-type galaxies. When compared with empirical relations, eFEDS dwarf galaxies with a high specific SFR have elevatedLX/SFR at a fixed specific SFR and metallicity, indicating an increase in XRB emission due to low metallicity. We expect that eRASS:8 will detect 12 500 normal galaxies, the majority of which will be star-forming, with the caveat that there are unclassified sources in eFEDS and galaxy catalogue incompleteness issues that could increase the actual number of detected galaxies over these current estimates.Conclusions.eFEDS observations detected a rare population of galaxies – the metal-poor dwarf starbursts – that do not follow known scaling relations. eRASS is expected to discover significant numbers of these high-redshift analogues, which are important for studying the heating of the intergalactic medium at high redshift. Further investigation of the hot gas emission from normal galaxies and stochastic effects in the dwarf galaxy population are required to constrain their X-ray output.

H i absorption at z ∼ 0.7 against the lobe of the powerful radio galaxy PKS 0409−75

ABSTRACT We present results from a search for the H i 21-cm line in absorption towards 16 bright radio sources with the six-antenna commissioning array of the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. Our targets were selected from the 2-Jy sample, a flux-limited survey of the southern radio sky with extensive multiwavelength follow-up. Two sources were detected in H i absorption including a new detection towards the bright Fanaroff–Riley Type II radio galaxy PKS 0409−75 at a redshift of $z$ = 0.674. The H i absorption line is blueshifted by ∼3300 km s−1 compared to the optical redshift of the host galaxy of PKS 0409−75 at $z$ = 0.693. Deep optical imaging and spectroscopic follow-up with the GMOS instrument on the Gemini-South telescope reveal that the H i absorption is associated with a galaxy in front of the southern radio lobe with a stellar mass of 3.2–6.8 × 1011 M⊙, a star formation rate of ∼1.24 M⊙ yr−1, and an estimated H i column density of 2.16 × 1021 cm−2, assuming a spin temperature of Tspin = 500 K and source covering factor of Cf = 0.3. Using polarization measurements of PKS 0409−75 from the literature, we estimate the magnetic field of the absorbing galaxy to be ∼14.5 $\mu$G, consistent with field strengths observed in nearby spiral galaxies but larger than expected for an elliptical galaxy. Results from this pilot study can inform future surveys as new wide-field telescopes allow us to search for 21-cm H i absorption towards all bright radio sources as opposed to smaller targeted samples.

The population of M dwarfs observed at low radio frequencies

Coherent low-frequency ($\lesssim 200$ MHz) radio emission from stars encodes the conditions of the outer corona, mass-ejection events, and space weather. Previous low-frequency searches for radio emitting stellar systems have lacked the sensitivity to detect the general population, instead largely focusing on targeted studies of anomalously active stars. Here we present 19 detections of coherent radio emission associated with known M~dwarfs from a blind flux-limited low-frequency survey. Our detections show that coherent radio emission is ubiquitous across the M~dwarf main sequence, and that the radio luminosity is independent of known coronal and chromospheric activity indicators. While plasma emission can generate the low-frequency emission from the most chromospherically active stars of our sample, the origin of the radio emission from the most quiescent sources is yet to be ascertained. Large-scale analogues of the magnetospheric processes seen in gas-giant planets likely drive the radio emission associated with these quiescent stars. The slowest-rotating stars of this sample are candidate systems to search for star-planet interaction signatures.

ZTF Early Observations of Type Ia Supernovae. II. First Light, the Initial Rise, and Time to Reach Maximum Brightness

Abstract While it is clear that Type Ia supernovae (SNe) are the result of thermonuclear explosions in C/O white dwarfs (WDs), a great deal remains uncertain about the binary companion that facilitates the explosive disruption of the WD. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of a large, unique data set of 127 SNe Ia with exquisite coverage by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF). High-cadence (six observations per night) ZTF observations allow us to measure the SN rise time and examine its initial evolution. We develop a Bayesian framework to model the early rise as a power law in time, which enables the inclusion of priors in our model. For a volume-limited subset of normal SNe Ia, we find that the mean power-law index is consistent with 2 in the r ZTF-band ( ), as expected in the expanding fireball model. There are, however, individual SNe that are clearly inconsistent with . We estimate a mean rise time of 18.9 days (with a range extending from ∼15 to 22 days), though this is subject to the adopted prior. We identify an important, previously unknown, bias whereby the rise times for higher-redshift SNe within a flux-limited survey are systematically underestimated. This effect can be partially alleviated if the power-law index is fixed to α = 2, in which case we estimate a mean rise time of 21.7 days (with a range from ∼18 to 23 days). The sample includes a handful of rare and peculiar SNe Ia. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of lessons learned from the ZTF sample that can eventually be applied to observations from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.

The Zwicky Transient Facility Bright Transient Survey. I. Spectroscopic Classification and the Redshift Completeness of Local Galaxy Catalogs

Abstract The Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) is performing a three-day cadence survey of the visible northern sky (∼3π) with newly found transient candidates announced via public alerts. The ZTF Bright Transient Survey (BTS) is a large spectroscopic campaign to complement the photometric survey. BTS endeavors to spectroscopically classify all extragalactic transients with m peak ≤ 18.5 mag in either the g ZTF or r ZTF filters, and publicly announce said classifications. BTS discoveries are predominantly supernovae (SNe), making this the largest flux-limited SN survey to date. Here we present a catalog of 761 SNe, classified during the first nine months of ZTF (2018 April 1–2018 December 31). We report BTS SN redshifts from SN template matching and spectroscopic host-galaxy redshifts when available. We analyze the redshift completeness of local galaxy catalogs, the redshift completeness fraction (RCF; the ratio of SN host galaxies with known spectroscopic redshift prior to SN discovery to the total number of SN hosts). Of the 512 host galaxies with SNe Ia, 227 had previously known spectroscopic redshifts, yielding an RCF estimate of 44% ± 4%. The RCF decreases with increasing distance and decreasing galaxy luminosity (for z < 0.05, or ∼200 Mpc, RCF ≈ 0.6). Prospects for dramatically increasing the RCF are limited to new multifiber spectroscopic instruments or wide-field narrowband surveys. Existing galaxy redshift catalogs are only ∼50% complete at r ≈ 16.9 mag. Pushing this limit several magnitudes deeper will pay huge dividends when searching for electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave events or sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays or neutrinos.

The Redshift Completeness of Local Galaxy Catalogs

Abstract There is considerable interest in understanding the demographics of galaxies within the local universe (defined, for our purposes, as the volume within a radius of 200 Mpc or z ≤ 0.05). In this pilot paper, using supernovae (SNe) as signposts to galaxies, we investigate the redshift completeness of catalogs of nearby galaxies. In particular, type Ia SNe are bright and are good tracers of the bulk of the galaxy population, as they arise in both old and young stellar populations. Our input sample consists of SNe with redshift ≤0.05, discovered by the flux-limited ASAS-SN survey. We define the redshift completeness fraction (RCF) as the number of SN host galaxies with known redshift prior to SN discovery, determined, in this case, via the NASA Extragalactic Database, divided by the total number of newly discovered SNe. Using SNe Ia, we find % (90% confidence interval) for z < 0.03. We examine the distribution of host galaxies with and without cataloged redshifts as a function of absolute magnitude and redshift, and, unsurprisingly, find that higher-z and fainter hosts are less likely to have a known redshift prior to the detection of the SN. However, surprisingly, some galaxies are also missing. We conclude with thoughts on the future improvement of RCF measurements that will be made possible from large SN samples resulting from ongoing and especially upcoming time-domain surveys.

Disturbed galaxy clusters are more abundant in an X-ray volume-limited sample

We present first strong observational evidence that the X-ray cool-core bias or the apparent bias in the abundance of relaxed clusters is absent in our REFLEX volume-limited sample (ReVols). We show that these previously observed biases are due to the survey selection method such as for an flux-limited survey, and are not due to the inherent nature of X-ray selection. We also find that the X-ray luminosity distributions of clusters for the relaxed and for the disturbed clusters are distinct and a displacement of approximately 60 per cent is required to match two distributions. Our results suggest that to achieve more precise scaling relation one may need to take the morphology of clusters and their fractional abundance into account.

Merging groups and clusters of galaxies from the SDSS data

Galaxy groups and clusters are the main tools used to test cosmological models and to study the environmental effect of galaxy formation. This work provides a catalogue of galaxy groups and clusters, as well as potentially merging systems based on the SDSS main galaxy survey. We identified galaxy groups and clusters using the modified friends-of-friends (FoF) group finder designed specifically for flux-limited galaxy surveys. The FoF group membership is refined by multimodality analysis to find subgroups and by using the group virial radius and escape velocity to expose unbound galaxies. We look for merging systems by comparing distances between group centres with group radii. The analysis results in a catalogue of 88662 galaxy groups with at least two members. Among them are 6873 systems with at least six members which we consider to be more reliable groups. We find 498 group mergers with up to six groups. We performed a brief comparison with some known clusters in the nearby Universe, including the Coma cluster and Abell 1750. The Coma cluster in our catalogue is a merging system with six distinguishable subcomponents. In the case of Abell 1750 we find a clear sign of filamentary infall toward this cluster. Our analysis of mass-to-light ratio (M/L) of galaxy groups reveals that M/L slightly increases with group richness.

NEOSURVEY 1: INITIAL RESULTS FROM THE WARM SPITZER EXPLORATION SCIENCE SURVEY OF NEAR-EARTH OBJECT PROPERTIES

ABSTRACT Near-Earth objects (NEOs) are small solar system bodies whose orbits bring them close to the Earth’s orbit. We are carrying out a Warm Spitzer Cycle 11 Exploration Science program entitled NEOSurvey—a fast and efficient flux-limited survey of 597 known NEOs in which we derive a diameter and albedo for each target. The vast majority of our targets are too faint to be observed by NEOWISE, though a small sample has been or will be observed by both observatories, which allows for a cross-check of our mutual results. Our primary goal is to create a large and uniform catalog of NEO properties. We present here the first results from this new program: fluxes and derived diameters and albedos for 80 NEOs, together with a description of the overall program and approach, including several updates to our thermal model. The largest source of error in our diameter and albedo solutions, which derive from our single-band thermal emission measurements, is uncertainty in η, the beaming parameter used in our thermal modeling; for albedos, improvements in solar system absolute magnitudes would also help significantly. All data and derived diameters and albedos from this entire program are being posted on a publicly accessible Web page at nearearthobjects.nau.edu.

Identifying OH Imposters in the ALFALFA Neutral Hydrogen Survey

OH megamasers (OHMs) are rare, luminous molecular masers that are typically observed in (ultra) luminous infrared galaxies and serve as markers of major galaxy mergers. In blind emission line surveys such as the Arecibo Legacy Fast Arecibo L-Band Feed Array (ALFALFA) survey for neutral hydrogen (HI), OHMs at z~0.2 can mimic z~0.05 HI lines. We present the results of optical spectroscopy of ambiguous HI detections in the ALFALFA 40% data release detected by the Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) but with uncertain optical counterparts. The optical redshifts, obtained from observations at the Apache Point Observatory, revealed five new OHMs and identified 129 HI optical counterparts. Sixty candidates remain ambiguous. The new OHMs are the first detected in a blind spectral line survey. The number of OHMs in ALFALFA is consistent with predictions from the OH luminosity function. Additionally, the mid-infrared magnitudes and colors of the OHM host galaxies found in a blind survey do not seem to differ from those found in previous targeted surveys. This validates the methods used in previous IR-selected OHM surveys and indicates there is no previously unknown OHM-producing population at z~0.2. We also provide a method for future surveys to separate OH megamasers from 99% of HI line emitters without optical spectroscopy by using WISE infrared colors and magnitudes. Since the fraction of OHMs found in flux-limited HI surveys is expected to increase with the survey's redshift, this selection method can be applied to future flux-limited high-redshift hydrogen surveys.

Towards optimal cluster power spectrum analysis

The power spectrum of galaxy clusters is an important probe of the cosmological model. In this paper we determine the optimal weighting scheme for maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio for such measurements. We find a closed form analytic expression for the optimal weights. Our expression takes into account: cluster mass, finite survey volume effects, survey masking, and a flux limit. The implementation of this weighting scheme requires knowledge of the measured cluster masses, and analytic models for the bias and space-density of clusters as a function of mass and redshift. Recent studies have suggested that the optimal method for reconstruction of the matter density field from a set of clusters is mass-weighting (Seljak et al 2009, Hamaus et al 2010, Cai et al 2011). We compare our optimal weighting scheme with this approach and also with the original power spectrum scheme of Feldman et al (1994). We show that our optimal weighting scheme outperforms these approaches for both volume- and flux-limited cluster surveys. Finally, we present a new expression for the Fisher information matrix for cluster power spectrum analysis. Our expression shows that for an optimally weighted cluster survey the cosmological information content is boosted, relative to the standard approach of Tegmark (1997).

A selection effect boosting the contribution from rapidly spinning black holes to the cosmic X-ray background

The Cosmic X-ray Background (CXB) is the total emission from past accretion activity onto supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGN) and peaks in the hard X-ray band (30 keV). In this paper, we identify a significant selection effect operating on the CXB and flux-limited AGN surveys, and outline how they must depend heavily on the spin distribution of black holes. We show that, due to the higher radiative efficiency of rapidly-spinning black holes, they will be over-represented in the X-ray background, and therefore could be a dominant contributor to the CXB. Using a simple bimodal spin distribution, we demonstrate that only 15 per cent maximally-spinning AGN can produce 50 per cent of the CXB. We also illustrate that invoking a small population of maximally-spinning black holes in CXB synthesis models can reproduce the CXB peak without requiring large numbers of Compton-thick AGN. The spin bias is even more pronounced for flux-limited surveys: 7 per cent of sources with maximally-spinning black holes can produce half of the source counts. The detectability for maximum spin black holes can be further boosted in hard (>10 keV) X-rays by up to ~60 per cent due to pronounced ionised reflection, reducing the percentage of maximally spinning black holes required to produce half of the CXB or survey number counts further. A host of observations are consistent with an over-representation of high-spin black holes. Future NuSTAR and ASTRO-H hard X-ray surveys will provide the best constraints on the role of spin within the AGN population.

What is the optimal way to measure the galaxy power spectrum?

Measurements of the galaxy power spectrum contain a wealth of information about the Universe. Its optimal extraction is vital if we are to truly understand the micro-physical nature of dark matter and dark energy. In Smith & Marian (2015) we generalized the power spectrum methodology of Feldman et al. (1994) to take into account the key tenets of galaxy formation: galaxies form and reside exclusively in dark matter haloes; a given dark matter halo may host galaxies of various luminosities; galaxies inherit the large-scale bias associated with their host halo. In this paradigm we derived the optimal weighting and reconstruction scheme for maximizing the signal-to-noise on a given band power estimate. For a future all-sky flux-limited galaxy redshift survey of depth b_J ~22, we now demonstrate that the optimal weighting scheme does indeed provide improved S/N at the level of ~20% when compared to Feldman et al. (1994) and ~60% relative to Percival et al. (2003), for scales of order k~0.5 Mpc/h. Using a Fisher matrix approach, we show that the cosmological information yield is also increased relative to these alternate methods -- especially the primordial power spectrum amplitude and dark energy equation of state.

Rates of stellar tidal disruption as probes of the supermassive black hole mass function

Rates of stellar tidal disruption events (TDEs) by supermassive black holes (SMBHs) due to two-body relaxation are calculated using a large galaxy sample (N=146) in order to explore the sensitivity of the TDE rates to observational uncertainties, such as the parametrization of galaxy light profiles and the stellar mass function. The largest uncertainty arises due to the poorly constrained occupation fraction of SMBHs in low-mass galaxies, which otherwise dominate the total TDE rate. The detection rate of TDE flares by optical surveys is calculated as a function of SMBH mass and other observables for several physically-motivated models of TDE emission. We also quantify the fraction of galaxies that produce deeply penetrating disruption events. If the majority of the detected events are characterized by super-Eddington luminosities (such as disk winds, or synchrotron radiation from an off-axis relativistic jet), then the measured SMBH mass distribution will tightly constrain the low-end SMBH occupation fraction. If Eddington-limited emission channels dominate, however, then the occupation fraction sensitivity is much less pronounced in a flux-limited survey (although still present in a volume-complete event sample). The SMBH mass distribution of the current sample of TDEs, though highly inhomogeneous and encumbered by selection effects, already suggests that Eddington-limited emission channels dominate. Even our most conservative rate estimates appear to be in tension with much lower observationally inferred TDE rates, and we discuss several possible resolutions to this discrepancy.

X-ray galaxy clusters abundance and mass temperature scaling

The abundance of clusters of galaxies is known to be a potential source of cosmological constraints through their mass function. In the present work, we examine the information that can be obtained from the temperature distribution function of X-ray clusters. For this purpose, the mass-temperature ($M$-$T$) relation and its statistical properties are critical ingredients. Using a combination of cosmic microwave background (CMB) data from Planck and our estimations of X-ray cluster abundances, we use Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques to estimate the $\Lambda$CDM cosmological parameters and the mass to X-ray temperature scaling relation simultaneously. We determine the integrated X-ray temperature function of local clusters using flux-limited surveys. A local comprehensive sample was build from the BAX X-ray cluster database, allowing us to estimate the local temperature distribution function above $\sim$1 keV. We model the expected temperature function from the mass function and the $M$-$T$ scaling relation. We then estimate the cosmological parameters and the parameters of the $M$-$T$ relation (calibration and slope) simultaneously. The measured temperature function of local clusters in the range $\sim\!\!1$-$10$ keV is well reproduced once the calibration of the $M$-$T$ relation is treated as a free parameter, and therefore is self-consistent with respect to the $\Lambda$CDM cosmology. The best-fit values of the standard cosmological parameters as well as their uncertainties are unchanged by the addition of clusters data. The calibration of the mass temperature relation, as well as its slope, are determined with $\sim10\%$ statistical uncertainties. This calibration leads to masses that are $\sim\!\!75\%$ larger than X-ray masses used in Planck.

Does the obscured AGN fraction really depend on luminosity?

We use a sample of 151 local non-blazar AGN selected from the INTEGRAL all-sky hard X-ray survey to investigate if the observed declining trend of the fraction of obscured (i.e. showing X-ray absorption) AGN with increasing luminosity is mostly an intrinsic or selection effect. Using a torus-obscuration model, we demonstrate that in addition to negative bias, due to absorption in the torus, in finding obscured AGN in hard X-ray flux limited surveys, there is also positive bias in finding unobscured AGN, due to Compton reflection in the torus. These biases can be even stronger taking into account plausible intrinsic collimation of hard X-ray emission along the axis of the obscuring torus. Given the AGN luminosity function, which steepens at high luminosities, these observational biases lead to a decreasing observed fraction of obscured AGN with increasing luminosity even if this fraction has no intrinsic luminosity dependence. We find that if the central hard X-ray source in AGN is isotropic, the intrinsic (i.e. corrected for biases) obscured AGN fraction still shows a declining trend with luminosity, although the intrinsic obscured fraction is significantly larger than the observed one: the actual fraction is larger than $\sim 85$% at $L\lesssim 10^{42.5}$ erg/s (17--60 keV), and decreases to $\lesssim 60$% at $L\gtrsim 10^{44}$ erg/s. In terms of the half-opening angle, $\theta$, of an obscuring torus, this implies that $\theta\lesssim 30$ deg in lower-luminosity AGN, and $\theta\gtrsim 45$ deg in higher-luminosity ones. If, however, the emission from the central SMBH is collimated as $dL/d\Omega\propto\cos\alpha$, the intrinsic dependence of the obscured AGN fraction is consistent with a luminosity-independent torus half-opening angle $\theta\sim 30$ deg.

THE OPTICALLY UNBIASED GRB HOST (TOUGH) SURVEY. VII. THE HOST GALAXY LUMINOSITY FUNCTION: PROBING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GRBs AND STAR FORMATION TO REDSHIFT ∼6

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) offer a route to characterizing star-forming galaxies and quantifying high-$z$ star formation that is distinct from the approach of traditional galaxy surveys: GRB selection is independent of dust and probes even the faintest galaxies that can evade detection in flux-limited surveys. However, the exact relation between the GRB rate and the star formation rate (SFR) throughout all redshifts is controversial. The Optically Unbiased GRB Host (TOUGH) survey includes observations of all GRB hosts (69) in an optically unbiased sample of Swift GRBs and we utilize these to constrain the evolution of the UV GRB-host-galaxy luminosity function (LF) between $z=0$ and $z=4.5$, and compare this with LFs derived from both Lyman-break galaxy (LBG) surveys and simulation modeling. At all redshifts we find the GRB hosts to be most consistent with a luminosity function derived from SFR weighted models incorporating GRB production via both metallicity-dependent and independent channels with a relatively high level of bias toward low metallicity hosts. In the range $1<z<3$ an SFR weighted LBG derived (i.e., non-metallicity biased) LF is also a reasonable fit to the data. Between $z\sim3$ and $z\sim6$, we observe an apparent lack of UV bright hosts in comparison with LBGs, though the significance of this shortfall is limited by nine hosts of unknown redshift.

Consequences of bursty star formation on galaxy observables at high redshifts

The star formation histories (SFHs) of dwarf galaxies are thought to be bursty, with large – order of magnitude – changes in the star formation rate on time-scales similar to O-star lifetimes. As a result, the standard interpretations of many galaxy observables (which assume a slowly varying SFH) are often incorrect. Here, we use the SFHs from hydrodynamical simulations to investigate the effects of bursty SFHs on sample selection and interpretation of observables and make predictions to confirm such SFHs in future surveys. First, because dwarf galaxies’ star formation rates change rapidly, the mass-to-light ratio is also changing rapidly in both the ionizing continuum and, to a lesser extent, the non-ionizing ultraviolet continuum. Therefore, flux limited surveys are highly biased towards selecting galaxies in the burst phase and very deep observations are required to detect all dwarf galaxies at a given stellar mass. Second, we show that a log10[νLν(1500 Å)/LHα] > 2.5 implies a very recent quenching of star formation and can be used as evidence of stellar feedback regulating star formation. Third, we show that the ionizing continuum can be significantly higher than when assuming a constant SFH, which can affect the interpretation of nebular emission line equivalent widths and direct ionizing continuum detections. Finally, we show that a star formation rate estimate based on continuum measurements only (and not on nebular tracers such as the hydrogen Balmer lines) will not trace the rapid changes in star formation and will give the false impression of a star-forming main sequence with low dispersion.