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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0The Astrophysical Journal

What Drives Galaxy–Galaxy Differences in the Selective Attenuation Curve? New Perspectives from DESI DR1

  • Andrew Mizener1
  • Daniela Calzetti1
  • Ranga-Ram Chary2
  • John Moustakas3
  1. 1University of Massachusetts Amherst
  2. 2University of California,
  3. 3Siena University
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Abstract

Leveraging a sample of 3457 galaxies drawn from DESI DR1 and crossmatched with archival Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) UV photometry, we construct new dust attenuation curves and measure how the shapes of these curves vary as a function of galaxy properties. Our curves are built by comparing the median flux densities of galaxies that have been divided into bins of nebular opacity, measured via the Balmer optical depth (i.e. the H α /H β ratio). When no further cuts on galaxy properties are applied, we find an attenuation curve very similar to previous work at low redshifts. We then test how the attenuation curves vary as a function of galaxy properties; stellar mass, specific star formation rate, metallicity, and ionization parameter. We find that the curve steepens significantly at higher specific star formation rate. In our data, there is not a clear link between the ionization parameter, mass, or metallicity and the attenuation curve slope.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{mizener2026what,
  title = {{What Drives Galaxy–Galaxy Differences in the Selective Attenuation Curve? New Perspectives from DESI DR1}},
  author = {Andrew Mizener and Daniela Calzetti and Ranga-Ram Chary and John Moustakas},
  journal = {The Astrophysical Journal},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3847/1538-4357/aea984},
  url = {https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/aea984},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - What Drives Galaxy–Galaxy Differences in the Selective Attenuation Curve? New Perspectives from DESI DR1
AU  - Andrew Mizener
AU  - Daniela Calzetti
AU  - Ranga-Ram Chary
AU  - John Moustakas
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/27
JO  - The Astrophysical Journal
DO  - 10.3847/1538-4357/aea984
UR  - https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/aea984
AB  - Leveraging a sample of 3457 galaxies drawn from DESI DR1 and crossmatched with archival Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) UV photometry, we construct new dust attenuation curves and measure how the shapes of these curves vary as a function of galaxy properties. Our curves are built by comparing the median flux densities of galaxies that have been divided into bins of nebular opacity, measured via the Balmer optical depth (i.e. the H α /H β ratio). When no further cuts on galaxy properties are applied, we find an attenuation curve very similar to previous work at low redshifts. We then test how the attenuation curves vary as a function of galaxy properties; stellar mass, specific star formation rate, metallicity, and ionization parameter. We find that the curve steepens significantly at higher specific star formation rate. In our data, there is not a clear link between the ionization parameter, mass, or metallicity and the attenuation curve slope.
SN  - 1538-4357
SN  - 0004-637X
ER  -