| Description |
Eight billion years ago, at zvirgul1, the star formation rate (SFR) in the universe peaks and the vast majority of galaxies are blue with the plurality being luminous compact blue galaxies (LCBGs). Today, the SFR is an order of magnitude lower, galaxies are evenly divided between a red and blue sequence, and LCBGs are extremely rare. It remains unclear as to what has caused star formation to be quenched in galaxies in general, and specifically in LCBGs. Since LCBGs reside at the high mass end of the blue sequence, they are poised to have their star formation quenched in the near future. As such, they are a unique laboratory for studying how galaxies evolve from the blue to the red sequence. We are proposing to use PACS and SPIRE photometry to measure the SFR and dust mass for 52 local LCBGs in order to constrain the duration of their current starburst. Combined with multi-wavelength archival data, we will identify which LCBGs are having their star formation quenched and determine how these galaxies will evolve. |
