Arul Shrivastava

Measuring star formation rates for a sample of local galaxies

Started May 4, 2021

Abstract or project description

For this project, Arul will use publicly available multiwavelength datasets to measure the star formation rates (SFRs) of a sample of local galaxies. This measurement begins with the selection of a sample, making cuts on stellar mass, morphology, and distance. Arul will then use custom scripts written in Python to measure the flux from each galaxy in (at least) 2 wavebands -- H-alpha recombination band, and far UV (FUV) band, both of which trace star formation. Next, these fluxes will be converted to intrinsic luminosities based on the distance to each galaxy. Given these luminosities, Arul will use scaling relations in the literature to convert these luminosities to SFRs. Finally, if time remains, Arul will attempt to quantify the effect dust (which blocks and absorbs the light used in these measurements) has on his results, and will compare the derived SFRs for galaxies that host, and don't host, active galactic nuclei (AGN).