The [OII]3727 Luminosity Function of the Local Universe

J. Gallego, C. E. Garcia-Dabo, J. Zamorano, A. Aragon--Salamanca, M. Rego

Published 2002-10-02Version 1

The measurement of the Star Formation Rate density of the Universe is of prime importance in understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies. The [OII]3727 emission line flux, easy to measure up to z~1.4 within deep redshift surveys in the optical and up to z~5.4 in the near infrared, offers a reliable means of characterizing the star formation properties of high-z objects. In order to provide the high-z studies with a local reference, we have measured total [OII]3727 fluxes for the well analyzed local sample of star-forming galaxies from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid Survey. This data is used to derive the [OII]3727 luminosity function for local star-forming galaxies. When compared with similar luminosity densities published for redshift up to z~1, the overall evolution already observed in the star formation activity of the Universe is confirmed.