Daniela Calzetti
Published 2000-08-25Version 1
I review the effects of dust, both in absorption and in emission, on the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of Local star-forming galaxies. The energy balance between the stellar light absorbed by dust at UV-optical-nearIR wavelengths and the energy re-emitted by dust in the far infrared (FIR) shows that the amount of dust extinction affecting the galaxy can be predicted with simple prescriptions applied to the UV-optical data. The implications of these results for high redshift galaxies are discussed. Arguments can be given to support the view that Local starbursts are representative of high-redshift (z>2), UV-detected, star-forming galaxies. If this is the case, the high redshift FIR emission will be generally undetected in sub-mm surveys, unless (1) the bolometric luminosity of the high-z galaxies is comparable to or larger than that of Local ultraluminous FIR galaxies and (2) their FIR SED contains a cool dust component.
Comments: Invited Review at the FIRSED2000 Workshop on The Far-Infrared and Submillimiter Spectral Energy Distributions of Active and Starburst Galaxies, edited by P. Barthel, B. Wilkes and I. van Bemmel, New Astronomy Reviews (Elsevier, The Netherlands). 11 Latex pages plus 5 encapsulated postscript figures. Uses the elsart.cls and natbib.sty style files
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