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Main Authors: Farley, B., Ahmed, U. T., Hopkins, A. M., Cowley, M., Battisti, A., Casura, S., Gordon, Y., Holwerda, B. W., Phillipps, S., Robertson, C., Zafar, T.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.13797
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author Farley, B.
Ahmed, U. T.
Hopkins, A. M.
Cowley, M.
Battisti, A.
Casura, S.
Gordon, Y.
Holwerda, B. W.
Phillipps, S.
Robertson, C.
Zafar, T.
author_facet Farley, B.
Ahmed, U. T.
Hopkins, A. M.
Cowley, M.
Battisti, A.
Casura, S.
Gordon, Y.
Holwerda, B. W.
Phillipps, S.
Robertson, C.
Zafar, T.
contents We introduce a new approach to quantifying dust in galaxies by combining information from the Balmer decrement (BD) and the dust mass ($M_d$). While there is no explicit correlation between these two properties, they jointly probe different aspects of the dust present in galaxies. We explore two new parameters that link BD with $M_d$ by using star formation rate sensitive luminosities at several wavelengths (ultraviolet, H$α$, and far-infrared). This analysis shows that combining the BD and $M_d$ in these ways provides new metrics that are sensitive to the degree of optically thick dust affecting the short wavelength emission. We show how these new ''dust geometry'' parameters vary as a function of galaxy mass, star formation rate, and specific star formation rate. We demonstrate that they are sensitive probes of the dust geometry in galaxies, and that they support the ''maximal foreground screen'' model for dust in starburst galaxies.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_13797
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Galaxy And Mass Assembly: A new approach to quantifying dust in galaxies
Farley, B.
Ahmed, U. T.
Hopkins, A. M.
Cowley, M.
Battisti, A.
Casura, S.
Gordon, Y.
Holwerda, B. W.
Phillipps, S.
Robertson, C.
Zafar, T.
Astrophysics of Galaxies
We introduce a new approach to quantifying dust in galaxies by combining information from the Balmer decrement (BD) and the dust mass ($M_d$). While there is no explicit correlation between these two properties, they jointly probe different aspects of the dust present in galaxies. We explore two new parameters that link BD with $M_d$ by using star formation rate sensitive luminosities at several wavelengths (ultraviolet, H$α$, and far-infrared). This analysis shows that combining the BD and $M_d$ in these ways provides new metrics that are sensitive to the degree of optically thick dust affecting the short wavelength emission. We show how these new ''dust geometry'' parameters vary as a function of galaxy mass, star formation rate, and specific star formation rate. We demonstrate that they are sensitive probes of the dust geometry in galaxies, and that they support the ''maximal foreground screen'' model for dust in starburst galaxies.
title Galaxy And Mass Assembly: A new approach to quantifying dust in galaxies
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.13797