The Multi-wavelength Extreme Starburst Sample of Luminous Galaxies. I. Sample Characteristics

• Published in: The Astronomical journal 2010-12, Vol.140 (6), p.2052-jQuery1323898849192='46', Article 2052
• Main Authors: Laag, Edward, Croft, Steve, Canalizo, Gabriela, Lacy, Mark
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arrays; ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; Criteria; DOCUMENT TYPES; DUSTS; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; Emission; Estimates; EVOLUTION; GALACTIC EVOLUTION; GALAXIES; LUMINOSITY; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; MORPHOLOGY; OPTICAL PROPERTIES; PHOTOMETERS; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; RADIATIONS; RED SHIFT; STARS; Strength; TELESCOPES; ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION; WAVELENGTHS
• ISSN: 1538-3881; 0004-6256; 1538-3881
• DOI: 10.1088/0004-6256/140/6/2052

This paper introduces the Multi-wavelength Extreme Starburst Sample (MESS), a new catalog of 138 star-forming galaxies (0.1 < z < 0.3) optically selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey using emission line strength diagnostics to have a high absolute star formation rate (SFR; minimum 11 M yr--1 with median SFR ~ 61 M yr--1 based on a Kroupa initial mass function). The MESS was designed to complement samples of nearby star-forming galaxies such as the luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) and ultraviolet luminous galaxies (UVLGs). Observations using the Multi-band Imaging Photometer (24, 70, and 160 Delta *mm channels) on the Spitzer Space Telescope indicate that the MESS galaxies have IR luminosities similar to those of LIRGs, with an estimated median L TIR ~ 3 X 1011 L . The selection criteria for the MESS objects suggest they may be less obscured than typical far-IR-selected galaxies with similar estimated SFRs. Twenty out of 70 of the MESS objects detected in the Galaxy Evolution Explorer FUV band also appear to be UVLGs. We estimate the SFRs based directly on luminosities to determine the agreement for these methods in the MESS. We compare these estimates to the emission line strength technique, since the effective measurement of dust attenuation plays a central role in these methods. We apply an image stacking technique to the Very Large Array FIRST survey radio data to retrieve 1.4 GHz luminosity information for 3/4 of the sample covered by FIRST including sources too faint, and at too high a redshift, to be detected in FIRST. We also discuss the relationship between the MESS objects and samples selected through alternative criteria. Morphologies will be the subject of a forthcoming paper.