Galactic Spectral Energy Distributions and Stellar Masses
Summary
Galactic spectral energy distributions (SEDs) encapsulate the multi-wavelength emission of galaxies, tracing radiation from young, ultraviolet-bright stars through infrared emission from dust to radio continuum and line emission. By modelling SEDs with physically motivated templates or spectral synthesis codes, astrophysicists extract fundamental quantities such as stellar mass, star formation history, dust content and metallicity. Stellar mass estimates hinge on the conversion of luminosity into mass via mass-to-light ratios that vary with wavelength, stellar population age and dust attenuation. Near-infrared observations are especially valuable because they are dominated by long-lived, low-mass stars and suffer relatively little extinction. By combining photometry across the ultraviolet, optical and infrared with robust fitting frameworks, researchers can map how stellar mass builds up over cosmic time, probe the baryonic content of galaxies and test models of galaxy formation and evolution. Improved SED modelling underpins measurements of the cosmic star formation rate density, the growth of structure and the interplay between stellar feedback and interstellar matter. Advances in instrumentation—from space-based infrared observatories to large spectroscopic surveys—continue to sharpen the precision of stellar mass estimates and to reveal the diversity of galactic evolutionary pathways.
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Galactic Spectral Energy Distributions and Stellar Masses publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in galactic spectral energy distributions and stellar masses across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Spectral energy distribution (SED): The plot of a galaxy’s energy output per unit wavelength or frequency, assembled from multi-band photometry or spectroscopy to characterise stellar, dust and gas components.
Mass-to-light ratio (M/L): The ratio of stellar mass to luminosity in a given band, used to convert observed brightness into an estimate of stellar mass.
Infrared photometry: Measurement of a galaxy’s flux in infrared bands, often employed to trace evolved stellar populations and dust-reprocessed star formation.
Stellar mass (M⋆): The total mass contained in a galaxy’s stars, inferred from luminosities and modelled mass-to-light ratios, and representing the integral of past star formation.
References
- Star formation rate and stellar mass calibrations based on infrared photometry and their dependence on stellar population age and extinction. Astronomy & Astrophysics (2023).
- A New Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer Calibration of Stellar Mass. The Astrophysical Journal (2023).
- Completeness of the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED) Local Volume Sample. The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series (2023).
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